My breath immediately caught in my throat, and my hand flew to my mouth as the room came into view. This was not the way I’d left it this morning. Rose petals littered the floor. Balloons dangled from the ceilings, and candles flickered on every empty surface. It was beautiful, romantic even.

“After you.” He waved me inside and slowly entered. The smell of food hit my nose.

“You did this for me?” I asked. I couldn’t control my shock.

“Yeah,” he said casually as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

This setup looked like what men did for the woman they loved, but I was someone’s random baby mama he’d met at a party. We hadn’t had more than maybe six conversations. I was confused.

“Kellon, this is… too much,” I protested, feeling flattered by it all and overwhelmed.

“Nah. It’s your first time here. I had to go all out. Now, go freshen up for dinner. We kind of on a schedule.”

He nudged me gently inside the bedroom before I could protest. The door shut, and a mix of emotions coursed through my body. I’d never had a man do anything remotely close to this before. Hell, I’d never actually been courted. I always seemed to run into the Netflix and chill types.

“Shower!” he shouted through the door, shaking me from my thoughts and making me scurry off to the ensuite bathroom to freshen up.

None of this was giving friends or business. If it wasn’t clear to me before now, I was confident that Kellon was interested in me, but that couldn’t happen. I wasted no time undressing and hopping into the shower. Kellon said we were on a strict time crunch, so I needed to make it quick. I took cocoa butter-scented soap and lathered it across my entire body, washing away my nearly perfect day with Kellon Barnes. It was nearly perfect because, inside my little fairytale, there was an essential piece of reality that I couldn’t avoid. I was pregnant.

As the warm water cascaded down my body, my thoughts spun out of control. What would Kellon think? Would he be shocked? Would he see me differently? It was daunting, especially after God blessed me to meet such a wonderful man. He deserved to know the truth, though. The girl he was interested in was not available. I belonged to the baby growing inside me.

The damp air clung to my skin as I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. The gorgeous silk night set Kellon had laid out for me was on the bed. It was lovely, the perfect mix of sexy and comfort. I stared at myself in the mirror. Thoughts of how Kellon made me feel flooded my brain. He made me feel seen, cherished, and respected in this short time.