The Sun in Her Eyes (42 page)

‘Don’t be daft. You were the first person I thought of.’

‘Aw. I really, really appreciate this,’ she says with genuine warmth.

‘My pleasure. Give me your new email address and I’ll send ’em over.’

We end the call and I grin at Ben, who claps his hands and rubs them together with glee. ‘She already knew Alice is pregnant,’ I say with downturned lips. ‘So it’s not an
exclusive.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Ben reassures me. ‘It’s still a big coup.’

I go to my desk to send over a few of my favourite pictures.

The wait for Bronte to call me back is
agonising
, but it’s probably only about ten minutes.

‘Hello?’ I feel slightly breathless as I snatch up the phone.

‘Hey, it’s me,’ she says. ‘We all absolutely love the pictures.’

‘Do you?’ Yay!

‘Yes. I’m with my boss right now and he’d like to buy the exclusive worldwide rights.’

I feel lightheaded when she tells me what they’re offering. It’s way more than I thought it would be. She sounds more reserved than usual in the presence of her editor, but at some
point I’ll ring her back and scream down the phone.

‘I did a mini interview with them, too, so I’ll send that over,’ I tell her to her delight.

I’m not going to reveal that they’re expecting a boy. Joe didn’t talk about it in our official chat, and it feels like too much of an invasion of privacy to mention it. I
didn’t even feel comfortable asking Alice for permission via email.

When we hang up, I turn to Ben and relay Bronte’s offer.

‘That’s fantastic!’ He pulls me onto his lap and hugs me so tightly I can feel my bump pressing against his stomach.

‘Shall we upgrade the heating system now?’ I say with a smile.

‘Is that what you want to spend it on?’ he asks with surprise.

‘Yes, and
lots
of baby stuff.’

He laughs. ‘Fine by me.’

‘Oh, and babysitters for the future,’ I add, playfully pushing him away.

We’ve had far too many interruptions over the last few days, and it’s not like we’ll have much family help once the baby comes. My mum lives in Sydney and Ben’s mum is in
Perth, but that’s a bit beside the point because they’re both pretty useless. I’m sure Josh and Tina will help out, but I don’t want to impose too much.

Ben takes my hand. ‘I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with the joey over these last few days,’ he says solemnly.

‘You never have to apologise for that,’ I chide. ‘But with that said, I’m bloody glad Owen has her tonight.’ I jokily jerk my head in the direction of our bedroom.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

He laughs and manoeuvres me off his lap.

‘It would be good to still have a bit of time for the two of us,’ he agrees, leading me to the bedroom. ‘Although I bet you won’t want to leave her side once she’s
here.’

‘We’re having a girl, are we?’ I ask with amusement as he switches on the light.

‘Do you really want to find out?’ he replies, his eyes glinting under his grandmother’s small but exquisite antique chandelier.

‘I think I agree with Joseph Strike. Plenty more surprises once he or she gets here.’

‘Okay,’ he says. He pauses, as though wondering whether to mention something.

‘What is it?’ I prompt.

‘Don’t feel pressured,’ he starts. ‘But if it
is
a girl, do you think we could consider calling her Elizabeth?’

‘After your nan?’

He nods uncertainly.

‘Ben, I would
love
that.’

His smile lights up his whole face and fills my stomach with butterflies.

‘Now will you make love to me?’ I hastily shrug off my cardie.

He chuckles. ‘You’d say anything to get me into bed.’

I crack up at that, but then he bends down to catch the hem of my dress, silencing me.

‘Will you still love me when I’m enormous?’ I ask as he eases the garment over my bump.

I can just make out him rolling his eyes before my vision is obscured by yellow fabric. ‘Always,’ he says firmly to my face as it reappears.

I shiver from the cold and step forward to help him with his shirt, but my hands get distracted feeling the contours of his chest so he has to take it off unaided.

Soon we’re entwined underneath the bedcovers, skin on skin, with our body heat warming each other up. He moves to cover me, supporting his weight with his elbows.

‘I love you,’ I tell him breathlessly between hot, hungry kisses.

He breaks away to cup my face and stare at me steadily. Sometimes I think I could drown in these eyes of his.

‘I love you, too, Lily. I always will.’

The sincerity in his voice makes me feel unexpectedly emotional. My eyes prick with tears and then, on sudden impulse, I reach down and pull him into me. We both gasp at the raw sensation of our
bodies connecting.

Enough of the sentimental shit. Let’s get jiggy with it.