The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Lark entered the condo a week later feeling overwhelmed.

She dropped her keys on the kitchen counter knowing Max was probably still at his rehab appointment and sat down at the dining room table, feeling like her body was too tired to take one more step. Her family had done the near impossible. It took the entire Hoffman team to make it happen but within forty-eight hours of waking up, the doctors said there was no reason for Gracie to remain in hospital. Gracie was embracing her survival by throwing herself wholeheartedly into starting a new life in Dallas. In a single day, she'd sold both her condo and the house she grew up in with her father, packed up her entire life in her condo, and was relocated.

When Lark departed from Gracie's new condo in Dallas an hour ago, she left her very emotional older sister with her parents while Gracie set Sawyer's urn on the mantle. Her new place was situated right across the street from Grady's law offices and a fifteen-minute walk from Johan's place.

Lark looked up as Max came into the condo.

"Hey, you're back! You said you'd be back by dinner."

"Dad made record time driving the moving van and honestly, I spent six hours in the vehicle with him and Mom and Gracie. I love them but I needed a break. Also, I think I heard Johan mention breaking in Gracie's new bed," she gave a shudder. She let Max pull her into a standing position to kiss her. She wound her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "I missed you, Max."

"I missed you more, chère," he hugged her tight. "My parents got in today too."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's been a month. Maman looks fabulous, all tanned and rested. Margot is back home with her and Papa." "The triplets?"

"Dad told the triplets they are welcome to come home if they can behave like responsible adults, but he and mom are done being their doormat and taking the blame for their choices. Mom reminds me very much of the way she was when we were kids, when she would make us tow the line and we knew better than cross her."

"I'm so happy to hear this," Lark couldn't stop looking at him. She was nervously waiting for him to take a breath so she could talk to him about what was on her mind for the last week. Her period still didn't start. Her purse held tests ready to be used.

"My appointment with the cardiologist is next Tuesday. Five days away. I'm expecting him to say I'm able to resume activities," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I am very excited," she wasn't kidding. "In the meantime, would you like to do an experiment with me?" "An experiment?" he smirked, "like the kind we did in Houston?"

"No!" she laughed. "However, the results of those prior experiments are causal for the ones we need to run today." She reached for her purse and pulled the two boxes from the bag. She watched as he frowned in confusion and this his eyes flitted to hers, widening to comic proportions.

"Are you kidding?"

"Not kidding."

"You're pregnant?"

"I have no idea," she shrugged, "hence the need to do the tests."

"You were on birth control."

"I was." She agreed with his comment. "Fallon suspected it, and Dad made a comment I would want you

to be the first to know and he was right, so I refused to do the tests until I came home." She gave a loud laugh as he pulled her through to the bathroom.

He was ripping the first box open and was reading the instructions thoroughly, his breathing erratic. "Max, are you okay?"

"So, freaking excited," he was unable to look at her. "Is it wrong I'm hoping it comes out with the words pregnant?" He couldn't tear his eyes off the papers in his hands.

She took a breath, "I'm scared if it's not I'll be horribly sad."

His eyes finally connected with hers and he nodded, "no matter what, Lark, I'm simply happy I have you. Everything else is icing on my cake."

"Are you calling me cake?"

"I'd like to eat you," he laughed as she swatted at him. He pushed a test in her hand, "you need to pee on this end and then we need to wait three minutes."

"I'm not peeing in front of you."

"Why not? I've seen you pee before."

"When we were four!" she frowned at him.

"No, the night in the hotel. Probably the night we made this potential baby. Remember I made you come so hard so many times you couldn't get up to get to the bathroom because your legs wouldn't work so I carried you to the bathroom?"

"I buried the humiliation of you refusing to leave while I peed and you brought it back," she ignored the way he laughed as he walked out of the bathroom closing the door behind him. She quickly did as she was supposed to and then set the stick on a tissue on the edge of the sink.

She carefully washed her hands and then opened the door to find Max right there waiting. "Now we wait." He set a timer on his watch and then dragged her to the bed. "I miss being able to simply pick you up and carry you to bed. Come cuddle me for three minutes. We can make out."

They lay face-to-face on their pillows staring at each other and despite his words, neither initiating the make-out session. "I'm nervous," Max blurted out.

"Me too," she admitted as their hands linked together. "But, if there is anyone, I would want to be nervous with, it's you, Max."

His large hand cupped her head, stroking her hair softly, "you are the love of my life, Lark. When I saw you in the club all those weeks ago, I told myself I'd found you again and I didn't want to miss another moment. You are my world."

"I think we're out of practice for this

making out thing," she giggled as she snuggled closer to him. She pressed her lips to his and sighed as the comfortable feeling of coming home filled her. Stop reading the wrong and incomplete storyline, jo b ni b.com has the correct and complete book. His arms wound round her as he rolled her to her back and pressed his body over hers. His long fingers dug into the thick tresses and her mouth gave in when his tongue plied her lips apart.

Hungrily he kissed her, and she gave a breathy moan when she could feel his response to their kiss thickening along her thigh. It wasn't the first time since they'd been living together their kisses became heated, but it was the first time Max wasn't backing off and she wasn't reminding him to take it slow. Her fingers clutched his shoulders and her hips rolled under his. Like teenagers they rocked against each other and then they jumped apart guiltily when the timer on his watch went off.

She gave a giggle as he abruptly rolled off her and ran to the bathroom. "Max, wait for me."

"My d**k is hard. I need the distraction or I'm going to end up doing something to violate all the agreements I made with you and my mother on my recovery," he picked up the tissue and carried it to the bed. "I haven't looked yet. We'll look together."

He sat on the edge of the bed and her fingers were trembling as he turned the stick over.

Pregnant.

They looked at each other incredulously.

Max looked to his crotch, "I thought it would kill my boner but the thought of you being pregnant is making me hornier, if it was even possible."

She squealed when he leapt at her and flattened her to the bed.

"We're having a baby." He peppered her face with countless kisses while she laughed excitedly. "This is amazing."

"It really is," she wiped tears and his saliva off her face. He was taking his kissing of her face too far and

she chuckled as she realized some of the tears on her cheeks were his. "You're really happy?"

"I am thrilled," he kissed her mouth softly. "You're happy?"

"Ecstatic,” she admitted staring into his eyes. "You're crying."

"I can't help it." He paused, "I don't want to elope."

Her eyes widened at his admission, "what?"

"In this very moment, I'm imagining

all kinds of life events and if we have a daughter, I want to walk her down the aisle. I don't want to rob your dad of that. Let's do a wedding in the backyard. Just our immediate family and Johan. We'll put a little arch up and roll a carpet and your dad can walk you to me. I want to watch you. walking to me on your dad's arm. Your dad will cry. I will cry. It will be magical."

She snickered at him, "you want to have a wedding because someday you want to walk our daughter down the aisle." "Yes." He was resolute.

"Okay but I'm not waiting, and I don't want them to plan any of it. Let's do a surprise wedding!" her eyes were excited. "I'll arrange it all. I see the doctor Tuesday. We can do it on Wednesday. I know he'll clear me. I did the work, Lark. I put in the work."

"I know you did." She laughed at his excitement. "I'm confident Wednesday will work. Wednesday evening then?"

He rolled away from her and yanked the drawer of his nightstand open and pulled out a black velvet box. "You should probably be wearing this then," the box opened with a pop. Inside, a brilliant sapphire surrounded by diamonds were nestled on a platinum band. "Lark Hoffman, will you marry me?" "Yes!"

He kissed her excitedly as the box fell to the wayside and she was giddy at his exuberance.

"Can I say, this," she let him slide the ring on her finger, "is almost as big as the ring pop you gave me when we were eight?

"Only the best for my bride. I want to spoil you, Lark. I want to give you the world."

"You're my world, Max. Just give me you and I'm happy."

"You have me. Forever."

Lark felt her heart was at the point of overfull as the man she loved stared into her eyes. Despite all the trials and tribulations, they experienced, their love was healing and rejuvenating. She knew, without any level of doubt, whether in good times or bad, this man, the one who focused on her so intently, would be at her side no matter what.

Whether dealing with their crazy families, navigating the demands of their careers, or sorting out their own differences, she knew this man was the one she was meant to share those experiences with.