Chapter 73

Ramon POV

The question sent a jolt through me—part arousal, part something deeper and more primal. The image of Lake round with my child, of giving Ollie the sibling he’d mentioned wanting, of creating a family that was truly ours—it was intoxicating.

“Would you want that?” I asked carefully. “If you were pregnant, would that be okay with you?”

“I think so,” Lake said slowly. “I mean, I’m terrified of being pregnant again. Last time was... it was awful, Ramon. I was fourteen and alone and so scared, and the birth nearly killed me. But this time would be different. I’d be with you, in a safe place, with doctors who actually care about keeping me alive. And Ollie would have a sibling who wasn’t born from trauma.”

“We don’t have to think about that right now,” I said, though privately I was already imagining it. “But Lake, if you did get pregnant—I’d take care of you. Both of you. Make sure you had the best medical care, that you never felt alone or scare