“Pack for what?”
“A trip. Five days and the destination is a secret. I have clothes at your service. All you need is essentials.”
Was he for real? Who did this ever happen to?
“Well, I’m working today and for the next several days. And I thought you were not available to take calls right now.”
Bronson laughed. “Our plans finished sooner and better than we’d hoped. I’ll fill you in on the plane. I’ve already gotten you a hall pass from your demanding employer, so when can you leave?”
If he was that anxious to get her somewhere, hopefully alone, then she could be ready five minutes ago.
“I’ll be ready in thirty minutes,” she told him.
“I’ll send my driver and meet you at the airport.”
And with that he hung up.
Mia stared at the handset for a second before she burst out laughing. Sometimes that man just amazed her. A surprise trip complete with wardrobe? Did he even know what size her swelling body wore?
If her waistline continued to grow the way it was, she’d be going to Omar the tent maker to get her fall and winter wardrobe.
Mia saved the spreadsheet she was working on and shut off her computer. She couldn’t get to her cottage fast enough to pack.
By the time she’d pulled her suitcase out and thrown in necessities—and sexy lingerie was the first necessity—she still had ten minutes to spare. She double-checked everything, including her passport, just in case, as the driver pulled up and took her bags.
Giddiness swept through her on the ride to the airport. Were they going on a cruise? Maybe a trip to Aruba? Oh, she hated waiting. Did the man not know how rude dangling the proverbial carrot was? Patience had never been her strong suit.
Okay, so that was a trait she didn’t want to pass down to the baby.
At nearly five months along, Mia couldn’t wait for the next few weeks to fly by so she could find out the sex of the baby. Back to that waiting game again.
The driver pulled into the private section of the airport and there was Bronson standing next to his jet, talking with a man she assumed was the pilot. A thrill of anticipation shot through her. Spending time alone with Bronson anywhere on earth would be fine with her, but the thought that he’d gone to the trouble to keep a surprise really threw her for a loop. Did she dare hope he was falling for her and not just feeling obligated to spend time with her for the baby’s sake?
Bronson opened her door as the driver got her bags and passed them on to the pilot.
“Glad you’re quick,” he told her, kissing her cheek. “You ready?”
She smiled. “For you to tell me where we’re going, yes.”
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. I just hope you’re as excited as I think you’ll be.”
“I’m getting five days off to spend with you and not work? I’m already excited.”
Bronson led her up the stairs of the private jet, and she settled into her plush leather seat. “How long is the flight?”
“Long enough for us to eat, sleep and have a stop to refuel before we arrive to our destination. I already called your doctor to clear your travels.” He smiled as he looked down at her. “I thought this would be a good time for us to discuss baby names.”
Mia froze, fastening her seat belt. “Baby names?”
“Yeah.” He took the seat across from her and leaned forward, taking her hands in his. “The baby has to have a name. And I have to admit this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”
Was he serious? Was he really ready to have their first parentlike discussion? Could he actually want this family to work?
Great, now she was going to tear up all because he was whisking her away and wanted to talk baby names.
“I didn’t think you’d want to be that involved until you knew …”
“My involvement is inevitable.” He kissed her hand. “And I want to do this. This baby will be an important part of the Dane legacy.”
Did that mean he believed her now? Did she dare hope he’d quit lumping her together with his ex-fiancée, who’d betrayed him? Could they be more?
“Mr. Dane. We are ready for takeoff,” the pilot said over the loudspeaker. “If you both would take your seats and buckle up, we’ll be in the air in minutes. Beautiful, clear day. Should have a smooth flight.”
Bronson fastened his seat belt and sat back. “So what do you think of the name Herbert?”
Mia’s gaze darted to his, only to find him laughing. A humorous side? Who knew? This was going to be an interesting flight.
Bronson watched Mia’s eyes light up at his joke. He only hoped he hadn’t offended her and she didn’t have some long-lost friend with that name.
“I know you’ve thought of names,” he told her as the plane began to taxi down the runway. “I’ll bet you’ve even scribbled some down to see what they look like.”
“Maybe just a few.” Mia laughed. “This is a big deal. We’ll live with this name for the rest of our lives—and so will the baby. I want something classy and timeless, but not far out there.”
Every day that passed, he was coming to think of this baby as his own. He couldn’t pinpoint when he’d let the unknown override his feelings for this baby. Somehow Mia had not only pulled him into her web, but into this innocent baby’s, as well.
And his mother and Victoria always questioned him about the child—that didn’t help. Those two were so willing to look past everything and believe the best of Mia.
Couldn’t they see how this would crush them if Mia was lying? Oh, he’d love to believe Mia, love to know he had a second chance at being a father. Love to know that this woman he was coming to care more and more about was not deceitful.
Truth was, he was ready to jump from the pessimistic ship he’d been sailing and get onboard with his family. But he also had to remain realistic to keep his heart from taking another beating.
“I have this feeling the baby is a girl,” she went on. “So I’ve been thinking more girl names.”
Bronson smiled. He could easily see Mia holding an infant in her likeness with dark hair, flawless Italian skin and those midnight eyes that looked straight through to your heart. His own heart constricted at the thought.
“Such as?” he asked as the plane lurched into the air.
She crossed her legs, smoothing her skirt down over her thighs. “Well, what do you think of Katharine or Audrey?”
“Classic movie stars, loved by millions.”
Mia’s silky laugh floated through the plane. “Get your mind off films for a minute. We’re talking baby names. I want a name that will carry her from childhood to adulthood. Something strong, yet feminine.”
“You’re that sure it’s a girl?”
She bit at her bottom lip, the lip he was dying to kiss. “I’m not sure, but maybe I’m just hoping.”
Honestly, he didn’t care, so long as the baby was his. Damn, he was going to be heartbroken if …
“Hey, you didn’t tell me what was going on with your mom and sister this morning.” Mia’s brows drew together in worry as she leaned forward in her seat. “Everything okay?”
Bronson sighed, not wanting to think about the fact that after she came out of her same-day surgery with glowing reviews from the doctors, his mother had again asked him to consider Anthony as the director.
“My