Текст книги "S.O.B. "

Автор книги: J. C. Valentine

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Taking a deep breath, I decide to just spit it out. “When did you plan to tell me about the baby?”

From the corner of my eye, I see her shoulders stiffen. It’s an answer same as any other, but I want to hear it from her. So I wait. And wait.

Finally, when the silence has gone on long enough to make me want to scream, she speaks. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Ever.”

I’m instantly enraged. Red hot anger boils my blood. I ball my fists and knot my arms around my raised knees so I don’t lose my shit and destroy everything in the room. I need something to release my aggression on, and that’s usually a soccer ball, but they’re hard to come by at this hour.

“It wasn’t anything against you,” she says quietly. “I just wanted distance from all of it. You’re a big time soccer player and the cameras are always on you, following you around. If they found out about me or the baby, it would destroy everything. You, me, this baby, my mother, your father. I didn’t want that for any of us.”

Fuck my father. I couldn’t care less if the media sharks rip his whole world apart, but I can understand her reasoning. That doesn’t mean it makes me feel any better. She was ready to cut me out without even asking me how I felt about it.

“I can appreciate you trying to protect our kid, but that’s our kid. That means I get some kind of say in its life.”

“You’re absolutely right,” she agrees, and for some reason, that pisses me off, too.

“You’re damn right I am. Where the hell do you get off keeping this from me?” Unable to sit still any longer, I jump to my feet and start pacing. “So what if I’m famous? So what if people follow me around? So fucking what! Do you think I’d ever let anything happen to my kid? No. Hell no.”

Years of pent up anger and frustration come rushing to the surface and the faster I pace, the more I feel it. “You’re just like the rest of them. You think I’m some irresponsible, worthless shit who’s only capable of kicking a ball into a net. Well, here’s a newsflash for you. I’m made of tougher stock than that! I went to college, I got my degree. I might be rich, but that doesn’t make me dumb!” I shout, throwing my arms out to my sides.

Vista’s eyes are wide, and I can tell that she isn’t certain how to respond. I know I’m going off the rails, but I can’t seem to help myself. It’s like the floodgates have opened, and I can’t stop the water from rushing through.

Getting to her feet, Vista keeps her distance, and wouldn’t you know it, that angers me even more. She shouldn’t be afraid of me, dammit!

“I understand that you’re upset right now, and you have every right to be, but you’re scaring me right now, so I’m going to ask you nicely to please leave. You can come back when you find some self-control.”

“Oh, I’m controlled, princess. I promise you that,” I say snidely. My whole life is about control lately. “In fact,” I tell her, “you’d be proud of me. I haven’t had a single drink or fucked a single woman since I left Chicago. Do you know why that is?”

She shakes her head, her expression weary.

“It’s because I’ve been working my way back to you. And now that I’m here, you’re sending me away. What the fuck!” I laugh, even though nothing about any of this is remotely funny. “And then I get here and I find out you’re pregnant with my kid and have been hiding it from me?” I throw my hands up.

“You’re not making any sense, Levi. Just leave. Go home, or back to your hotel or whatever, and get some sleep. We can talk more about this tomorrow when you’re feeling more like yourself again.”

Her words cause something inside me to snap. I think it’s just a culmination of everything that has been weighing me down my whole life all coming to a head in this very moment, but it doesn’t make the outcome any different. Or prettier. With more bite to my words that I intend, I tell her, “Fine, you want me gone? You don’t want me in your life? Then you don’t have worry about it anymore. I’m out of here.”

Turning on my heel, I head for the door. I know when I’m not wanted. I’ve spent my life learning how to spot the signs, and I’m done sticking around where I’m not welcome. I’ll make sure Vista and the baby are taken care of, of course, but now I’m free to finally do whatever the hell I want.

Strange, but as I storm from the room I don’t feel free, or even particularly relieved.

“Levi, stop!” Vista chases after me, rushing out into the dark and empty waiting area. “You’re being really immature right now. You know I didn’t mean that I wanted you to go away.”

“Then what did you mean?” I roar, spinning around to face her.

She skids to a stop, her wide brown eyes looking up at me in shock or fear, I don’t know which. “I-I just meant that I didn’t want to be around you when you’re so...upset. I want to talk, but not like this.”

My heart is pounding so hard I can feel my body moving to the beat of my pulse. But as I continue staring down at her, I feel myself begin to calm down. I’m letting my emotions get the better of me when I should be the voice of reason here. Right? I think so, anyway. It’s hard to know what to do when you suddenly find yourself standing on your own without a security blanket to fall back on. That’s what my father was for me, a source of security. I knew that if I fucked up, he’d be there with the answers on how to clean up the mess. Now, whatever choices I make are mine and mine alone.

It’s the biggest learning curve I’ve ever had to face and it’s scary as fuck. I can’t tell when I’m doing this adult thing right or if I’ve got it all wrong.

“Shit.” Combing my fingers through my hair, I grimace. “Shit. I’m sorry, Vista. I’m being a total dick, aren’t I?”

A hint of a smile appears on her porcelain face causing my heart to stutter. “Yeah, you kind of are.”

I don’t want to be that. Not to her. Not ever. I need a time-out to collect my shit before I completely fuck this up. Or at least, not any more than I already have. “Can I have a do over?”

She pretends to think about it. I love that she doesn’t just give in to me. She makes me sweat a little first. “Yeah, you can have a do over.”

I want to fall to my knees before her, I’m so relieved. Not that I ever doubted how charming I am. “Tomorrow then. After closing. I’ll pick you up, take you to dinner, and we’ll talk.”

Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she considers it for what feels like an eternity before saying, “It’s a date.”

Yeah, it is, isn’t it?

20

Murphy’s Law. It holds some weight, especially today, because anything that could go wrong has. The grand opening went great. There wasn’t any fanfare, no media coverage, or anything flashy, but we were short-staffed when the doors opened since Robby somehow broke his big toe and needed to stay off his feet, and Stasha had food poisoning. Good thing we only had some light traffic. It’s such a specialty practice, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I certainly hoped for more than I got.

Unfortunately, both of my appointments cancelled—one, a pro-baseball player and the other, a prominent member of the community. I was relying on those clients to help get the word out, not to mention pay some of the bills. Now, I’ll have to hunt even harder to find someone to replace them. After a long day of nothing happening, I sent Janey home with a stack of flyers. She’s sworn that she’ll paper the city with them, and I’m sad to admit that I’m banking on it.

To top off a crappy day, I’m not feeling my best. I probably should have said something to Levi when he showed up to take me out for our date, but he just looked so hopeful that I didn’t have the heart to deny him.

Now, I’m sitting here in a seriously fancy, over-the-top restaurant picking at a plate of spaghetti that I’m never going to eat. Everything about it, from the look of the noodles to the smell of the sauce, is nauseating.

“Do you want to order something else?” Levi asks. I guess he’s noticed that I’ve only been pushing my food around for the last half hour.

I smile politely, wondering to myself if I can choke down one bite to appease him, but I just can’t. I hate wasting his money like this, but I just can’t bring myself to eat a single bite. Pushing my plate away, I sigh. “I guess I’m just not that hungry.” As if to call me a liar, my stomach chooses that moment to growl. It’s loud enough to be heard over the violins and is completely embarrassing.

Setting his fork down on his plate of shrimp linguine, Levi frowns. “You’ve been quiet all evening. Is it the food or the company?”

“Neither,” I tell him. Although, this place isn’t really my style. Frankly, I never pegged Levi for the ritzy type, either. I hope he’s not trying to impress me. Sighing, I tell him, “It’s just been a long day and I’m tired and I haven’t gotten completely over the morning sickness yet.” My feet are swollen, I have a headache and gas, and I can’t concentrate at all. Hello, Mommy Brain! Of course, I don’t tell him any of this. I don’t want to sound like a complainer, and I doubt he brought me here to listen to my personal problems anyway.

“Why didn’t you say so? We could have stayed in.”

“I could tell that you were looking forward to this. I didn’t want to disappoint you or put you out after traveling all this way to see me.”

His frown turns into a scowl and Levi sits back, regarding me with suspicion. “Since when did you become so agreeable?”

I have no idea. I really don’t. Maybe it’s the hormones, I wonder, except that should make me less agreeable, shouldn’t it? “You wanted to talk. That’s what I came here for, so talk.”

A small smirk begins to form and, dammit, I can’t stop staring at his mouth. Levi’s lips are perfectly formed, with little sharp points on his top lip and a full, cushiony bottom lip that feels smooth and supple between mine when I suck on it. When I used to suck on it, I correct myself. Kissing Levi was all kinds of fun. And that beard. I want to reach across the table and run my fingers through it, just to feel the coarse but soft hairs on my skin again. He’s trimmed it since the last time I saw him. It’s a little shorter than I remember, more sophisticated, but it still looks good. Damn good. Put him in leather and on the back of a motorcycle and you have one hell of a sexy ass biker.

Jesus, is it hot in here? I’m freaking sweating my ass off.

“So that’s what you want to do then, talk?” Levi asks, his voice sharp.

Clearly, he’s taken offense to my tone or comment or something, but I can’t allow myself to care. This is a business arrangement. Getting involved with him again on a personal level is out of the question, even though my body seems to have different ideas. “Yes, I do. I assume you have questions?”

His blue eyes are steel on mine—cold, hard, and assessing. If at all possible, he’s grown even more confident since I last saw him. It’s sexy as hell. “We’ll start off with what your plans are for after the baby is born. What last name will it have?”

I look away and my gaze immediately falls on a couple with a young child across from us. They’re struggling together to keep the food on the table instead of the floor where their little girl wants it. I can tell from here that they’re frustrated, but they’re also smiling a little. They’re enjoying their life, sharing something that Levi and I never will. I know he won’t understand why I’ve made the choices that I have, but he has the right to know.

“I’m not sure,” I tell him, my voice small. “I guess it depends on the family.”

“The family,” Levi says slowly, rolling the words around a bit while he attempts to decipher them. I wait him out only because I’m too chicken shit to say the words myself. I chose this route, and yet I struggle with it every day. I just have to keep reminding myself that this is what is best. What kind of life can I give a child when I barely have my own in order?

“You’re giving it up?” Levi’s brows furrow in disbelief. When I finally muster up enough courage to look him in the eye, I’m able to see the full extent of his anger, hurt, and sense of betrayal.

“I can’t keep it. I’m starting a business, I work long hours, I’m weighed down by student loans, I’m living in an efficiency apartment, and I’m barely making ends meet,” I explain to him. “As a mother, I don’t have anything to offer. He’ll be better off with someone who can give him everything he needs.”

“It’s a boy?” he asks, his voice dangerously low. Fishing out his wallet, he withdraws his credit card and places it on the outside edge of the table. The waiter comes by almost immediately and carries it off.

“Yes,” I say, my mouth turning down.

His head bobs a couple of times, and he still continues refusing to look at me. “I hope you realize that I can’t let you go through with it.”

I figured he’d push back. Levi Black is a strong-willed man who knows what he wants. Or at least, he thinks he does.

“What are you going to do with a kid?” I ask him. “Just a few months ago, you were off screwing anything that walked around on two legs. Now you want to raise a child? It’s not a puppy, Levi. Just what, exactly, do you think you can offer him?”

“I have plenty of money. I can provide anything he needs.”

There’s the crux of it. Levi, above everyone else, should know just how little money means when it comes to having the love and respect of the people you care about. “A child can’t live off money alone, Levi,” I say, already feeling tired with this conversation.

“It needs love and attention. It needs your time, and how will you do that for him when you’re jet-setting across the world or boating in the Riviera with a bunch of blonde bimbos with huge tits?”

He clenches his jaw at the deliberate dig. That’s right, I watch E! and while I know recent celebrity gossip is a total fabrication created by past events, that doesn’t mean I’m above using it to make my point.

“That’s what these parents will do for him,” I continue on. “They’ll be able to give him everything we can’t.”

A dark look passes over Levi’s face and, recognizing the dangerous air surrounding him, I settle a little deeper into my chair. Out of nowhere, he slams his fist down on the table, rattling the stemware and startling me and a few nearby diners. “Who says that we can’t? I know I sure as hell can, and I will.”

“I’ve already filed the paperwork, Levi,” I explain as calmly as possible. “A family has already been picked out. They have their hearts set on it.”

His eyes grow darker as he leans across the table, his voice low and threatening. “Then they can unset it, because that’s my baby, and he’s going to have my name. I’m not giving it up to anyone. First thing tomorrow morning, you’re going to call whoever it is that you have to call, and you’re going to tell them that the deal is off, do you hear me?”

I swallow, unsure of what to do or say. Levi looks like he’s prepared to throw the damn table across the room if I say the wrong thing. I feel stuck. I’ve already made a deal. I’ve signed the papers. The adopting parents are preparing for my child to become theirs and my heart breaks just thinking about how devastated they’ll be if I back out, but at the same time my heart is screaming to follow Levi. He’s telling me to do exactly what I’ve wanted to do since before the ink had a chance to dry on the contract. I don’t want to give up my child. I want to hold my son in my arms and watch him grow up. I want to experience it all, but how do I do that? How do I hurt two people to save us?

“Levi, I—”

His hand shoots up, effectively cutting me off. “If you say anything other than ‘Yes, Levi,’ I will fucking flip my shit, do you understand me? I didn’t sleep at all last night, I’m on edge, and after this load of bullshit you just dumped in my lap, I’m this close to going nuclear.” He holds up his fingers, an inch apart, to demonstrate his point. “Fucking fix it.”

Right now, I can clearly see his father in him. David Black, the ruthless man who’s used to getting what he wants, any way he can get it, is staring back at me...and it’s terrifying. I shouldn’t be happy about this. Not at all. But he’s forcing my hand, a hand that I know needs to be forced, because I never wanted any of this. Being separated from my baby seemed like a necessity before, but now, it’s fast becoming an impossibility. I can’t breathe for how badly I want to be a mother to this child. So, I close my eyes and let the words we both want to hear tumble from my mouth.

“I’ll call the director in the morning,” I murmur, hoping it will diffuse the situation while silently bouncing in my seat. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to keep my child?

Rising from his chair, his jaw set and his eyes laser focused, Levi motions for me to follow with a glare that dares me to question him.

I don’t.

Leaving my seat, I turn and walk silently toward the door, giddy anticipation rushing through me when I feel Levi’s warm, strong hand press against my back to guide me.

When we step onto the sidewalk, I pause to see what the next step is. Levi hands the valet a ticket, and the young man’s eyes light up when he takes it. I almost laugh, because I know why he’s so excited.

A few moments later, I hear the deep growl of an engine coming down the street and turn my head in its direction. Sure enough, the valet is riding Levi’s motorcycle. When he rolls it to a stop at the curb and climbs off, he’s wearing a shit-eating grin.

“Enjoy the ride?” Levi asks him as he hands him a hefty tip, accepts the keys, then steps up to the bike, straddling it. It’s such an odd sight, him in a tailored pair of slacks, sitting on this slick piece of rugged machinery.

“I love your bike, man. How much did that monster set you back?”

Levi grins as he hands me my helmet. I try to keep my heart from falling too hard when he doesn’t stop to help me fasten it. I know he loves his bike, but I have to assume that he chose it over the comfort of a car so he wouldn’t have to risk talking to me in close quarters. Right now, I’m thankful for his foresight.

“More than you make in a year working here, my man,” Levi tells him. The guy’s expression drops, but then Levi hands him a small, white square. “For a guy I know,” he informs him. “If you find yourself in the market for a job that pays, give him call.”

Damn. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person light up quite like that guy did as he jogged away. “That was really nice of you,” I tell Levi as I take hold of his shoulders and climb on behind him. “It was pretty hot.”

“You’d better be talking about me,” Levi warns as he pops the kickstand up and aims the bike toward the flow of traffic.

My stomach flutters at the comment. Why am I encouraging him? I shrug in an attempt to play it off, but I know the gesture is lost on him. Once we’re zipping down the roads, it doesn’t matter anymore anyway. I get lost in the feel of the wind on my face, in my hair. The warmth of Levi’s body chasing away the chill. I could live my life on the back of his bike. It’s a special kind of feeling that you just can’t get anywhere else. Freedom. That’s what riding is like. Maybe that’s why Levi prefers it over a traditional car. I can certainly see the appeal.

“You know it’s going to be pretty difficult strapping a car seat onto this thing,” I yell over the roar of the engine.

“What do you think the saddlebags are for?” he calls back.

I can’t even pretend not to find that funny. Throwing my head back, I let loose and laugh. I almost forgot what it was like spending time with this man. He can be so exasperating, and he can also be so exhilarating. He’s the perfect mix of boy and man—knows when to have fun and when to get serious. And I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing both sides of him.

Suddenly, I’m thinking it might be better to keep my options open.

21

I don’t know how I got here, but I’m definitely enjoying myself. It’s gotta be the motorcycle. Chicks dig a man on a Harley. Vista is on her knees, naked as the day she was born, and wetter than a seal swimming in the ocean.

After we arrived back at her place—a shit apartment building that isn’t worth the foundation it’s built on—she tried to give me the brush-off, but being the kind of guy that I am, I ignored her completely and invited myself in.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the bike that got me to this point in the evening. I’ll just have to chalk it up to my incredible, irresistibly charming self. Letting me inside—with a considerable amount of hesitation on her part—Vista assumed we would spend more time talking.

I wasn’t interested.

From experience, I’ve learned that women respond better when they’re made pliable first. So, the second she opened her mouth to...I don’t know what. Offer me a nightcap? I didn’t hesitate to swoop in and kiss her.

What was meant as a tactical maneuver quickly escalated into an all-consuming need to be inside her. God, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her mouth. And her body. Don’t even get me started on it.

Regardless of all the changes—her tits are fucking fantastic—I still can’t get enough of her. I want my hands everywhere. I want to lick every inch of her body, taste the salt of her skin.

Her apartment is small. Like, I can see all of it in one shot small. So, it was a toss-up of whether I wanted to take her on the couch two feet to the left, or on the bed, two feet to the right. Backing her toward the bed, I had my hand down her pants and my fingers knuckle deep in her pussy before the backs of her legs touched the mattress.

Throwing her head back and exposing that sexy throat to my mouth, she moaned while I sucked and licked and kissed and fingered her until her entire body shook and her muscles milked me with her orgasm.

I had her pants down around her ankles and my mouth was watering to taste her when she called a stop to everything. A shower. She needed a shower before she could be comfortable going any further.

Women.

I couldn’t give a flying fuck if she had stubble on her legs or sweat on her skin. I was planning to dirty her up anyway. But Vista was adamant, so I came up with the bright idea to take playtime to the shower and here we are.

“How you doing down there, princess? Knees hurt at all?”

She looks up at me, her brown eyes full of lust and excitement and smiles as she runs her hands up my thighs. “Never felt better.” Wrapping her hand around my cock, she gives it a gentle pull causing my head to fall back on my shoulders.

“Good. That’s good, princess.” I don’t know if I’m answering her or praising her. All I know is that I sure as hell don’t want her to stop.

“I like it when you call me that,” she murmurs as she takes an experimental lick. The feel of her soft, wet tongue on my head makes me want to scream, it feels so damn good.

“Then I’ll make sure to call you it more often. Princess.”

I hear her soft chuckle over the spray of water beating down on my back. I’m trying my best to block the flow from hitting her in the face by standing in front of it, but I find myself swaying on my feet, the water trickling down my chest. When I look down to make sure she’s still doing okay, her face is covered in droplets from the fine mist still getting by. She looks like a damn siren, her caramel eyes drugged with passion, her lips ruby red and swollen.

“Fuck, you look hot.”

“I could say the same about you.”

The husk in her voice is sexy as hell. My dick twitches in her hand, urging her to continue stroking. “Then say it,” I tell her. “Tell me how much you want me, how bad you want to taste my cock in your mouth.”

“I do,” she says, her voice growing breathless, her chest rising and falling harder as she leans in and sucks the tip between her lips. Just the tip, but I’m already ready to come. How does this woman get me so worked up so fast? She’s single-handedly ruining my run time.

“Then show me.”

She does. Boy, does she. Without any more prompting, Vista’s mouth engulfs me. She takes me all the way to the root. When I hit the back of her throat, I groan. Her mouth is magic. As she takes me deep over and over again, pumping my shaft in time with her mouth, I feel like I could scream from how good it feels. In a matter of minutes, pressure begins to build and I know I’m about to bust.

Then I think of the baby growing inside her. Shit! I can’t let my kid ingest that crap. What kind of father would I be if I let that happen?

Tunneling my fingers into her wet hair, I gently tug Vista back until I am free of her mouth. I’m sad as hell to go, but this isn’t cool.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, concerned as I hold my hand out and help her back to her feet. I notice that her movements are stiff, and I feel like a total asshole all over again. She shouldn’t be on her knees. She’s the mother of my kid and all I’m thinking about is myself.

“Nothing, princess,” I lie. Leaning down, I kiss her mouth, slipping my tongue inside and licking her until she relaxes into me. Drawing back, I brush wet hair from her face and look into her hooded eyes. Damn, she’s beautiful. “Let’s get you washed up. When I take you, I want you in a bed.”

Pouring body wash into my palm, I rub my hands together then smooth them over her skin, starting with her shoulders.

Leaning into my touch, Vista says, “A bed, huh? I thought you had a thing for having sex in the water.”

Working my way down, I cover her breasts, momentarily getting preoccupied with them as the nipples bead against my fingertips. “What makes you think that?”

“Hmm...the pond, the pool, now the shower.”

Thinking about it, I realize that every time we had sex, it took place in the water. Imagine that. “Huh, I guess I must like water sports,” I say, watching as my hand travels lower to the swell of her belly where our baby resides. “I don’t recall you complaining until now, though. Do you have something against mattresses?”

“Nope. They’re extremely forgiving, especially when you’re on your knees.”

Which I plan to be, very soon. My cock, which is still hard as a steel pipe, jumps at the mental picture of getting between her legs. I have a list of things I want to do to this woman, and most of them involve my mouth. What can I say? I’ve always preferred eating out.

“Let’s rinse you off, before I forget the bed and take you right here on the floor.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

“Tell me that in two hours when your ass is bruised from the tiles.” As soon as we’re both soap-free, I dry off enough to ensure I won’t slip on the floor, then wrap Vista in a towel and carry her to bed.

***

“I told myself I wasn’t going to do that.”

“I gave you a chance to back out,” I remind her, my chest shaking with laughter. Why don’t girls believe me when I warn them?

“Not that!” Vista slaps my chest, laughing. “I meant the sex. I told myself I wasn’t going to have sex with you, and now look where we are.”

I stare up at the chipped and peeling ceiling that’s probably full of lead and asbestos, knowing exactly what she means and yet I’m a little hurt to hear that she didn’t want to be here with me. It’s a bit hypocritical, I know, but I never claimed to be perfect. I’ve wanted Vista for a long time. After Chicago, I can’t go back to a life without her in it. The sex is an added bonus that I’d just as soon not go without, either.

“I’m sorry I’m so irresistible. It’s my cross to bear.”

“Oh, shush,” she says, laughing again.

I love the sound of it. When I think about going back to my hotel—back on the road—alone, I suddenly feel empty inside.

“What are we going to do?” I ask her, not even bothering to elaborate because I know that she understands. It’s hard to miss the elephant in the room.

“Well,” she says, sobering. She nuzzles her cheek against my chest, getting comfortable. Or using the time to formulate a response. “I’ll start by calling the woman at the agency and telling her the deal is off.”

I nod, glad that I don’t have to get into another fight with her over it. I’d like to avoid yelling as much as possible for the remainder of my time here. “And then?”

“I don’t know.” Rolling onto her back, she stares up at the ceiling with me. The spot on my chest where her cheek rested feels cold without her there and I place my hand over it, but it does nothing to scare away the chill. “I guess I’ll just work. What are you going to do?” she asks, her hair rustling on the pillow as she turns her head to look at me.

“I’ll be heading back to my hotel tomorrow night to get ready for the game.”

“Oh.” I hear the disappointment in her voice and it probably makes me a son of a bitch, but I like it. I like knowing that she doesn’t want me to leave.

“You’re always welcome to come stay with me,” I offer. “I have plenty of room, and you could watch me play.”

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I know her answer before she says it. “Thanks, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea. My office just opened. I can’t leave it now.”

“What’s one day?” I ask, shocked by the almost desperate need to have her there, to see me do what I do best. I’ve never had anyone there just for me, who didn’t have an agenda other than making sure I won. I find myself wondering what it would feel like to have Vista there, cheering me on from the stands.

And what is it all worth, really, if I don’t have her there with me? Isn’t that the whole reason I came here in the first place, to get her back?

“Are you kidding me?” Vista is staring at me like she can’t believe what she’s hearing, and I totally get that. I can hardly believe me either. “It’s everything. I’m the boss. If I’m not here…”

“What? The whole place will fall to pieces?” I challenge. “Do you really think that will happen two days into it? You have other people working for you who know what they’re doing. I’m sure they could hold down the fort for one day.”

“Say I did go. Then what? Are you going to run off, travel the country, forget we exist? Go back to Chicago and settle in, commute for visits?”

Her questions hit me right between the eyes. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I hadn’t thought coming here for her would result in planning an entire future. A family.

I look down, needing to be released from her intent gaze while I gather my thoughts, and my eyes fall on her stomach. It’s covered up by the blankets, hidden from view, but knowing what’s under there is enough to give me the answer I’m looking for. I’ve never been the kind of man anyone would venture to call father material, but now, with Vista lying beside me and my baby growing inside her, I feel like I could be. At the very least, I want the chance to try.