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Chase left, his anger simmering as he drove back to the construction site. The solid realization that his child would be named a bastard, illegitimate, left a sour taste in his mouth and a foul curse on his lips. Thergoode was just the beginning of what he and Tessa would encounter, of what his child would face. But Chase would do anything to protect his son or daughter, even before they had to face the ridicule of the world. He smacked his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. Telling Tessa wasn't going to be easy. This would hurt her. But in the same instance it might make her see that what she was doing, having a child in this tiny town without a father's name, was going to snowball right to her independent doorstep.
"You didn't."
Chase nodded.
Tessa stood at the rear of her shop and closed her eyes, waiting for patience to attack her in spades. "I wouldn't want my child in that snob cesspool academy anyway, Chase, and why didn't you at least consult me before doing something so … outrageous? Not that you had the right. I would have said stay out of it."
She was breathless and rambling, and he liked it. "Make you nervous, don't I?"
"Hah." She snapped through sizes. "What you do, Chase Madison, is make me mad enough to spit. How could you give private details about me to anyone?" she hissed, not looking him in the eye as she straightened clothes on the racks.
"Hey, it's not like one of them isn't obvious." His gaze dropped meaningfully to her belly.
She made a face.
"Having a baby alone was your choice," he whispered, an edge to his tone.
"Yes, it was and I was doing fine, just fine, till you came along."
He wasn't buying that line anymore. "I want my son to have my name. We could change all this gossip in one hour, you know."
"No!" Every customer in the shop glanced at her and she repeated herself, more softly. "No. I don't need your name. Lightfoot has done quite well for me and will for my baby." He was only asking for the baby's sake anyway, so her refusal shouldn't make him look as if she'd slapped him. "I can handle anything that comes along. And you opened that can of worms, anyway."
She was right, dammit. He wouldn't be here, stewing like a madman, if he hadn't gone to the academy. Yet Chase saw hurt in her eyes, hurt that anyone would think less of their baby because his parents lacked vows between them. But it wasn't going to make her change her mind about marrying him.
"I was wrong, Tessa," he admitted softly, and she met his gaze, his own moving over her dress, the dark teal drape edged in eyelet lace. That's what he thought of when he thought of Tessa, lace and satin and slow, wet sex. His eyes said as much as he shifted even closer, crowding her. She smelled like spice, the fire of her temper lingering in her eyes. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"
"As a cement truck, maybe," Tessa scoffed, yet felt perspiration burst on her throat and race down her body. "Of course, that might be a turn-on, your being in construction, huh?"
His lips curved seductively. "You're a turn-on."
He stood so close to her side, he was practically straddling her hip, his leg brushing over her thigh. His body's undeniable warmth steamed where they touched, and when he was close, looking at her as if she were dessert for a hungry vagrant, she felt her knees soften, her body gravitate toward him. Tessa licked her lips.
His head dipped, his breath brushing her mouth as he said, "I'm sorry. I was so eager, I just wasn't thinking."
She gazed into his blue eyes and raised her hand to his chest. "I know. No real harm done."
The softness of her grazed him, making his groin hard, and Chase moaned, sinking into her mouth. She reveled in his wet lips molding over hers and cradled the back of his head, pressing him harder to her mouth. A tiny sound escaped her and his hand rested at the base of her spine, rubbing there and lower.
The bell chimed.
Suddenly Tessa jerked back, her face flaming. She sent him an accusing look, yet Chase grinned despite it. Her skin was flushed, her lips swollen, the tips of her breasts pushing against the thin silk fabric of her dress. His gaze lowered to the evidence, then returned to her face.
"You want me," he said in a low voice.
"No." Immediate, without thought. It was a lie and he knew it. And it made her angry that her control slipped whenever he was near. Tessa reminded herself that he was out for her baby and not her. She couldn't trust him or his attentions, no matter how handsome and sexy he was, no matter that her body burned like a fresh fire every time he touched her. No matter that he kissed like suppressed danger.
"You're doing it again."
"What?" she said as if she didn't know. His wounded look felt like a kick and she moved away, glancing at her customers and pasting on an innocent smile.
