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ckness had eased up, I was able to concentrate on what needed getting done. I’d fallen behind in some of my classes because of it, and needed to spend several extra hours after each of my classes catching up, or risk failing the semester.
I was late getting out of my English class tonight because I’d had two papers that needed some extra research before I could turn them in. My mother didn’t have internet at our house, and since I was only living off of my scholarship I couldn’t afford it for myself. Whenever I needed to do anything on a computer I always had to do it at school.
It was dark as I left the building and headed for my Jeep. The parking lot was nearly empty except for my Jeep and two other cars… And the hog parked right in front of my Jeep.
Seeing Jet leaning against his bike with his arms crossed over his wide chest, looking bored and slightly amused, had my heart jumping in my chest. He was obviously waiting on me and I had to wonder how long he’d been waiting. Jet knew my schedule and would have known I was supposed to get out of my last class at five. It was now after nine. Telling myself I didn’t care that he was there, or even why he was there, I pulled my keys from my backpack and walked around the bike. Ignoring him completely.
A deep chuckle from the direction of the powerful motorcycle sent a shiver of delicious anticipation down my spine, but I clenched my thighs together and opened the driver’s side door. Tossing my backpack into the passenger’s seat I finally turned to face the man I still stupidly loved.
“What do you want, Jet?”
“How are you?” he asked instead of answering my question. His eyes were narrowed on me and I wondered if he was seeing that I’d lost weight over the last three weeks…and if he liked the changes.
“I’m fine. How are you?” I asked with polite stiffness.
“You don’t look fine,” he assured me as his eyes raked over me from head to toe and then back up. Everywhere his green gaze touched I felt like he’d physically skimmed his hands over me. My nipples tightened and my panties became instantly damp. Crossing my arms over my chest to hide the fact that I was turned on from something as simple as him raking his eyes over me, I lifted a brow at him. “Don’t you eat anymore, Flick? You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
The tone of his voice told me he didn’t like the weight loss. I didn’t know if I should take it as a compliment or an insult. Jet’s usual type was stick-thin. Lord only knew I’d never be that small. I had curves in all the right places, but I also had a good twenty pounds of extra weight on me, too. Well, five extra pounds now. I’d lost the rest over the last three weeks because I hadn’t been able to keep anything down. Had Jet liked me with the extra weight?
I wasn’t even going to try to figure him out right then. It would only give me a headache. “Morning sickness isn’t fun, Jet. It’s just now starting to get to where I can eat without throwing it back up.”
“Oh,” he muttered and thrust his hands into his pockets, making his cut tighten over his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Unable to stop myself, I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.” I turned back to the open Jeep door, ready to go home and get some sleep. I’d been at school all day and I just wanted a few hours of sleep. That wasn’t asking too much, was it?
“Wait,” he snapped when he saw that I was leaving. “We should talk.”
I paused with my hand on the door and turned my head to look at him. “Yeah? I figured we’d already said all we needed to. Since I haven’t seen you since I told you about the baby, I was pretty sure you’d made up your mind where your kid stood in your life.”
His jaw tightened and he dragged his hands over his face before stepping closer to me. “I’ve been dealing with some Club shit, Flick. I’m sorry I haven’t been around, but that needed my attention.”
“What kind of Club shit?” I hadn’t heard anything about something going on within the Club and I would have been one of the first to know. My mother told me everything she heard at the clubhouse. If there was something going on and she didn’t know, then it was some heavy shit.
If it was so secret, I knew that Jet probably wouldn’t tell me. Club business stayed Club business. No one shared anything with anyone outside of the Club. It was safer that way for everyone, especially when government agencies like the DEA and ATF came knocking at their doors. So I was surprised when he finally spoke. “Westcliffe has been causing some trouble. I don’t know what his problem is. Ever since I started seeing you, he’s had a stick up his ass, but it’s more than just that. I’ve been so distracted with you that I hadn’t really noticed until now…” He broke off and I figured that was all he would tell me about what Westcliffe had been up to. Jet shrugged again. “None of the other Club brothers have even seen him in the last two weeks, or so they say. There are a few I’m willing to beat information out of to find his ass. Spider is pissed because Westcliffe has been bothering the girls at Paradise City. He’s on everyone’s shit-list right now, babe.”
I wasn’t going to say I was surprised to find out Westcliffe was acting shady. He’d always given me the creeps, but I’d had to put up with him over the years. As VP, he was into everyone’s business who was associated with the Club. There were even a few times I’d found him looking at me with the oddest expressions on his not-so-handsome face. It was a mixture of cold hatred and lust. I had no idea why he would feel that way with me. I’d never encouraged him, but I’d always tried to be nice. I was nice to everyone.
Shaking the thought away, I turned back to Jet. “What does that have to do with you being here now?”
His hands went back to his pockets and I got the feeling that he was almost vulnerable right then. Which was funny, because Jet Hannigan didn’t do vulnerable. “I think it’s time we settled this thing between us. About the baby and all.”
“Okay.” So he was going to man up and take responsibility for the baby. That was good. Even though I was prepared to take care of this kid on my own, I hadn’t wanted it to grow up without knowing its father. My heart actually lifted a little as I looked up at him. “I think if you get the baby on Sunday and Mondays, that will be a great idea. That will give you time to bond with him.” Those were his off days from the bar, so I knew he would have the time to watch his child…if he really wanted to.
“Him?” Jet’s voice came out rough.
I shrugged. “That’s what I’m hoping for, but I’ll be happy with either as long as the baby is healthy. Still, I like to think it’s a boy.” I’d daydreamed about the baby that was growing safely under my heart. How he would look so much like his father, have his blond hair and green eyes. His stubbornness. Maybe Raven’s temper. But mostly, I hoped he had my heart.
“So you don’t know yet?” I shook my head and he shrugged. “I don’t care what the baby is, as long as it’s healthy.”
“So far so good,” I assured him. The scan had shown that the baby was growing as expected, had a strong heartbeat, and was nestled safely in a good position.
“But this Sunday and Monday bullshit isn’t going to work. I think we should get married, Flick.”
I was so surprised by what had just left his mouth, all I could do was stand there and blink up at him for the longest time. After several minutes, a laugh escaped me as I watched his eyes. “You can’t be serious.” There was no way. No. Way.
“I am. It’s the right thing to do, babe. I want to be a part of our kid’s life…and yours, too.”
He sounded so sure of it too. Not. He couldn’t even meet my gaze when he said the last part. This was ridiculous. “I’ve known you my entire life, Jet Hannigan. I’m pretty sure that marriage has never entered your mind once. I’m not going to lie to myself by thinking I have somehow become the exception to that.” Realization hit me in the head like a physical blow and my chin snapped up. “Ahhh, the uncles.”
