Page 78 of Playing It Forward

She shoots daggers out of her eyes at me. I don’t dare speak. “Fine.”

Fine never means fine when spoken by a woman when her nostrils are flaring. I need to be cautious here.

“I would love to have sex with you.”

She snorts in disbelief. I place her hand on my hard length. Her eyes flare, and she licks her lips. My cock hardens even more and she smirks.

“You want me.”

I can’t deny it. “Of course, I want you. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I caught a glimpse of your chestnut hair blowing in the breeze.”

She gasps. “You have?”

“But I want more than sex. I want a relationship with you.”

She purses her lips. “Because I’m having your baby.”

I growl. “No. I want you, Terri. With or without the baby, I’m not going anywhere.”

Tears well in her eyes and I rush to continue.

“But I want the little mermaid, too. I want us to be a family. Not because I knocked you up the first time we had sex, but because I want you. Because you’re sweet and loyal and hard-working and the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”

“I’m not that stubborn.”

She is, but arguing with a woman about how stubborn she is, is the definition of frustrating.

“Until you admit this is real and you agree to at least try to make a go of things between us, sex is off the table.”

She chews on her bottom lip as she considers everything I said. “I don’t know, Nolan. Don’t get me wrong. I like you.” Her hand moves to her stomach. “I wouldn’t be carrying this little mermaid if I didn’t. But a relationship? It’s a lot to ask.”

“Why? What are you afraid of?”

I expect her to argue with me. To tell me she isn’t afraid of anything. I wouldn’t put it past my little stubborn sprite. But she doesn’t.

“Attachment is scary for me.”

I don’t ask why. I don’t have to. After everything that happened with her mom, I understand.

“Okay,” I say despite wanting to argue with her. To convince her I’m worth taking a chance on. “We’ll take things slow. Friends for now.”

She rubs her legs together. “Can friends have sex?”

My cock presses against my briefs. It has no doubts. Friends can definitely have sex.

I disagree. I don’t want her to ever think I coerced her into a relationship with sex.

“Is someone feeling horny?”

She squirms. “I blame the baby.”

“Since I’m partially to blame for that situation, I’ll take care of you.”

She grins. “Yeah.”

“But my cock stays in my underwear.”

“But…” She pouts.