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A pang hit his chest as fury fired his belly. Another selfish act Hammer had so fucking thoughtlessly committed. True, Raine had said yes to the bastard, but he could have done the proper thing and protected her. The consequences, especially for Raine, could be far reaching.
Liam took the stricken girl in his arms and rocked her gently, while his anger with Hammer multiplied. What the fuck was wrong with the prick that he could be so careless with the woman he supposedly loved? Hammer had gone at her wee body both drunk and gloveless, knowing she had no way to prevent conceiving? It was beyond Liam’s comprehension. And if Raine ended up pregnant, Liam knew all too well that Hammer would run a fucking mile.
Fresh resentment raged within him. He struggled to contain his wrath, but he did for Raine’s sake, concentrating on what the shell-shocked woman needed. Christ!
Cupping Raine’s face, Liam made her meet his gaze. “It’s all right. We’ll figure this out together, one step at a time. But you’ve got to stop running for the damned exit every two minutes. I’m not leaving, and I’m not letting you go without a bloody good reason. We’ll get you seen by a doctor directly and get the birth control issue taken care of, as I’ll be damned if I’ll be wanting latex between us, either. But I’ll have you safe first. If there’s anything else to consider, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She nodded, but he sensed her quietly falling apart. “Come on now, lass. It’s not the end of the world. Dry your tears and get this into your head: I’m not going anywhere. I will be here for you. I won’t pack up at the first sign of trouble. But I’m trusting you, too, Raine. After last night, that’s going to be hard, but let’s find common ground and focus on us.”
Liam brushed away a few stray tears and kissed her soundly. Raine eased back from his embrace and stared up at him. Part gravity, part wonder, as if she might actually believe him. “Thank you, Sir. Very much. You’re…amazing.”
“And I’m famished. Now feed me, woman. Those steaks look good!”
She sniffed back the rest of her tears. “Steaks coming up.”
It didn’t take long. The salad came out of the refrigerator and onto the table, as she pulled the toasty garlic bread from the broiler and the juicy fillets from the oven. Lovely asparagus emerged next with olive oil, bacon bits, and other goodness that smelled divine. She arranged everything on the table while he opened another bottle of wine.
As he poured two glasses, she smiled at him tentatively, gratefully. She’d obviously expected him to be furious with her that Hammer hadn’t worn a condom while she wasn’t on the pill. She’d expected him to leave her. Granted, she should have told Hammer to glove up. But Macen was a grown man who knew better, by god.
A bigger question circled in his head: Did she truly run away when she thought she made a situation worse...or because she feared someone else was going to leave her and she wanted to beat them to it?
Liam watched Raine, wondering how many people in the girl’s life had abandoned her to make her so skittish.
He’d planned a peaceful dinner, but now...now might be the time to keep digging for answers. It would likely put her off balance again, but if he’d be better equipped to help her later, he could sacrifice one harmonious meal.
Sauntering over to the refrigerator, he grabbed what he needed and set it on the counter behind him. Then he helped Raine into her chair. All the delicious food on the table was making his stomach growl.
“Everything looks wonderful, lovely. I hope you’re hungry.”
She nodded as he scooted her chair in. “I am. All the smells while I cooked got my appetite going.”
“Good to hear.” He grabbed her fork and her plate, lifting them away. She’d barely started sputtering at him before he set the jar of dill pickles down in front of her.
“What the—”
“You determine your own dinner, Raine. Now, what happened to you as a child?”
Mouth agape, she blinked up at him incredulously. She stared at the jar of pickles, then at her plate in his hand.
A million reactions crossed her face then. Anger right off the top. Consideration...with fuming undertones. She appeared to be weighing how much she hated pickles against the rumbling of her belly. Then some of the starch left her body, and he could almost guarantee that she was finally factoring in that she owed him, along with his vow to stay.
“You can put the pickles away. I’ll tell you.”
Liam set the jar on the counter behind him. “I’ll determine if your answer is enough to put the pickles away.” He pulled up the chair beside her and leaned in. “I’m listening.”
