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What more proof did he need that appearances could be so damn deceiving?
She took another sip of water, then reached to set the glass on the coffee table next to his empty to-go cup. She stilled for a moment, then swallowed hard as she sat back to rub her palms on her bare thighs.
He vividly recalled how soft the skin of her inner thighs felt against his lips.
“Merit,” she began, “I don’t expect—”
“Is it mine?” In his desperation to keep from thinking about her enthusiastic responses to his hands and tongue two months ago, the question just popped out.
Her spine stiffened and her gaze jerked up to lock with his. After a weighted moment of silence, she raised her eyebrows. “Are you kidding me right now?”
He ignored a stab of guilt as he lifted his shoulders.
She crossed her arms. “Tell me, Merit, why the hell else would I be here if it wasn’t yours?”
Yup. He’d already known that was a dumb question, damn it. So on to the next. “We used protection.”
Okay, so it was actually a statement, but the question was implied. Or it would’ve been if it hadn’t sounded like an accusation.
“Clearly, it didn’t work,” she snapped.
“Clearly.” He didn’t remember a condom breaking, but then again, he hadn’t looked, either. He started to pace toward the fireplace again, then swung around. “Did you plan this?”
A look of incredulity shot her eyebrows skyward as color flooded back into her cheeks. “Did I plan to get pregnant from a one night stand with my best friend’s younger, womanizing brother-in-law? No. Definitely not.”
His jaw clenched at the womanizing dig. And the younger. He was pretty sure there were only a couple years between them. “So you and Honor didn’t decide being pregnant together would be fun?”
“Of course not,” she bit out. “There is nothing fun about this situation. Single motherhood is hard enough with one child, you think I wanted to add another?”
His whole body stiffened. “You don’t want it?”
The idea of becoming a father scared the shit out of him, but the thought of her not having the baby squeezed his chest so hard it hurt.
The reaction caught him totally by surprise, and his heart thumped while he waited for her answer.
Her expression darkened as she stared at him for a long moment. “That is not what I said. You asked if I planned this. I didn’t. I wouldn’t have chosen this outcome, but since I made the choice to have sex, I will take responsibility for the consequences. I am having the baby, and I will love it as much as I love Ian.”
Relief left him slightly weak in the knees.
Her gaze flicked toward the coffee table, then returned to his, hard and shuttered. “I don’t expect anything from you. I don’t want anything from you. I’m only here because I felt you had the right to know.”
“You don’t expect anything from me? Last I checked it takes two to make a baby.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not exactly the step up and be a dad kind of guy, now are you?”
He reared back as if she’d slapped him. Holy shit, she really had a low opinion of him, didn’t she? Guess he could see why she’d ghosted him after the wedding.
Just as fast, anger swelled. She didn’t know him well enough to make such a harsh judgment. And where had she gotten her information from? Honor? Asher? Pain lanced through his chest as he considered his own brother might hold the same low estimation of his character.
The peal of the doorbell made him flinch, and he jerked his gaze toward the door.
When he didn’t move to answer, Mae rose to her feet. “Go ahead. I’ve said all I needed to say.”
“I haven’t.” He strode forward, pointing a finger at her as he passed. “Wait right there. We’re not done.”
Not by a long shot.
His glare kept her at the couch, and he rubbed an agitated hand over his bare chest as he crossed the room. His sweaty T-shirt was on the kitchen counter, but he didn’t bother with the detour. He took a deep breath as he opened the door to get rid of whoever was on the other side. His forced smile froze when he met Lyssa’s sultry brown gaze.
