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I swallow hard, watching as Carter slams the door behind him and makes his way toward me. Neither of us says a word, and the silence is agonizing. His gaze travels down my body, taking in the entirety of my bump, and a part of me is grateful that he’s able to see me like this, taking it all in. No more hiding.
He’s only three steps away now, and I bunch my hands into fists at my sides, keeping myself from reaching out and falling into his arms, begging him not to hate me, to tell me that everything is going to be okay.
Two steps to go and my knees become weak.
One.
Shit.
Chapter 24
BRIANNA
Carter steps in front of me, and before I even get a chance to breathe him in or figure out what I’m going to say, he reaches out and grabs my waist, his strong hands so firm on my body. Then in a moment of complete perfection, Carter pulls me into his wide chest before slamming his warm lips down on mine, bringing me home for the first time in months.
I melt into him as need blasts through my veins and fills me with the sweetest ecstasy.
My arms lock around his neck as my lips start moving with his, the hunger for him like nothing I’ve ever felt. His familiar scent wraps around me, drowning me in him, and if the choice was up to me, I would never let him go.
Wait. What am I doing?
My day from hell comes crashing back to me, the way he almost ran me over, the tension out on the road, and the way he gaped at me, realizing the extent of my disgusting betrayal.
Despite the way every cell in my body yearns for me, I shove my hand against his chest and push him back, tears threatening to well in my eyes. I look up at him, taking in the hunger in his expression and watching the way he tries to reach for me again, barely able to hold himself back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Wow. This whole pregnancy thing really gets you fired up, huh?”
Fuck. I could kill him for that, but he’s right. My emotions are all over the place, and I have nothing to blame but my stupid pregnancy hormones, but that doesn’t give him the right to point it out. It’s like telling a woman on her period that she’s a moody bitch. No matter how true it might be, you just can’t say it.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I fix the greatest love of my life with the most ferocious glare I can possibly muster. “Get out,” I demand.
Carter scoffs, a smile pulling at his lips as though he were playing with a feisty kitty with an attitude. “No,” he says.
Frustration burns through me, and I throw my hands up before balling them into fists at my side, hating how hard it is to control myself. Though while I could certainly blame the pregnancy hormones, there’s no denying that Carter Waters has a gift for driving me insane. “Then what the hell are you doing here, Carter?” I repeat. “This doesn’t make sense. I thought you were coming in here to rage at me. Call me names, fall apart, or demand an explanation, not try to get me in bed.”
Carter’s gaze softens and he hesitantly steps back into me, taking his time as if not to spook me, but the moment his hands land on my bump, my chest swells with undeniable joy, having dreamed about this moment since the second the test came back positive.
Tears well in my eyes, but I keep my gaze locked on his, waiting to hear what he has to say. “I needed to see you, Bri. I need to know why you thought it was okay not to tell me about this,” he says, his thumb moving back and forth over my bump.
“What does it matter?” I question, reaching up and curling my hand around the back of his neck, desperately needing to touch him despite the heavy conversation. “You don’t want this. You said it yourself and were so adamant about it that you left me. The idea of telling you and having you despise me for deciding to keep them . . . fuck, Carter. I could never live with myself knowing you hated me.”
“I could never hate you, Bri. You drive me insane and make me want to strangle you sometimes, but no matter how far you push me, I will never hate you.” He pauses, watching as the tears spill down my cheeks. “I’m sorry, baby. I hate that I made you feel that you couldn’t come to me with this.”
My gaze drops away, not knowing how to respond, and he simply pulls me into his chest, holding me close as I listen to the rapid beat of his heart. “You’re fucking radiant, Brianna. Pregnancy suits you.”
