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She relaxes into the seat, and I put her seatbelt on for her, not even stopping to consider how overprotective that might come across. I look at her over my shoulder as I click the belt in place, her teal eyes wide and filled with… disbelief? Longing? Whatever it is, she seems surprised that anyone would go the extra mile for her.
Jogging around to the other side of the car, I hop in the driver’s seat, adjusting everything so I can wedge my massive body inside. I fuckin’ hate being in a cage, aka a car. Undoubtedly, a result of being cooped up in a tiny cell for s the last few years.
For Sutton, however, I’ll drive this goddamn clown car across the country if it makes her happy.
Sutton digs around in her purse for the keys, handing them to me without a word. She can barely keep her eyes open, and my heart clenches in my chest.
I ease the old car back onto the road and take the quickest route to my place. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a place to cook a few meals, wash up, and lay my head at night. That’s all I need.
Will Sutton want a bigger house? I can make that happen. We’ll probably need more rooms anyway once she gets pregnant.
Reel it in, I chastise myself. Just because she agreed to take a nap at my place doesn’t mean she’s suddenly in love with me.
But God, wouldn’t that be incredible?
A few minutes later, I pull into my driveway and shut off the car. Sutton’s head rests against the window, and I hear her soft little snores for the first time. This woman is killing me.
I unbuckle her seatbelt, careful not to jostle her too much, then get out of the car and jog over to her side. Slowly, I open the door and slide one arm behind her back while the other hooks under her knees.
Standing with my precious cargo, I close the door with my foot and head inside, carrying my princess into her new home.
CHAPTERTHREE
SUTTON
Iroll over in the softest bed I’ve ever been in, burying my face into the nearest pillow, which smells like cedar and cinnamon.
Hold up.
I know that smell. It’s warm and familiar and makes my stomach swoop.Rider?
Memories of this morning come flooding into my mind, and I flop over on my back, covering my face with the pillow. My cheeks heat in embarrassment as I remember waking up to Rider’s growl. God, I can’t believe the one person I never wanted to look weak and pathetic in front of found me.
At first, I thought he was angry with me. That’s the default reaction to my presence.
Not anymore, I try to remind myself. Not since leaving my parents. My mom and dad weren’t planning on having kids, so to say they weren’t prepared or excited would be an understatement.
I learned from an early age to stay out of the way. If they couldn’t see me, they couldn’t be mad at me. At least, that was my logic. It worked about two-thirds of the time. The other third…
I shake off those thoughts, not wanting to relive the past. I escaped from my childhood home as soon as I had an opportunity. Unfortunately, that opportunity just got blown to smithereens, thanks to my parental units.
Groaning into the pillow over my face, I push all that aside and focus on the present. I have enough to worry about with trying to figure out what to tell Rider. I can’t stay here. That’s way too much to ask of him. More importantly, I need to convince him not to tell Tessa about my current living situation.
Finally gathering the strength to crawl out of the comfiest bed in the world, I toss the pillow aside and pull the blankets off, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. It occurs to me that I don’t remember this room or walking from the car to the house.
Oh god. Did Rider carry me?
My hands immediately cover my rounded stomach, then slide to my extra wide hips. Shame courses through me at the thought of anyone having to carry me, let alone the sexiest, most chiseled man I’ve ever encountered.
How embarrassing! He must be disgusted.
New plan. Sneak out of Rider’s house and drive my car off the nearest bridge.
Tiptoeing to the closed door, I slowly turn the knob, careful not to make a single sound. Years of living in the shadows and not drawing attention to myself have served me well. With the knob turned all the way, I inch the door open, peering my head out far enough to take in my surroundings.
Looking to the left, I don’t see anything—just an empty hallway leading to more rooms. Looking to the right, I see…
“Sutton,” Rider says, sounding equal parts relieved and surprised. He rushes over to me, stopping a few feet away. He reaches out for me, then changes his mind, running his hands through his hair.
