Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He wants another night with me.
And under other circumstances, I’d want another night with him too. I mean, I already do want another night—that was by far the best sex of my life. I think it was the best sex of anyone’s life. It was the best sex, period. But we can’t do that.
Not now. Not anymore.
“I’m sorry I’m not here with better news.” I nervously brush back my hair. “I don’t need anything from you, okay? I just thought I should tell you.”
“Why?”
I clear my throat. “Because you’re the father.”
“But why come tell me? I assume this means you’re keeping the baby.”
“I haven’t decided anything yet.”
His voice drops and I have to lean in to hear him. “If you weren’t going to keep it, you would’ve taken care of it by now. Unless you need money for the procedure?”
“No,” I say, recoiling. “That’s not it.”
He nods, looking tired. “You’re carrying my baby.” He doesn’t sound angry. More resigned than anything else. It breaks my heart a little. “I’ll support you whatever you choose.”
“You don’t have to. That’s not what this is. You’re a total stranger. You don’t need to, like, step up and do the right thing. I just wanted you to know, that’s all.”
He finishes the wine and picks up his whiskey. But he puts it back down without drinking. “How’d it happen? I thought we were careful.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that.” I lean forward on my elbows. “The first time when I straddled. Do you remember? We forgot the condom at first and you were, you know, inside of me for a few seconds.”
He sighs and curses. Which is just about how I feel, too. “You’re right. It was one fucking thrust.”
“Yep. One thrust.” One freaking thrust changed my entire life. Damn me and my stupid impulsiveness.
“Damn, woman. You must be insanely fertile.”
“Thank you? And you must be very potent as well.” I smile despite myself. He’s taking this pretty well, or at least he’s putting on a brave face and making teasing jokes that are putting me at ease. I like that about him.
“Goes without saying,” he said.
I smile for a second, remembering the easy banter with him last time. If I’m not careful, I’m going to fall for that again. “It was a good night, right?” I don’t know why I need to ask him that, as if it matters, but it’s like if I got pregnant then at least I need to know we got one really good night from it.
“It was extremely good,” he agrees, leaning on his own elbows. We’re staring straight ahead, looking at each other in the faded mirror behind the bar. “Until you stole my watch.”
“That was in the morning, so the night was still fantastic.”
“Great point.”
“Does it help if I said that watch saved my life? It’ll cover rent for a few months and it bought some medicine for my brother.”
“Actually, it does help.” His head tilts to the side. “You take care of a brother?”
“Jason. He’s twenty, five years younger than me. He’s got epilepsy, and it just so happens that the most expensive pill is the only one that controls his seizures. Oh, and we don’t have insurance. Lucky us.”
“Lucky you,” he murmurs and I can see the wheels turning in his head.
Which is my cue. I really don’t want this guy to realize how pathetic and poor I am. I’m just another trashy Irish girl getting pregnant young. I’m a freaking cliché at this point, but there’s nothing else I can do about it. I finish the club soda and turn away from him.
“Well, I did what I came here to do, and now you know,” I tell him. “Good luck with your life and all that.”
“Wait.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m not telling you my pathetic story to get sympathy or anything. You don’t have to worry about what I do with the baby. Either way, it’s not your problem.”
“Did you fuck yourself?” he grumbles at me and catches my arm before I can walk past him.
“A little,” I say, mostly just to see if I can surprise him into letting me go. “Remember that?”
But it only makes his eyes harden. “I remember every little detail of that night. Every time you moaned. Every time you came. Every time I came. I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”
A thrill rushes into my core. Fuck, this guy is freaking intense. He’s staring at me like he’s going to rip off my clothes and fuck me to pieces right here in the bar. I bet he could make me shatter while the table of middle-aged drunk guys watches. Which is a pretty fucked-up thought.
“I’m just saying, it doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t want to get involved.”
“It’s too late. You’re pregnant with my baby, which means you’re mine.”
Those words. You’re mine. He freaking means them, the psychopath. And suddenly, the excitement turns to fear.