Page 5 of Most Likely to Fear Love

Hannah piled up her own plate and moved to the counter, boosting up so she was sitting on it. “I’ll be over here, out of the way.”

Not quite out of the way, since apparently she’d plonked down right next to the paperwork Cassidy had prepared. Cassidy moved across the kitchen to grab it and I firmly resisted the urge to drop my gaze to her ass.

When she retrieved the stack of papers, I could see that her hands were trembling. I felt the impulse to reassure her, whichwas completely ridiculous. She didn’t know me, after all. What could I say that would make her feel better?

She sat back down, handing me one pile of papers and keeping the other for herself. “So, um, this is the contract. Nothing too complicated, just outlining the terms we discussed. But it is pretty thorough.”

I nodded, mouth full of cheese. Swallowing, I picked up the papers. It was a lot of information, but I couldn’t really sign it without reading through all of it. This was going to take a while.

Cassidy fidgeted with her hands, yet again. “I know it’s a lot to take in. We can go through it together if you’d like.”

I set the contract down and met her eyes. That’s when I knew exactly what I could do to make her feel better. “I appreciate that. Why don’t you walk me through the key points?”

She visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping an inch. “Of course. So, the main things are...”

As Cassidy started explaining, I found myself distracted by the way her lips moved, the slight furrow in her brow as she concentrated. I forced myself to focus on her words, not her face. This was business, after all. Just business.

I nodded along as Cassidy finished explaining the contract. Her voice was steady, professional, but I caught the slight breathlessness there.

“So, that’s about it. Do you have any questions?”

I glanced at the contract, then back at her. Those green eyes were intense, searching. For what, I wasn’t sure. Honesty? Reassurance?

“Nah, I think I’m good. Seems pretty straightforward.”

Cassidy blinked, surprise flitting across her face. “Oh. Okay, great. Well, if you’re ready, we can sign.”

She pushed her copy over to me, along with a fancy-looking pen. I picked it up, twirling it between my fingers.

“Ladies first,” I said with a smile.

“Oh, okay.” Cassidy’s cheeks flushed slightly as she scooted her chair closer and bent over the first copy, signing her name with a flourish.

The way she was leaning over, I caught a glimpse of cleavage and had to drag my eyes away. It seemed like bad manners to perv on a woman you were just about to hand your jizz to.

“Your turn.”

I scrawled my signature on both copies, pushing them back towards Cassidy.

Hannah, who’d been pretty quiet, piped up from her perch on the kitchen counter. “Well, that’s that! You guys are officially baby-making partners.”

Cassidy shot her sister a look that could’ve curdled milk.

I chuckled, breaking the tension. “Guess we are.”

Hannah hopped down from the counter, her curls bouncing as she landed. She sauntered over to the table and plopped into a chair, fixing me with her bright eyes.

“Can I ask you something?”

I shrugged, popping another piece of cheese in my mouth. “Sure.”

Resting her elbows on the table, she gave me a searching look. “Why are you doing this? You’ve agreed to no payment for it, as well as keeping out of the baby’s life. What’s in it for you?”

I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, watching the dark liquid swirl as I tried to find the right words. The sisters waited, the kitchen suddenly feeling smaller, more intimate.

“You ever...” I cleared my throat, started again. “You ever watch someone try something over and over, knowing it’s probably gonna fail, but they keep hoping anyway?”

Cassidy’s hands stilled in her lap. Hannah’s playful expression softened.

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