Page 23 of The Hermit on the Hill

He stared. "This is non-negotiable, Jenna. You're having my baby, and I take care of my family. When you have a stable job, a home you can't be evicted from, and a refrigerator full of food, you can live wherever you want." He paused, his frown deepening. "You can live wherever you want within a twenty-mile radius of my home."

"That's not how this is going to work, you Neanderthal. I'm more than an incubator for your child. I'm a person with the ability to make rational decisions."

"And the rational decision is to move in with me."

"Moving in with a man I don't know isn't a rational choice by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the only thing I know for sure is you're a thief who uses sex to get what he wants."

Sam froze, glass halfway to his lips. He lowered it slowly, his expression shuttering. "You'll have your own room at my place. I'll give you all the space you want, but it doesn't make sense for you to stay here and waste your money when I've got four unused bedrooms at my place."

I stared him down. "I've got enough money to see me through until I find a job. And I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I'm not moving in with you."

He gritted his teeth. "I won't let you shut me out. I want to be a part of my son's life."

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. As long as you aren't violent or abusive or a career criminal, I would never keep you from your son."

His lips twitched, but his frown remained in place. "I am none of those things. If you got to know me better, would you consider moving in with me?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'm willing to co-parent, but we don't have to live together to do that. What if we can't stand each other and fight about everything?"

"That won't happen." His voice was impossibly gentle for such a big guy. "You are sunshine. Who could ever fight with you?"

I croaked out a laugh. "You're pretty damn good at it."

"I'll pay your rent."

"That's not necessary. I have a good-sized savings account that'll more than cover my expenses until I find a job." Truth was, I had a modest savings account. When I'd decided not to pursue an MBA, my parents had refused to pay for grad school. I'd be paying off student loans until after I was dead at the rate I was going.

"What kind of job are you looking for?"

That was a question I dreaded. I'd been a college professor for eight years, but my favorite part of the job had always been the research and writing the articles and books.

Teaching had never been my strength, but I was considering trying to get a job at the high school as a history teacher. I'd waited tables to put myself through grad school. Maybe I could do that again.

"I'll find something. I have a PhD. There has to be a job out there for me."

I ignored Sam's raised brow. I'd heard it all before from my parents.History isn't a degree that opens a lot of doors. It's a degree for people who are okay with being poor all their lives.Even when I'd published my first academic book to critical acclaim, my parents hadn't been impressed.

"Look, I'm exhausted. I'm glad you want to be involved in our baby's life, but I think we need to have clear boundaries. You not paying my rent is one of those boundaries."

He studied me for a long moment, like he was waiting for me to change my mind. "Why don't I take you out to dinner tomorrow night and we can discuss the rules of our relationship in infinite detail?"

I smiled, but I didn't like his tone. He sounded like he was up to something. "That would be great. Thank you."

"I'll pick you up at eight-thirty tomorrow."

"Eight-thirty?" I stared. "Who even eats that late? You might as well call it breakfast and not bother going to bed."

To my utter surprise, he threw back his head and laughed. It was a real laugh, not a sarcastic laugh. It warmed me down to my toes. "Fine. I'll pick you up at five thirty. That early enough for you?"

"That's perfect."

After setting his empty glass in the dishwasher, he left without another word. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

A yawn overtook me, and I decided it wasn't too early to go to bed. Somehow, I fell right to sleep when I curled up in bed with Mistletoe in my arms.

I woke a couple hours later to rich, spicy scents.

Sleepily, I walked to the kitchen. The smells came from there but my apartment didn't contain a mystery chef or anyone besides me and Mistletoe.

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