Page 72 of Shots Fired

“I’m going to conclude you didn’t see my note and not that you read it, but still chose to get up and ignore it.”

He reaches behind him, pulling his Blades hoodie overhead, and I catch a flash of toned abs as his T-shirt rides up with the action.

I can’t help it. Regardless of my current condition, my mouth waters. Truthfully, I think I could be placed into a medically induced coma, and this man could still elicit the same response from my body.

He flashes me a quick smile, pushing off the frame and heading towards me. I know my thoughts are transparent. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve, and oftentimes, it’s gotten me into trouble, especially with my ex-boyfriend.

He wraps a large palm around my hip, pressing my body into his.

More trouble ahead.

“How do the pj’s feel?”

Heat from his touch penetrates the soft, thin material.

“Let me guess … another one of your purchases?”

He leans forward, pushing a piece of matted hair away from my ear. “Want to know something else I bought you?”

I can feel the goose bumps as they flare across my body. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway,” I jest, totally wanting to know.

His other hand finds my hip as he kisses just below my ear. I know this exchange is way more intimate than a fuck-buddy arrangement. Our dynamic has shifted, and Archer is driving us, with me as a willing passenger.

“You might’ve been sick with an infection, but you weren’t suffering from hallucinations. The security system your landlord fitted”—Archer pulls back, shaking his head with a proud expression—“you didn’t ask for it. I did.” His attention rests on my stomach. “Back then, I was protecting the girl of my dreams, and now I’m protecting my family.”

“You’re so intense,” I reply, my throat thick, voice hoarse.

He just smiles, one that creases the corners of his eyes. “I know.” A hand dips under the hem of my top, coming to rest against my flat stomach. “I could ask if my intensity is okay with you, although I won’t waste my breath or yours with an answer.” He pins me in place with his stare. “This is how it is for me, Darcy. You, me, and our baby. It’s really that simple.” He chews on the corner of his bottom lip. “Oh, and trying to stay alive when we eventually break it to your brother.”

The calm bubble I was in bursts, unease trickling through my veins. Of course I knew my family would find out I was pregnant—it’s inevitable. But in the overwhelm that was yesterday, I didn’t get to the part where I considered Jack finding out or his reaction.

“I don’t want to tell him. Not yet anyway.”

Archer cocks his head to the side, a mix of relief and worry etched across his face.

“It’s common knowledge that pregnancies are at their highest risk during the first twelve weeks, and I’m not going to spill my business to everyone apart from those I want to know.” I shrug, a growing sense of conviction in my decision. “Maybe not even until I start to show. It’s our choice who we tell, and it’s my body to divulge news about.”

Archer nods lightly, drawing gentle circles against my stomach with the pad of his thumb. I’m not completely sure the action is conscious.

“I know I laid all my cards on the table for you last night, and when I drove here from practice, it was my intention to ask you if you had made a decision about keeping the baby. I think I’ve already figured out what you want, but you always have options, Darcy. I just want y?—”

“I’m keeping the baby,” I confirm without a single falter. “I know I have options, but I genuinely can’t see a situation where terminating the pregnancy is the right route for me. I don’teven need to think about it, but I do want to keep my business private.”

Relief doesn’t just fill Archer’s face; it takes ahold of his entire body as every muscle visibly relaxes. He doesn’t need to say anything for me to know how much my decision means to him.

“Holding on to secrets or being liberal with the truth isn’t my strong suit, Doll. But you’re my priority. You and this baby. That said, when we eventually tell my mom, she’ll likely lose her shit. In the good way,” he clarifies.

I snuggle into his cotton shirt, Archer’s freshly showered cologne delectable. “Is she nice?”

He hums softly. “Yeah, family is everything to her.” A light chuckle rumbles in his chest. “And I’m beginning to understand why she feels that way.”

Instinctively, my arms wrap around his waist, and he loops his around mine, resting his chin on top of my head.

“Starting a family, was it something you wanted someday?” I quietly ask. “It was for me, even though I couldn’t picture a time when it would happen.”

As he inhales a deep breath, I cuddle further into Archer’s chest.

“Honestly? Not for the majority of my adult life. I guess I didn’t see settling down with a family, however that looked, as a barometer for my success. It’s always been about hockey and records and …” He pauses for a second. “Maybe I feel ashamed to admit it but … how desirable I was to women.” He releases a puff of air into the room. “Yep, out loud that sounded about as shallow as it had in my head.”

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