Page 50 of Property of Woods

“Things with him are complicated.I doubt there will be an us to discuss.Not after tonight.There’s too much standing between us.”

“If it’s Faye you’re worried about, you shouldn’t be.He doesn’t love her.He’s tried, but I think he married for club politics.He’s not said as much, but we were all surprised when he told us.Everyone hates her.”

“I’m pregnant.By my husband.Even if Faye wasn’t in the picture, he’s not going to want me.Why should he?I’m more trouble than he needs.I come with a lot of baggage.”

“Those few days on the road...I’d never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.It was like watching love at first sight happen.”

Before I can tell her she’s wrong or crazy, our food and drinks arrive, and we go back to the clubhouse.When we get there, she offers to stick around, but I can tell Gray wants to get her alone and it’s cute watching them dance around each other.

I take my food and my frozen Coke to my room and find Woods waiting for me.

“Hey,” I whisper, losing what little of an appetite I’d built on the way here.“What are you doing here?”

“Last I checked, this is my club and my room.And you’re here, butterfly.”

“Didn’t you hear what I told you at the clinic?”

“Yup.What about it?”

“I just thought...”

“Thought what?”He puts my food on the dresser and takes my hands in his.

“That where I am is the last place you’d want to be.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I’m pregnant with another man’s baby.”

“That doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

“You hardly know me.We started all wrong.We’re both married to other people.When Thad finds out about this baby, who knows what he will do?”

“Who is going to tell him?”

“He deserves to know.”

“Does he?”

“I don’t know.”I shake my head.“This is all too much.Too fast.”

“I ended shit with Faye.And yeah, part of that was because of how I feel about you, but that course was already set.One of us just needed to pull the plug.”

I nod.“I need time to process my life choices.It’s not only me I need to worry about.I’m going to have a baby and every choice I make from here on out will affect them.I need to think long and hard about what comes next, and I don’t know that I can think clearly when I’m with you.”

“You don’t want to be with me?”

“I like you.A lot.But I should take a minute to breathe and process everything.I mean, your wife kidnapped me and my husband wants my head on a platter.”

“More reason to be with me.The second I claim you as mine, the cartel won’t touch you.”

“I appreciate that you want to protect me.I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I think we’re moving too fast.Let’s get to know each other before we jump into something that you might regret.”

“What makes you think I’d regret you?”

“Not me, but I can’t expect you to take all of this on.It was selfish of me to climb onto the back of your bike and to sleep with you again after knowing you were married.”

“If you think you’re doing me any favors by pushing me away, you’re wrong and babe, I’m not the kind of man who makes promises he intends to break.I’m not walking away from this.”

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