Page 41 of I Knead You Tonight

She rolls onto her side, glaring at me. “What,” she mutters, grinding her teeth.

“I don’t think you have to worry about anyone not wanting to sleep with you because of your baby.”

“I was totally kidding about being moister than an oyster. I’m dryer than the Sahara right now. Quit hitting on me.”

I laugh again. “I’m being serious.”

“I am too. I’m tired. I’m not horny.”

“Drew!”

She smirks at me. “I know you’re sorry, Win. But I’m still mad, okay? Your words hurt me, even if you didn’t mean them. They’re real fears I have, and I didn’t care for hearing them spoken out loud.”

On one hand, her words elate me. She hasn’t outright forgiven me, but she’s notnotforgiving me either. That’s a step in the right direction.

But on the other hand…god, it makes me feel like complete shit.

Does she really feel that way? That nobody is going to want her because she’s a single mom? Does she really expect to be alone the rest of her life?

Maybe I’m just interpreting her words wrong…

“You really think no one is going to want you because you have a baby?”

“Uh, yeah,” she says like she’s being completely logical right now when she sounds insane. “A baby is a big fucking responsibility. There aren’t many people out there who are going to want to take that on.”

I would.

The thought hits me out of nowhere.

Would I really do that for Drew? For Riker? Would I step up and take care of them both even though they don’t belong to me?

Yes.

The weirdest part of all? Wanting to take care of them doesn’t scare me.

It feels…right, and not just in aWow, what a good dude doing a good deedkind of way.

It’s more than that.

It’s them.

I’ve never wanted kids. They’re loud and needy and I like my sleep—whenever I can get it—and my freedom way too much to be saddled with a child.

But that doesn’t mean if the right someone came along and wanted kids—or had their own—I would run the other way. I would make it work. I would find a way to get over my preconceived notions and make it work.

That’s the way I’m feeling right now, like I’d find a way with Drew and Riker.

“Shit,” she continues. “Not even Chadwick wanted me, and Riker is his baby for crying out loud.”

I sneer. Just thinking of the jackass makes my blood boil. “Please. Chadwick is a tool with the worst name in the history of names. He’s an ass and by no means who you should be basing your future love life off. Fuck that guy.”

“I did, and look where it got me.”

I don’t laugh at her joke, because I hate the idea of someone else touching her.

Especially someone who doesn’t deserve her.

“For the record, I think you’re insane.”

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