Page 31 of Secret Baby Daddies
Handing Bubbles off to Maddox I sighed.
“Sir, yes, sir.”
In a flash, sweet and flirty Maddox was gone. In his place was stern and seductive Maddox. He cupped my face in his massive hand and stared straight into my very soul.
“If you’re using Sir around here I expect you to be on your knees and naked.”
I might’ve whimpered before I got a hold of myself. Clearing my throat, I circled around him and edged my way past Jace. I started to rush down the stairs but Jace’s hand wrapped around my upper arm to stop me. Glaring back at him, unable to forget the panicked expression on his face when I’d asked him if they were mine, I tried to pull away.
“You’re pregnant and about to run down a set of stairs. That doesn’t seem like a good idea.” His tone was sharp but there was something in his eyes which softened the blow. Those hazel eyes were anything but cold. They were on fire, seemingly for me.
Gently pulling free from his grip I bit my lip and nodded.
“Fine.”
Luc was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, leaning casually against the wall with a cup of coffee in his hands. I was still mad at him, though, so I walked past him and out the front door. I could hear the three of them talking inside but I kept walking, unwilling to wait on them. I was in knots over everything. Even down to my own basic desires.
I didn’t get far before Jace pulled up beside me in a truck. He didn’t look happy when he got out and came around to help me inside.
“Get it through your head that you’re not about to walk away from this ranch. It’s at least fifteen miles to the nearest house and another ten before you’d reach a gas station. With all the wildlife out here, you wouldn’t make it the first fifteen without getting seriously hurt.”
He buckled my seatbelt before I could do it and it just made me crankier. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared away from him. The entire drive into Dallas went the same way. We drove in painful silence while I refused to ever look at him.
He pulled up to By Another Name and I was eager to get out and away from him. He locked the truck and followed me, though. When I spun around to tell him to get lost he grabbed my upper arms and yanked me into his chest before kissing me like we’d die if he didn’t. It was hungry and desperate, almost painful, but it curled my toes nonetheless. When he pulled away we were both gasping for breath and gripping each other a little too tightly.
“I’m staying.”
I tightened my grip on his shirt, ignoring the way my knuckles pressed into his chest. “No.”
“I’m staying and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t run away, little girl. Now that we’ve found you, we’re keeping you. And…you’re keeping us, too. Got it?” He looked away, like admitting the words was painful for him. I waited until helooked back at me to raise my eyebrows at him. “You own me. Okay? Happy now?”
As a matter of fact, I was. I couldn’t help smiling, probably a little smugly. Feeling lighter than I had in days, I tapped him on his nose and twisted away so I could unlock the door and get inside.
“Brat.” He slapped my ass and held the door for me. “Do you have a place I can set up and work?”
I pointed to the counter. “There until we open. I have to arrange some bouquets in the back.”
I took a deep breath and let the smell of the flowers calm me. Things were changing but some things were staying exactly the same. My flowers were the same. My growing succulents were the same. I took another deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything was going to be okay.
CHAPTER 25
Jace
Once I heard Harley talking to herself in the other room, any hope I had of getting a little work done was out the window. It was almost a compulsion to know what she was saying. Was she talking about me? I had to know. I leaned in the doorway to the work room and saw that she had her back to me while leaned over a rack of plants.
“Y’all are doing so great. Look at this new growth. Before you know it, you’re going to be living your best life on a wreath at Mrs. Fontino’s house.” She spoke to the plants in such a soft tone, her hands moving ever so gently over them. “And maybe I’ll keep a few of you for myself. When I get my own greenhouse I’ll make my own wreath and you can star in it.”
It was gut-wrenching. Her sweetness tore down my throat and ripped at my insides. If she was that sweet to a bunch of plants, I could only imagine how good she’d be to our child. She’d be the mother not a lot of people were lucky enough to have. It made me like her that much more.
“Can you believe those big ‘ole mean men tried to keep me away from you? Ridiculous. Am I just supposed to stay locked away until I have this baby? And then what?” Her voice grew more distant and it was obvious she was fully in her head, especially when she turned around and started trimming flowers without noticing me. “I don’t know anything about being a mom. I don’t know anything about anything except for flowers. If the baby needs to keep moist and have well-drained soil, I’m your man. Fed? Changed? God.”
She dropped what she was doing and braced her hands on the table, head hung low. I was tempted to go to her but hesitated. I wanted to know what was going on in her head.
“Why do they want me? If I hadn’t gotten pregnant what would’ve happened?” She sniffed and blew out a big sigh. “Idon’t know what’s happening in my life. It felt weird not to wake up this morning and scream at Aaron. Did you ever shout at your neighbor, Rose?”
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. When Harley replied to herself in an accented voice that was supposed to be the rose she was holding, I nearly lost it.
“Why, yes, I have. This yellow rose was always trying to be my friend but I’m a red rose! I’m too passionate for a simple friendship.” She picked up the scissors and the accented voice grew higher. “Hey! What are you doing with those? Don’t do that! Don’t chop my—ahhhh.”
