Adored (Masters and Mercenaries #8.5)(21)

“Nope. This is door number two and unfortunately, I’m parked on the other side of the lot.” Mitch had turned and was walking right back toward where they’d just left. “What have you had to eat today?”

She was oddly comfortable in his arms. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had picked her up and carried her around, her body protected by his. Probably not since she’d been a child and Will had carried her when she’d been hurt or sick. The sweetness of it pierced her. And then she remembered the only reason he was doing it was for the baby. “You should put me down. You’re going to throw out your back.”

He stopped and stared down at her. “What did you say?”

Oh, that was new. He was cold, arctic cold even as his arms tightened around her. “I said I’m too heavy and you should put me down.”

“That’s what I thought you said.” He started moving again, his eyes back up. “All right. I’m going to give you that one because I’ve never set rules with you. Here’s rule number one. I hear you insult yourself again and there will be punishment. How do you expect to raise a girl who gives a damn about herself if her mother doesn’t? How do you expect to raise a boy who respects women if his mother doesn’t care about herself? So expect the punishment for those infractions to be harsh.”

What was happening? And when the hell did Mitch become the voice of reason? She couldn’t come up with one logical argument. He was right. “What are you doing, Mitch?”

“Setting the rules. Now answer my question. When was the last time you ate?”

They were about to walk past the ER doors and toward the west lot. Naturally her siblings were now outside and they were all watching the show.

“She started a bowl of cereal this morning.” Lisa had impeccable hearing. “But it was the diet kind and she didn’t eat it because she had morning sickness. At the time I thought it might be a bug, but now we know it’s y’all’s illicit love child.”

She had another shot at getting out of here. Lila would be the weak link. Lisa had obviously become a spy for Team Mitchell and Will was being a jerkface. “Lila, go and get security. Tell them I’m being kidnapped. Mitch, let me down now.”

Lila smiled and gave her a friendly wave. “No, honey. I think he’s being the sensible one.”

“You take care of her.” Will’s words were for Mitch.

“I intend to. She might not like how I do it though. Can someone pack a bag for her? I’m afraid if I let her inside her apartment, she’ll lock me out.”

“Damn straight I will.”

“I have a key,” Lisa said. “I’ll do it. Come on, Laurel. Don’t look at me that way. He’s doing the Dom thing. And isn’t this kind of what you wanted? Mitch and a baby? Looks like you get both.”

Mitch and a baby. Was that what she’d wanted?

Mitch thanked Lisa and then strode toward his massive, gas-guzzling SUV she’d thought at first was to make up for his penis, and then she’d seen his penis. His penis probably needed the roomy interior of the SUV to feel comfortable.

Mitch and a family were what she had wanted, but she’d been willing to settle for just Mitch. Now it was Mitch who would be settling.

“If I set you down are you going to run?”

And be less mature than she’d already been today? One thing was right. They needed to talk. “No.”

He gently set her on her feet and opened the door. “Will you please eat something? I’ll take you anywhere you want. We need to figure out how this is going to work.”

She’d wanted enchiladas earlier in the day, but now all she could think about was pasta and she knew exactly where to get it. “Take me to Top.”




Twenty minutes later, she sighed as Sean Taggart placed a plate of pasta carbonara in front of her. She’d already inhaled a Caesar salad. She might have been nauseous this morning, but she was ravenous now.

“Are you sure I can’t get you a glass of wine? The sommelier has this paired with a Chablis that truly complements the creamy texture of the dish,” Sean explained. He was dressed in his chef whites. She was much more used to calling him Master Sean and seeing him in leathers, but then Sean Taggart was a Master of more than one thing. He was definitely a master with pasta and sauces.

She was about to turn him down when Mitch decided to take over.

“She can’t because she’s pregnant.”

Why did she suddenly feel like every eye in the place was on her? The crowd was light at this time of day, and it seemed like Mitch had shouted out into an almost silent room.

Sean held out a hand, a smile creasing his handsome face. “Really? That’s exciting news. Congratulations, man. I didn’t know you two were even seeing each other.”

That was just like a man. “We’re not seeing each other and how do you know the baby is his? Maybe it’s someone else’s. And I’m barely pregnant.”

“The baby is absolutely, one hundred percent mine, and we’re definitely seeing each other now. We’re getting married,” Mitch declared with ruthless determination.

Sean put a friendly hand on Mitch’s shoulder. “Good to hear it, man. Let us know when the wedding is and we’ll be happy to cater. Macon’s been dying to do a wedding cake. He and Ally got married in Vegas so he didn’t do his own. You two enjoy and let me know if I can get you anything else. The dessert this evening is a bread pudding, so you’ll want to save room.”