Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(25)

"I assure you," she said, proud there wasn't even a tremor in her steady voice, "this is no game."

"I don't believe you."

Ellie snorted. "That's obvious."

"Then why did you come here?"

Unable to take it any longer, she leaned forward and rested her cheek on the door panel. Pressing her hand against the cool surface and wishing he'd let her leave already, she whispered in desperation. "Please. Just let me go."

Boston touched her, and the gentle pressure of his hand on the back of her shoulder was her undoing. The first tear tracked down her cheek. She blinked rapidly, but instead of 97

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

drying her lashes, the move only caused another droplet to fall.

"Ellie," he whispered. "Stop scaring the shit out of me.

What's going on? Why are you doing this?"

She sniffed in the rest of the tears and wiped at her face.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted, hauling in a deep, shuddering breath. Finally, she turned and was satisfied to see he was beginning to appear unnerved. "I...it...It seemed like the decent thing to let you know," she said, and her voice broke. "So, I've done my job. Now let me out." She turned and wrapped her hand around the doorknob, but he only leaned his full weight against the door, moving closer to her in the process.

She closed her eyes, trying to block the feel of his warm chest against her back.

"I need proof," he said after a moment. "You're going to have to take a test."

Ellie laughed, a bitter sound. "I've already taken five. They were all positive."

That answer seemed to get through to him more than anything. He shuddered. Now that he knew she'd been just as disbelieving as he was, he had to know she was telling the truth.

"Well, you're taking another," he rasped.

Unfazed, Ellie merely shrugged. "Fine. Whatever."

"Right now."

Ellie looked up at him. "I said okay."

An hour later, he dropped onto his bed and cradled his head in his hands. Ellie stood frigidly by the door, torn 98

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

between escape and going to him to share their mutual fear.

She'd just decided to move toward him when he lifted his face.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

She fell to a stop and tilted her head. "Do what?"

"Don't act innocent, Ellie," he growled. "Did you get pregnant on purpose?"

Her lips parted, emitting a disbelieving puff of air. "Why would I purposely get pregnant?"

"Oh, get real," he snarled. "You come from a rundown trailer park in Nowhere, Tennessee." While he came from money and security, neither of them had to add. "You probably thought you'd struck it big time when I fell into your lap."

For a full ten seconds, Ellie was too stunned to speak. She couldn't believe his crudity, couldn't believe he would think of her this way.

First of all, she didn't need his money. She'd done without, and she could continue to do without. Secondly, she didn't see how she could have even dreamed up a baby trap to keep him in the relationship when she'd had no idea the relationship had been about to crumble. And thirdly, how could he think she'd do something so underhanded as to trick him? Didn't he know her at all after eight months?

There was no way she'd bring an innocent child into the mix if she thought there was any kind of trouble in paradise.

What followed was the biggest, longest, loudest argument she'd ever had with anyone. Names were called, accusations were made, feelings were hurt. Ellie tried to keep up, but 99

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Boston managed to do most of the destruction. And when the yelling was over and the smoke cleared, Ellie was still pregnant, and Boston blamed her.

He couldn't tell his parents; he was too humiliated. She'd always assumed he just wasn't close to his family. That was why he'd never talked to her about them, why he'd never introduced her to them. But then she caught him calling his mother once; she listened to him talk to her on the phone and realized they meant a lot more to him that she'd ever thought. She was the one who hadn't meant enough. She was the one who hadn't been worthy enough to meet his hallowed family.

As he hung up from that call and closed his eyes, letting out a long, tired breath, Ellie knew he'd been too embarrassed to announce he'd gotten a no-one girl from nowhere, Tennessee pregnant. Instead, he'd lied and told his mom he was staying in Lawrence through the summer because he'd found a job. He made no mention of Ellie or their baby.

Things changed considerably after that. They'd broken up weeks before, but it was officially over from that point on. He tried to be polite to her, but neither of them could stop the cool distance. And all too often, they fell into the stupidest fights.

After trying to pick out baby names, with him shooting all of her suggestions down, Ellie sighed in disgust. "Well, want do you want, Boston?" she growled.

He spat back, "I don't know! Okay? I do not know. All I can tell you is what I don't want."

100

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"Oh?" she asked cockily. "And what's that?"