Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(65)

What made you think this thing between us was exclusive?"

"I'm so sorry, Ellie," the adult Boston whispered. "I think...I think I acted like such an ass when you found out about her because I wanted you to break up with me. I was so confused. I just wasn't ready yet. We'd become a lot more serious than I was prepared to handle at that time. I took the coward's way out and made sure I was awful enough you'd dump me."

"I see," she murmured, knowing exactly what he meant when he'd said, I resented you for having that much control over me, because he had that exact kind of control over her right now. She didn't want to be affected by his story...but she was.

Refusing to let it show, she gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Well...it was a long time ago. Don't worry about it."

"It wouldn't have made a difference if I'd told you everything back then, anyway," he agreed softly. "I'd still done enough to—"

"Oh, it would've made a difference," she cut him off abruptly, rushing out the words, surprised she'd even said them.

He paused and eyed her intently. "It would've?"

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

She nodded stiffly.

"Are you saying you wouldn't have broken up with me if I'd only explained everything?"

Ellie's heartbeat thundered through her ears. "Yes." She blew out a breath. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Boston blew out a shaky breath as well. "Well..." he said.

"Hell."

He turned away as if to hide the regret in his eyes from her. But she caught a full glimpse of it anyway. She didn't know why that kind of regret caught her sympathies more strongly than anything else. But it made her weak toward him, kind of like she'd been ten years before.

"Boston," she whispered and lifted her hand to touch his back, but he spun toward her, not realizing she'd been reaching. Quickly she dropped her fingers.

His eyes looked a little glazed, almost crazed, as he stared at her. "I never should've messed with you," he said. "As soon as I learned how innocent you were, I should've just backed off and called it quits." Letting out a groan of misery, he glanced away. "Why did you let me go so far? Why'd you give me the tools to hurt you?"

Ellie shrugged helplessly. "Why do you think? I thought I'd fallen in love with you."

Boston looked down at his hands. "When you came back after we broke up. When you told me you were pregnant, I...I wasn't really mad at you, you know. I was mad at myself because I'd let you go, because I missed you. And to top that off, I was scared as hell. I was, in no way, ready to be a father. That doesn't excuse the way I acted. I never should've 242

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

blamed you or accused you of trying to trick me into getting back together. I...I was a complete *."

"Oh, I knew that then."

He grinned and lifted his face. When she returned the smile, they shared a soft moment. For once, neither of them thought of the bitter ending of their relationship. But they both reminisced about happier moments, times when erotic discovery had been the most important thing between them.

Suddenly, Boston grew solemn. He stared down at his hands. "I don't want to be your enemy, Ellie."

She swallowed. "I don't want to be yours either."

"But there's so much history and pain between us. I can't... Right now, I can't see how we'll ever move past this."

"There are good memories too," she heard herself say, as if arguing with the hopelessness behind his words.

When Boston lifted his face and seared her with a hot gaze, all those good memories struck her at once.

"Yeah," he murmured. "There are. And they're making all this that much more difficult to deal with. I can't look at you without wanting...without wondering..."

When he stopped talking, the silence between them felt as thick and tense as pea soup.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it," Ellie said in a small voice.

He laughed harshly. "What? You think that's going to make it go away?"

"No, of course not," she agreed, looking down at her hands. "But, we've come to a...a kind of alliance. And I just 243

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

don't want to do anything to hurt that. For Cassidy's sake, I think we should just stay as we are right now."

Boston looked like he was going to rebel, so she quickly added, "It might not be very comfortable for either of us, but at least it's peaceful. And that's what our daughter needs. We need to be cordial yet distant...for Cassie's sake."

The obstinate gleam left his eyes, but she could still tell he didn't agree. However, he still nodded and said, "You're probably right." Then, glancing away, he blew out a slow breath and turned to quietly leave the room.

Evening had fallen when Ellie decided she needed to find her daughter and see how Cassie was faring. In an attempt to avoid Boston and forget how close they'd come to...what, she wasn't sure—getting back together, maybe...she spent a few hours chatting with Boston's sisters and sister-in-law.

It was a shock to realize Shannon March—er, Shannon Kincaid—was nice. She even blushed when Ellie told the model she was a fan. Ellie couldn't believe how normal and down-to-earth all of Boston's family was. She hadn't met one person she didn't like. Cassidy was blessed to have such an amazing foundation. That was something Ellie had never been able to give her. But now her baby girl had roots and relatives and a base on which to make her life full and happy.