Players, Bumps and Cocktail Sausages (Silence #3)(52)

“I know you won’t,” I replied. He was going to be great; I knew that already. He’d be there for us both and do whatever was needed to provide for his baby. I wish we were doing this properly. I wish we were together.

In a very short space of time, he’d made me want a life with him, and I didn’t jump into relationships. I was always the careful one that thought things through. My brain seemed to have switched itself off the first time Jasper kissed me, but I didn’t ever want it to turn back on because he made me feel complete.

“What about uni? Seriously?”

“What do you mean, seriously? I said I was going to take a year out.”

“I know but is that the best idea? I have no experience with these things, but I think if I took a year out I wouldn’t want to go back; I didn’t want to go back after the Christmas break at school. You’re different to me. I get that. You’re smart and know what you want, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to finish, especially with a baby, and I don’t want you to regret that in the future.”

Okay, I could understand that, but he really didn’t know me at all if he honestly thought I wouldn’t finish my degree.

“Jasper, I’ll go back. I just have all this,” I gestured to my stomach, “stuff going on and I’m afraid that if I take on too much it’ll stress me out.”

He frowned, and I knew I’d won him over.

“I don’t want you stressed.”

“Me neither.”

“But we’d make sure you weren’t. I’ll do whatever I can. Don’t let this slip away from you because we’re having a surprise baby.”

“A surprise baby.”

“Well yeah. No offence, but I didn’t exactly expect this.”

“No,” I said and shook my head. “That’s not what I meant. Believe me, I didn’t expect this either. I mean that you said surprise and not mistake.”

“Our baby isn’t a mistake.”

“The time and mother is?”

“No. The time and mother is sort of a surprise too, but a good one.”

Something hit me like a truck.

“Jasper, do you mean the mother is a surprise because there could be more out there?”

He laughed and completely inappropriately, I did too. He had a great laugh, deep and sexy. “No, Holly. You’re the only one I went bareback with. The others I had more… self-control with. Sorry about that. I shouldn’t have put you in this position to begin with. Not that I regret it, or the outcome.”

“It’s fine. Takes two. I could have refused unless you put a condom on. I guess I didn’t have much self-control either.”

He flashed me a grin.

“Especially not when you got going.”

“Okay, that conversation is over,” I said as I felt my cheeks heat. Even after everything we’d done and the confidence he’d given me, I still felt embarrassed when talking about it. I thought that would disappear, but it seemed to be a trait that was sticking.

“Of course it is. Whatever you want I’ll support, just let me know, okay?”

“Sure. Thanks, Jasper.”

He held his arms out. “Come here.”

I climbed on his lap and curled up, closing my eyes. His arms circled my body, and he held me close. I smiled, breathing in his perfect, unique scent.





Chapter Twenty-Two


Jasper




“What the hell is wrong with you?” Oakley snapped, pushing past me. “I know that Abby hurt you and the divorce is hard, and I’m sorry for that, but that doesn’t excuse you sleeping with our twenty-year-old employee! And not to mention your friend’s sister. What were you thinking?”

“Come on in,” I said, with an irony-laden welcome gesture.

She glared.

“I wasn’t thinking, okay! That night I was a bit of a mess, and she was upset about that Harry dick. We ended up sleeping together, no big deal.” I wasn’t going to tell her it had been more than once.

“No big deal,” she replied flatly.

“Well okay, now it’s a big deal, but you’re making it out like I planned it. Believe me, I was a shocked as you are now when I woke up next to her!”

Holly was gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but she wasn’t my type. I didn’t go for the shy ones or the dark eye make-up – it just wasn’t my thing. Past tense. I wanted her now, badly.

“Well that’s lovely. Bet she felt really special! Nice one, Jasper.”

Shit, now I’ve upset my sister. Sex could just be sex, but not to Oakley, not after what she went through and if she thought anyone was being taken advantage of, she freaked.

“I didn’t mean it like that, just that neither of us knew what was going to happen. Holly actually jumped when she woke up and saw me. She was just as surprised. I’m not exactly who she goes for either.”

Her type was quiet bookish guys. I think the last thing I read was the back of a pizza box to see how long to cook it for.

“What’re you going to do now?”

“We’ve not got that far yet.” I walked into the living room and sat down. “I’ve gotta get a house. I can’t believe this is happening.”