Indefinite (Salvation #6)(29)

“This one.”

He pulls the book onto his lap, and I feel sick to my stomach. This is the worst because, of all the damn candidates, he’s going to know why I chose this one.

He starts to read aloud. “Thirty-six years old, green eyes, black hair, has a master’s in business after completing eight years in the—” He stops.

Our eyes meet, and I stand my ground. “Please, go on.”

Quinn doesn’t miss a beat. “Navy with six years as a navy SEAL.”

“I found your replacement,” I say with smugness. “Or maybe it even is you since there’s such an uncanny resemblance to your life.”

He closes the black book and hands it back to me. “Or you could pick me.”

Oh, please.

“Pick you? Why the hell would I pick you when I’ve already had you, and clearly, it didn’t work out?”

“No, but that was then, and I’m here now. I’ll happily give you a few squirts.”

“Gross.”

Like I would want to have a baby with him. No thank you. I have enough drama in my life, and I don’t need to have a mini Quinn around.

Or at least that’s what I’m lying to myself about.

The truth is, I’ve wanted that for a long time. How dare he come in now and offer?

“You’ve got some nerve,” I say with anger pulsing through me. “You come back after years of playing with my heart and offer to be my donor? Screw you.”

“We’ve already done that. I’m happy to do it again.”

I roll my eyes. “It wasn’t that good.”

Quinn tenses, and I hope I pissed him off. “I’m going to ignore that.”

“Ignore away. I’m going to sit here and hope that your lack of sexual gratification upsets you enough that you leave.”

We both know I’m full of shit, but wound me and I’m going to come for blood too. If he wanted to be the father of my child, he had all the time in the world to get it together.

“Regardless, we both know it’s what we want.”

Oh, please. “You’re so full of shit.”

He shrugs and moves in even closer. “Maybe I am.”

“I know you are. You don’t want a kid. You don’t really want to be here for me. You want me back, and you’re going to say whatever crap you can to make me think things are different. No need to be accommodating now, Ladykiller.”

“I have two choices, fragolina. I can love you and let you make these choices because it’s what you want or I can be a dick, and we both know that only makes you want something more. I’m picking the first.”

“How pragmatic and self-centered. You think this is about you, but there is your first mistake. My having a baby has nothing to do with you. It’s about me. I want this. I want to be a mother and start my family. I wasted forty-three-plus eggs on you, buddy, and I’m not wasting one single more.”

He runs his finger along my cheek. “I see that, which is why . . .” He drops his hand and gets to his feet. “I’m here to make sure that nothing happens to you or the baby you’ll be having with replacement me since you clearly don’t want me.”

“I need protection from you.”

“Why is that?”

Because I still love you. Because you’re in my damn head, and even with all the men in that book, I picked you anyway.

I bite my lips to keep from saying that. I can’t make any mistakes—or any more than I’ve already made. I get to my feet, staring him down so we’re on the same level. “You know what? You aren’t going to change my mind, Quinn Miller. You’re irrelevant to me and my life. If you want to follow me around, watch me get pregnant and round with another man’s baby . . . that’s on you.”

His eyes flash with a hint of anger, and I fight back my grin. Yeah, he’s not so okay with that, after all. It has to be killing him because, no matter what we say, we both belong to each other. I can’t imagine the rage I would feel if I knew another woman was having his kid. I would lose my damn shit.

“We’ll see.”

I cross my arms and jut my hip out. “What? You think I’m not going to do it?”

“No. I know you will, and I’ll be right there, holding your hand through it all. Pushing me away might be your goal, but . . . like I said . . . I’m here. You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that, but I’m not budging. So, do your worst.”

Challenging me was a mistake. I take two steps closer to him, so we’re nose to nose. “Oh, I will, but make no mistake, darling, my worst is just as bad as yours.”

He laughs once and then wraps his arm around me, hoisting me to his chest. I squirm and try to fight back. “Put me down you idiot.”

“I saw a spider.”

I look around, wrapping my arms around his neck. “What? Where?”

“It was right there.” His voice drops lower. “I saved you again.”

There wasn’t a spider, and I should be letting him go. I should be fighting, but I don’t seem to want to. “Quinn . . .”

“Ashton?”

My pulse spikes, and my throat goes dry. I want to kiss him. Fighting with him is like foreplay, and I’m more turned on than I would like to admit. I could ask him, and I know he’d do it, but I pull on every last ounce of restraint I have. “Protectors don’t typically kiss their charges.”