Fall for Me (Danvers #3)(13)

“I wasn’t, but thanks for clarifying. I know we aren’t exclusive so you don’t owe me explanations, but I would like the courtesy of a call the next time.”

“Beth, you are carrying my child; I’d say that’s pretty damn exclusive.” Without waiting for her response, he walked over to the other side of the bed and slid in. Turning off the light, he rolled over and gathered her loosely into his arms, kissing her gently on the forehead. “We’ll figure it out, princess.”

She snuggled against his warmth, too surprised to say anything else. Was he still in shock? He was taking this much better than she could have imagined. Maybe he was still too drunk to process everything. Tomorrow morning it would hit him, right?

* * *

Nick lay in bed awake long after Beth drifted off beside him. He curved his hand around her still-flat stomach as if looking for evidence of the life inside it. When she had dropped the bomb earlier, it really hadn’t sunk in until he was about to step into the shower. He froze when he realized the enormity of her statement. The father of my baby. Damn, life had just taken a very sudden and unexpected turn. She had looked ready to bolt while she waited for his reaction. What had she expected him to say? He needed time to process everything.

He could imagine how Suzy and Gray were going to react to the news. Especially after their narrow escape with Reva a few months back. Things were different with Beth, though. He knew she wouldn’t lie and deliberately try to trap him. Hell, she did everything she could to keep some distance between them.

There was no way Beth would try to get pregnant. He had tried to form a bond with her, and she was either afraid or just didn’t want to be tied down to him. He had yet to figure out which. She sure wanted the sex. That was never in question. At times he thought he had caught her looking at him with what appeared to be affection. But he still couldn’t really work out how she felt toward him. Plus, he didn’t know what he felt; he just knew he wanted her in his life right now.

Was he ready to be a father? Ready or not, it’s going to happen. Oh, man, don’t let it be a girl. I’ll spend my whole life trying to keep men like me away from her.

Beth tangled her legs with his, snuggling further against him as she always did while she slept. She might keep her distance during the daylight, but at night, her body sought him out in the dark and curled around him, night after night.

Chapter Six

“How soon do you want to get married?”

Beth spit her orange juice across the table, narrowly missing Nick’s crisp white shirt. “Wh— What are you talking about?” she sputtered.

Without looking up from his morning newspaper, Nick said, “Well, since we’re having a baby, we’re getting married, princess. We also need to look at houses; this apartment is too small.”

Beth was speechless for a moment before she blurted out, “We’re not having a baby—I’m having a baby and I don’t need to get married for that.”

Nick looked at her in surprise and then spoke slowly to her, as if he were talking to a child. “Honey, this is our baby and I plan to be a very hands-on father. I don’t intend for my baby to have a different last name nor do I plan for him, or her, to wonder where Daddy is every day. Any ideas on where you want to have the wedding?”

“I’m not buying a house or marrying you! Have you lost your mind? This isn’t the Dark Ages where you have to marry the little woman because you knocked her up. Nick, I’m perfectly capable of handling this by myself. You can see the baby anytime you like.”

She had Nick’s full attention now as he slapped the newspaper on the table. “Why even bother telling me, Beth? It seems like you have everything all figured out.” Standing up, Nick bent over until they were face-to-face. “Well, you know what, princess? I’m not going anywhere. You aren’t pushing me away from my child. Maybe I’m not who you envisioned in this role, but I’m who you’ve got and you better learn to deal with it.”

With one final glare at her, Nick stalked off. Beth heard the front door slam and she slumped back against her chair. What just happened? He wants to get married? Could he still be drunk this morning? Boy, was he pissed off. What had he expected her to say? Sure, every girl dreams of such a romantic proposal. Hey, little woman, let’s get hitched this weekend. I want you barefoot and pregnant and in my home by nightfall. Ohhh, stop, Nick, you smooth-talking sex god, I can’t take any more! Okay, so the sex god part is accurate. But down, girl. Don’t get distracted by the countless orgasms he has given you. Focus on the big picture. He is not forever-after material. There is nothing there but heartache.

Nick was sadly mistaken if he thought he was pushing her into marrying him. With a glint in her eyes, she picked up her cell phone and checked her missed calls. She had twenty-nine. A few were from Suzy and Ella, but the rest were from men who actually were marriage material, at least their profiles said they were. She had signed up with a dating service before she met Nick and recently reactivated her profile—now seemed like a good time to put some distance between herself and Nick. She needed to show Nick that, although she was carrying his child, she was still an independent person who made her own decisions. He had better call a halt on purchasing a new house or a minivan because she wasn’t marrying him. She was moving on with her life.

She ruthlessly shushed the voice in her head that asked, “What in the hell are you thinking? Pregnant women shouldn’t be making dates for every night this week.” She needed to focus on the future.