His Sugar Baby(75)

Darryl stepped inside and shut the door. He followed Michael, speaking to his back. “You haven’t been to the office. You haven’t taken my calls. You look like hell.”

“Yeah.” Michael walked into the living area. He was aware that Darryl trailed behind him. He flipped his thumb over his shoulder. “There’s the door. Make free.”

“I’ve seen you act this way only one other time in your life.”

Michael swiftly turned, both of his hands curling into fists. “Shut up.”

Darryl frowned. His dark gaze was speculative, considering. “How is your lady friend, Mike? You haven’t said anything about her lately.”

“I’m not seeing her anymore.”

The words were bitten out. Michael felt the stabbing pain and rubbed a flattened thumb over the spot in the middle of his chest. It hurt him to even say it. He wondered bleakly if it would ever stop hurting. God help him. For the past few days, truths had battered him worse than his hangover. He had hurt her. He had driven away the woman who had become precious to him. He didn’t know how to fix it.

The ultimate truth had bitten him hard in the ass. With the rush of revelation, he had uttered a hoarse despairing laugh. Now that it was too late, he couldn’t hide from it anymore. He loved her.

Darryl lifted a thick brow. “I’m sorry to hear that. You seemed real happy there for awhile.” He shook his head and gave a resigned sigh. “You’re twisted, Mike. What happened? Did you run her off or did she run out on you?”

“She had reason to leave.” Michael swallowed. He had to tell someone what a stupid f*ck he was. “She told me that she loved me. I told her that I was married.”

“You stupid f*ck.”

“Funny. That’s what I thought, too.”

Darryl’s expression of disgust altered. Disbelief colored his voice. “Do you feel something for her?”

“Yeah. I do.” Michael sprawled backward onto the sofa, the heels of his hands pressing tight against his closed eyelids. “God. It’s a friggin’ nightmare. I can’t stop thinking about her!”

“Have you talked to her? Gone to see her?”

Michael dropped his hands and looked up at his friend. Despair weighted his chest. He shook his head. “She won’t take my calls, won’t answer my emails. I–I don’t want to make things worse by showing up at her door. Like I’m some stalker.” He didn’t bother to mention the fact that he wasn’t even supposed to know her address. That would open a discussion that he didn’t want, one that would expose how truly twisted he really was.

“What are you going to do?”

Michael shrugged helplessly. He spread his hands wide between his knees. “I don’t know.”

Darryl cleared his throat. “If you want, I can go see her for you. I can talk to her. Take a letter, maybe.”

Michael was deeply appreciative of the offer. He knew Darryl’s concern for him was genuine. They had always had each other’s backs, but this time he wasn’t going to let his best friend wade into his mess. “Thanks. But I’ve got to handle this one on my own. Somehow.”

“Maybe it’s time you talked to Morgan.”

“I’ve thought of that.” Michael passed a hand over his face. “Shit. I’m totally screwed.”

“Yeah, well, you always were screwed up.”

“Thanks for your support.”

“You’re welcome.”





Cathy walked through the small apartment. It was empty of any reminders of her time there, yet her memories were vivid, particularly those of the last good days together with Chloe.

The week before, she had asked her sister and some of her closest friends to help her clean out the dingy apartment and to box up her own and Chloe’s things. It had been a very emotional day because it marked a milestone, and it had taken a huge toll on her. There had been little enough to move or to go into storage, just Chloe’s bedroom set and a few boxes. Everything else, Cathy gave away or donated. Winter’s clothing and accessories were among the first things to go. Cathy wanted nothing to do with any of it. She didn’t want any reminders of that closed chapter of her life.

She wasn’t going to be seeing Michael Lambert again.

Her decision had bothered both her sister and her best friend. In fact, Vicky had the gall to challenge her that she wasn’t thinking straight, what with all of the changes taking place in her life. She had urged her to wait and see what might come of her relationship with Michael. “He has a right to know that he’s going to be a father, Cathy.”

“I have to agree, Cathy.” Pam’s expression was troubled. “Of course we understand that it’s just too soon for you to be thinking of a serious relationship, but Chloe is making wonderful progress. You’ve got time to think things through, at least for a few months, until the baby comes.”

Cathy never confided to either of them what had caused the breakup between her and Michael or what the true parameters of their relationship had been. She tried not to feel resentful toward them for not wholeheartedly supporting her decision.

She pressed her hand against her stomach. The bouts of nausea had become familiar. Pam was on her case constantly, telling her that she had to eat, that she was losing too much weight, and that she had to pace herself. Reluctantly, her thoughts turned again on what Pam and Vicky had said. Were they right? Was her judgment too clouded by her feelings?