Mr. Hunter? Your next appointment is here. She’s waiting in your office.”

“Thanks.” I straighten my tie and walk in to see a gorgeous woman waiting for me.

Our eyes meet across the desk as I hold out my hand to her. I could swear I’ve met her before. Surely, I’d remember someone so gorgeous.

“Brodie Hunter. What can I do for you?” I glance down at my appointment book.

“April.” She stares down at the table. “I spoke to your secretary, but I don’t think she understood why I wanted to meet with you.”

“You’re a former employee of Sheer Fantasy? That correct?”

“Yeah.” She tries to force a smile.

Reading people is what I do, and something slams into the pit of my stomach.

I can’t stop staring at her. I cant my head slightly to the side and take her in. “I’m not sure what I can do for you, but have we met before? I get this feeling like I know you.”

Her fake smile falters and she hesitates to answer. “I, umm, I don’t know. It could be possible. You ever go to the club? I was the spotlight dancer.”

I don’t remember ever going into that shithole. “No.” I tap my chin and look around to make sure nobody is watching us. “Maybe at a party or something? My brother had a bachelor party a while back and there were, umm, performers.”

Her face flushes and her chest grows red.

“You don’t look so great. Can I get you a water or something?”

Her slender hand goes to her throat. “Water would be good.” Her voice cracks when she speaks.

What the fuck is going on here?

“No problem.” I go over to the minifridge and take out two bottles, handing one to her.

“Thanks.” She fumbles with the lid, refusing to look up at me. “About the, umm, party?”

I stare off at the wall and shake my head. “Did something happen? How can I help you?”

“I want to sue Rod and his company for wrongful termination and for stuff they stole from me and refused to return.”

I take a step back and hold up my hands. “Look, I represent Rod and his business interests. You’d want to find a different lawyer. It’d be a conflict of interest for me.”

“I’m not really in the financial position to be paying legal fees now that I no longer have employment. Don’t you represent his employees too?”

Twisting the cap off my water I take a drink. “You’re not really an employee any longer, right? Why’d he fire you?” I shouldn’t even be discussing this, but it’s more entertaining than the rest of my day.

“He said I was too fat and unattractive to work for him.”

My brows knit together. “He said what? You’re gorgeous.” Well, there goes being appropriate. I straighten up. “Any witnesses willing to back up your story?”

“Yeah.” Her chair moves back, and I catch sight of her stomach. It looks like a pregnancy bump.

I fight the urge to cough and take another drink of my water too fast. It goes down the wrong pipe and I start choking. “Sorry. Shit. Excuse me.”

Personally, I can see where Rod’s coming from, making her take off work until after she’s had the baby. It’s an asshole move for sure, but, not many men are willing to pay to see a pregnant woman get naked. It ruins the fantasy. “So, you’re pregnant?” I make an uncomfortable face and hook my finger on the collar of my shirt in an attempt to get some air flowing.

I’m starting to sweat. This isn’t the shit I signed up for. Saying the ‘p word’ can be fatal if you mention it to a woman and you’re wrong. I need to know the facts, though.

Actually, I don’t. I should send her ass right out of my office. But, something about her… I just can’t put a finger on it. I want to help her for some reason I can’t explain. My brother and I pride ourselves on being assholes who love three things—power, pussy, and money.

“Correct. I’m pregnant. Not handicapped. I can still dance, and he owes me for the costumes his skanky girlfriend stole from my locker. I designed them myself. He refused to let me on the property to get my things. The only thing he gave me back was some glitter. Those costumes were invaluable to me. I’m out of work and unable to pay my bills. I have a month left if I’m lucky before my bank account is drained, and I have a kid on the way.”

“It is totally none of my business, but what about the father? Is he able to help?”

She shakes her head and looks at the floor.

Why am I still entertaining this episode of Jerry Springer in my office? Maybe I’m going soft.

“Tell you what I can do. Rod’s a client and a friend. I’ll talk to him for you. Maybe I can get him to give your stuff back and find you some work. You’ll have to meet him halfway. I doubt he’s going to let you dance. I’m sure it’s going to be a pay cut, but it’s better than nothing until you figure out what you want to do. If you’ll leave your contact information, I’ll give you a call when I have news.”

There’s a hint of a smile on her face, and somehow it makes me feel that warm fuzzy shit in my stomach that makes me think I just sprouted a vagina.

She walks toward the door. “Thank you, Mr. Hunter.”

“Just call me Brodie. I’ll be in touch.”

Great. Now I get to do some bullshit that’s going to take my time and effort. And why? Why am I helping this woman? I deserve a humanitarian award. I’m definitely not saying shit to my brother about it.

* * *

“Business or pleasure?” Rod walks over to the bar and head nods for me to join him.

“I wish it was pleasure.” I accept a rocks glass of whiskey.

It’s the middle of the day and the girls on the stage aren’t anything to write home about.

I look around the club and have to say Rod has done well for himself. For a strip club, the place is pretty classy. High-end bar and a full house. Mainly middle-aged lonely bastards but they spend money.

I quirk an eyebrow up at him. “One of your former employees stopped by my office this morning. Said you fired her for being pregnant.”

“I’m running a business not a charity. Men come here for a fantasy. If they want to see their pregnant girlfriend, they can stay home.” He grins.

“Said your girlfriend stole her costumes.”

“Fine, I’ll get her shit back and find something for her to do if she wants. She’s still hot, but I can’t let her dance. She can take the stage once she pops the kid out—if she keeps her, umm, form. She was my headliner. But the weight started coming on, and I lost a few customers. It’s the nature of the business. Surprised you didn’t recognize her.”

“What?”

“She’s that piece of ass you were chasing at your brother’s party. I’d still fuck her, but the customers want big tits and a tight ass. Not a baby bump in their face. Well, ninety-nine percent of them anyway.”

My stomach twists into knots, remembering her face when I asked her about the bachelor party and the father of her child.

“So, is the bitch gonna sue me?”

My jaw ticks. Part of me rages when he says he’d still fuck her. I have no claim on her, but I have a sinking feeling that baby in her belly could be mine. I knew she looked fucking familiar. Fucking Pike and all the goddamn drugs at his party.

“No.” I shake my head. “I told her I’d talk to you. I’m going to level with you. She could sue and probably win with a halfway decent asshole for an attorney. You don’t want a bunch of feminists going after you in the media. It could turn into a real shit show, fast. My sister-in-law would eat you alive in the courtroom on this. My advice, pay her a month’s salary and return the clothes or buy them from her. Maybe even give her some kind of work to keep her busy.”

Rod rubs his chin and downs the rest of his drink. “I’ll cut her a check. You can deliver it to her. Just make sure she signs that she won’t come after me.”

“Done.” I let out a sigh of relief. One problem down. “You happen to know how far along she is?”

“Why?” He chuckles.

I shrug. “Just curious.”

“I don’t know, man, maybe four or five months.”

I nod as I try to do the math in my head.

Rod writes a check, and I have another drink contemplating my next move.

Did she know who I was when she came into my office? Is that why she was being so weird?

My stomach churns as I take the check, tucking it in my inner jacket pocket.

Stopping off at the drugstore, I buy some antacids. My chest is tight. Feels like I’m having a goddamn heart attack.

Cold sweat drips down my back as I make my way back to my office.

My brother calls out to me from across the hall.

“You okay? Don’t look so hot.”

“Actually, you got a minute?”

“The fuck did you do now?” He smirks.

“Don’t be an asshole.”

“Impossible. Close the door.”

I do as he says and collapse on the couch.

“Who is she?”

“What?”

“The look on your face says one thing. You had a bout with kryptonite pussy.”

I glare over at him and flip him the bird. “Don’t use my own shit on me.”

He smiles his pecker off.

I shake my head and stare up at the ceiling. “I think I knocked her up.”

Weston goes into a coughing fit. I expected him to be pissed, but it looks like he’s laughing.

Motherfucker.

He finally stops and tries to maintain his composure. “So, who’s the lucky lady to birth the next Hunter heir?”

I groan, not wanting to answer, but I need his advice. “Remember that stripper from your party.”

He’s shaking, and his face is beet red, trying to hold back the laughter.

I start to get up. “Fuck this.”

“Sit down. Don’t be a bitch. You’d be doing the exact same thing to me right now. I only get one shot at this. Gotta make it count.”

“Like I don’t have enough fucking problems right now.” I drop down on the couch and hold my face between my palms.

“So, it’s that hot piece of ass you couldn’t remember fucking? The one who turned down your offer to see her again? Who was actually meant to entertain me, and you snaked your way in?”

“I see what you did there.”

“Thanks. I was pretty proud of it.”

I explain to him about her coming in, and that I think maybe she was drugged that night too. We were drinking out of the same bottle.

“Damn.”

I kick my feet up on his expensive ass pillows Brooke got him.

“My advice. Invite her to dinner to deliver the check and talk to her. She may be just as freaked as you are. Chances are the kid isn’t even yours. But if it is, you need to man the fuck up and do the right thing. We aren’t bitches in this family. And we take care of our own. If that’s your kid, then it’s my niece or nephew and a future heir to this company.”

I know he’s right but saying and doing are two different things.