Chapter 25

Greer

I twist my hands to stop the shaking as I brace for my friends’ reactions. It’s no surprise that Jonas and Enrique’s expressions are hard as stone, eyes steely and angry at the news Lawson is in the house. Jenny’s face is blank, giving me no indication of her thoughts. Bessie is staring at the ground, picking at the hem of her sweater.

The room is too quiet.

A ball of nerves tumbles in my stomach, and I think maybe this was a bad idea. Then a wave of irritation sparks inside, and I stop fidgeting.

“Say something!” I command, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently.

My demand is met with more silence.

“I know this may come as a shock, but I invited him and I expect you all to be civil.”

No one responds.

An uneasy feeling washes over me as I stare at my best friends. We stick together through everything—the defeats and the triumphs. It’s an unspoken bond that our support has no bounds. But, right now, I feel isolated and alone.

“He’s a motherfucking asshole. A dickhead. An arrogant, pompous, wanna-be elitist that used you. He doesn’t deserve one bit of the kindness you’re showing him. Kevin’s going to fucking flip his shit when he finds out you’ve invited the enemy inside. I personally wish he’d followed through on his threats to kill the bastard.” Enrique’s face burns with hatred.

I gasp in horror, the words hitting me like a physical blow as I rock back on my feet. My hands go to my stomach, where a slice of pain cuts through.

Jonas balls his fist at the same time Bessie’s head shoots up. Her eyes pop out in surprise.

“Enrique!” Jenny screams, shoving him hard and rushing to me.

“Don’t get mad at me. I’m the only one with the balls enough to say what we’re all thinking.”

“Right now, you’re the one who’s a motherfucking asshole.” Bessie stands firm, slicing her eyes in warning. “You may be one of my best friends, but don’t you ever try to speak for me again.” Her voice is laced with acid and rage. When she whips her head to me, I grip onto Jenny’s forearm for support. Instead of facing the wrath, her expression grows soft, and her eyes are glowing with love.

She takes the few steps to me, covers my hand with her own, and links our fingers. “I want you to be happy. He makes you happy, so therefore, I approve. I hate what he did, I’ll never forget it, but I will forgive if that’s what you wish.”

I choke on a sob and fall into my friend, feeling the warmth of her support soaking into me. Jenny embraces us both quietly, whispering her owns words of encouragement.

“What the fuck is happening here? Are you forgetting what he did?” Enrique snaps, commanding our attention.

I sniff, releasing my friends, and wipe the tears from my cheeks. I peek behind to ensure Lawson isn’t around then turn to Enrique, steeling myself for his next reaction.

“Enrique, I love you. I appreciate your concern and respect your feelings. However, you need to know something.” I look between him and Jonas, who is now on alert.

“There is no doubt Lawson broke my heart. His intentions were sinister and evil, and when I learned of his betrayal, I walked away. But it doesn’t change the fact that I love him. My wounds have started to heal, and he’s doing everything in his power to prove he loves me, too.”

“You can’t believe that shit! He’s a manipulator, a conniving liar. He’s using you—”

“Stop.” I throw up a hand.

“I can’t ask you to trust him. Let me rephrase that; I won’t ask you to trust him. But I will ask you to trust me. I’m a smart woman and can make decisions for myself. There’s no telling what’s going to happen in the future because I don’t have a crystal ball. We are taking things slow. Over the past few days, we’ve talked about things we should have been discussing all along. I’ve learned about his family, his friends, and about his life. He’s unwavering in his pursuit of my forgiveness, and I’ve made the decision to forgive him.”

Enrique opens his mouth again, but I beat him to speaking.

“Like I said, I don’t know what is going to happen in the future, but I do know this. Lawson is the father of my baby, and I’ll never take his child away from him. Therefore, he’s going to be in my life in some way.” I shelter my stomach protectively.

The blood drains from Jonas’s face as he stares at my stomach. Enrique sways as his own skin pales. He stumbles to the side, knocking into the wall in stunned silence.

Jenny and Bessie start to laugh until one of them leans into my back for support.

I try to hold in my own amusement but fail as the two men take in my news. Jonas opens and closes his mouth a few times then jerks his head rapidly.

“I’d say that went well,” Jenny chirps.

“I wish I had their reactions on video!” Bessie howls.

“You two knew?” Jonas rasps, his color slowly returning.

“Yes, it was hard to hide when she was puking her guts up. But she swore us to secrecy,” Jenny informs them.

“Does Lawson know?”

My smile fades and I shake my head. “I was going to talk to him after Christmas. Then he showed up here and refused to leave. We have a lot going on right now to drop this bomb.”

“You don’t need him, Greer. You’ve got us. Jonas, Kevin, me—we can be father figures. Don’t let Lawson fuck up your innocent child.”

A lump forms in my throat, and I breathe deeply to try and stop the sickness churning in my stomach. My vision becomes blurry as a fresh round of tears swell up.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, and I appreciate your offer. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but it has never crossed my mind that Lawson would ‘fuck up’ my innocent child. It just so happens that my motherly instincts kicked in right away, and this baby is the most important thing in my life. He or she will be protected and surrounded by nothing but love. I understand this news has come as a shock, and I should have delivered it with a smoother blow, but maybe you can keep your harsh opinions to yourself and let me decide how to live my life.”

Enrique opens his mouth, then his eyes fly past my shoulder and glaze over with hostility. Jonas straightens, his gaze slightly less enraged.

I twist to find Lawson striding into the room with his own look of anger. He comes straight to me, sliding an arm around my waist and gently guiding me into his side. He kisses the top of my head and then dips his face to mine.

“Baby, why are you crying?”

“I’m okay,” I try to assure him.

“Why are you crying?” he repeats softer.

“It’s nothing.” I force a small smile.

I know he’s not convinced when his jaw hardens and his eyes slice to Enrique and Jonas. “Is there something you need to say to me?”

I now feel sick for an entirely different reason. My mind starts reeling with all he may have overheard.

Neither of them answers his question, but their heated stares say enough. The room takes on an uncomfortable vibe, and Lawson rotates me so I’m fully embraced against him. One of his arms encircles my lower back, and the other hand goes to my neck, drawing my cheek to his chest.

I give him all my weight, letting him shelter me in his cocoon of protection. My nerves start to calm, and I give his bicep a small squeeze. “I really am fine,” I mumble into his shirt.

“Baby, why don’t you and the girls leave us alone for a few minutes?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Greer—”

“No, Lawson. I’m not leaving this room.”

He blows out a long breath, his muscles tensing tighter at the same time his fingers tangle through my hair.

“Let’s get something clear. You have a problem, you bring that shit to me. You want to beat my ass, give it a try. You want to unload your hatred, feel free. But don’t you ever fucking make Greer upset again.”

“You arrogant prick. You have no ground here. Greer may have a bleeding heart and find that soft spot to forgive you, but once a player, always a player. I’m trying to save her the heartache down the road.” The revulsion in Enrique’s voice sends my anxiety back to alert levels.

A fierce growl rumbles from low in Lawson’s chest, and I can feel it make its way all the way up. Images of him and Stan in my office flash in my head, and it’s my turn to grip him with all my strength.

“That is ENOUGH!” Jenny stomps to Enrique and snatches him by the collar before pulling him out of the room. She screeches the whole time, telling him what an ass he’s being until they are no longer in earshot.

A feeling of defeat comes over me, and my strength disappears as I slump against Lawson’s body. He takes over easily, keeping me on my feet.

“You want to sit down?” His heart is still racing, but his voice is back to gentle.

I nod and he leads me to the sofa.

“Fuck, you look rough.” Jonas finally speaks. “Did you trade in your executive roots to become a lumberjack?

The tension in the air dissipates, and Bessie starts to snicker until she’s openly snorting. I find myself laughing and feel Lawson relax a little.

“Not exactly,” is his only response.

“Jonas!” I gawk at my friend, seeing the apprehension on his face. His eyes scan over me and his features soften.

“I think he’s a dick, Little G, but I’m going to trust you.”

He repeats my plea from earlier, and my heart flips in my chest. It’s then I know, everything is going to be okay.

•∞•∞•

“Lawson, can I come in?”

“It’s open.” His answer is muffled through the door.

I let out a shocked cry when I open the door to find him in the middle of the room with a scrap of a towel draped around his hips. “You’re naked!” I shriek.

“Technically, I’m in a towel.”

“What if it wasn’t me?”

“You knocked. I know your voice.”

“Oh, yeah,” I mumble stupidly, closing the door behind me. As hard as I try to look away, my eyes are drawn to every inch of him.

He’s always been fit, but in these weeks apart, his physique has shifted. I knew he’d been spending more time working out, and the results are stunning. His chest is more defined, his torso more ridged, and his biceps bulging as he stands with his hands on his hips watching me.

The only word that comes to mind is sculpted.

Self-consciousness creeps into my head at my own body. Stress and anxiety added to my weight loss. Coupled with the morning sickness, I haven’t been able to regain much of my original shape, which makes the small swell of my stomach more noticeable.

My profession is built on shedding women of insecurities based on a misconception of body image. For the first time in my life, I understand those uncertainties.

I drop my gaze and peer down at the floor. In a flash, he’s in front of me. Before I can blink, his lips are on mine.

He frames my face tenderly, and his tongue plunges into my mouth, finding mine easily. I fall into him, letting him control the kiss and feeling the warmth of his body seeping through my clothes. The scent of his body wash and shampoo surrounds me at the same time the taste of peppermint toothpaste fills my mouth.

For the past few weeks, my taste buds have rejected almost all the things I usually love, but right now, peppermint becomes my new favorite flavor. My hands thread through his wet hair, and I slant my head to give him better access, opening wider.

A distant memory hits me: the night of our first kiss on the terrace. The gentleness of his movements, the thrill of the unknown, the passion stirring between us… and then fluttering in the pit of my stomach and the racing of my heart. All of it floods my mind as my body burns with a craving for him so deep it ignites in my bloodstream.

I clutch his scalp, anchoring myself as I crawl up his body and lock my legs around him. He growls down my throat, thrusting against me. I barely feel us moving until my back hits the soft mattress and he’s on top of me, bracing his weight on his elbows as we devour each other. What started as slow is now a mixture of tongues, lips, pants, and moans, neither of us holding back.

My lungs beg for air, but I’m scared to pull away. Scared to break this connection I’ve missed so much. An inferno builds inside, and I rock my pelvis into his, feeling a delicious ache come to life. Suddenly, I’m boiling, every nerve ending sparking with desire.

It’s always been like this between us. I knew it from the first time his lips hit mine. The effect he has on me is fierce and dangerous, making me lose all reason.

Without warning, he tears his mouth away, his chest heaving heavily. “Fuck, Greer, it’s taking all I can to not rip your clothes off right now. I can’t control myself when it comes to you.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” I admit freely in my lust-induced state of dizziness.

His lips twist into a cocky grin that sends another wave of heat down my spine.

“But maybe not that crass,” I try to clarify.

His grin grows wider, and he places his forehead on my own, loosely skimming his lips across mine. “I love you.”

“I believe you.” I start the banter we began days ago in the cabin.

“I’m never going to stop loving you.”

I stay quiet, waiting for the next statement.

“I’m never giving up.”

“I’m getting that impression.” I return his smile and unleash my legs from his waist.

He winces uncomfortably and twists.

“You okay?”

“Your zipper scraped my dick.”

I bite my lip when I realize there is no longer a towel between us. He reaches down to adjust himself, and his hardness pokes into my inner thigh.

“Oops.” I try to sound sympathetic but end up giggling.

“You think this is funny?” He swivels his hips.

The electric sensation rocks through me. My back curls, arching into him.

A blast of cold air hits me when he launches up, grabbing a pair of sweatpants from the end of the bed. I bite back a groan at the sight of him naked.

“Don’t get dressed on my account.”

His head whips to the side. “Are you trying to kill me? I’m already going to have to take care of this for the second time this morning.”

He yanks the waistband over his hips, and I lick my lips at the bulge jetting against the fabric.

“Greer, look at me.” His command comes out rough and edgy.

I do as he asks and notice his eyes are now glowing a dazzling golden green.

“I’ve been without you forever. The first time I sink back into you, I’m not holding back. Which means you’re not holding back. That’s not going to happen with a house full of people downstairs.”

I decide to show some mercy, scooting back to prop myself against the headboard. My wits return and guilt nags at me. “I’m sorry.”

He jerks his neck, his eyes softening. “You’re sorry?”

“When I knocked on your door, it wasn’t my intention to tease you.”

He climbs onto the bed, hauling me forward until our bodies are pressed close and we’re on our sides. He brushes a few strands of hair behind my ear and kisses the tip of my nose. “You can tease me anytime you want, but I’m not sure you’re ready for what was coming next.”

I nod, knowing exactly what he means. “You’re right.” Even though my body was ready to explode, mentally, I’m not sure I can handle the intimacy. Lawson deserves to know about the baby and the new set of responsibilities we are facing before we can truly move forward.

“You left me,” he says quietly, taking me by surprise.

“What?”

“I thought it was a dream, you sleeping beside me, feeling you in my arms again. When I woke up to go running, the bed was empty but my mind couldn’t let it go. Then I saw the strands of hair on the pillow and smelled the faint scent of your shampoo. It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

I shake my head, slightly embarrassed. “I came to tell you goodnight, make sure you were okay. Your computer had slid off your lap, and your glasses were still on. It didn’t look comfortable, so I tried to tuck you in. Somehow, we ended up tangled together until I woke up and went back to my own bed.”

“Next time, you should wake me so I can enjoy the full experience.”

Another memory slams into my chest. The first night he slept in my bed and I woke up angry that I’d missed it.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” he says softly, kissing the tip of my nose again.

I cuddle into him, laying my head on his bicep and running my hand along his jawline. We stay like this for a few minutes until I remember what I came to ask.

“Do you have plans today?”

“I was going to run a few errands.”

“What kind of errands?”

He doesn’t answer, instead grinning in a way that answers my question.

“You don’t need to keep showering me with gifts, Lawson. It’s unnecessary.”

His grin grows wider.

“Really, you don’t.”

“Mmmhmm…”

“Lawson!”

“Do you want to go into town with me?”

Yes! I want to scream but know it’s not possible. “Actually, I came to ask you a favor. A huge favor. The kind of favor that could end up in disaster, but hopefully won’t.”

His eyes grow alert and his jaw tenses under my palm.

“We need you. The Nerd Herd has hit a slight glitch in our project, and I think you could be insightful. With your expertise in structural redesign, we may be able to wrap this up and give Dad the final suggestions tonight when he returns.”

“You’re inviting me into the Nerd Herd coven?”

“Yes, we need you.”

“Baby, your degree and knowledge are slightly superior to mine. Not sure I can add useful information.”

I purse my lips and narrow my eyes at him. I’m about tell him exactly how I feel about his comment when he places a finger against my lips.

“You want my help, it’s yours.”

“Thank you,” I murmur against his finger.

“What do you need from me?” He removes his finger from my mouth and slides his hand under my neck.

“There’s a car coming to pick everyone up late this afternoon. Dad gave his helicopter pilot the holidays off, so we have about seven hours to finish our recommendations.”

“We better get started then. What can I do?”

“I’ll fill you in on the basics and show you the specs we’ve come up with. You tell me if you think they will work.”

“Give me ten minutes to get dressed and make a few calls then I’m yours. But I think I may require a little favor of my own.” His eyes sparkle with mischief.

My heart does a little flip, and I bite my bottom lip to keep from grinning. “You think?”

“No doubt, Enrique is going to be displeased with me being in the mix. If I’m going to deal with his death glares, I’m going to need some motivation.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Kiss me.”

“I think that can be arranged.” I lean into him, brushing my lips against his briefly.

He grips firmer when I try to pull back, turning so I’m trapped under him. He takes over, tracing my lips with his own then deepening the kiss until I’m breathless. When he breaks away, his mouth splits into a wide grin.

My cheeks, lips, and chin tingle, and I can only imagine the pink marks he’s left. I should scold him for his territorial ways, but instead, I return his smile.

Because maybe, deep down inside, I’m a tad bit territorial, too.