Mixed (A Recipe for Love Book 3) by Lane Martin (7)

“I’m what?” He couldn’t possibly be serious. I tried to scramble away from him, but he just pulled me closer. How could I have been so stupid? We had been in such a hurry he still wasn’t even fully undressed. I could already feel him hardening against me again. Oh shit. I had to get out of here. This time when I ventured to smack his chest, it wasn’t playful, and he had no time to catch my wrist.

“Christ Lib,” he bellowed, but I got the result I wanted when he let me go and sat up allowing me to get up. He yanked the wife beater he still wore off. “That hurt,” he uttered more softly while I scrambled around the room to find my clothes. How could I have been so foolish? I thought, fuck I don’t know what I thought. I was angry. At him. At myself. At the nurse who let him in my damn exam room in the first place. Tears formed in my eyes. Frickin’ hormones.

“I was kidding Libby.” I hadn’t stopped to look at him. My body was a traitor. I already knew what he felt like if I saw him too, there was no telling what the Benedict Arnold, or should I say, Benedict Libby, would do. “Would you just get back over here so we can talk about this?” He was still sitting up in the bed, and he sounded so sincere I couldn’t help but look up at him. He was holding up the blankets at his hip and smiling. I took in his now bare chest. Flutter. Fuck! I knew he had more ink; I caught a glimpse of it the other day when he was shirtless in his office. Men with ink are my kryptonite. I was transfixed by one, in particular, it was right over his heart. He pulled my hand, and I willingly moved closer to get a better look. Parts of it were faded, but other parts were red and inflamed, new. The faded crude heart design was stitched, even now, in its healing state; I could tell the new work was impeccable. The artist was a surgeon who lovingly sutured the broken organ. Would it ever be completely healed? No. It was one of the things that made it so remarkable, that and the wings that were also a new edition to the piece based on the angry red skin and swelling surrounding them. Even so, they were delicate, beautiful. Oh shit, I just hit him. He must have registered the look on my face.

“I’m fine baby, or I will be when you get your lovely ass back in bed with me.” Baby? The single word was like a bucket of ice water being poured over me even in the presence of a gloriously hard, nearly naked, tattooed man. Yes, there was a baby here. The one growing inside of me and as usual, I had done something unbelievably stupid. I slept with my boss, and it cost me my job, and the health insurance my unborn child was counting on. My kid wasn’t even born yet, and I was already breaking promises to him or her left and right, and this one was a massive one. I’ll always put you first.

“I need to go.” I yanked my hand away from him so hard I almost fell off the edge of the bed.

“Don’t run away from me baby.” I cringed at the use of the endearment again. He got out of the bed and stood right in front of me, blocking my departure as I sat on the edge of the bed. Shit, looking at his beautiful body wasn’t any better than looking at his gorgeous face. “Libby.” He corrected before tipping my chin up, so I was forced to look into his eyes, “what did I do wrong?” God, even the sound of his voice was perfect, deep and authoritative, yet full of concern.

“You fucked me like a champ, and then you fired me. I need this job, Logan.” The smug bastard smiled.

“Fucked you like a champ, did I?” He leaned over and tried to kiss me. I put my hand over his mouth blocking his advance, and he took a step back, which was a good thing because somehow the master chef was standing gloriously naked and raring to go again between my parted legs. He crossed his muscled arms while I tried to figure out how I was going to get out of his apartment. And let me tell you, it was hard to think about it with his penis standing at attention just a few feet away. I crossed my arms too. Mainly so I wouldn’t reach out to him, maybe stroke him. He cleared his throat. Eyes off the beautiful penis Libby. He was still smiling which just infuriated me.

“Did you hear anything after I said the word champ?” He shrugged. “Really? God, you’re such a man.” All man.

“What, I was just thinking how to follow-up for round two since round one was a total knockout.”

“You just fired me, Logan.” I reminded him. Although, what would another round hurt if I was already out of a job? Mom fail again, and my kid wasn’t even born.

“Do you see this Lib?” He pointed to a tattoo on his forearm. I nodded. “What does it say?” I didn’t have to look at it to tell him. I knew exactly what it proclaimed. I had from the night I met him. It was also scrolled across the wall of his office, and Mikey mentioned it was how he lived his life “now.”

“No regrets,” I whispered not looking at him. He fell to his knees in front of me.

“Again,” His tone wasn’t angry, but I had no doubt in my mind that he was serious, so I repeated the two words. This time louder while looking him straight in the eyes.

He cupped the side of my face, and it made me feel so cherished, I closed my eyes. “That’s right.” He pressed his lips to my temple before whispering, “Being with you will never be something I regret Libby. I know it doesn’t make sense since we hardly know each other but you make me believe that things I never thought were possible again, are.” Flutter. He cooked, he had tattoos, he was gorgeous, was great in bed, and had a mouth that was equal parts dirty and sweet. He was perfect. And he’s still the reason you don’t have a job.

“But…” Oh shit, I guessed time for talking was over and round two just begun.

Logan had already given me my job back and kissed me before promising “we” would figure things out. I was still trying to figure out when we became a “we.” The orgasms must have been affecting my brain cells. “When are you going to tell your sister?” I knew I shouldn’t have still been there, naked in Logan’s bed, sprawled across his chest. But one, I didn’t know if I could walk after the way he’d just banged me again and two, I didn’t know when or if I’d ever have sex again after I left. Did they allow nuns to be pregnant? Shit, they’d probably kick me out of the Abbey like they did to Fraulein Maria.

“You’re not going anywhere, and you’re avoiding the question.” How did he know what I was thinking? Sleeping with the boss. I hoped it wasn’t another error in judgment t to add to my ever-growing list. No regrets Libby. I tried to adopt Logan’s motto. I wished I didn’t regret it later.

“What makes you think she doesn’t know?” I questioned playfully.

“No way in hell your sister would have missed your doctor’s appointment.” He was probably right.

“She just has a lot going on right now.” She and Willow had been working non-stop on the care packages to send to her husband’s deployed unit. They were calling them Hugs from Home because that was what Willow’s adorable daughter Fay wanted to send her daddy and his men. Not to mention, her new employee. His name was Zeke Sherman, but everyone called him Tank. He was a wounded veteran who served with Dillon Hill, Willow’s husband. Tank’s a southern boy with dimples and loads of that “yes ma’am” charm that made girls swoon, but he was all also a badass who had lost part of his leg serving our country. I liked him. It was also nice for Emily to have someone around to do the heavy lifting. Willow said he looked at my sister like she hung the moon, I didn’t see it. I thought he was just grateful to be there. Emily was still head over heels in love with Declan. Everyone, including Tank, could see it.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” I do. Logan slid his hand down my body until it was resting on my hip, his thumb stroking the swell where my baby was growing. I knew it was time to tell her. Logan’s fascination with my bump had me wondering.

“Can I ask you something?”

“I’m an open book, ask away.”

“Should I be worried?”

“About?”

“About you having some weird fetish for pregnant women.” His musical laugh filled both the air and my heart. I couldn’t help but laugh too which was when he rolled me onto my back. He hovered above me and gripped both of my hands in one of his. The mood quickly turned serious.

“I’ve never been with another pregnant woman.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat.

“I…” He kissed me quiet.

“I didn’t plan what happened today.” He moved down my body, kissing me reverently. When Logan reached my belly, I suddenly felt very self-conscience. I tried to cover myself, but he tightened his grip on my hands before placing a kiss right on my belly button. “Your mom is stubborn, Charo.” It wasn’t the first time he had whispered something to my bump, but it was the first time I heard what he said.

“I am not stubborn.” I pouted, “And what’s a charo?” He chuckled and placed another kiss on my abdomen.

“Charo means beautiful flower.” Jesus, where did this guy come from?

“I like that. It’s much better than the nickname I came up with.” My stomach took that minute to growl loudly.

“This I’ve got to hear, but you need food first.” Logan got off the bed, and I missed him instantly. It was strange how different everything was with him. I’d never been a one to cuddle, I’d always hated it. Before. I could have laid in his arms for eternity, or at least the rest of the day.

“Put this on babe, before I feed you more of my cock.” His t-shirt was tossed at me while I tried to recover from his dirty words. Cock or food? I pick cock.

“After we eat.” He promised like he’d just read my dirty mind again as he strutted out of his room wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. Commando. Fuck that’s hot.

His apartment was small and nicely kept, for a single guy. I shouldn’t have been surprised Logan’s kitchen was the cleanest one I’d ever been in. He got to work in the kitchen while I snooped. Bookshelves held cookbooks of all kinds. A laptop sat on his coffee table, and a guitar on a stand was in the corner. Oh great, another musician. Other than one photo, the space was void of anything else personal. I’d seen the picture before. It was a recent one of Logan, Declan, Matt, Gabe, and Eric. It was taken on the night of Gabe and Nat’s combined bachelor/bachelorette party when they were singing karaoke. They all look delightedly happy. I wish I’d been there.

“I hope you like eggs. I don’t have much in my fridge.” I couldn’t help but laugh as I hopped on to one of the two stools that sat at his kitchen counter. Okay, so no dining table and only two places to sit and eat. I guessed that meant he didn’t have a lot of family or friends, especially the kind with benefits coming over.

“What? I’m never here.” Was that because he’s been sleeping somewhere else? I’d never stopped to ask him about a girlfriend, hell we didn’t even stop long enough for a condom. Good thing I was already knocked up and Logan and I were both clean. And just for the record, I don’t recommend having that conversation when you’ve already had unprotected sex once, and he was bare balls deep into you for a second go. I know, I know, add it to the list. Sometimes I thought Emily got all the brains. “I’m always at the restaurant,” Logan added, once again reading my mind while putting a plate in front of me.

“Oh my God, did you just do that?”

“I did. I didn’t know if you were one of those people. He scrunched up his nose in disgust. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen.” A beautiful pile of perfectly scrambled eggs sat in the center of the plate, and they were surrounded by a ketchup heart. Normally I hated ketchup.

“I’m not, but the inmate is.” Logan doubled over in laughter as I scooped the offending condiment onto the fluffy pile. Nasty, but it’s what the baby wanted. I blamed Edward because there was no way in hell ketchup on eggs came from me. Why couldn’t Logan be my baby daddy?

“That’s what you call the baby?” I shrugged as I took a mouthful and moaned at the deliciousness in my mouth.

“Holy hell Lib.” Logan took a step back from the counter and ran his hands through his hair with a groan. The evidence of his discomfort was hard to miss. Hard. Get it?

“What?” I feigned innocence.

“Finish your eggs.” I did, while he watched me eat like a starved man.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” He’d only made eggs for me. He cautioned he didn’t have much in the fridge. Sure enough, the empty carton still sat on the counter. Damn him, why couldn’t he just be a jerk like all the other men in my past?

“Like it’s an open buffet.” I liked the way this man thought.

“What if I’m still hungry?” I blamed it on the hormones, but the truth was, pregnant or not, I doubted I would ever get my fill of this delicious man.

“Do you see something on the menu you like?” He raised his arms palms up as an offering.

“That’s the problem. I want it all.” The words were out before I’d even considered I’d said too much. This thing with Logan was fun and exciting, but the reality of the situation was I was pregnant with another man’s baby. I was going to be a mom, and while the baby might get whatever he or she wanted, the same didn’t go for me.

“It’s all you can eat. You can have whatever you want Libby.” If only I knew what I wanted.

“Where have you been? You look like the cat that ate the canary.” Logan had just dropped me off at my sister’s apartment. He’d offered to come up so I could tell Emily my news, but I wanted to do this alone. Just me and my sister, my former wombmate and current inmate.

“More like the cream,” I swore the kiss he’d just given me had short-circuited my brain.

“You’re a fiend. Please tell me you were with Logan.” My sister had mentioned no less than a hundred times how great she thought we would be together.

“I was.” I blushed at the memory of the things we’d done to each other. Emily was the happiest I’d seen her since my arrival. I was an idiot. I should have told her my baby news sooner. I don’t know why I ever thought she would react poorly to my announcements. Babies are like puppies. How can you not love them? Especially when you get to hand them back to mom and dad the second, they start to fuss or need a dirty diaper changed. Dad? My baby won’t have one of those.

“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Did he find you already? Does he know about the baby?”

What the hell? “What? Who? How do you know about the baby?

“Libby, you ate a tuna sandwich yesterday.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“With ham on it.” Oh, that. “Plus, we’ve always been the same size up here.” She pointed to her chest before pointing at mine. There was no way we were the same size now.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Are you kidding? I’m going to be an aunt!” Something about the way she said it made me think she wished it was her with the bun in the oven, but at the same time I could tell her happiness for me was genuine. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, now what did you mean about him finding me, and yes, Logan knows.”

“That’s good, but I was talking about Edward. He came into the bakery today.” Fuck! “He wanted to know where he could find you.”

“Oh shit!” My ex-being there couldn’t be good. If Edward was here, it was because he wanted something and it sure wasn’t the baby or me. Edward cared about one person, himself.

“I was tempted to tell him you were in California, but I didn’t want him to show up on mom’s doorstep.” That was good thinking. “I told him you got a job on a cruise ship and were going to be out to see for months.” Have I mentioned my sister was brilliant? “He didn’t believe me.” Son-of-a-bitch.

Who knew? Not me, that’s for sure. “I thought you and Declan were out of your minds.” Both my buddies fell hard and fast. Shit, Eric asked Suzie to marry him the night they met, and they were married like forty-eight hours later. And Declan was a goner the first time he spotted Emily. I’ll skip the part where she was bent over, and the first thing he saw was her ass because I know it’s not the reason he fell in love with her. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great ass, but that girls got a lot more to offer than just her looks and the same goes for her sister. I asked Eric to meet me for a beer at the pub. It was long past time for us to get Declan’s ass home.

“I recognize that look. Who’s the girl?”

“Libby.” He nodded at me before finishing his beer.

“Emily’s twin.” Eric didn’t miss much. It was what made him so great at what he did. People may have thought he was just Declan’s driver, but he was a hell of a lot more than that. When you had money like the Hayes family, someone was always looking for a way to take it from you. Eric’s job was to make sure that didn’t happen

“It’s not like that Eric.”

“I can see that.” Eric’s phone rang at the same time mine pinged with an incoming text.

I wasn’t expecting to hear from her so soon. I hoped I wasn’t wrong about the way I thought Emily would react to the pregnancy news. Before she left my apartment, we’d decided to keep our relationship out of the restaurant. It was her idea, not mine. I could honestly care less what anyone else thought. Damn the handbook. I’m the boss. What was Declan going to do? Fire me? The fucker wasn’t here anyway, and I wasn’t just an employee. He would have done the same thing if Emily had worked for him. No doubt about that.

“It’s going to be fine Emily.” The second I heard Eric trying to reassure Emily I was distracted from my text. “Yeah, he’s with me. We will be right over. Was Tank downstairs? Okay. We will see you in a few minutes.” I didn’t like the sound of this. Eric’s call with Emily was all business.

“What the hell is going on?” Eric was immediately dialing another number while he tossed some bills on the bar top and ignored me. He put up his finger indicating I needed to wait a second. As painful as it was to give him a moment to explain what was going on, I did.

“I need you stationed outside the apartment. We’ve got an unfriendly in the area.” What in the actual fuck?

Just because Libby wasn’t ready to go public yet didn’t mean I wasn’t.