Ian

She didn’t move. I’d never hurt her, but she was testing a man possessed. I had her pinned to the conference table with my body leaning over her delicious one. Staring into her eyes, I cupped the back of her head. “This thing between us won’t end until the day we die. I’m not letting you go.”

“Just because I’m pregnant.” I kissed her before she could finish the idiotic bullshit excuse she planned to toss out. She moaned, throwing her arms around my shoulders, then thrusting her hands into my hair. I could get used to fucking her on any surface. My apartment had a bunch of places to try out.

I wrapped her legs around my waist, grinding on her. “You’re mine and so is our baby. You fucked up, Charlotte, because the only way I see this going is you paying me back with a life.”

“We don’t know each other.”

“I don’t care. I know what I’ve felt from the first time I saw you in the market. It hasn’t changed. I’ve been hunting you down all this time.”

“You have?”

“Yes, and now that I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.” I slammed my mouth back onto hers, just as the door to the conference room opened. I pulled back and tried to hide her from view. She was still dressed, but I didn’t like the thought of anyone seeing her on the cusp of passion.  

“Whoa. Now if all my clients settled things like this it would save me a big headache,” he laughed.

“Fuck off, Croix. She’s done working here. I ought to kick your ass knowing she’s been here all this time.”

“She hasn’t. We found her during the first weeks of the search and she needed a job.”

“You could have called me,” I argued, fucking pissed that I lost time with her. It was irrational and crazy, but I loved her.

“You were dealing with your dad.” Yes, and having her by my side would have done me some good.

“So. Come on, Charlotte. We’re leaving.”

“What do you want to do with the theft?”

“Fuck, I forgot about it. Since it doesn’t involve just me I can’t let it go. Sit down. We all need to talk about it.” I sat her on my lap.

“Um, there’s a room full of chairs.”

“I know, and this is the best one for both of us. Don’t give me shit, woman. I’ve had months of unnecessary stress.”

“Down to the business at hand. Mr. and Mrs. Cross are robbing not just Knight Publishing, but they have several other aliases. They’ve gone on the run, knowing the walls were starting to close around them.”

“What do you want to do, Charlotte? They’re your parents.”

“They’re not.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re my aunt and uncle—if what they said was even the truth.”

“That’s something else we need to talk about. Eden found out more about your real parents.”

“What?”

“Well, when they died, they left you insurance money. It was given to the Crosses because they were raising you, but they squandered it before you were ten.”

“That sounds pretty normal for them. We always seemed like they were struggling. I had to work since I was fifteen to pay the bills. As long as they didn’t kill them, then nothing else would surprise me.”

“They didn’t.”

“Thank goodness. Do what you please with them. They left me in Italy by myself with just a good luck note. When I came home, I had another saying my belongings were in storage and the house had been sold. I had nowhere to go.” I seethed inside, hearing what they did to her. She’d been forced to fend for herself. That explained the way she acted in Italy. She just had her world turned upside down when I came in and stole her virginity. God, I felt terrible for my fucking need to claim her. She needed the love and affection she’d lost out on and I’d fucked her on the cold, wet, broken ground.

“If that’s all settled, please have them charged. I’m sure you know where they are. You guys know everything. Charlotte and I have a lot to talk about.” I scooted my chair out and set her on her feet before standing. “Sweetheart, lead me to your desk so we can get your things.”

She left the room without saying anything and I followed behind. She grabbed her purse and a light coat. I took her hand and led her out to my truck. Helping her in, I kissed her hand. I have to show her what she means to me.

“Are you hungry?” I asked as soon as I’d hopped in.

“Yes,” she muttered.

I spun my body towards her and said, “Charlotte, please tell me what you’re thinking. I want to take care of you and our baby.”

“Ian, I just don’t want to be a burden. My family has been robbing you, and now I’m bringing an unplanned baby your way.”

“Listen to me. I want you, family warts and all. I want to wake up next to you every damn day. I can’t wait to hear our baby’s heartbeat and see it kick. I want it all.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. I know I should have waited to make love to you, but I didn’t know how vulnerable you were. All I knew was that I wanted you to be mine. You deserved better.”

“I didn’t tell you. I could have stopped you at any time, but didn’t because it was what I wanted. I needed you and begged you to take me. It was the most wonderful experience of my life, and it was selfish of me to leave. That time in the ruins and the rest of our night had been perfect—too perfect. Frightened that you would leave me too, I did the running. I’m so sorry about that. I regretted it the whole way home. Landing in Baltimore had been a harsh reality. I thought about flying back, but figured it would be too late.”

“Damn, how I wish you had. Tell me, where have you been staying?”

“I had enough to rent a small studio apartment. This job allowed me to start saving for the baby.”

“You don’t have to worry about that again. All I want you to do is take care of yourself and our baby. And maybe fall in love with me, but that’s it.”

“Well, I guess that’s all taken care of, then. I fell in love with you that night.”

“I fell in love with you before I knew your name.” I leaned over and stole a kiss. A honking horn forced us apart and I realized it was Jax being a dick. I flipped him off and kissed her once more before pulling out of the parking spot.

“Now, let’s get you and my baby something to eat. We can clean out your apartment tomorrow and move you into mine. My family is getting together this weekend.”

“What did Jax mean about your father?”

“He had a heart attack shortly after I got back. It left him with a lot of issues to recover from. My mother has gone on a mission to make him take it easy. He’s ready for work again, though.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. He’s improving. My parents will go nuts with excitement and probably start buying baby stuff as soon as we tell them.”

“Oh goodness. I’m showing up pregnant. They’re going to think I’m a tramp.”

“No, they won’t. They know about you. I told them, or rather my dipshit older brother mentioned you to them. They’ve been hounding Jax for information on finding you, too.”

“So where do you live?”

“Not too far from here, about another ten minutes. Do you want to eat out or pick something up?”

“Pick something up.”

An hour and a pizza later, she was sleeping on my lap. I brushed my hands through her long brown hair. Thinking she couldn’t be comfortable, I got up and carried her to bed. I stood there, admiring her resting right where she belonged. If the doorbell hadn’t rung, I would have laid down with her.