Fear soaked into her expression. She froze. “How bad is this?”

He immediately started babbling. “I guess that depends on you. I am routinely tested. I’m clean. But my sperm is effective. At least, it was two years ago when I donated to the sperm bank. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, Kaylee, because I’m ready for kids whenever you are. And you don’t have to worry about how it’ll affect your job. I know you’re a career woman. I’d love to be a stay-at-home dad. I can do real estate with a little munchkin wriggling in a baby carrier. And have you seen the guys who do their workouts with their kids? Huge hits on social media. That’d be good for business.

“But I also understand that it wouldn’t be my body growing a human. I’ve heard women complain about the devastation of childbirth. I know having a baby can be dangerous, too. An emergency C-section is no joke. So if we need to make a hard decision, I will be with you every step of the way.

“Please don’t cry, love. It’ll be okay. I promise. Oh! What am I saying? Plan B. I have one in my survival kit—you know, because of my job. My old job, I mean. And that’s just right there in the car. It’ll be okay, I promise. That will definitely work. Please don’t cry.”

He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her close. This wasn’t the first time a condom had broken on him, nor the first time a woman had completely flipped out, worried he’d leave her to fight the battle alone. Something he’d never, ever do, especially when he was partially at fault for the situation.

More than partially at fault, truth be told. Being well endowed was a great thing, except that it put most condoms at max capacity.

“Should I get the pill now, or do you need to be held a while longer?” he murmured. He was great with women…until they cried. Then, if he was honest with himself, he panicked a little. In this case…maybe a lot.

She pushed back to give herself room before dragging his face down and claiming his lips. He tasted her salty tears and felt her trembling mouth. She laughed, and everything he thought he knew about the moment turned into a question mark.

“I have an IUD in.” She paused, clearly thinking his confused expression was about what she’d said. “That is birth control.”

“Well, good. Don’t cry on my behalf. I’ll weather whatever storm I need to. Right beside you. Though you should probably tell me what I’m facing.”

She laughed again, kissed him again, then pushed him away.

He didn’t often feel like a dumb ox, despite what Martha thought of him, but when he did, he played the part perfectly, by standing in place with his arms hanging limply at his sides and blinking stupidly.

“I’m good. I’m clean. Todd and I got tested shortly after we started…seeing each other.”

Rage flashed through him. “You’re going to have to end that if you want to see me.”

“I did. Or…will, I guess. I ignored him this last week, but that’s not very nice. I should at least tell him our friendship is over.” She pulled up her panties, a sexy, lacy, see-through thing that had his cock hardening again.

“You don’t have to stop being friends. I trust you. You just have to stop screwing him.”

“I mean, c’mon. We’re not really friends. He’ll just keep hoping it’ll end with you so he can have another shot, while trying his hand at manipulating me, or even sneaking in a kiss, when I’m drunk. This ain’t my first rodeo.”

“Do you want me to beat him up? Or follow him down the street and shout bad jokes at him? Either would be an uncomfortable situation, I’m pretty sure.” He pulled off the failed protection before pulling up his briefs and jeans.

She laughed. “That wouldn’t be a fair fight. I’ve heard your jokes.”

“Rude.”

She pulled up her jeans and wiped away a fresh batch of tears. Her lip trembled, and he wrapped her in his arms again.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” he admitted.

She shuddered, and he wasn’t sure if she was chuckling or sobbing.

---

A deep, profound emotion surged through her, and she acknowledged it could only be called one thing. Love. “What’s happening is everything. I just made love in an open garage. I’ve given up any pretense of controlling any of this. I’ve never let go like this before. Not ever. But it feels…right. With you, everything feels right. I’m extremely touched by what you said. Everything that you said. I’ve never met a guy like you. Tough and fierce but relaxed and cool and not afraid of feelings…and just a great guy. I’ve always been told guys like you don’t exist. I’m…blown away.”

“Guys like me do exist. And they wear strange clothing, stand too closely, and creep people out.”

“While also luring them to step closer.”

“I think that is hearsay.”

She laughed, wiped her face, and stood back. “Tell me honestly, is there makeup smeared across my face?”

“Just under your eyes.” He took a step back, near his car. “Tell me honestly, is there jizz smeared across my car?”

Giggles overran her. She bent with them, giddy and light and knowing she would fall deeper and deeper into this feeling the more she knew him. It wasn’t even a question anymore. She’d started down a road that first night with the horrible surprise, and walked a little farther down it each hour she spent in his company.

“Yes. Just across the window there,” she said before licking her finger and dragging it under her right eye.

“Hmm,” he said, assessing his car. “That’s stressing me out. But I’m not wiping it off with my hand. It’ll have to wait. I hope it doesn’t— No, it’ll haunt me.” He jogged into the corner of the garage, into the shadows. A moment later, he was cleaning the window.

“C’mon, let’s head to the next thing,” he said. “We’re probably late. But you’re sure about the Plan B? I have it. Just right in there.”

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“Okay.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. “Oh good. A Lyft is super close.” He tapped it a few more times. When he was done, he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the driveway. “Just hang out here for a sec.” He went back into his garage, hit the button to close the door, and raced back, patting his pockets as he did so. When he reached the sensors, he jumped over them so as not to stop the door from shutting. Then he rewrapped his arm around her as though his antics weren’t remotely out of the norm.

She laughed at him as the garage door settled. “Very tech savvy, that.”

“What? The race and low jump? Yeah, I’ve perfected it over the years. I never trip the sensors anymore.”

“And locking yourself out?”

He grimaced as he checked the screen on his phone. The Lyft car was right around the corner. “That I haven’t perfected as much.”

“Ah. One day you’ll grow up enough to use the front door like normal people.”

“I hope not. That’s too far out of the way. Here we go.” He steered her toward an arriving Prius. “I hope he’s not a terrible driver.”

“Why? Because of the car?”

“Yes.” He opened the door for her, then walked around to the other side. After sliding in, he said, “Hello.”

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror before leaning forward to look at the phone displayed on the dash. His map service announced the first leg of the journey, and off they went, the driver feeling no need for pleasantries.

“You have a strange bias,” Kaylee murmured as she peered at the driver’s phone, trying to get an idea of where they were going.

“These, and Mercedes. The worst.”

“I’ve always heard Beamer drivers were bad.” She leaned back and put out her hand.

He wrapped it in his own and pulled it onto his lap. “Dave would disagree. He might be the only one, however.”

She laughed and looked out her window. When that didn’t help her ascertain their location, she shifted her gaze to the front windshield and then his side window.

“Relax,” he whispered, leaning down to give her an awkward kiss. The car was on the smaller side, but they were still too far away to make a surprise kiss work.

“Surprises make me anxious,” she admitted.

“I can see that.”

“And yes, so far they’ve all worked out, but I always fear they won’t.”

“They might not. It’s a valid fear. So what’s your story? Do you have family?”

“Yes, all on the East Coast. They are a loud, obnoxious bunch. Two brothers and a handful of cousins. My mom is in everyone’s business and my dad couldn’t be bothered.”

“Kind of like Colton’s parents.”

“A little, but not nearly as…refined, we’ll say.”

“So you don’t come from money.”

“No.” She huffed. “Nope. I mean, we were middle class. We had plenty. But my dad acted like we were poor. We had holes in our shoes before we got new ones, I wore boys’ clothes for most of my youth because they were hand-me-downs from my brothers, and if we asked for five dollars, he would expect to be paid back.”

“So you push to get as much as possible now because it’s in your control.”

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. “I’ve never really thought of it like that, but yes, I guess so. I don’t see the value in standing in one place, waiting for someone to give me what they think I’m worth. That’s not good enough for me. I want to push for more, and tell them what I think I’m worth.”

“So what happens if they offer you the VP position, but they lowball you?”

“I expect them to lowball me. I’ll fight for more. That’s how it works.”

“No, I mean, what if they really lowball you.”

“Oh, because I’m a woman and they don’t think I’m worth as much?” Her smile probably looked more like a snarl. “That won’t fly, and I’ll let them know it.”

“Will you walk away?”

“Absolutely. Then I’ll look for something else. I can rest a little easier about that stuff because I have a healthy amount of savings. I can pay for my house and bills for a year. I’ve never been afraid to walk away. I think that really helps.”

“Well, it’s clear you mean it, so I doubt they’ll think you’re bluffing.”

“Agreed.”

---

They pulled into Janie and Dave’s apartment complex. Nervousness licked at Ethan. Things could go pear-shaped right here. Janie had a way of bringing out people’s hidden emotions and shoving them in their faces. Kaylee didn’t seem like a girl who would be into that. Her defenses might kick in, which would probably bring out her inner Hulk. He didn’t want her to get scared of what was developing between them and go running. He wouldn’t be able to handle that.

He should’ve waited to make love to her. It had cemented his feelings for her, just like he’d known it would. Moving with her—within her—had felt like a sort of magic. It had connected them in a way that women always said sex could, something he was experiencing for the first time. He wanted her again. Right now. And after one night with her, he knew he’d want another. And then another. There was no possibility of too much of a good thing where Kaylee was concerned.

“Okay,” he said, and took a deep breath. “Here we go.”

“I don’t like that you’re nervous.”

“Awesome! We have that in common.” He entwined his fingers with hers and they walked out of the parking lot, down the walkway, and through the small, shabby complex.

“Who lives here?” she whispered, her eyes shifting from side to side. She was probably looking for villains.

“Janie and Dave. It’s a long story.” He turned onto the correct path, and in no time they were climbing the steps to the door. He checked his watch. “Nearly ten. We’re late.”

“What time were we supposed to be here?”

“I don’t know, but before now.”

“Your timekeeping is…odd.”

“Yeah.” He knocked on the door.

The apartment door next to them swung open and a familiar head poked out. “Hey.” Joe stepped out, wearing normal jeans and a normal white T-shirt.

“You’re dressed,” Ethan said.

“Yeah. I had to go to the store earlier.” Joe sauntered closer as someone else poked his head out. The huge black beard gave away the snooper’s identity.

“Tim, what’s up?” Ethan asked Joe’s roommate.

“Hey.” Tim stepped out, wearing a blue robe and brown slippers. “What’s going on?”

“You have something on under that robe, right?” Ethan asked as Dave’s door swung open. Dave stepped forward to look at Tim.

“No.” Tim looked down at himself. “Why?”

“You’re free-balling it?” Dave asked.

“Yeah. So? I’m covered.” Tim pulled the robe a little tighter.

Dave gave him an incredulous look. “How many times has that robe accidentally come untied and showed your PJs?”

While Tim gave the question some serious consideration, Dave put out his hand to usher Kaylee into the apartment. “Hurry up. Next, they’ll want to shake your hand, and with one of them lounging around naked, you don’t want to touch that.”

“I have a robe on,” Tim exclaimed.

“Try pants, bro.” Dave shook his head and turned into the apartment. “And quit coming out every time someone knocks on our door.”

“You have more interesting guests than we do.” Joe tried to file in behind Ethan. Tim was close behind him, pants or no.

“No.” Dave hooked his hand behind Ethan’s shoulder and hurried him in.

Then he slammed the door, making Joe back-pedal quickly so he wouldn’t get punched in the face by the wood.

“Not cool, bro,” they heard through the door.

“Janie let them in one time, and now they want to live here.” Dave sighed and headed for the kitchen. “She’ll make drinks in a minute. Do you want food or something?”

Ethan glanced at Kaylee for her answer. Her mouth hung open and her eyes went wide.

“What is this, Ethan?” she asked in an unsure voice.

It was then that Ethan noticed what they’d walked into. Namely, an art show, in which Kaylee and Ethan were the stars.