Mandy One month later … “Did you get the results?” I asked, sitting up on the exam table. I was at the Student Health Center. It’s been a month since being with Rob in the cabin, and I haven’t seen him since. Instead, I made my way back to campus for summer school, and felt sick the entire time. At first I thought it was a broken heart or some other pathetic crap, but after a month of queasiness and nausea, I dragged myself to the medical center for a check-up. And in response to my question, the nurse shut door behind her, expression serious. Uh oh, that didn’t bode well. “We did, Amanda,” the woman intoned. Handing me a piece of paper, she put it baldly. “You’re pregnant.” My heart began thumping, a massive pounding filling my head. Pregnant? Really? Sure, I’d had unprotected sex with Rob, but it had only been for a weekend. Not even two days, really only a day and a half before my parents barreled in, interrupting us in the middle of anal sex, of all things. So could it be
RobTo say that things were a shitshow with Mandy’s parents is an understatement. Because when we revealed our situation, Ray went ballistic, Linda crying and sobbing like the world was at an end.“Pregnant?” she wailed. “How? When? How could this happen?”And giving credit to my girl, Mandy kept an even tone.“It was during the weekend at the cabin,” she replied, cool and collected. “Remember how you guys were a day late? Robert and I got to know each other before you guys arrived. Or we’ve always known each other,” she added on a second thought. “We just got to know one another a lot better then.”That only made Linda wail all the louder because the story didn’t sound good. It made it seem like we’d gone at it like rugrats in her parents’ absence, which was technically true, but the words hadn’t come out right, they were too simple to truly encapsulate the situation. Ray roared with anger, turning to me accusingly.“What the fuck? More like this fucking bastard took advantage of our
BLURB Aiden Cross is my dad’s best friendAnd he just became my boss.He’s so off limits it isn’t even funnyBut I’m not laughing.I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can remember.He’s always been my dad’s best friend,And now he’s a handsome, hot shot marketing CEO.Dominating a business I’m just starting out in,And dominating my every thought.I never thought I had a shot with him,But the way he looks at me lately makes me wonder.I know he thinks he’d be double crossing my dad,But we can’t keep deceiving ourselves.Even if giving in means we burn every bridge,I want him and he wants me,And we can’t deny it much longer.I never should have let myself get this close to the fire,But now that I’m here, I can’t help it.I want to get burned.***FULL BOOK STARTS HERE***CHAPTER 1LAYLAOh no. No no no no.Maybe it’s not–Christian opened the box and cleared his throat.Please let this be a nightmare.“Layla Annelise Davis, these last three years have been the best of my l
Unlike me, though, Christian didn’t work in public relations. This didn’t make him want to get home as soon as possible. He had to get to the bottom of thisnow,and he wasn’t scared of his expression getting slapped underneath a caption that read something stupid likeMy face when _______.“Layla, don’t you want to marry me?” His voice was loud. People around us winced into their forty-dollar entrees. The woman beside us gave up on discretion and pulled out her phone, licking her lips like this was the dessert course.I played out the possible scenarios in my head. I could continue giving Christian evasive responses, but he would continue pressing the issue. Or I could tell him the truth, cold and clean and cutting, and end this now. Christian liked it when I kept things vague–it meant he could pretend to misunderstand. And that is exactly how we ended up here.If I wasn’t clear now, I’d end up with a husband to go along with a couch I didn’t like and a dog that didn’t like me.Steeling
AIDENYou’re not supposed to think about divorce on your wedding day. It’s not good form to stand up at the altar, look at the beautiful woman in a stunning white gown in front of you, and think,shit, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. You aren’t supposed to kiss her and wish you were at an airport instead of a church, about to fly off to somewhere very, very far away.You definitely shouldn’t gaze down at her while she’s saying her vows and scan her pupils frantically for any hint that she feels the same way you do. And when you sayI do, your stomach shouldn’t feel like it’s about to fall out of your ass.I felt every inch of how wrong my life was the day I married Shara. I’d sensed it now and then, lying next to her in bed, but I’d shoved it away. It was too fucking inconvenient. It was a hell of a lot easier to stay with the woman my family adored, the one who adored me. But the wrongness fit itself around my body like a hairshirt the day I proposed, and as the months wore on and plans
LAYLAMy dad texted and called when I was in the air, somewhere between LAX and Logan International. I hadn’t even tried to get on their complimentary Wi-Fi, so I didn’t get his messages until we landed. Then I had to read his text three times before I gave up on deciphering it and listened to the voicemail he’d left.“Good news,” he announced cheerfully. “I’m leaving for the airport in an hour, so I’ll absolutely be on time.”I smiled a little. My dad had a lot of great qualities, but being on time wasn’t usually one of them. I’d originally asked my brother to pick me up, but when my dad heard about it, he insisted on coming himself.“And I found you a job! Can’t wait to see you, sweetheart.”I held the phone away from my ear and blinked at it, wondering if I’d heard him right. I went back to his text messages and now it made sense. He’d gotten me a job. I groaned aloud, causing a couple of my fellow passengers waiting at the baggage carousel to shoot me sideways looks.While I waite
The shock of it, the way the color had drained from my cheeks, the way my heart had felt like it had been skewered on that huge, two-carat, flawless diamond ring came back to me now. A ghost of the initial pain, but still tangible enough to make my breath shorten.“I remember,” I managed to say without wheezing.“He started his own marketing firm, Cross Media, about twelve years ago.”I remembered that, too. When Cross Media signed a big client that my dad knew through BU, Aiden Cross had bought him a car. My dad had tried to refuse, but a new car meant I could inherit his old Buick.“Come on, Jack, do it for the kid,” Aiden had convinced him. “Besides, this is just your cut. You just made me a fortune.”“Aiden is giving me a job?” I asked, putting the pieces together. I would have done it sooner if I hadn’t put Aiden in a box labeledoff-limitsnearly eight years ago and tried to forget he existed.“He’s giving you an interview, which in my book is as good as a job offer.” My dad grinn
AIDEN Iwas running late because even though Shara and I were divorced, she still managed to fuck up my morning. She was asking for an increase in alimony based on inflation. “I told you not to give her alimony,” my lawyer and friend, Darren Wilkes, said. “I told you it wasn’t necessary. I told you–” “I know.” Irritated, I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. “I should have listened.” “–you didn’t even have kids,” Darren barreled on, undeterred by my interruption. He had told me, and he was going to make sure he told me so on all counts. “We didn’t have kids because I didn’t want kids. Hence, I felt guilty enough to pay her alimony.” That wasn’t the only thing I felt guilty about, but it was the easiest to explain. Shara had wanted kids, and I hadn’t, and now she was thirty-eight and looking into her options. Alimony had felt like the least I could do for wasting ten years of her life. Now, though, I wished I had listened to Darren. “The judge will laugh it
EpilogueRachelSeven months later.I’m heavily pregnant, and I feel like the broad side of a barn. I can’t see my feet. I can’t feel my ass. I’m just fat everywhere, and I love it so damn much. I haven’t had the easiest pregnancy, but it’s been wonderful nonetheless because my dreams have finally come true.After we made-up, things went into hyperdrive. Max settled in New York, buying a huge apartment for us to share, and I moved in with him right away. We converted one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery, and my boyfriend has been going crazy furnishing it with a crib, dresser, and a plethora of stuffed animals that our baby won’t be able to play with until he’s at least a year old. But even if it’s over the top, I love it. Max is beyond excited to be a father, and I’m so happy that that’s the case.Not only that, but Max has cut back on his traveling because he wants to be here for me and the baby. Don’t get me wrong: my boyfriend is absolutely in demand, but he restricts his busi
“I know,” she says in a muffled voice. “And I’m so sorry for the mix-up.”I merely wipe her tears away with my thumb.“Rachel Champion, I can’t believe you think I’d take up with a brat like Katy when I am desperately in love with you.”At that, she looks up, her eyes wide and surprised.“What did you say?” she whispers.But my motivations are true, and I pull her against me once more.“I love you, Rachel. I think I fell into lust that first afternoon when I came upon you sunbathing by the pool. But it turned into something more during the time we spent at the cottage, and now, I want to be with you, sweet girl. Permanently.”She sobs even harder, and I stroke her hair and continue.“I’ve been trying to figure out how to get in touch with you over the last few days, and came up with nada, so honey, don’t be angry, but I went to your parents’ apartment and got your address.”She gasps then, staring at me.“You told Maurice about us?”“Your mom, too,” I say with a small smile. “Thankful
MaxI rush to the East Village like a madman. I wouldn’t be surprised if my hair is on fire, I’m that desperate. But when I come to Rachel’s apartment building, I pause for a moment. There’s no sense in looking like a crazy person, even if I am one.Fortunately, one of her neighbors exits right when I’m entering, so I don’t have to buzz up. Instead, I climb the rickety stairs to the third floor and stand before Rachel’s door with my hand poised. Then I knock in what I hope is a firm, assured manner.To my surprise, the curvy girl answers immediately. She must have been expecting take-out because she’s got her wallet in one hand, already open. But then she gasps, her eyes wide.“Max?”I look at her for the first time in far too long and notice all the little things. She’s gorgeous. Her hair is in a messy bun piled on top of her head, and she’s in baggy sweats, but they don’t do anything to conceal those sassy hills and valleys. If anything, she looks better natural like this, and very
MaxIt’s been seven days since Rachel left in the middle of the night to go back to New York to deliver a baby. It’s been six days since I last talked to her. Five days since I got called away for a last-minute job doing make-up for a young debutante. Evidently, Katy Mellon is graduating from high school and wanted her hair and make-up done professionally. She’s a brat, but the job paid well, and I decided to take it.But now, I need to talk to Rachel. I’ve called her a million times, but she never picks up. Not only that, but my emails and texts have gone unanswered. What the hell?As a result, it’s come to this. I’m standing in front of her parents’ apartment building, ready to ring the bell. I need to get in touch with his daughter, and now Maurice is my only hope. Surely he won’t kill me for dating his daughter. Or will he?I groan into my hands. Of course he’s going to kill me because a man never expects his oldest friend to bang the little girl he raised. And I did it on his pro
My best friend gazes at me from the video screen with a concerned look on her face, likely because I’m pale and trembling.“I’m pregnant,” I say without any preamble.Her jaw drops. “The test results came back!”“Yes, they did. I am absolutely, one hundred percent pregnant. They did a blood test and all that.”Laurelin’s eyes go wide as she bounces her baby on her knee.“Holy shit, Rach. Do you know if it’s Danny’s child? Or Max’s?”I let out a slow exhale.“It’s Max’s for sure because Danny and I didn’t have sex for months before we broke up.”She lets out a big breath. “Oh, thank God.”“Small favors, right?”She nods.“So have you told the father yet?”I take a deep breath.“No, not yet. I mean, it’s just so unexpected! This whole thing, I don’t even know how to describe it. We were only at the cottage together because of a scheduling mistake by my parents!”Laurelin nods.“Yes, but Max knows how babies are made. And you did say you guys were going at it like rabbits.” I nod, biting
RachelI wake up the next morning feeling groggy and out of sorts. My muscles are sore from falling asleep in a weird position, and I stand to stretch. Oof! I need a massage, but that probably won’t happen today. Instead, I get up and head into the bathroom for a much-needed hot shower. The water feels good pounding on my frame, and by the time I’m dressed and made-up, I’m feeling more alive.I walk into the kitchen and open the fridge. The date on the milk is only one day out, so I open it and lift it to my nose. But the smell makes me so nauseous that I literally gag and run to the sink before pouring it out with my nostrils pinched shut. Ugh, that was so gross and I flush the entire mess with a bolt of water from the faucet. How disgusting.I decide to cook some eggs and waffles, but those also make me horrifically sick, so I give up and just nibble on some dry crackers. I wonder if something’s going around?At that moment, Laurelin calls and asks if I want to meet her for sushi at
RachelAfter four blissful days and nights wrapped in Max’s arms, suddenly I’m leaving. One of my clients has gone into early labor, and I have to get back to the city asap.I wake Max in the darkness of the pre-dawn morning. At first, he’s sleepy and growly, but then he sits up when he sees I’m dressed and packed.“What’s going on, sweetheart? Is everything okay? Are your parents okay?”I smile in the darkness.“Everything’s fine. I just have a patient who’s in labor really early. I need to head back to the city.”He lets out a breath and says, “Okay, give me a few minutes, and I’ll drive you.”I shake my head.“No no, it’s okay. Go back to sleep. Rest. I do this all the time, so I’m used to getting dragged out of bed for false alarms. The baby probably just wants to make herself known, so she’s kicking up a storm right now. It’s fine.”“You sure?” he asks, frowning.“I’m positive. Go back to sleep. We’ll talk soon.”He nods.“Okay. Will you be back tonight?”I sling my pack over one
Suddenly, it strikes me. Rachel’s absolutely beautiful. Not just her face and her curves, but her soul is gorgeous. I find myself regretting the fact that soon enough, life will take us on our different paths. Rather abruptly, I interrupt.“How long do you think you can stay at the cottage?”Rachel’s face falls a bit at the change in subject. She laughs, but there’s a regretful undertone to it.“To be honest, I probably need to head back before the weekend.”My heart contracts. Fuck. It’s already Tuesday, which gives us only a few more days together. Suddenly, I want her to stay, and I want our idyllic vacation to continue forever. But she can’t because there are babies waiting to be born, and I can’t either, because I have a business to tend to. So instead, I school my expression into neutrality.“Of course. A job is a job, and these kids come when they feel like it.”She merely smiles faintly. “Yes, that’s true. But what about you, Max? What does the next chapter hold for you?”I lo
MaxOur food arrives, and we dig in, the conversation dying down a bit. In the middle of her lobster roll, Rachel looks up and blinks.“Do you ever miss being in one place? After a lifetime of travel, do you think you could settle down?”Wow, that’s a big question, but this woman already means a lot to me, and she deserves an honest answer. I sit back from the table for a moment and just look at her pretty features. “I don’t know. I never did, at least not until recently. The Max Wyndham brand has been around for a while now, and it’s pretty established. I don’t have to hustle the way I used to, that’s for sure.”Rachel nods, her eyes wide.“Of course, everyone knows you, even people not in the beauty industry. You’re huge, Uncle Max!”I nod.“Yeah, and it keeps me on my toes. I have a deal with Sephora where I need to do an appearance whenever they open a new store.”Rachel gasps, her brown eyes wide.“But there are so many Sephoras, and they’re always opening new locations all over