“This is why you’ve been sick the last few nights, isn’t it?” Then, almost as if it were an afterthought, he added, “I thought it was called morning sickness?”

Beth managed a strained laugh, saying, “Yeah, I seem to have that backward. I hope this isn’t going to happen every day because it’s a horrible feeling to wake up in the middle of the night deathly sick.”

With a grimace, Nick said, “I’m sorry I didn’t make it for dinner. I just had a lot on my mind. I wasn’t with anyone though, so don’t even think that.”

“I wasn’t, but thanks for clarifying. I know we aren’t exclusive so you don’t owe me explanations, but I would like the courtesy of a call the next time.”

“Beth, you are carrying my child; I’d say that’s pretty damn exclusive.” Without waiting for her response, he walked over to the other side of the bed and slid in. Turning off the light, he rolled over and gathered her loosely into his arms, kissing her gently on the forehead. “We’ll figure it out, princess.”

She snuggled against his warmth, too surprised to say anything else. Was he still in shock? He was taking this much better than she could have imagined. Maybe he was still too drunk to process everything. Tomorrow morning it would hit him, right?

* * *

Nick lay in bed awake long after Beth drifted off beside him. He curved his hand around her still-flat stomach as if looking for evidence of the life inside it. When she had dropped the bomb earlier, it really hadn’t sunk in until he was about to step into the shower. He froze when he realized the enormity of her statement. The father of my baby. Damn, life had just taken a very sudden and unexpected turn. She had looked ready to bolt while she waited for his reaction. What had she expected him to say? He needed time to process everything.

He could imagine how Suzy and Gray were going to react to the news. Especially after their narrow escape with Reva a few months back. Things were different with Beth, though. He knew she wouldn’t lie and deliberately try to trap him. Hell, she did everything she could to keep some distance between them.

There was no way Beth would try to get pregnant. He had tried to form a bond with her, and she was either afraid or just didn’t want to be tied down to him. He had yet to figure out which. She sure wanted the sex. That was never in question. At times he thought he had caught her looking at him with what appeared to be affection. But he still couldn’t really work out how she felt toward him. Plus, he didn’t know what he felt; he just knew he wanted her in his life right now.

Was he ready to be a father? Ready or not, it’s going to happen. Oh, man, don’t let it be a girl. I’ll spend my whole life trying to keep men like me away from her.

Beth tangled her legs with his, snuggling further against him as she always did while she slept. She might keep her distance during the daylight, but at night, her body sought him out in the dark and curled around him, night after night.

Chapter Six

“How soon do you want to get married?”

Beth spit her orange juice across the table, narrowly missing Nick’s crisp white shirt. “Wh— What are you talking about?” she sputtered.

Without looking up from his morning newspaper, Nick said, “Well, since we’re having a baby, we’re getting married, princess. We also need to look at houses; this apartment is too small.”

Beth was speechless for a moment before she blurted out, “We’re not having a baby—I’m having a baby and I don’t need to get married for that.”

Nick looked at her in surprise and then spoke slowly to her, as if he were talking to a child. “Honey, this is our baby and I plan to be a very hands-on father. I don’t intend for my baby to have a different last name nor do I plan for him, or her, to wonder where Daddy is every day. Any ideas on where you want to have the wedding?”

“I’m not buying a house or marrying you! Have you lost your mind? This isn’t the Dark Ages where you have to marry the little woman because you knocked her up. Nick, I’m perfectly capable of handling this by myself. You can see the baby anytime you like.”

She had Nick’s full attention now as he slapped the newspaper on the table. “Why even bother telling me, Beth? It seems like you have everything all figured out.” Standing up, Nick bent over until they were face-to-face. “Well, you know what, princess? I’m not going anywhere. You aren’t pushing me away from my child. Maybe I’m not who you envisioned in this role, but I’m who you’ve got and you better learn to deal with it.”

With one final glare at her, Nick stalked off. Beth heard the front door slam and she slumped back against her chair. What just happened? He wants to get married? Could he still be drunk this morning? Boy, was he pissed off. What had he expected her to say? Sure, every girl dreams of such a romantic proposal. Hey, little woman, let’s get hitched this weekend. I want you barefoot and pregnant and in my home by nightfall. Ohhh, stop, Nick, you smooth-talking sex god, I can’t take any more! Okay, so the sex god part is accurate. But down, girl. Don’t get distracted by the countless orgasms he has given you. Focus on the big picture. He is not forever-after material. There is nothing there but heartache.

Nick was sadly mistaken if he thought he was pushing her into marrying him. With a glint in her eyes, she picked up her cell phone and checked her missed calls. She had twenty-nine. A few were from Suzy and Ella, but the rest were from men who actually were marriage material, at least their profiles said they were. She had signed up with a dating service before she met Nick and recently reactivated her profile—now seemed like a good time to put some distance between herself and Nick. She needed to show Nick that, although she was carrying his child, she was still an independent person who made her own decisions. He had better call a halt on purchasing a new house or a minivan because she wasn’t marrying him. She was moving on with her life.

She ruthlessly shushed the voice in her head that asked, “What in the hell are you thinking? Pregnant women shouldn’t be making dates for every night this week.” She needed to focus on the future.

* * *

When Nick roared into the parking lot at Danvers a short time later, he spotted his brother leaning against his car waiting for him. He wanted to keep driving. He really didn’t want to hear the lecture that Gray was no doubt about to unleash on him. He parked and jumped out of his car. Might as well get it over with. At least Gray wasn’t as likely to kick him in the balls as Suzy.

“Hey, bro, what’s up?”

Gray studied him as if debating whether to say something or not. Finally, he asked, “Anything you want to talk about?”

With a resigned sigh, Nick said, “Just go ahead and spit it out. I know that everyone probably already heard that Beth’s pregnant.”

“Yeah. Suzy told me in a pretty colorful way.” Gray laughed.

Clapping Gray on the shoulder, Nick said, “Sorry about that, man. I bet that was rough. I’m sure she plans to rip me a new one before the day is over.”

“She was pissed, but she realizes that you aren’t completely to blame. I think having to deal with the mental image of you and Beth on our kitchen counter was much harder for her than finding out that her sister was pregnant.”

“Shit, how much did Beth tell you guys? Women really do share everything, don’t they?”

Gray laughed at Nick’s obvious embarrassment. It wasn’t often that his confident brother looked uncomfortable where a woman was concerned. “Oddly enough, she was just trying to defend you. She basically said that you tried to resist, but she was determined to override you.” As if realizing what he had said, Gray added, “Maybe override wasn’t a good word to use.”

Nick chuckled at Gray’s poor choice of words. Then, taking pity on him, he decided to change the subject. “I told Beth this morning that we were going to get married and find a house. That seemed to really piss her off.”

Grinning, Gray said, “Well, if you said it just like that I can’t imagine why she wasn’t jumping for joy. I’m constantly wondering why people think you are the smooth talker in the family.”

“What the hell is this, Pick on Nick Day? What should I have said, man? It’s not as if she was going to believe a big declaration of undying love. I care about her too much to lie to her. I don’t think either one of us saw this coming, but now that it has we need to make some plans.”

Gray studied him quietly for a few minutes before asking, “You do understand that you are going to be a father, right? I was expecting a different reaction from you this morning. Maybe more pacing, profanity, and less calm acceptance. You’ve realized that marriage means monogamy?”

“Yes, smart-ass, I do. Despite your high opinion of me, I can actually be faithful to one woman. I have never screwed around while I’ve been involved with someone and, believe me, the opportunity has presented itself more than once.”

“Being faithful for a few months is a lot different from a lifetime.” Gray held up a hand to silence his protests. “I’m just saying that you can be a father to this baby without getting married. I don’t want to see you and Beth trapped in a marriage that makes you both miserable. I know that you care about her, but make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. I almost messed up my whole life with this very thing, so I know what I’m talking about. I dodged a bullet, but if Beth is pregnant, then I damn well know that you are the father without question because Beth isn’t Reva.”

Nick felt his anger dissipate. He knew this was hitting a nerve with Gray and that he had his best interests at heart. He was just tired of first Beth and then Gray automatically counting him out. Why did everyone assume he would cut and run as soon as he found out? Was it a crime to have a long dating history? He had a demanding job that he excelled at and no one ever had to worry about him letting any of his business responsibilities slide. He never had to be told anything twice. He took the ball and ran with it every day. Granted, a baby was a hell of a lot more important than a job, but why did they automatically assume that he couldn’t handle it? One thing was for certain: He would show them that there was more to Nick Merimon than just a good roll in the sack. But the first person he needed to prove that to was Beth.

Chapter Seven

When Beth walked off the elevator, Ella was standing right there, as if waiting for her. The two had met when Beth had started working at Danvers, and the changes in Ella since their first meeting were nothing short of amazing. Ella had been raised by strict religious parents and had been sheltered her whole life. She had looked and dressed like someone at least twenty years older than she actually was.

Since Beth had spent most of her life hiding behind her overweight appearance, she could recognize a cry for help when she saw it. She knew that Ella desperately wanted to fit in and that she didn’t have a clue as to how to do it. Beth might have problems with her own self-esteem, but she had no such qualms about helping Ella find her inner goddess. And, boy, had they ever!

The woman who stood in front of her now bore little resemblance to the awkward person of just months ago. Ella practically radiated happiness. She was still nervous and shy when someone out of her small circle of friends spoke to her, but she had come such a long way. Ella’s former mousy brown hair was now a chestnut color and hung down her back in a long, shimmering curtain. Her blue eyes captured one’s attention immediately and her adorable dimples made people try even harder to make her smile. She was small and petite, and Beth simply loved her to pieces.

The elevator chimed before they could move away and Declan Stone stepped out. She saw Ella’s face light up as if she were a child sitting on Santa’s lap for the first time. For some reason, Ella was nervous around every man of her acquaintance except Declan. Like herself, Beth thought that Ella needed to get out there more, but she didn’t think Declan was the ticket.

The man was hotter than Myrtle Beach on the Fourth of July, but there was something almost dangerous about him. You never saw him standing around chatting with others, nor was he connected romantically with anyone. The man was a machine. Everything he said was direct and to the point. According to Nick, he was flawless in business negotiations and well respected around the world.

The only person who seemed to thaw the ice surrounding Declan was the woman standing beside her, and Beth was both impressed and terrified for her friend. Ella tended to stammer a lot when men spoke to her, but with Declan, everything was effortless for her. Beth caught a glimmer of a smile on Declan’s surprisingly lush lips when his gaze rested on Ella.

“Good morning, Declan,” Ella enthused.

“Morning, Ella. I . . . hope everything worked out okay with your grandmother’s procedure.”

My god, this is priceless. He likes her. The Iceman actually likes Ella. Oh, shit, no! He will eat her for lunch and spit her out. She needs a man with training wheels to get her feet wet, not a man who started life as a Corvette.