Already walking away, he shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
***
She didn’t know what movie was playing. After following him into the living room, Jarret had waited for her to sit down on the couch before taking the chair.
On the opposite side of the room.
He didn’t have to tell her that he regretted kissing her. The distance, the utter silence and refusal to so much as glance in her direction, was a dead giveaway that he thought it was a giant mistake.
Maybe he was right. She was pregnant with his brother’s child. If that didn’t scream daytime television drama, she didn’t know what did. Next she’d find out she had an evil twin who was secretly pregnant with Jarret’s kid and they could all have a good laugh.
The only problem was she didn’t regret it. Not at all.
She could still feel his mouth pressed against hers, taste the hint of coffee spiced with vanilla he’d had earlier that day, and the smell of his cologne—a clean, spicy fragrance that made her mouth water. She was right back in his arms again, wrapped up tight and enveloped in the warmest sensation she’d ever experienced. No one had ever made her feel so desirable.
She wanted more of that.
But she would have to be content with the fact that that part of her life was forfeit. At least for a while. Her baby deserved her undivided attention, not a mother who was busy lusting after someone she couldn’t have and had no business looking twice at. Not to mention, it wasn’t until Jarret forced her to move in with him that she realized she could even have lustful feelings toward anyone again. She thought that part of her had died after Camron. That her body was responding to him so strongly was at once a relief and terrifying, because she wasn’t sure she was ready for any of it.
No, she definitely was not ready to move forward into another relationship, especially not with her ex-boyfriend’s older brother.
The baby chose that moment to perform tricks, and the feeling of movement was so strong and so new, Raine covered her stomach with both hands and closed her eyes. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost see her little one in there, rolling, twisting, turning, and bouncing around, and suddenly all other thoughts vanished. She couldn’t wait for the moment when she could finally look at her baby—really look at it—face-to-face and say hello.
When she opened her eyes, she found Jarret watching her, a look of puzzlement and curiosity playing on his handsome face.
“The baby’s playing,” she informed him, and his eyes fell to her abdomen. She saw her chance to bridge the gap that had formed between them, and she pounced on it. “You want to feel?” She waved him over, only half expecting him to comply.
The movie forgotten, Jarret left the chair and sat down beside her. Leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers woven and palms sealed together, he looked back at her over his shoulder.
He’s nervous. This big, tough guy who’d punched his own brother in the face without hesitation for her, was nervous about feeling a baby move for the first time.
How adorable.
“Give me your hand,” Raine said, already reaching for it. He didn’t argue or resist as she took one hand and placed it on her stomach, holding it there with her own. Moments passed as they waited for something—anything—to happen.
Then, it did.
A quick jab in the center of his palm, and by the way his blue eyes shot to hers, wide with amazement, she knew he’d felt it too.
Twisting around, Jarret added his other hand, applying gentle pressure the same as she had. “What does it feel like?”
Raine pursed her lips, thinking. “Like…gas maybe. Or a really strong pulse, like if you squeeze your finger really tight and you can feel your heartbeat in it.” That didn’t seem quite right either. Something like that was so difficult to explain. What compared to a tiny person moving around inside your body?
Feeling a familiar stir on one side of her belly, she readjusted his hand over it and pressed his fingers in with hers. “He’s over here now.”
“He?”
“I don’t know what I’m having yet, but it seems better than calling it it all the time,” she explained, and he nodded.
“Does it hurt,” Jarret asked, “when he kicks you?”
Raine chuckled. “No, it’s just strange, but cool. It makes it more real, you know? Now there’s proof that there’s someone in there.”
Jarret grunted in agreement, and then went back to focusing on her stomach, on the little person inside. His hands shifted every so often, his fingers pressing like she’d shown him, and every time he got a response, his eyes lit up.
Damn, those eyes. They were stunningly beautiful. Full of warmth and caring. How she ever thought they were like Camron’s were beyond her. They were nothing alike.
Feeling the weight of the day catching up with her, Raine laid her head back and watched through heavy lids as Jarret played with his niece or nephew until she couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer.
***
Jarret couldn’t stop staring. After Raine fell asleep sitting up on the couch, he’d scooped her up and carried her to her room. She hadn’t even stirred.
After laying her down, he’d meant to walk away, but only made it as far as the door before turning back around. He’d lost track of how long he’d been watching her, but it was long enough to know that he was in trouble.
This thing with Raine, whatever it was, was getting deeper than he intended. He’d only meant for her to have a safe place to sleep. Of course he wanted to take care of her, considering a part of his family was growing inside of her. He even told himself that he was doing it so he could keep her close, in case Camron had a change of heart or something.
That’s what he told himself.
But every time he looked at her and his heart sped up and his stomach dropped as if he were riding a roller coaster, he knew it was all a lie. When he’d kissed her, it just confirmed how attracted he was to her, how much he wanted her—as more than a friend.
And it scared the living shit out of him.
What kind of man took his brother’s girl, even if they were broken up? Worse, what kind of man wanted to be the lover of his niece or nephew’s mother? Christ, the whole thing reeked of incest.
Except that it wasn’t.
Which was why he was about to tear his hair out. What a fucking mess.
If he were smart, he’d tell Raine to pack her bags and take her back home. But her home wasn’t a home. It was a cesspool for criminal activity and no child, blood or not, deserved to be raised in that environment.
He could rent her a new place. Something clean, with enough space to accommodate both her and the baby, and in a good neighborhood.
That thought barely left him when he dismissed it. Raine belonged in his home, and whether she considered it hers or not was of no consequence. The house was too big for just one person, and her presence helped fill it up nicely.
He’d even started having the second bedroom transformed into a nursery.
If he could find a way to make her hold out until the baby was born, she would see how perfect it was. There was no way she could walk away from everything he was willing to give her.
But what if she was only in it for what he could give her?
If Camron was right about her, Jarret might be a fool playing right into her hands. Was that something he could live with?
A tortured cry pierced the dark room startling him, and Jarret rushed back inside. Climbing onto the bed, he cupped Raine’s face. “Raine?” She was breathing heavily, tears leaking from her closed eyes. When he repeated her name, she began to fight back.
“Raine, wake up,” Jarret barked, trying to avoid a hand aiming for his face. Pinning both of her wrists to the bed, he was horrified at the terror-filled cries that ripped from her gaping mouth. “Wake up, Raine! Wake up!”
He didn’t know if it was the yelling or the way he shook her that finally got her to open her eyes for him, but when she did
, everything got worse.
Brown eyes wide, Raine thrashed beneath him, screaming so loud Jarret was thankful he didn’t have neighbors. Otherwise, they’d be calling the police right now.
“No! Stop! Stop! Stoooooppp!”
Releasing her, Jarret moved to kneel at the foot of the bed, his hands in the air. In an instant, Raine flattened her back against the headboard, her hands thrust out in front of her warding him off. The room pulsed with tension. Jarret listened, waiting until Raine’s breaths began to even out and the wild look in her eyes began to fade.
“That was some nightmare, huh?” he remarked, risking another freak-out but needing to say something. His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest, he was so on edge.
She stared at him for an extended moment before blinking several times. “Jarret?” she whispered, as if seeing him for the first time.
Dropping his hands, Jarret offered her a sympathetic smile. “Hey, Peach.”
An unexpected sob burst out of her, and Jarret scrambled to Raine’s side, pulling her into his chest. “I’m sorry,” Raine cried, choking on her tears.
“It’s okay, Peach. It’s over now.” Jarret was so confused. Why was she apologizing over a bad dream? Was she afraid she woke him up? She’d probably be pissed if he told her he’d been there all along, watching her like a creepy stalker while she slept. Or, more likely, she’d be embarrassed, and her cheeks would turn that dark shade of rose they usually did. It was almost worth it to embarrass her just to see it again.
Once she calmed down enough to take deep breaths again, Jarret moved back so he could look at her. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
Her tears continued to flow steadily, telling him just how badly the dream had affected her, but at least she wasn’t pushing him away. Honey-brown eyes, filled with pain and sorrow that cramped Jarret’s insides with concern, stared up at him. “I—I don’t want to.”
His brows furrowed. “You don’t want to tell anyone, or just me?”
Dropping her head, Raine pressed her wet cheek to his chest. “Anyone.”
Maybe he was imaging it, but Jarret sensed there was more to it than that. That when she said anyone, she meant especially not him. And, shit, that stung. She didn’t trust him, and he had to remind himself that he didn’t trust her either. Not completely. He had some unanswered questions, and despite living under the same roof, they really didn’t know each other.
Well, that was going to change.
She could keep her secrets—for now—but soon, Jarret intended to know everything there was to know about Raine Forester.
ELEVEN
“What do you think of Garret?”
Raine lifted her head from the magazine she was reading. Jarret, who’d offered to drive her to her six-month checkup, sat in the chair beside hers with an expectant look on his face. “For what?” Because she didn’t have the money for a subscription, she tried to soak in as much information from the women’s health magazines as possible whenever at the doctor’s office. She’d learned a lot about her body and what changes to expect leading up to delivery, so she hadn’t been listening. How long had he been speaking to her?
“I was just thinking of baby names. Garret sounds good, right?”
Studying him, Raine realized he was serious. Tilting her head, she smirked. “Really?”
“What, you don’t like it?”
“Sure, it’s a good name,” Raine said, closing the magazine on her lap. “If you’re an egoist.”
Jarret shook his head. “Are you calling me an egoist?”
“Jarret. Garret? Out of curiosity, what would you suggest if it was a girl?”
Seeing where she was going with this, Jarret ran his fingers through his hair. “Scarlett,” he muttered.
Raine spluttered then burst out laughing, raising a few eyebrows in the quiet waiting room. Jarret closed his eyes and his head fell back as he sighed. “Sorry,” Raine apologized quietly as she tried to calm down. Even though she suspected, he’d still caught her off-guard with his response.
“No, no. Don’t apologize,” Jarret insisted, although his tone made it clear that his feelings were hurt. “If you don’t like the names, you don’t like the names.” He gave an uncaring shrug, but Raine wasn’t convinced.
Before she had a chance to press him, a nurse opened the door and called her inside. Standing, Raine was halfway across the room when she turned back around. “Do you want to come in with me?”
One eyebrow arching up, Jarret asked, “You want me to come back with you?”
Reading the concern in his eyes, Raine hid an amused smile. “Sure, come on.”
Once she was weighed in and the nurse ran through all the routine questions, she instructed Raine to hold tight while they waited for the doctor to come in.
Sitting in a plastic chair nestled into the corner of the room, Jarret couldn’t look more uncomfortable, one knee bobbing up and down and his arms crossed tight over his chest. His jaw flexed as he took a look around, his eyes flicking away when they landed on the plastic uterus on the counter.
“So, this is where the magic happens. I thought about becoming a gynecologist once.”
Astonished, Raine’s jaw dropped. “You did?”
“Of course. What fifteen-year-old boy doesn’t consider a job that lets him stare at pussy all day at least once?”
Raine’s cheeks flamed and she looked away.
“Sorry. You’re so easy to talk to. Sometimes I forget you’re not one of the guys.”
Raine’s expression turned murderous. “Thanks a lot.”
“I’m kidding! But seriously, you do have that I-could-kick-your-ass vibe going on. If it weren’t for those humongous tits and the kid, I might get confused.”
He was teasing, Raine knew, and as insulting as she should have found his words, she couldn’t help laughing. “You have a lock on your bedroom door, don’t you?”
“Sure, why?” Jarret questioned curiously.
Raine schooled her expression, and raised her head from her hands just enough that she was looking at him from under her long lashes. “Because it’s the only thing that’ll keep you safe tonight.”
“Ah, but what will keep you safe from me—” Jarret’s words were interrupted by a rapid knock on the door as it swung open to admit the fresh-faced older woman who reminded Raine of a younger version of Betty White.
Taking one look at Jarret, she paused with her hand still on the knob. Her sharp gaze appraised him openly, and Raine grinned in amusement as Jarret shifted in his seat. “Well, young lady, I can see now why you’re on my table,” Dr. Sheridan said while closing the door behind her. Peeking at her chart, she pulled a tape measure from her pocket and smiled as she approached. “If they made them like that,” she said, tilting her head at Jarret, “when I was your age, I’d have a lot more than one child to show for it.”
Both Jarret and Raine flushed as the doctor raised Raine’s shirt and began her examination. By the time a technician rolled the ultrasound equipment into the room, she had them both in stitches.
“All right, boys and girls,” she said, slathering cold gel on Raine’s belly, “who wants to know what we’re having today?”
***
“What’s wrong with you?” Raine sipped her juice, watching Jarret over her glass. He’d been unusually quiet since they left the doctor’s office that morning, seemingly caught in his thoughts. She’d given him hours, but he hadn’t perked up yet, so she was taking matters into her own hands. “You’re all mopey. It’s annoying.”
Jarret’s blue eyes flashed to hers, and even from across the room, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. “You know what’s annoying? I can’t stop thinking about how Camron should have been the one sitting in that room with you, not me.” Raine blinked, stunned at the level of anger coming off him, but Jarret wasn’t finished. “That’s not how we were raised, and you shouldn’t have to do any of this alone. But if you really want to know what’s got me all ‘mopey,
’ it’s not knowing if I’m going to have a niece or a nephew. Now that’s annoying.” Yanking a bowl down from the cabinet, he selected a box of kid cereal and filled it to the top.
Okay, Jarret had just laid some heavy information on her, but because she wasn’t ready to tackle some of it, Raine chose to focus on one part in particular—that he was upset that she decided against finding out the sex of the baby. She set her glass aside. Stepping up behind him, Raine wrapped her arms around Jarret’s waist, hugging him from behind. Jarret froze in place, his stomach muscles contracting under her fingers as she pressed her cheek into his back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it meant that much to you. I just wanted it to be a surprise. If you really want to know, though, you can open the envelope.”
Even though she’d turned the offer down flat, her doctor gave her a knowing look. She’d printed off a couple of pictures—one she’d given to Raine, and the other she’d slipped into an envelope. Handing it to her, she’d informed her that if she changed her mind, the answer would be in there waiting for her. Talk about temptation, but Raine liked the idea of not knowing. It gave her something to look forward to.
Turning, Jarret’s hands spread around her back. As his cerulean blue eyes met hers, she wasn’t sure how to read them. He hid his moods well when he wanted to.
“I’m terrible at keeping secrets,” he sighed. “As a matter of fact, you should probably burn that thing now before my control snaps and I tear your purse apart looking for it.”
“I’ll hide it in my underwear drawer so you won’t be tempted to go looking for it then.”
Shaking his head, Jarret’s eyes danced with mischievous fire. “Oh, Peach. The idea of getting my hands on your panties will only tempt me more.”
Raine Page 8
