Leverage: Pt 1

by Alexx Andria

  “Yes.”

  “Too bad. Not going to tell you.”

  “Then why’d you ask?”

  He shrugged. “I love being the bane of your existence,” he answered with a shit-eating grin that she secretly found adorable. The bastard. He climbed to his feet. “I’m going to shower. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

  “Make it thirty. I need to shower, too.”

  “Nope. Fifteen. Get your ass in the shower with me to save time.”

  She arched her brow. “Can you keep your hands to yourself?”

  “Woman, I’m not Superman. I don’t think I could get it up again so quickly if I tried. You should be safe.”

  “You’re so full of crap. You have the stamina of a seventeen-year-old boy,” she returned wryly and he grinned. “Okay, I’ll meet you in the shower. Give me five.”

  “I’ll get the water going.”

  Boston pushed out of the chair and sauntered into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

  Julianna yawned and stretched, wondering where he was taking her, when suddenly she felt incredibly queasy. Ughh…she stopped and bent at the waist waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. Her mouth watered and she quickly straightened as the horrifying realization followed that she might need to vomit. Had she eaten something bad? She thought of what she’d eaten this morning and couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary. Did food poisoning come on this suddenly? But just as she thought she was going to need to sprint to the bathroom to barf, the need passed and she was left shaky and weak. She walked into the steamy bathroom and climbed into the shower with Boston. Boston turned with a lascivious grin until he saw her frown. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I just got really sick all of a sudden but now it’s gone. I don’t know, it was weird.”

  “Are you coming down with something?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. At first I thought food poisoning but it went away and now I just feel shaky and tired. Maybe I am coming down with the flu or something.”

  “Do you want to stay home?” he asked and she was inordinately warmed by his concern. She shook her head. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, no, I’m fine. It’s probably just low blood sugar because I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

  Boston soaped up a fine linen washcloth and began slowly washing her front. “I’d hate to cancel the trip but I’m not sure if I’m down with a vomiting partner.”

  She scowled and pushed his hand away. “I think I can handle the washcloth on my own,” she said, grabbing the cloth and turning away from him. “Don’t worry your little sex slave will be ready to perform as required.”

  “Oh, now who’s being sensitive?” he teased and slapped her behind lightly. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

  She ignored him and continued to wash up. The fact was for a split second everything had felt normal and natural and that was bad. Nothing about their arrangement was normal or natural. She’d been playing the part for a month now and it would do her some good to remember that he didn’t love her and never would — and for that matter, she didn’t love him either. But she sorta liked him. She definitely liked having sex with him and she really enjoyed that he spoiled her endlessly.

  Julianna rinsed under the multiple jets and left the shower, leaving him behind. He called after her, “Are you really mad?”

  And she didn’t know how to answer. She kinda was mad. Not sure why. She wouldn’t blame him if he called her bi-polar because she probably deserved it. “I’m fine,” she forced herself to say. Better to lie than to try and decipher where her head was at the moment. She felt out of sorts — almost as if she were about to start her period. Oh! That’s it. Duh. She was due to start her period any day. She tucked the towel around her and grabbed her phone to check the calendar. Hmm…she should’ve already started.

  Actually…she should’ve started last week.

  She was never late.

  Ever.

  She had the internal female mechanism of an atomic clock — precise and exact.

  A flush stole over her body and she sat heavily in the window chair. What the hell? Was she in a parallel universe where the crazy insane stuff happens because there was no way in hell she was sitting there afraid to acknowledge the most obvious reason for a late period.

  He said he couldn’t have kids.

  That’s why they hadn’t used protection.

  He promised her he was sterile.

  A tight, squeezing feeling made it hard to breathe and black dots swam before her eyes. Was this truly happening? Now she was about to pass out? Oh holy hell…what a Twilight Zone episode.

  The last thought tumbling through her mind as she slid from the chair in a boneless heap was…he motherfucking lied to me.

  And then she was aware of nothing.

  #

  Boston stared hard at the emergency room doctor, nearly boring holes in his white lab coat. “Are you sure?” he asked with barely contained rage. “I need you to be sure.”

  The doctor looked at Boston quizzically. “Yes, I am positive. She’s six weeks pregnant.”

  Pregnant? Julianna was pregnant? “Are you sure about how far along she is?” he pressed, hating the sick feeling lodged in his gut. If Julianna was pregnant it could only mean one thing — she’d been fucking someone else. And the idea of someone else putting their hands on his girl was enough to make him want to bury his fist in a wall. “Are you sure, doctor?” he asked again brusquely.

  “Is this an unexpected pregnancy?” the doctor asked with a modicum of sympathy.

  “You could say that,” Boston answered. “Can I see her?”

  “Yes, she’s resting. She’s going to need some prenatal care. She may have been anemic before the pregnancy or at the very least low in iron and the pregnancy just made it worse but she needs to supplement to sustain the pregnancy. I can give you the name of a few quality OB-GYNs who are accepting new patients, if you’d like.”

  Boston shook his head. Everything was moving too quickly. His head was jammed with rage, questions, and pain. She’d obviously cheated on him. How could she? Because she doesn’t love you and never will. He hated that fucking voice in his head but he couldn’t deny the truth staring him in the face. She hated him anyway. What better way to bury a hatchet in his back than to get knocked up while she was still shacking up with him? Seemed a perfectly executed plan. He accepted a business card from the doctor and stalked away, going straight to her room.

  She looked up and he was surprised to see a mirror of rage in her eyes. He tossed her the business card. “You might need this. Seems you’re anemic and you need to supplement for your baby.”

  “My baby?” she hissed and tossed the card back at him. “You’re a fucking liar. You told me you couldn’t father kids. Is this some kind of joke to you? I don’t appreciate this underhanded trick to get me pregnant.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” he shot back, confused and pissed as hell that she would try and throw this back on him. “Do you hear yourself? I told you that I can’t have kids and that wasn’t a lie. If anyone is lying it’s you. Obviously, you’ve been cheating on me!”

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head, both outraged and equally confused. “I haven’t slept with anyone but you, asshole. You’d better get your balls checked again because you put this baby in my stomach and no one else!”

  Julianna’s eyes flashed with real indignation and he didn’t know what to think. Was it possible? But how? “I was told by multiple doctors that I couldn’t father children,” he said stiffly. “So if you say that I got you pregnant, against all fucking odds, you won’t mind a paternity test.”

  “Bring it.” She scooted up and met his gaze with a hard one of her own but he detected a subtle glitter in her eyes that made him wonder if she was telling the truth. “And when it comes back that you’re the father, I’m going to shove the results up your ass!” The air between them crackled with tension and it seemed neither would b
ack down until Julianna looked away with a tiny shudder as her shoulders bowed and tears started to flow down her cheeks. “Get out, please. I need to be alone for awhile.”

  If by some miracle, he’d somehow gotten her pregnant…a wild arc of joy and hope followed until he realized, she didn’t want his baby. She was devastated by the very idea. A different thought followed that chilled his blood. “You are not to abort that child,” he growled. “If that baby is mine…you are not to get rid of it. Do you hear me?”

  “Hello? Welcome to the feminist revolution. It’s my body and I have the right to do what I want with it,” she retorted dully, wiping at her eyes.

  “Correction. That’s my body. Bought and paid for. And if you have an abortion I’ll ruin you. Do you understand me?”

  She closed her eyes. “Go away, Boston.”

  Satisfied he’d made his point, he spun on his heel and left her in the hospital. A part of him wanted to stay and insist on the tests right this second, no matter the cost, but another part of him desperately needed space and time to think.

  A baby. Was it possible? He’d long given up on the dream of being a father. He’d considered adopting but discarded the idea knowing that he didn’t have time to find a wife and then start the adoption process. Plus, if he were being honest, he’d wanted to look into the eyes of his child and see a bit of himself staring back. It was his ego, plain and simple. He could admit that. And now that Julianna had a baby growing inside her that was possibly his? He wanted that baby. He wanted it desperately.

  But Julianna hated him. More so now than ever. And he felt something for her. He wasn’t sure what it was — certainly not love, hell, he wasn’t that stupid — but he cared for her. And the sex was phenomenal. He wasn’t ready to give that up.

  Everything hinged on the paternity test. He skidded to a halt and did an about face. He couldn’t wait. He had to know.

  The fate of three lives hung in the balance of one simple test.

  Was he being a fool to hope?

  He’d soon find out.

  ****************

  Is Boston the father of Julianna’s baby and if so, how will that affect their relationship? Julianna isn’t too happy about becoming the prospect of becoming a mother. Is it just because of Boston or is there another reason she’s freaking out? Don’t miss the next installment of Leverage and find out!

  -Author’s Note-

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for going on this new adventure with me as we enter the wealthy world of the Kincaid family. I love men with trust issues! Digging into their troubled heads is always a treat. Boston has some demons to work through and Julianna is just the woman to make him face his fears. But Julianna is no slouch in the baggage department either. These two are a mess and I can’t wait to drag them through one helluva journey. I hope you’ll stick with me as we get to know these two fascinating people!

  This story will conclude within three installments (for those needing to know).

  As always, I am humbled by the loyalty and enthusiasm of my readers. Without you, I am nothing.

  If you haven’t friended me on Facebook, please do so! I love connecting with my fans. Also if you haven’t already, please sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a new release or contests.

  Warmly,

  Alexx Andria

  More Work By Alexx Andria

  Looking for something more by Alexx Andria? Please check out her Amazon Author Central page for a full list of her releases!

  http://www.amazon.com/Alexx-Andria/e/B006OEDHNI

  Oh, and did you know that Alexx Andria is the pseudonym of RITA-nominated romance author, Kimberly Van Meter? Well, now you do!

  Check out Kimberly’s Author Central page, too!

  http://amzn.to/177YZWA

  How about a teaser? Here’s an excerpt from Kimberly’s latest, THE SNIPER.

  ***

  Jaci’s head throbbed in time with the beat of her heart and her mouth tasted as if someone had stuffed it with an oily rag. She dragged her hand across her mouth, still a bit sluggish in the brain, and tried to get her bearings.

  Birds.

  She could hear the shrill chatter of birds somewhere. She struggled to open her eyes and when she managed to peer blearily around her surroundings, she realized with a frightening start, she had absolutely no idea where the hell she was.

  Bright morning sunlight streamed in through a dusty window and the air in the room smelled musty, as if it’d been closed up for a while and only recently reopened.

  Her neck ached as if someone had pinched her and as she rubbed at the sore flesh, she recalled bits and pieces of the previous night with horrifying detail.

  Sonia. Dead.

  Her hand flew to her mouth and she sucked back a wild sob. How had the evening taken such a devastating turn? One minute they’d been enjoying a nice buzz from too many drinks sent their way and the next her best friend since junior high was dead. It was all too much to take in without dissolving into a moaning, sobbing mess. She wasn’t the kind of woman to break into hysterics under most circumstances but she was fairly certain she was about to have a grand level freak out any moment as the last thread holding her nerves together frayed in spectacular fashion.

  Jaci blindly fumbled around her, searching for her cell phone. She had to call the police and report it. What time was it? Likely, they’d already found Sonia’s body, left behind in that alley like trash. God forgive her, she’d left her best friend behind. Where the hell was her damn phone?

  “If you’re looking for your cell, I tossed it,” came Nathan’s voice from the doorway, his tone matter-of-fact and brooking no argument. He held two steaming coffee mugs in his hands but even as his gesture may have appeared kind given the circumstance, Jaci didn’t know how to accept his offer given their history. She stared, unable to process everything at once. Nathan walked into the room, bare to the waist, wearing faded jeans, offering a short explanation. “Your phone has a GPS and is traceable. Sorry, but I had no choice but to ditch it. Besides, you shouldn’t be contacting anyone until I know it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, you are going off the grid.”

  “What the hell is going on?” she whispered, scooting away from him, disdaining his outstretched hand and offer of coffee, though she sorely needed it. She clutched a pillow to her chest, as if that would protect her from him, and glared through a sheen of tears. “Someone shot my best friend and he was going to shoot me. You show up and k-kill that man and then, kidnap me for some reason when two months ago, you couldn’t stand to be near me another second. I don’t understand what is happening,” she couldn’t help but cry with a pathetic mewl that would’ve embarrassed her if she hadn’t been suffering from shock. “I’m in a nightmare and I can’t wake up. God, help me,” she said, sniffing back tears. “She’s dead. Sonia is dead.” Even as she murmured the words and knew it to be true, the reality felt forced.

  “I’m sorry about your friend,” he admitted with genuine remorse that confused her. “I hadn’t realized that the two of you had slipped out the back into the alley or else I would’ve been there sooner.”

  She regarded him slowly, recalling a snippet of Sonia’s bawdy comments from that night. Why hadn’t she realized it earlier? The classic jawline, the hard body built with layer upon layer of muscle…“You were the one watching us?”

  He offered a curt nod but didn’t deign to explain, which only made her voice go up a shrill notch as she controlled her urge to throw something at his damnably handsome face if only to assuage the helpless rage over Sonia’s senseless death for reasons she didn’t understand.

  “Why?” The inscrutable expression etched on the hard planes of his face gave nothing away and she looked away in disgust. “Right. More secrets. That’s you, isn’t it? Always hiding something. Well, as you so clearly stated when we last met, I mean nothing to you so if you please, take me home. The police can protect me from whoever is trying to kill me.”

  “Jaci, you’re n
ot leaving,” he said, shooting her down without apology. “And don’t even try. We’re deep in the Sierra mountains. You’d never make it out alive.”

  “How did…” Jaci stopped in confusion, forcing her brain to work when it remained sluggish from the night before. The last she remembered she was in Los Angeles. Now she was in the mountains? She stared at Nathan, demanding answers but when her hand strayed to the sore spot on her neck she knew the answer and her stare narrowed in indignation. “You drugged me.” Neither a question nor a guess, he didn’t bother denying it. She nearly shook with impotent rage. “You bastard,” she swore softly under her breath. “How dare you. Who do you think you are?”