by J. A. Bailey
He strode out to the bar, let one of the other girls know Waverly was sick then marched over to the table where the rest of the guys sat.
“Waverly’s sick,” he explained. “And they’re short-staffed. Foolish woman will work herself to death if we let her.”
Locke smirked. “Let me guess, you want us to come to the rescue.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve pulled a draft or two.”
His friend nodded. “True enough.” Locke glanced at the others, who all grinned. “Guess we’re going to be working instead of relaxing tonight. You owe us one.”
Somehow Walker knew Locke would never hold him to that. They always had each other’s backs and never expected anything in return. That was just how it was between them.
“You got it.”
“Go see to your lovely lady,” Rocco said.
Walker didn’t need telling twice. Confident the guys could handle themselves and the bar easily enough, he headed back into the kitchen. Waverly was propped up on the stool once more, her elbow on the table and her head against a palm. She gave him a weary look.
“I should really…”
He folded his arms and attempted to make himself look at menacing as possible. It worked in the battlefield. Worked when he gave orders. Worked when he addressed young men going into battle for the first time.
It didn’t seem to work on Waverly. She just peered at him as though she had never seen anything like him before.
“I’ve taken care of it.”
She scowled. “Taken care of what?”
“Some of the guys are helping out. You don’t need to work tonight.”
“Oh no, you really shouldn’t have.” She tried to stand but wobbled and was forced to sit again.
He was by her side in an instant. “Let’s get you to bed.”
She gave a sigh. “I need to work. Justice trusted me.”
“Not when you’re sick,” he said firmly.
Walker helped her upstairs and somehow managed to force himself not to think about how right she felt tucked against him. How she’d feel even better beneath him.
Damn it.
Waverly was in a small room at the top of the building. One window looked out onto the front and the room consisted of a tiny bathroom, a double bed and little else. All of Waverly’s belongings were still in boxes or suitcases. He eyed the overflowing clothes and the open box, filled with a few frames for clues about her, but he couldn’t learn much without riffling through them and somehow he didn’t think she’d appreciate that.
Fuck, he didn’t need to learn about her anyway. All he wanted to know was what she felt like when she came around his cock or what noises she made when he brought her over the edge.
Drawing back the sheets, he urged her to lie down. “Do you need a bucket or something?”
She shook her head and leaned back against the pillow. “I think that’s it now. It usually is.”
“How long have you been sick for? Why didn’t you tell Justice?”
Waverly eyed him for a few moments, an odd sort of smile on her face. “I’m fine, I promise. I’ll sleep a bit and come down and help close up.”
“You’ll stay in bed if you know what’s good for you.”
“I’m fine!” she declared. “I’m not sick.”
“Like hell. What do you call throwing up twice and looking like you’re going to faint at any moment?”
“Walker, I’m fine,” she protested as he proceeded to tuck her in.
“You need rest. I don’t want to see you up again tonight. I’ll check on you before we leave.”
She shook her head vigorously. “I just need a little sleep. I’m not a child. I know what I can handle.”
He thrust a hand through his hair. “You couldn’t handle working tonight.”
“I was just feeling a little bit sicker than usual. I’m not leaving the closing up to you. It’s not fair and Justice trusts me.”
“Justice trusts me too. I’ve known her for a darn sight longer than you have.”
“But it’s my job!”
Walker thrust a finger at her. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn? “You’re sick, Waverly. Just do as I tell you and rest.”
“I’m not fucking sick,” she shot out. “I’m pregnant.”
It was the first time he’d heard a curse word come out of that plump mouth. That was the first thought that hit him.
Then the rest smacked him around the face.
Waverly stared at him with that gut-punching wide-eyed look that made him want to protect her from the world at the same time as fuck her until she couldn’t fight him anymore because she’d lost her voice from screams of pleasure.
He drew in a breath.
“Pregnant?”
She nodded, holding the sheets up under her chin. He glanced at her belly, even though it was covered.
“But you’re…” He gestured down her body.
“It’s very early. About ten weeks.”
“Oh.”
She gave him a half-smile. “I didn’t really intend for you to find out like this.”
“Did you intend for me to find out at all?”
“I…” Color hit her cheeks, taking away the washed-out look. “I’m not sure. I suppose it would have depended if we’d gotten to know each other.”
So she had been thinking the same thoughts as him. There was no doubting what she meant by getting to know each other. Perhaps she’d been after a quick fling too.
But she was fucking pregnant.
He peered at her ring finger for signs of a tan line. “Please tell me you’re not married.”
It shouldn’t matter that she was. After all, he hadn’t fucked her.
Yet.
“No, of course not.”
“So where’s the father?”
She drew in a long breath and pushed herself up. “Can you not stand over me like that? It’s a little intimidating.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled and perched gingerly on the edge of the bed.
“The father was my fiancé. We weren’t planning to have children yet. Well, we hadn’t even discussed it. I’m not sure he ever wanted them.”
Walker tightened his jaw. He wouldn’t scare her but he had a feeling he was going to want to tear whoever the fuck this fiancé was limb from limb.
Her blue gaze struck his. His heart gave a little pulse at the sadness there.
“When I told him I was pregnant, he insisted I should have an abortion. I refused. Things didn’t go well from there.”
“Asshole,” Walker hissed.
“He is. Was.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t even realize there was that side of him. I guess it’s better I learned it now rather than once I was married to him.”
“Sounds like it.”
Waverly clamped a hand around the sheet and twisted it between her fingers. She eyed the knot vacantly. “That’s why I’m sick. Morning sickness. Or evening sickness with me. Apparently it can happen at any time, at least that’s what I read on the Internet.”
A realization of what Waverly was going through struck him. She was carrying a baby. Was going to be a first-time mother. She was so damn naïve and innocent. Did she even realize what she’d have to face alone?
He guessed from the determination on her face when she’d told him she’d refused an abortion that she was tougher than she looked. It didn’t stop him from wanting to protect her from everything that would come with being a penniless single mom.
He eased himself up from the bed, noting the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. He hated to disappoint her, he really did, but he needed a moment to think this over. If he remained here, whether she was pregnant or not, he’d continue wanting her. Maybe more after seeing her courage.
But was that fair to her? To either of them? He just didn’t know.
“Get some rest. I’ll check in on you later.”
She nodded and settled down against the pillow. It took all his willpower not t
o join her then and there.
Waverly woke with a fuzzy head and dry mouth. She’d left the light on apparently, its bright glow blinding her as she tore open her eyes. Glancing at the digital clock on the side, she realized she’d been asleep for two hours.
Sitting, she considered her stomach. It had settled so that was something, and she still had time to help close up. Trust her to get morning sickness in the evening, exactly when she had to work.
She staggered into the bathroom and cleaned up quickly, changing her tee for a clean one and running a brush through her hair. She didn’t look quite as terrible as earlier, she concluded, but she didn’t have the energy to do much else.
She pressed a hand to her flat stomach. How much should she tell Jake?
There would be more questions, surely? Like why Adam had just let her go? And why had she run away? This was such new territory. What did you tell the guy you wanted to take to bed about your past?
Would he even want her now he that knew? She shook her head. Perhaps this was all dumb. Who would want to fuck someone who was already carrying someone else’s baby, even if it was well and truly over with the father?
Christ, she never pictured being a single mom let alone wanting to sleep with a soldier. But it had been so long…well, forever really, since she’d slept with a man and actually enjoyed it. She had to wonder, why was she engaged to Adam in the first place?
All she could conclude these days was that she was totally brainwashed by him. He’d had her believing she deserved nothing better than him. That it was her fault they were crap in bed together.
So much of her wanted to prove him wrong. And she wanted to prove him wrong with Jake Walker.
By the time she came downstairs, most of the customers had left. She grinned at the sight of all these butch men wiping down tables and setting everything to rights. It was probably pretty different to being on the battlefield.
Jake spotted her and strode over. “I’m just about to lock up once the guys have finished. Are you okay to do the takings?”
“Of course.” She looked around the spotlessly clean bar. “Thank you so much.”
He gave a bashful shrug. The move had her mesmerized for some reason. It seemed so at odds with the big, muscular man that he was. Didn’t anyone ever thank him?
One of the waitresses, Shelly, headed over. “You feeling ok, Waverly? Walker said you were pretty sick.”
“I’m better now, thanks.”
“We’re going to head off now. The boys have done a pretty good job of tidying up. Should get Justice to hire them full-time I think. Would give us something good to look at.” Shelly winked at Walker. “Rest up and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
The man Walker had called Rocco came over to escort Shelly and the other ladies out. “Hope you’re feeling better soon, Waverly,” he said, his smile flirtatious.
That man was dangerously attractive. Ridiculously so. He should have been a movie star, not a soldier. But from the look Shelly was giving him, she was willing to bet he used his looks to his advantage. Waverly certainly didn’t need someone like that in her life.
Did she need someone like Walker, though?
She glanced up at the man. He peered at her intently and she felt a blush rise. If she had a shot, she definitely did. She’d never met a man like him.
He helped her lock up and gather up the takings for the night to count them in Justice’s office.
“You don’t need to stay, you know.”
But, God, she wanted him to.
“I don’t mind. Got nowhere better to be.” He motioned to the till trays and the accounts book. “Are you okay doing all this?”
She nodded. “I’m pretty good with numbers. Justice said she was happy for me to take charge.”
Walker sat on the opposite side of the desk. “Justice is a good woman.”
“She is.”
“Does she know about the, uh, baby?”
“No.” Waverly paused counting up the money. “Do you think I should tell her?”
“It’s your business I guess but if it’s going to make it harder for you to work here, she should probably know. Tonight could have been avoided.”
She sighed. “I know. The sickness hasn’t been that bad up until now, and I couldn’t bear it if she thought worse of me.”
“There’s no way Justice would think worse of you. Hell, I don’t think any of us would. We’ve all made mistakes.”
“My baby isn’t a mistake,” she said defensively.
“The choice of father sounds like it was.”
Waverly pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t deny that.”
“You’ll have to tell Justice once you show,” he pointed out.
She gave an embarrassed smile. “I wasn’t really sure I was going to stick around long enough for that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for what Justice has done for me, but I can’t exactly support a baby on tips.”
“The damned father should be supporting you.”
“That’s not going to happen,” she said firmly. “And I’m not going to ask.”
“What about the rest of your family? Can’t they help?”
“Let’s just say, I’m not close to them. They won’t help. I’m on my own.”
Jake grinned. “Not completely.”
Waverly mulled over those words while she finished counting up the takings and put them in the safe. She felt Walker watching her, making her breath thicken in her lungs. What did he mean by that? She didn’t need help. She had to do this alone, if only to prove to herself that Adam was wrong and she was strong enough.
She wouldn’t mind not being alone in bed, though. Just for a little while before her life became all sleepless nights and dirty diapers.
“You really don’t have to stay,” she insisted, swiping her hands down her jeans.
He smirked. “As if I could stay away.”
She let her brow furrow. “What does that mean?”
“Waverly, you know as well as I do that there’s something between us. And that something has been driving me fucking nuts all evening. Do you know how hard it is to watch you lean over the table every two seconds or watch you chew on the end of your thumb as you think?”
Waverly peered at the end of the thumb in question. “I didn’t mean to—”
“That’s just it.” He edged closer and pushed back a strand of hair from her face. “You never mean to. Everything about you screams sex, baby.”
“Jake …you can’t want me. Not now you know…”
“Sweetheart, I don’t give a damn about your past or the baby. All I know is that I need you so bad, I won’t be able to think straight until I have you. I’ve thought about nothing else since last week when you spilled that beer on me.” He lifted her chin with a thumb. “And I think you need me too.”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She did, so badly. Just for one moment she wanted to be selfish and forget about what had happened in the past and what the future held for her.
“I don’t expect anything from you,” she told him.
He chuckled. “Well, I hope you expect something, ‘cause I intend for you to have a very, very good time.”
How could she resist? No man had ever claimed to want her like that, not even her ex-fiancé. The only reason he’d ever been interested in her was because of her dad. Yes, he’d wined and dined her, but he’d never had the ability to talk so frankly.
He put a hand to the base of her spine and brought her firmly against him.
She gasped. Her palms came to his chest to feel the rock hard muscles there. Her body gave a pang of need and her panties felt wet already. What was this man doing to her?
Walker used his other hand to coax her chin up. With her breasts crushed against him and his hand cradling her jaw, she was a prisoner in the nicest possible way. His gaze searched hers.
“You feel so fucking good against me.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond, though she was
n’t sure she’d be able to. The feeling of all that muscle holding her tight and safe, making her feel more than the strange numb that she had been, was so intense that her mind threatened to shut down.
When he brought his lips down to hers, it nearly did. All she could do was feel. He didn’t give her time to adjust. He kissed her hard, aggressively. Her knees nearly gave way. Jake kissed like she suspected he lived life. With no excuses.
She dug her fingers into his muscled arms and kissed him back. Their tongues clashed and he groaned low in his throat. She met that sound of appreciation with a whimper.
He brought her closer to him—if that was even possible—with two hands to her ass.
A cry tore from her at the feel of his erection hard against her. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait.
“I know,” he told her against her neck, as he peppered kisses down it. “I know.”
Tingles raced along her body. Every part of her was electrified, so aware of his touch. His fingers squeezed her ass, her nipples were hard against his chest. He nibbled on her lobe then found her mouth again. She felt wild and out of control, thrusting her hands into his short hair and holding him tight to her.
“Don’t make me wait,” she begged. “I need you.”
He broke the kiss and eyed her before seeming to come to some kind of decision.
Walker found the bottom of her tee and hauled it over her head. Waverly took her cue and helped him with his own. She could hardly contain herself when she saw those muscles and tatts revealed to her. She knew he was strong but….
“Oh God.”
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and smiled. “Nothing at all.”
She just couldn’t believe she was going to get a night with this man. Maybe more. His abs were firm and begged her to trace the lines. His arms bulged and his cock was already peeking out over his jeans. The dark ink of a Samoan tattoo covered one entire arm and part of his chest. When she had more patience, she wanted to spend a whole evening tracing it with her fingers.
“Good, because I need to get you out of those clothes. You have no idea how much I need to see those gorgeous breasts.”
