His excitement deflated. Did she not want to have sex with him? “Yes. I will. I do. I hope you’ll want to have sex with me.” Many times. Every night. “If you allow me into your bed, I will make your pleasure a top priority. But I will expect nothing, and I will never pressure you for something you aren’t willing to give. The money will be yours whether we sleep together or not.”
Once again her breath hitched. Her pupils grew, black spilling over amber. Her nails dug into her knees, as if…no way. As if she had to stop herself from reaching for him.
He went still. She wanted him. Lyndie Scott wanted him.
Do not pound your chest like a gorilla.
“I don’t want your money, Brock.”
Heart thudding against his ribs, he opened his mouth to tell her that he’d give her anything. If she wanted him to beg, he would beg. He had no pride. Not with her.
Shoulders squared, she added, “I want your sperm.”
Uh, what the what now? His brain short-circuited.
Groaning, she hunched over to anchor her elbows on her knees and cover her face with her upraised hands.
“I think I misheard you,” he rasped, but deep down realization had begun to click. Lyndie Scott had caught the baby fever. She might agree to marry him, but she expected a child in return.
Chapter Four
Lyndie felt as if she’d just crawled away from a dangerous roller coaster ride. Her pulse points raced, her head ached, her stomach ached, and different parts of her body throbbed.
Brock Hudson wanted to marry her, and live with her, and sleep with her. Temporarily. He desired her sexually. He even liked spending time with her and had already begun to protect her from Lambert. A startling—and welcome—development. Except having his protection meant relying on him. She couldn’t learn to rely on him long term.
Argh! She’d always thought of herself as an inmate finally released from the prison of marriage. She would rather die than end up behind bars a second time. Now there was a slight problem to such a mindset. A golden goose could be waiting inside this particular prison.
Some little girls dreamed of becoming a princess. Lyndie dreamed of becoming a mommy. In fact, her love for children had driven her to teach.
Would Brock agree to relinquish all parental rights? What if he changed his mind and sued her for custody of their child?
Marrying him, accepting his money, never sleeping with him, and using an anonymous donor would be the smartest move. But… Now she pictured her child with black hair and smoldering green eyes, and her heart melted. Her soul yearned.
And dang it, Lyndie had needs. Brock could kill two birds with one very sexy stone. He could satisfy the carnal cravings that plagued her every time she crawled into bed and give her a baby.
“I don’t want to be a dad, Scottie,” he said, his tone firm, utterly uncompromising.
“You wouldn’t be the dad.” Fighting for breath, she peeked at him through her hands. “You’d be the donor. There’s a difference. The baby would be mine. After conception, you’d have zero involvement. In fact, you would sign a document stating as much.”
On my own or bust!
“I live in Strawberry Valley, and I have no desire to move,” he said. “How am I supposed to treat our baby?”
“My baby. And you’ll treat her—”
“Or him.”
“—like a fun uncle. Maybe. I haven’t figured out all the details.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face, a habit of his. “Will you tell the child I’m his—”
“Or her.”
“—father? Or rather, donor?”
“Would you want me to tell the child about you? I mean, since you’ll be my ex-husband, the rest of the town will put two and two together. Unless we both deny it. Which we could do. I could say I used a donor. Which would be true!”
A pause. Then, “No. I wouldn’t want the child to know.” He massaged the back of his neck. “Why get pregnant now? Why not, say, in a few years?”
Why else? “My oven is ready to bake a bun. My biological clock is racing. Ticktock. Ticktock.”
“You’re only twenty-six.”
“Maybe I have the ovaries of a fifty-year-old. You don’t know.”
Brock pinched the bridge of his nose before jumping to his feet. “I need a moment to think…and maybe a drink or twelve.”
The sudden movement had her reaching for the gun under the side table. Ugh! A habit of hers—reacting violently to the unexpected. She stopped, thankfully empty-handed, as Brock began to pace. If he noticed her reaction—who was she kidding? He noticed. He gave no reaction.
Steady. “Look. I know I’m young, and I know, realistically, that my biological clock has a long ways to go. But I don’t feel young. I feel as if I’ve lived a hundred lifetimes. I feel as if my wants and needs have always been on the back burner. I’m ready to live for the first time.”
“I understand.”
Did he really? “Give me something to consider while you’re doing all your thinking,” she said. “You mentioned you’d be faithful. Have you ever been in a monthlong committed relationship?”
“No,” he grated.
“So your staying power hasn’t been put to the test yet. Commitment may prove…hard for you. Like, really really hard. As long as we’re trying to make a baby, we can go at it like rabbits, but you absolutely positively cannot be with another woman. I need you virile and as potent as possible.” The absolute and only reason she insisted on this. Definitely not any other reason. Like, say, jealousy.
He blinked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching, shocking her. He found this amusing rather than horrifying? “Did sweet little Scottie Scott just utter the words virile and potent while talking about my…what would you call it? Member? Boner? Love stick? I feel like I’ve entered some sort of bizarro world.”
Exactly! Any second she would wake up and discover this conversation was a wine-induced dream. How else could this perfect scenario be playing out right before her eyes?
Just to be contrary, she said, “For your information, I’d call it a trouser snake, thank you very much.”
A laugh barked from him. “Admit it,” he said when he calmed, sounding pleased. “You’re jealous. You don’t like the thought of me with anyone else.”
“Never!” Denied it to herself, so she’d dang sure deny it to him. “And I think you’re forgetting I’ve seen your endless parade of randoms. So. To be clear. I would be sleeping with you, and only you, so it’s only fair that you return the favor. Unless you’re fine with my banging other men and being unsure about the father of my child?”
“There will be no one else for you,” he said with a scowl.
Smug now—though she probably should have been upset about his vehemence—she said, “Second, I expect you to be amazing in bed. Like, beyond my wildest expectations. You’ll need stamina to keep up with me.” Maybe. Probably not. “You can’t go wasting your energy on other women. And guess what? I want orgasms!”
He made a strangled sound. His pupils expanded, overshadowing all that luscious green. “I will give you orgasms. I will give you more orgasms than you can count.”
“Third,” she continued, as if she weren’t fighting a wave of lust right that second, “I firmly believe in the Ten Commitments. A list of requirements Dorothea, Ryanne and I made up in high school.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m a little light-headed after all that orgasm talk, but I’m also listening. Do tell.”
“A boy shalt not lie to anyone, ever, not even to flatter, cheat with so much as a look, steal even when desperate, harm others in any way, or make excuses for bad behavior. He shalt compliment when merited, help when needed, treat others with kindness, always, consult his girl when making big decisions, and do his best, not just what’s good enough.”
His gaze searched her face. “You are adorable. You amaze me, Lyndie Scott.”
The words surprised her, but she fluffed her hair. “You a
ssume I don’t amaze everyone?” Dang. Wine made her super confident in sporadic intervals. She was going to regret it tomorrow, wasn’t she?
Brock barked out another laugh, causing goose bumps to spread from thigh to knee…and everywhere in between.
“When our relationship ends,” she said, “you can go back to your man-whorish ways with my blessing.” A pang cut through Lyndie’s chest, and she swallowed a moan. Did the pang spring from jealousy, as he’d assumed? Or regret? No, no. Neither one. Probably came from indigestion. Because of the wine. “While we’re together, we’ll be having unprotected sex, so I’ll need you healthy—and to remain healthy. Speaking of, you’ll have to get tested. I will too.”
His amusement faded fast. “I won’t want a lifelong commitment because of a child,” he said, his tone soft.
Oh, the gall of this man! “I’m not hoping to trap you, Brock. Believe it or not, being married to you isn’t the bow on top of a gift but a burden to bear in order to get what I want.”
“Burden.” He traced his tongue over his teeth, the very picture of masculine pique. “Stop, please. Your flattery is going straight to my head.”
What, had she hurt is feelings? No way, no how. But…
Maybe? The thought disconcerted her, and her shoulders rolled in. “I’m sorry,” she said, and sighed. “I never meant…it’s just…” Another sigh. “Maybe this is a mistake.”
“Now wait just a second.” He swooped in, kneeling in front of her, placing his big, strong hands on her knees. “Getting naked with you does not strike me as a mistake.”
The warmth of his skin burned through her pajama pants, caressing her skin, and she gasped. Tingles erupted and spread, different parts of her reacting in different ways. Between her legs, liquid heat pooled. Her lower belly quivered. Her breasts ached.
With a frown, he moved his hands to the couch. Not much better. He’d caged her in. But she wasn’t frightened. No, oh no. There was no room for fear. Awareness scorched her, his pumpkin spice scent enveloping her. He must have had a latte before coming over, and for a moment, one startling moment, she wanted to press her lips against his and taste it.
“You’re still a little leery of me,” he said. “I don’t like it, but I understand. Trust takes time, and I’ll earn all yours, I swear it. I’m only sorry I didn’t put in more of an effort before today.”
His earnest expression struck a chord inside her. “I know a lot about you, but I also don’t know a lot about you. What if we aren’t compatible romantically and we make each other miserable the entire time we’re together?”
“Making decisions based on what if will only get us in trouble. But I agree we need to know more about each other. So shoot. Ask me anything about my romantic past. I’ll answer honestly.”
All righty then. “What was your longest relationship?”
He flinched but said, “Two nights.”
Oh, la la. An entire day longer than she’d thought. “Are you afraid of commitment?”
“Yes.”
His blunt, in-your-face honesty startled her. Pleased her too. “Why?”
“Because I’m not built for long term. I’m too much of a mess. In my late teens and early twenties, I was never in the same place for long, was always out on a mission. When I left the Army, I suffered—suffer—from PTSD.” He offered the details hesitantly, as if he expected her to flee. “I rarely sleep. When I do, I have nightmares.”
He tapped his temples and added, “Loud noises can rouse terrible memories. I can’t stand having anyone at my back. I can’t walk into a room without clocking every exit.” Smile wry, gaze remaining on her, he pointed to two windows and the entrance to the kitchen.
For some reason, the more he spoke, the more relaxed she became. “What makes you so sure you can be faithful to a wife for a few days, much less a month or two?”
His gaze lowered to her lips and smoldered, causing goose bumps to break out over her skin again. “I never go back on my word,” he rasped.
So he would stay with her even if he didn’t want her? Not exactly a dream situation. “Have you ever hit a woman?”
“Never. And I despise men who do.” His gaze returned to hers. In his eyes, she saw fierce conviction and disgust. Not for her, but for the men who acted so dishonorably.
The moisture in her mouth dried. I’m really going to do this, aren’t I? “If I ask you not to drink alcohol in the house, even as I’m sucking down bottles of wine, will you agree?”
“Yes.”
He hadn’t vacillated, even for a second. That was a good sign, right? “Do you still want to marry me even though I want a baby?”
“Yes,” he replied, again without a single beat of hesitation.
Wait. The question and answer left too many loopholes. “Will you try to impregnate me?”
Now he vacillated. He closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, then exhaled heavily. Her heartbeat slowed at long last only to intensify, becoming a violent punch against her ribs.
“If I say no,” he finally said, “will you ask someone else?”
“Maybe. Probably.” Why not tell him the truth? “Before you arrived, I was considering artificial incineration.”
He arched a brow. “Artificial incineration?”
“Oh my gosh. I did not just say that.” She slapped her forehead. “I meant insemination. Insemination!”
Another sharp inhalation. “Maybe we should pull the plug on this conversation and restart tomorrow when you haven’t had anything to drink.”
He was absolutely right. She should take a few days, think this through from beginning to end. Weigh all the pros and cons and talk to her friends. Though she could guess what they would say.
Dorothea: Wait for love, or you’ll regret it.
Ryanne: Get what you want and get out.
What did Lyndie want?
A baby, yes. Even Brock. No denying the guy revved her engine.
The relationship wouldn’t last forever, another plus. And she was older now, also a little wiser. She wouldn’t make the same mistakes she’d made in her youth. She wouldn’t lose herself in her relationship but would fight to retain her independence.
Opportunities like this didn’t happen twice. What if he changed his mind?
“If we do this, you can’t lie to me,” she told him. “Ever.”
Hope bloomed in his eyes, pale green irises glimmering. “I never have, never will.”
“And you can’t yell at me or threaten me.”
“Never have, never will,” he repeated.
True. “All right then. Only one last question left to answer. Are you or are you not willing to impregnate me? You have yet to respond directly.”
His head canted to the side, his study of her intensifying. More so than before. Finally he said, “Yes. Yes, I am.”
Well then. The moment of truth had come. Go for it or walk away?
She gulped, drew in another deep breath. “Yes,” she found herself saying. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Chapter Five
The next morning, Lyndie tried to convince herself that she’d agreed to marry Brock only because of the wine.
Cabernet said I’d have no regrets, but cabernet could be a no-good liar, so…
A dozen times she picked up her phone, intending to call or text him, only to stop.
On one hand, marriage. On the other, baby. If she had a third hand, sex.
More wine could balance things out. Breakfast wine—good idea. She walked to her wine closet—AKA her pantry. Only four bottles remained. Time to restock. For now she’d go with merlot, a more honest wine. Honesty mattered!
Despite the early-morning hours, a single glass helped mellow her mood. Merlot + marriage = possible win. Merlot + marriage + possible pregnancy = total landslide.
I can do this.
Even better, she would do this.
A little bit later, a text from Brock came in.
How’s my soon to be wifey-poo doing this morning?
H
er heart started to race, and not just with nervousness. She replied, She’s almost calm. Are we really going to do this???
A few seconds, and his response came in. In my fantasies, we already have. But we’ll get to that later. How do you feel about a Sunday wedding…one week from today??? I warned you we’d do this quick.
Okay, from wanting more to wanting to vomit. A cold sweat beaded her forehead. She had next Monday off, so technically, timing worked. She typed, I feel like time is gonna pass quicker than a hot knife through butter. If we get hitched on a Sunday, it’ll have to be after church services. So why not go to the courthouse and get this whole thing over with?
One minute passed. Then another. She waited with bated breath until her phone buzzed.
Brock: I’ll talk to the pastor at Strawberry Community Church. I’m certain he’ll let us do the deed between services. And we’re doing it this way because we’re Hudsons, and Hudsons do things right. Sometimes. Fine—because I want to see you in a gown, walking down the aisle. Yes, that’s right. You’ve given me a gown fetish. I hope you’re happy.
Lyndie smiled.
Brock: You’re still a go? Because if I need to give you a sample of my bedroom prowess to convince you, I will man up and do my duty.
Now she fanned her overheated cheeks. So willing to sacrifice, she thought with a grin. Why not invite him over?
Easy. Once he had her, he might do what he usually did and turn his attention elsewhere. Her smile faded. What if he decided to wed someone else? No, best Lyndie wait till after the wedding for any sexing. For the baby. Only the baby.
She typed: Lord help us all, I’m still a go. But I’m going to regrettably pass on the sampling until after we’ve said our vows.
So. There you have it. Onward and upward.
Up next? Telling her friends.
Except Brock had already told Jude and Daniel, and they’d already informed Dorothea and Ryanne. New texts began pouring in.
Dorothea: YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED???? TO BROCK HUDSON, PLAYBOY EXTRAORDINAIRE???? (Asking for a friend.)
Ryanne: Settle a bet for me. Jude says you agreed to marry Brock for a month or so, but I told him there was no way you’d EVER agree to marry a man, even for a day, and not tell me immediately. Winner gets bragging rights forever, so choose your next words wisely.
Can't Get Enough (The Original Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 5
