“I was staying in an apartment over on Walnut Road,” she murmured in response, hoping that would be the end of it.
“Was? You mean you aren’t now?” Kiera asked.
Chloe really didn’t want to answer the question. She hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable it would be coming here and having to answer a barrage of questions. Was it too late to leave and figure out something else? She gave a furtive glance toward the front door, wishing it were closer and that she were faster. She had a feeling that Michael’s brother wouldn’t let her leave yet. It was obvious he suspected that Michael was the father of her child.
“Chloe?” Kiera prompted, still waiting on her question to be answered.
Chloe cleared her throat. “I was evicted yesterday.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Kiera said, placing a sympathetic hand on her arm.
Before Chloe could respond, the front door opened and closed.
“Hey bro, you said you wanted to see me?” Michael said as he walked into the living room.
When he saw Chloe, he looked confused.
“Kiera, I think that Michael and Chloe need to talk for a minute. Why don’t we go into the kitchen?” Gabriel said, holding his hand out to his wife.
Kiera climbed to her feet and gave Chloe one last glance, looking as if she wished she could help in some way.
When his brother and sister-in-law had filed out of the room, Michael looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow. “I take it you were looking for me?”
Why had she talked herself into this? She wasn’t ready to confront him, wasn’t sure what to say or do. She stared at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her.
“Chloe?” Michael took a step toward her.
She glanced up at him. Her mouth went dry. He was every bit as gorgeous as he had been the night she’d met him. His tall, muscular form was every bit as delicious as she had remembered. His blue eyes contrasted nicely with his inky black hair; his strong, full lips made liquid heat pool between her legs. For whatever reason, Chloe seemed to lose the ability to think when Michael was around, which was obvious since she was pregnant. The man was sinfully handsome, of that there was no doubt. It was also obvious that she still desired him as much as she had five months ago. This was definitely a mistake! Finding Michael was more dangerous than she had thought.
“I shouldn’t have come here,” she told him, pushing herself to her feet.
Before she could reach the door, Michael reached out and gently took her arm. “Wait, you had to come here for some reason. Just tell me what you wanted, Chloe.”
She shook her head. “No, this was a mistake.”
Pulling her arm free, she tried to walk out the door again, only to be stopped – again.
“What was a mistake, Chloe?”
Shaking her head, she tried to go around him.
Michael put his arm out, effectively blocking her path. In the process, her cardigan was pushed aside, revealing her stomach.
Grabbing the edges of the material, Chloe tried to cover the small bump. She wasn’t quite fast enough if the shocked expression on Michael’s face was anything to go by. She sighed, resigned to her fate.
“You’re pregnant?” he asked.
“Yes, five months.”
His eyes darted to hers. “Are you sure it’s mine?”
Anger filled her, eyes flashing she pushed past his arm and out the front door. She was down the steps and part way down the sidewalk before Michael even registered what had just happened.
***
Chloe was fuming! How dare he ask if the baby was his? As if she slept around all the time! The nerve of the man! He’s the one who walked out on her, who quit calling and coming by. What right did he have to question her?
She had just reached the bus stop and sat down when a Corvette pulled up to the curb. Leaving the car running, Michael got out and walked over to her.
Hunkering down in front of her, he tried to catch her attention. Chloe was looking everywhere but at him. “Chloe, would you look at me?”
She stubbornly stared at the ground.
“Chloe, what do you want me to say? I’m sorry, okay? You kind of blindsided me.”
She had to grudgingly admit that he was right on that point. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure I had planned on ever telling you. You left and stopped calling. I figured you had gotten what you wanted from me and moved on.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I ended up getting attacked by some crazy guy who was after my sister-in-law; then my other brother got married a few weeks later,” Michael said by way of explanation.
Her eyes widened in shock. “Attacked? What do you mean attacked?”
“It was nothing. I was laid up for a week or two, but I’m fine now.”
Chloe scooted closer to the edge of the bench. “So you were attacked shortly after our last night together?”
Thinking he was getting through to her, he smiled. “Yes, I was. Otherwise, I would have called you.”
“And you were stuck in bed during your recovery?” she asked.
He nodded. “For at least two weeks.”
Chloe set her jaw. “And you couldn’t work a phone in all that time? Or in the months since then?”
Too late, Michael realized his mistake. “Well, I…”
“Just admit it, Michael! You weren’t going to call me. I was nothing more than a fling to you, which is why I didn’t bother telling you about the baby. You didn’t want me so why should I think you’d want your child?” she snapped.
Michael lost his temper. “If you didn’t think I wanted you or the baby, why did you come looking for me now?”
Tears blurred Chloe’s vision. “I wouldn’t have, but I didn’t have any other options.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I lost my job, lost my car, and yesterday I was evicted from my apartment. The few things I have left fit in a plastic sack,” she said.
Michael sighed, his anger draining away at her admission. He gathered her hand in his and gave it a slight tug. “Well, come on.”
She looked up at him, a tear having slipped down her cheek. “What? Where are we going?”
“To my place. You can’t sit on this bench all night.”
She shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t have come looking for you. I should have just figured it out on my own. This is my problem, not yours.”
“In case you missed it, Chloe, the baby you’re carrying is mine. That makes your welfare my problem just as much as it is yours,” he growled. Damn but the woman was independent!
“Okay, but just for tonight,” she relented grudgingly.
Michael rubbed his jaw. “And you’re miraculously going to have a job and a place to live in the morning?”
“Well, no.”
He nodded. “Then I think it’s safe to say you’ll be staying with me for longer than just tonight.”
Chloe knew she’d lost this round. One way or another, she was going to find a job! Staying in Michael’s house wasn’t going to be easy. He might have been able to forget about her, but she hadn’t been able to forget him. She’d thought of him every waking moment since the last time she’d seen him.
Michael stood and held his hand out to her. Helping her stand, he put an arm around her waist, which she promptly shrugged off.
“Michael, maybe we need to get something straight.”
He didn’t think he liked where this was going. “What is it Chloe?”
“We aren’t going to pick up where we left off. I’m not sleeping with you.”
“I didn’t expect you to, Chloe.” Although he had hoped she would. Having her under his roof and not in his bed was going to drive him crazy.
“So what’s with the arm around my waist?”
“I just thought you might be tired. I was only helping you to the car,” he answered.
Some of the anger left her, visibly relaxing
her posture. “Oh. Sorry, I thought you were trying to make a move on me.”
Michael’s lips twitched as he fought a grin. “Honey, if I made a move on you, you’d know it.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “I remember,” she murmured.
Michael opened the car door and Chloe climbed inside. Once she was buckled, he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Shaking his head, he climbed into the car. It was going to be a long night, of that he had no doubt. He had a feeling his life would never be the same.
Chapter Two
A short time later, after having retrieved Chloe’s possessions from her motel room, Michael pulled up in front of his home. It wasn’t big and fancy like the Victorian, but it was his. Matt had sold it to him right after Kiera and Gabriel married. The three-bedroom one-bath brick home backed up to a large park, which made it ideal for a werewolf. There was a large privacy fence around the backyard as well, with gates in both the front and the back.
Chloe was surprised when she saw Michael’s house. After the Victorian, she had figured he lived in a large house. The small brick home in front of her looked cozy, like a family home. That’s the last thing she needed to be thinking, she mentally chastised herself. She and Michael were not going to be a family!
Getting out of the car, she carried her sack up to the front porch. She surveyed the area while Michael unlocked the front door and pushed it open.
“After you,” he said, motioning for her to enter.
Chloe stepped into the house and was pleasantly surprised. The living room was fairly small with hardwood floors and tan walls. The furniture was simple, but seemed to suit the room perfectly. Through the living room, she could see the eat-in kitchen.
“The bedrooms are through here,” Michael said as he headed for a small hallway off to the left.
“I don’t have any furniture in the first bedroom. The second one doesn’t have much either,” he said, passing both rooms.
“I’m sure it will be fine.”
He pushed open a third door. “Actually, I’m giving you my room.”
Chloe looked at him in surprise. “You can’t do that.”
“I think I just did.”
“But… it isn’t fair for you to give up your room,” she insisted.
“Chloe, would you just take the room? The bed is bigger and more comfortable. You’re carrying my child, just let me do this one small thing,” he said in desperation.
Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but the stubborn set of Michael’s jaw told her it would be futile to argue. She gave a slight nod, “Okay, I’ll take the room, but only because you insist.”
Michael walked into the room and cleaned out a dresser drawer for her, “You can put your things in here.”
She eyed her small sack, the drawer, and finally looked at Michael. “I somehow don’t think my worldly possessions will take up enough space to warrant having a whole drawer to myself.”
Michael’s throat constricted. He knew she was only being flip to hide her pain. He couldn’t imagine how she had felt seeing her stuff out on the street, knowing she didn’t have a place to live any longer. “Just take the damn drawer, Chloe. We’ll discuss your belongings, or lack thereof, in the morning.”
Chloe nodded and emptied her sack into the drawer. She’d only managed to snag two changes of clothes, some clean bras and panties, and one or two knick knacks that had been special to her.
Michael noticed she didn’t have a nightgown in the drawer and pulled out an extra-large tee for her to sleep in; tossing it on the bed he turned to face her, “Do you need anything else tonight?”
Chloe shook her head. “I’m fine.” Michael turned to go, but her voice stopped him. “Michael, I just wanted to say thank you. You didn’t have to let me sleep here tonight.”
“Yes, I did, Chloe, but you’re welcome just the same.” Michael left, closing the door behind him, leaving Chloe to her thoughts.
She sank onto the edge of the bed and looked around the room. It wasn’t overly large, but it was big enough to hold the queen-size bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. There weren’t any decorations, pictures, or much of anything making the room Michael’s. Without the personal touches, it didn’t look lived in; more like it was a resting place. Knowing Michael and his proclivity for sleeping around, it probably was just a resting place.
Chloe picked up the t-shirt and held it to her face, breathing in Michael’s scent. Closing her eyes, she remembered their brief time together. Before she could stop it, a tear slid down her cheek. She'd thought that Michael was different, that they had something special together. Instead, he had turned out to be like every other guy she’d dated--only after her body and not her heart. Well, whether he had wanted it or not, Chloe had given her heart to Michael. She just hoped he didn’t realize it while she was staying here. He’d already broken it once, and Chloe wasn’t sure it could take too much abuse. Loving Michael was dangerous.
Sliding off the edge of the bed, she walked into the hall and into the bathroom. A shower was just the thing before turning in for the night. While it was still early, she’d had a long day and hadn’t managed to get in a nap. Her ever changing body required more sleep than she had been getting and she could barely hold her eyes open.
In the living room, Michael sank onto the sofa. Burying his hands in his hair, he tried to absorb the fact that he was going to be a father. He hadn’t planned on settling down anytime soon. While he had known that Chloe was special, he hadn’t been ready to face a forever kind of relationship, so of course he’d bailed on her. Looking back, he wished that he had called her at least once. Maybe he would have known about the baby, known that she needed him.
He heard the water turn on and looked down the hall. Clenching his fists, he forced himself to remain where he was. Knowing that Chloe was getting in the shower, he wanted nothing more than to go to her. Her body had been beautiful the last time he’d seen it; petite with just the right amount of curves. Now it was growing with his child and he wanted to share in the marvel, but knew that she would freak out if he were to walk in there right now. Chloe needed time, a lot of time, before he could be a part of her life. And Michael realized that he wanted precisely that.
Leaning back against the sofa cushions, he dropped his head back and closed his eyes. He’d call Matt’s wife Cassie and see if she had any maternity clothes that might fit Chloe until he could take her shopping. Maybe it would be the peace offering he needed to crack the hard shell Chloe had built around herself, effectively blocking him from her heart.
Chapter Three
The next day Chloe woke with a start. Looking around the room, everything was unfamiliar to her. As she pushed herself into a sitting position, she remembered where she was – Michael’s house.
Pushing the covers aside, she got out of bed and walked over to the dresser. She opened the drawer and pulled out one of her remaining clean outfits. Quickly putting on the knit top and jeans, she went into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth.
Chloe took a breath, steeling her nerves; she was uncertain of what she would find when she opened the door and walked down the hall. Reaching for the knob, she hesitantly turned it, pulling the door open one inch at a time.
As she peered into the hallway, she realized the house seemed quiet – a little too quiet. With a frown, she crept into the hall. Both of the other bedroom doors were closed so she wasn’t sure if Michael was asleep or not. Venturing down the hall, she stepped into the living room. No sign of him.
Just as she started to relax, she heard a key in the lock of the front door. Shoulders tense, she faced the door and waited. When the door opened, she saw Michael, and her breath caught in her throat. His dark hair was windblown; his blue t-shirt clung to his muscular chest and upper arms. Chloe let her eyes travel down his denim clad legs to the worn black boots on his feet. Her eyes snapped back to his face just as he stepped into the house.
“I thought you were at work,” she said, hoping her
voice didn’t give away her thoughts.
Michael looked at her over the top of his sunglasses. “I have the day off.”
Chloe noticed the paper shopping bag in his hand. “You went shopping awfully early.”
“Actually, I went to see some friends. Cassie was cleaning some stuff out for a garage sale and thought you might be able to use these,” he said, handing the bag to her.
Chloe took the bag from him and peered inside. She bit her lip when she saw the clothes. Tears clogged her throat. Why was he being so nice to her? He was making it really hard to stay mad at him.
“Thank you,” she said huskily.
Michael noticed that her eyes looked a little teary. “Are you okay, Chloe?”
She fought back her tears, wishing he hadn’t seen them. “I’m fine. It’s just pregnancy hormones.”
Michael looked at her, skeptical.
He motioned toward the sofa, “Chloe, sit with me a minute?”
She eyed him, not sure if she should accept or escape to her room. Michael’s room, she corrected herself. Sitting on the edge of the cushion, she watched as he sat beside her. Michael turned toward Chloe and reached for her hand. She wanted to jerk out of his grasp, but he held tight.
“Chloe, if we’re going to be staying together, even for a short time, I think we need to talk. I’m sorry for the way I acted, the way I disappeared.”
Chloe shook her head. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Michael. You told me before that you weren’t looking for a serious relationship. I just didn’t listen.”
Michael visibly swallowed. “Chloe, I may not have been looking for a permanent relationship, but if I were going to have one, it would be with you.”
Chloe turned her face away. “Why are you doing this to me, Michael?”
“Doing what?”
She took a breath to steel her nerves before facing him again. “Why are you saying these things? If you feel guilty, you shouldn’t.”
“It isn’t that. Please, Chloe, just listen to me.”
Chloe shook her head. “I don’t know if I should.”
Michael gently reached up and caressed her cheek. “If I could go back and change everything, I would have called you the next morning. I would have been by your side this whole time.”
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