“How far along are you?” he asked again.

  “What? You don’t know that from all your resources?”

  He sighed. “Are you going to remain difficult through this entire thing?”

  He was forcing me to move in with him. He’d accused me of not taking care of myself properly. He had pulled a gun on my roommate. Did he expect me to be warm and bubbly?

  “Nine weeks,” I muttered.

  “When was the last time you saw a doctor?”

  I didn’t look at him as I continued to stare out the window. “At six weeks.”

  “Do you have a preference for a male or female doctor?”

  He was being very thorough. Who had told him what to ask? He couldn’t have come up with all this on his own.

  “Female.” The idea of a man down there bothered me.

  “When did you find out?”

  “When I missed my period,” I replied. Wasn’t that how most girls found out?

  “Did you test the day you missed or …”

  I finally turned to look at him. “I’m never late. When I was two days late, I tested. Why are you asking me all this? Do you honestly care?”

  The hand he had on the steering wheel tightened. I could see his knuckles turn white. Saxon had anger issues. How had I missed that? Oh yeah, I’d only known him for two weeks.

  “It’s my baby too,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Yes, but you didn’t want me to keep it.”

  “I never said that. You assumed.”

  “You said I couldn’t afford a baby.”

  His jaw worked back and forth, like he was grinding his teeth. I would point out that it was bad for his teeth, but there was that gun to worry about. One never knew what would set him off.

  “All that matters at this point is, you’re pregnant, and it’s mine. I’m going to make sure you and the baby are given the proper care.”

  “You’re not worried that paternity test could be wrong?” Although I knew it wasn’t.

  “No.”

  “It’s that accurate?”

  He glanced at me. “It is when it’s ninety-nine-point-nine percent accurate.”

  The fact that seemed to piss him off made me smile. I couldn’t help it. I knew it was his, but since I was apparently a liar, he couldn’t trust me. Maybe it was me being petty, but I felt like I had won.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  I shrugged. “Because I like being vindicated.”

  He didn’t say anything more, and I laid my head back on the seat. The warmth from the heater felt wonderful. It didn’t take long for my eyes to grow heavy, and I welcomed the sleep. I’d worked a ten-hour shift today. Country music started playing, but it felt far away as I drifted off.

  Nine

  Saxon

  It was almost ten when I pulled the truck up to the stables. Haisley had slept the rest of the drive. The dark circles under her eyes weren’t just from lack of nutrition. She was exhausted. That sure didn’t seem to dull her fire though.

  She stretched, and my eyes dropped down to her chest. When she’d walked out in that short cotton dress with no fucking bra today, it had taken all my willpower not to look at her tits. I was also guilty of looking at them and her legs, all stretched out and bare, while she slept on the drive home. When she yawned, my eyes snapped back up to her face just as she opened them.

  “We’re here,” I said before opening my truck door and getting out.

  Getting her inside the house without my mom seeing us was important.

  I’d wanted to wait until I knew the baby was mine before talking to my parents. However, when I received the call that the baby was mine, I didn’t take the time to talk to anyone. The thought of Haisley walking to that damn hotel and cleaning rooms became more than I could handle. Getting her out of that apartment and here, safe, had been my only concern.

  Being back here, with her, I now had to worry about telling my mom. There were a few times this week I’d found my dad frowning at me. Something told me that he knew and he was waiting on me to tell him. It was Mom that I was worried about. She wasn’t going to take this well. Once it was clear that Gypsi Parker was with Trev, my mom had turned her attention back to Declan Delamore, my ex. She was not going to handle it well when she found out I was having a kid with someone like Haisley. Her family had no power and no wealth. She didn’t even have somewhere decent to live. She’d been kicked out. This was my mom’s worst nightmare.

  I grabbed Haisley’s bags from the truck and started for the stable house, not checking to see if Haisley was following me. Hearing the truck door close behind me assured me she wasn’t just sitting in the truck. I unlocked the front door and pushed it open before finally looking back to see where she was. She was looking over at the stables. This wasn’t her first time here. I’d brought her to ride twice. Standing there, remembering those times, wasn’t good for her. We would never be like that again. She had killed that when she ended things like she had.

  “Hurry. It’s late, and I didn’t get to sleep on the ride home like you did.” My snarky words made me want to wince, but I didn’t show it on my face. This was for the best. For us and the baby.

  She turned her gaze to me, but I didn’t wait to see the reaction on her face. I headed inside the house and then took my first right into the bedroom that would be hers. Dropping her bags on the bench that sat at the end of the bed, I let out a sigh.

  This was a fucking mess. How had I been so damn stupid? I’d dated Declan for years, and not once had we had a pregnancy scare. Why? Because I hadn’t fucked her without a condom. Even though she had an IUD, I never went in her bare.

  Angry at my lack of self-control and where it had put us, I spun around to see Haisley standing at the doorway. She was pale and too damn thin. That just pissed me off more.

  “Bathroom is through that door,” I told her, nodding to the doorway to the right of the bed.

  She stepped inside the room, her gaze roaming over the rustic full-size bed that looked like it belonged in a cabin in the mountains. It was a small room with the basics, but it was a hell of a lot better than that fucking sofa bed she’d been sleeping on. Her roommate, Sherry, had been very informative in the short amount of time I’d had to listen to her talk. I walked past Haisley to get out of the room. I needed a shower and sleep.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  I stopped and looked back at her. “Stable house. The stable manager normally lives here, but our current one moved out a month ago, and I moved in.” Then, I started for my room again.

  “Thanks,” she called out to me.

  I didn’t turn back to look at her. I simply nodded, then continued across the open living and kitchen area to the master bedroom. Tomorrow was going to fucking suck. My mom would not handle this gracefully.

  Getting caught up in the moment sure as hell came with a price. If I could go back and do it differently, I would. For starters, I would have picked her up that day when she was walking home, taken her home, and left it at that. I couldn’t go back though. Life didn’t work that way.

  Two Months Ago

  Haisley in a bikini was something worthy of a centerfold. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her when she took off her clothes and revealed the turquoise strip of fabric barely covering her tits. I’d fucking held my breath the first time she turned around, waiting to see how much of her ass was on display. Just enough to drive a man insane.

  “The water isn’t hot, but it’s refreshing. Not cold, but slightly warm,” she said, smiling as she ran her hand over the crystal-clear water. “And it’s so pretty. It’s like a pool with green stuff on the bottom.”

  I decided not to tell her that, among that, grass eels were often found. “It’s tape grass, and the temperature is probably around eighty-four degrees today,” I told her instead.

  She lifted her gaze from the water to meet mine. “You know a lot about it.”

  I shrugged. “Grew up coming to the springs around here.”

  “So, you aren’t a Boy Scout?” she asked teasingly.

  I laughed. The idea of me getting to participate in Boy Scouts was comical. That wasn’t something the family thought we needed in our training.

  “No, afraid not.”

  Her gaze locked on the water again, and I wondered if she’d seen some shadow in the deeper end. She closed the distance between us, and her eyes went wide as she looked back up at me. “Is there fish in here?”

  I smirked, reaching out and sliding a hand over her waist. “There’s nothing to be scared of,” I assured her.

  Her sharp intake of breath as I pulled her against my chest until her lush, full tits were pressed against me told me I’d distracted her. Reaching up, I cupped her face and ran the pad of my thumb over her cheekbone. It was perfect, like the rest of her. I had yet to find one imperfection on her body. It seemed unfair to the rest of the female population for someone like her to exist.

  “There are creatures in this water.” Her words sounded breathless as she dropped her gaze to my mouth. “And you’re trying to distract me.”

  I grinned, leaning down and brushing my lips against hers. “Is it working?” I whispered.

  “Mmhmm,” she replied, slipping her hands around my neck and pressing into me.

  Her mouth opened under mine, and I dived in, hungry to taste her. Kissing Haisley had become my favorite thing lately. She made sexy little sounds and tasted like sweet lemon. It was unique and addictive, just like she was.

  I moved my hand at her waist down to her ass and slid the tips of my fingers into the fabric before squeezing the cheek I held. She lifted her knee and slid it up the side of my leg. It was an invitation I wasn’t turning down. My hand slid further down until my fingers brushed her open slit.

  “AH!” Haisley cried out, moving her hands to my biceps and gripping me.

  I watched her as I slowly began to pump my middle finger inside of her. Those insane eyes of hers widened as she stared up at me.

  “You like that?” I asked, my voice deep and husky-sounding, even to my own ears.

  She nodded, breathing hard.

  I added another finger and continued to gently move in and out before tracing a path to her clit and rubbing it. Her knees buckled, and her forehead fell against my chest.

  “Oh!” she moaned, rocking against my touch.

  My dick throbbed in my swim trunks as I felt her pulse against my fingers. With my other hand, I untied the back of her bikini and pulled it off her, then tossed it to the closest patch of grass before lowering my head to run my tongue around one of her hard nipples, then sucking it into my mouth.

  “Saxon!” she cried out, opening her legs even more and moving against me.

  When her center met my erection, she let out a low, needy sound that made my dick leak.

  I kissed the spot beneath her ear. “What do you want?” I asked her, holding back my groan from the sheer pleasure of her grinding against my cock.

  Her response was more pressing and moving so that the friction of my hard length rubbed against her needy pussy.

  I trailed kisses down her neck. “I don’t have a condom in my swim trunks.”

  She let out a pained sound and clung to me. Fucking hell, she was making this hard. My control was slipping with every sexy sound she made. Did she not realize how irresistible she was? A guy was only so strong.

  Need began to overpower all other thoughts, and I tugged her bottoms down until she lifted her leg one at a time and let me take them off her. She was naked, in my arms, with nothing but the crystal-clear water lapping against her, caused by our movements. I was sure that in this lifetime, I would never see anything or anyone more beautiful than Haisley at this moment.

  Backing her up against the side of the springs, I covered her mouth with mine, growling as she began to frantically flick her tongue against mine. Opening her legs, she wrapped them around me. I didn’t give a flying fuck about a condom anymore. Shoving my shorts down, I freed my hard cock and stroked it once, pressing the tip against her entrance.

  Haisley’s eyes dropped to watch me before she lifted her hips and pushed so that the head slid inside of her.

  “Fuuuck,” I groaned as the snug little cunt squeezed around the head of my dick.

  I thrust hard until I was fully deep inside of her pussy. Jesus, she was insanely tight. This felt too damn good. Wet, hot velvet was the only way I could describe it.

  If I died today, I would die the luckiest man on the fucking planet.

  Ten

  Haisley

  When I had climbed in bed last night, I’d thought sleep would be hard. However, once my body hit the softest sheets and sank into the most comfortable mattress I’d ever experienced, I’d fallen into such a deep sleep that when I woke up, I forgot where I was. After my moment of panic, I relaxed and stared at the room in the daylight.

  It was the nicest room I had ever been in. A dresser sat against one wall across the room with a lamp on it. Beside it was a tall piece of furniture—I wasn’t sure what it was called, but I thought maybe it was for hanging clothes in.

  Sitting up, I swung my legs over and slid down from the high bed until my feet sank into the soft, thick rug. As angry as I had been about Saxon coming and demanding I leave with him yesterday, I couldn’t work up enough annoyance with him this morning. I hadn’t slept that soundly in … maybe ever. I listened for any sounds that meant Saxon was awake, but the house was silent.

  Walking over to the bathroom, I turned on the light and stepped inside. It wasn’t much bigger than the bathroom at the apartment, but it was my own private bathroom. There were two towels hanging on a rack beside the toilet. The shower in the corner had shampoo and conditioner, along with a bar of soap on the built-in shelf.

  A door slammed somewhere in the house, causing me to jump, startled. The loud knock on the bedroom door was followed by Saxon calling my name. Turning, I went back into the room and over to the bedroom door to open it.

  Saxon’s scowl met me. “Get dressed. We have to go to the main house. I told Mom I needed to talk to her.” He paused and flicked his gaze past me into the room. “Wear something nice.”

  I had to meet his mother. Now. This morning. My stomach turned, and nausea hit me.

  “Don’t wear anything slutty,” he added.

  I managed to nod and closed the door without replying. Once it clicked shut, I turned and rushed back to the bathroom, making it to the toilet before I heaved. My stomach was empty, I realized as I heaved again and nothing came up. A cold sweat covered my body, and I leaned against the wall, feeling light-headed.

  When was the last time I’d eaten?

  “What can I do?” Saxon sounded tense.

  I hadn’t realized he’d come into the room.

  I closed my eyes, wanting to lie back down, and tried to muster up enough energy to stand up. I was going to need a shower. I just didn’t know if I could take one without passing out.

  “Haisley?” Saxon said, reminding me that he had asked me something.

  Oh, yes, what could he do? Not get me pregnant—that was what he could have done.

  “Nothing,” I whispered, keeping my eyes closed as I pressed my cheek against the wall.

  “There is nothing there. You dry-heaved. When was the last time you ate?”

  I took a slow, deep breath. “I don’t remember. Yesterday sometime.”

  “That’s fucking great. Why did you decide to keep the baby if you’re gonna fucking starve it?”

  His angry tone made me flinch. I couldn’t defend myself. I didn’t have the energy.

  “I’m going to make you something to eat, and you’re gonna eat all of it,” he told me. “Get up and put something on other than that fucking shirt, then come to the kitchen.”

  I listened as he stalked away, clearly pissed off. I wanted to slap his face—no, I wanted to punch him in the nose. I just couldn’t manage that at the moment. I was having to focus on standing up.

  Once I was in front of the mirror, I turned on the water and splashed my face with cold water. It felt so good that I did it again before turning off the faucet and staring at my reflection. My cheekbones stood out more than normal, and the dark circles under my eyes made my face seem as if it belonged on someone else. I didn’t even see myself anymore. The girl in the mirror was terrifying.

  Unable to keep looking at what I’d become, I turned and walked back into the bedroom to find something to change into. The shirt I’d slept in had belonged to AJ when he was in high school. It was faded and worn, but it was soft. I didn’t own pajamas. I never had. Clearly, my lack of those annoyed Saxon.

  Pulling out a pair of knit shorts and a tank top, I changed, careful not to move too fast and lose my balance. I still felt out of sorts. Once I was changed, I made my way into the open area of the house and found Saxon putting a plate on the counter in front of a stool.

  He glanced at me, and his disapproval at my clothing was clear in his eyes. What had he wanted me to do, get dressed and ready to see his mother before I came to eat? I tried to ignore him and turned my attention to the food. A slice of toast with butter melting on it, scrambled eggs, sliced strawberries, mixed with blackberries, and a glass of milk. Even on a good week, I’d never had a breakfast like this. Typically, it was toast with peanut butter or a cup of yogurt when things were going well. When they weren’t, I normally skipped breakfast so the younger kids had enough food.

  “It’s healthy. Eat it.” Saxon’s tone was annoyed. “That’s regular milk. If you need another kind, I can get it from the house.”

  “Thank you. This is good,” I replied, not looking at him as I walked over to the stool and sat down.