“Baby, please …”
He came toward me but I put my hands up to stop him. “Please, don’t.”
“Chastity—”
“Is it true? Is she having your baby?”
He took a step back.
“She visited me seven months ago and we spent a night together.”
“So, it’s yours.”
He thought for a moment and then nodded. “The timing is right.”
I looked away, unable to speak because a lump lodged itself in my throat.
“We can get through this.” His voice was calm, steady, which was in direct contrast to mine.
“You were with her for three years and now she’s having your baby.” I shook my head, fighting another wave of tears. “You’ll go back to her.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t want her. I want you.”
“You say that now.” My chin quivered.
“Don’t do this. Don’t push me away because you’re frightened. We’ve overcome so much already. This is something we’ll get through.”
“Will we? How?” A flicker of anger lit up inside me. “Tell me how we survive you and her wandering down memory lane together while she grows your baby inside her. It’s only a matter of time before you realize you want her back. The woman you loved for three years. The woman giving you a son.”
He took a step toward me.
“What we have is bigger than all of that. What I feel for you is bigger than all of that.” Despite my resistance, he took my hand. “I never loved her. But I love you.”
I shook my head. He was wrong. It was only a matter of time.
I pulled my hand away. “We don’t have a chance against this.”
“You’re not giving us a chance,” he said.
“No, I’m not giving you a chance to hurt me when you decide to go back to her.”
“So you’re ending this?”
Pain shot through my chest.
“Yes.” Again, my chin quivered and my lips trembled as I said the words I never expected to say. “This isn’t going to work.”
His face registered the anger and pain. His nostrils flared and he exhaled a rough breath of air. He turned away and then swung back, his silver rings glinting as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“You’re scared. But I’m not letting you end what we have because you’re scared.”
I stood up. “It’s not about being scared, it’s about being realistic.”
He took a step closer, but I stood my ground as his bright eyes blazed with green fire.
“I fucking love you, do you hear me? I’m fucking head over heels in love with you. I don’t want this to be over.”
“You don’t get the choice.”
“And why don’t I? I’m all in, Chastity. You and me.”
“You need to leave.”
He took another step toward me so we were almost touching. “I’m not going anywhere until you calm down and we talk about this.”
“We have talked about this. You confirmed she’s pregnant with your baby and I’ve told you it’s over. The end.”
I was fully angry now.
Angry because his beautiful ex-girlfriend showed up pregnant.
Angry because he was the one who knocked her up.
Angry because even standing there with my heart shattered into a million pieces I wanted to melt into him and lose hours kissing his beautiful mouth.
“You need to go,” I demanded. Even though I had no right. This was his house. But I couldn’t go home to mine. It was still uninhabitable. “Please, just give me time to process this.”
But he just stood there, his bright eyes sparkling across at me as he searched my face and tried to figure out his next move.
“I’m all yours,” he said roughly. “Do you understand me?”
My tears started to flow down my cheeks. I couldn’t say anything.
He looked at me, standing completely still as he asked, “Don’t you want me anymore?”
Of course, I wanted him.
I wanted him more than I wanted to fucking breathe.
He reached up and cupped my face in his hands and I felt weak and powerless because he was so damn beautiful. My heart ached and my body begged for him to touch me. My gazed dropped to his mouth, making my heart pound in my chest.
“Tell me you don’t want me,” he demanded.
But I couldn’t. His mouth. Those lips. I was desperate to taste them. Even for one last time.
“Tell me we’re through.”
I struggled to swallow, mesmerized by his handsome face so close to mine.
“Tell me you don’t want me to touch you right now…”
I couldn’t.
“Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you…”
He moved closer and I licked my lips.
“… to carry you into that bedroom and make love to you…”
My lips parted.
“Tell me you don’t love me—”
He closed the space between our mouths and kissed me, his lips taking command as his tongue lusciously coaxed mine into participation. And for a moment I surrendered into him, kissing him back and whimpering against the deliciousness of the kiss. It was everything and more. He was everything and more.