“So, I see you have your own practice now. How is that working out for you?”

“The grand opening is tomorrow morning, so we’ll see.” I draw back, needing some distance. If I weren’t pregnant, I could go for a stiff drink right about now. “So far, though, everything is going smoothly. As soon as I finish stocking the massage room, we’ll be ready to go.”

“Massage room?” Levi’s blue eyes twinkle with mischief. “You know, I have this kink in the back of my neck—”

“Hold that thought,” I chuckle, raising my hand in a stop motion. There’s no way in hell I’m going to rub any part of his body, regardless of how hot he looks. My gaze trails over him once more. Damn, he looks good. Like really, really fucking good.

I have to stop looking at him. It’s been far too long since I’ve been touched by anything other than my own hand and he’s dangerous for my libido, which has been on overdrive lately.

Just thinking about the reason for my raging hormones, my hands go to my stomach. It’s an automatic reaction, and I don’t even realize I’ve done it, until Levi’s eyes follow the movement.

In an effort to hide the pregnancy as long as possible, I’ve taken to wearing looser clothing. Generally speaking, I’m not big enough to show yet. Unless a person knows to look for it, the bump that just popped up last week is hardly visible. But I just drew attention to it.

“Levi,” I rush to say. “I can explain.”

His expression is unreadable, but if I had to guess what’s running through his head right now, it would probably be something along the lines of what the fuck!

“That you’re obviously pregnant?” Levi asks, his voice strangely calm. “There’s not much to explain. So, who’s the lucky guy?”

When his eyes meet mine, I see pain reflecting in them. Ah, so he thinks I’ve moved on, does he? A part of me considers letting him continue believing it. It would be so easy to lie. He’d be hurt, yes, but it’s not as if he doesn’t deserve a taste of his own medicine. A simple lie and I’d be rid of him for good. I’d be free to live my life, run my business, and decide what’s best for my child without interference.

I consider the future and what it would mean if I decided to go through with the lie. I’d spend the next eighteen years looking over my shoulder, wouldn’t I? For as long as Levi is in the media spotlight, I run the risk of being found out. All it would take is one misstep, one slip of the truth, and the secret of our relationship would be subject to scrutiny. Everything up to that point, all the hiding and the secrecy, would have been in vain. Not to mention, it’d be incredibly selfish and unfair to our child.

Which is why I know I can’t spin a tale. And maybe I don’t want to. This life I’ve chosen is shaping up to be a great one, but I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that there’s just something missing. Maybe that something is Levi. Even if we can’t be together, even if he’s moved on and no longer wants me, he still deserves to know the truth. He deserves to know he made a child, whether or not he’ll be there to raise it.

Looking at him now, I am once again floored by how handsome he is. Levi is far from average. He’s hot. I can’t believe I, someone so average, scored someone of his caliber, but I did and I will forever have a reminder of our time together.

Meeting his eyes, I inhale a steeling breath. It’s now or never. “You are,” I confess. “This is your baby, Levi.”

19

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This is not happening. I couldn’t have heard her right. Vista did not just tell me that she’s having my baby.

“So, what do you think?”

What do I think? Is she kidding me? “I need to sit down.” Before I pass the fuck out. I glance around the room, but all I see are giant fucking pieces of exercise equipment. Where are the benches? The chairs? Shit, I feel light-headed.

“Here, come sit on the mat.”

Vista takes my arm to guide me down, but I can’t feel a damn thing. It’s like my body doesn’t even exist anymore. Am I having a stroke?

“You’re looking kind of pale. I’ll be right back, okay?”

I don’t have the strength to respond. As I watch her go, my mind is a whirlwind of thoughts ranging from how the fuck could this have happened to what the fuck am I going to do about it? There’s only one answer that makes sense here: I’ve officially entered the Twilight Zone.

Never in my life have I been irresponsible when it came to sex...until Vista came into my life. There is just something about the woman that makes me feel reckless, like nothing in the world matters except how much time I can steal with her. It’s been that way since the day we met. Not once did we use protection while she was staying with me. Not. Once. I knew better, and yet I did it anyway.

Is the kid mine? I’d love more than anything to deny it, but there’s no way she’d lie to me. Not about this. Vista isn’t that kind of woman. She’s never come after me for my money or what I can give her. She’s the truest person I know, so when she says it’s mine, I believe her. It’s just...holy shit! I’m not ready to be a father. I’m not father material. Not by a long shot.

My father was right. I’m an irresponsible dick.

I’m considering kicking my own ass when she walks back into the room carrying a paper cup in one hand and a stack of cookies in the other.

“Juice and a cookie,” she says as she offers them to me. “They’ll help raise your blood sugar so you don’t pass out on my floor.”

“I’m not going to pass out,” I mumble as I take a bite out of the cookie. It’s chocolate chip, one of those little hard circle kind from a package you buy at a grocery store. It probably has an annoying little elf on the front and everything. Normally, I prefer freshly baked, but I’m surprised to find that these don’t totally suck. I finish the thing off in two bites then hold out my hand for more.

“What?”

“I’m ready for another.”

Vista, munching on a cookie of her own, looks at me like I’m touched in the head. “Oh, you thought these were for you? No. Nope. These are all mine.”

I watch her devour a second cookie and start in on a third, surprised. “Didn’t your mother teach you how to share?” I ask, pretending to be appalled by her stingy behavior. In reality, I think it’s cute. I love that she’s still comfortable enough around me to tease me. That’s promising, right?

“I was an only child. I guess it spoiled me, but you should know something about that, right?” She tilts her head, a playful smile curling the corners of her lips up.

I narrow my gaze. I know she’s only playing, but damn. The fact that it’s true adds just enough of a sting to make me cringe. Does she have to put it like that? It’s damaging to a man’s ego. Not mine, of course, but other men, surely.

“Well, at least I still have this juice.” Bringing the cup up, I stop when it’s halfway to my lips and lift a sardonic brow. “Unless you brought this for you, too.”

“Oh, no. Juice gives me heartburn.”

Her comment reminds me of the little problem we’ve got going on. This time, the snack seems to keep me levelheaded, though, so any danger of kissing the floor is off the table. “Guess we were a little late on those condoms, huh?”

My attempt to infuse the situation with a little humor falls flat. There isn’t much that’s funny about getting hit with an unexpected pregnancy. With that thought, I toss back the rest of the juice.

“Heh, yeah. I guess we got a little carried away, huh?” I watch her rub her hand over her stomach, wincing when I see that tiny round bump beneath her loose fitting shirt, and I feel my blood pressure plummet all over again.

“How—” My voice catches and I have to clear my throat before I can speak. “How far along are you?” Maybe it’s not too late to fix this. Maybe we can still—