Cherrie Lynn - Take Me On

He lifted his gaze from her hands to her face, counting on her to be honest with him. She didn’t let him down. “You’re right about that. No use denying it. It’s not that I wouldn’t have liked to see you again. I just…wouldn’t have let myself become distracted by you if I didn’t have to.” She looked down at her belly with a chuckle. “Seems someone else had other plans.”

“Our circumstances have kind of forced us into action, but I don’t want that to be the reason you’re with me. Not the only reason, anyway.”

“Trust me. It’s not. And I don’t think hormones are clouding my judgment or anything either,” she said.

“When do you leave for Dallas?”

Cringing, she raised a hand to her forehead. “Next week. And there’s so much to do. I mean, depending on how this turns out today. If I’m deemed high risk or anything, I couldn’t go back to school now if I wanted to.”

He was so fucking tired of feeling guilty, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the gnawing ache of it in his chest. All the girl had wanted was a night of abandon. She’d chosen him—and holy shit, thank God she had and not one of those other bastards at her pool table. Now, because of that, her world had been upended. “I’m sorry, baby. So sorry to interfere with your dreams like this.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I have another dream now.”

The partially closed door swung all the way open, and a nurse strolled in. Ian stood and moved his chair, feeling uncomfortable as hell as she checked on Gabby. But he didn’t want to leave her. If he was in this thing, then he was in it. He’d have to get over his mild phobia of all things medical, because it looked like it might become a big part of his life for the next little while.

The nurse made a note on her chart and told them the doctor would be in soon. As she went back out, Gabby shifted in the bed, and he was at her side in a heartbeat. “Do you need anything?”

“To get out of here would be spectacular,” she said dryly.

“I’m with you there.”

The door opened again, and her parents came into the room with their Styrofoam coffee cups. Instinctively, he wanted to snatch his hands off their daughter—he’d caused her enough trouble by putting his hands on her, after all—but she held on tight to him.

“Any news?” her mother asked.

“Nothing really,” Gabby said. “A nurse just came by and told us the doctor would be in soon.”

“Oh, good. Maybe they’ll discharge you.”

Gabby and her mother went on talking, but Mr. Ross stared silent daggers at Ian. Jesus, he looked like a man who could fuck your world into oblivion if he wanted. This was Brian’s dad? Poor guy. Earl probably would’ve wept and bowed down to this dude.

“You work for Brian?” Mr. Ross asked.

Yes, and please allow me to continue to do so for now, if he’ll have me. “Yes, sir.”

He nodded and took a sip of his coffee but didn’t comment further. Ian figured he knew what he was thinking, though. Fucking little horny-ass bastard who nailed all of his clients and had finally found a way to screw his way into the Ross family. Goddamn, he was so gonna get fired, if not literally chased out of town. He racked his brain for something to say, but what was there? Anything that came to mind would probably make Mr. Ross feel as if Ian had only confirmed his suspicions. He didn’t want to spout anything about undying love or devotion to Gabby. It would sound fake and lame at this point.

All he could do was try to prove himself. Let his actions speak for him. It was the way he’d lived most of his life.

“Brian knows,” Gabby said to her parents, pulling him from his thoughts. “Ian had to tell him when he left work to come here.”

“Really?” her mom said. “Well, we might as well not keep Evan in the dark either.”

“I’ll call him tonight.”

Mr. Ross raised an eyebrow at Ian. “How did Brian take it?”

“Not well. I had to tell him he could punch me later.”

“Would you let him?”

“I guess if he felt that strongly about it.”

That got a chuckle out of him. “I wouldn’t worry.”

Why the hell did everyone assume he was scared of Brian? “Oh, I’m not.” That got an even bigger chuckle out of him.

The doctor came into the room soon after, and though Ian was apprehensive about what he would tell them, at least it put an effective end to the awkward conversation. Happily, he had good news. Her bleeding had subsided, her ultrasound looked great, her blood work was solid. She could go home and take it easy for a few days and watch for any other weirdness.

As they left the hospital after the discharge paperwork, her parents walked on ahead and Gabby hung back with Ian, lacing her fingers through his. In his entire life, he couldn’t remember a feeling as sweet as her being at his side. No more secrets, nothing to hide.

Gabby rode back to her parents’ house with her mother while Ian went back to work. The entire time, Gianna remained quiet and tense—not a good sign where she was concerned. If she was angry, you knew it. For her to be bottling her emotions, stewing in silence, it meant she was up to something.

But Gabby was too exhausted to even puzzle over it, and she certainly didn’t want to get into whatever was going on in her mother’s mind. As soon as she got home, she eased her way up the stairs—waving away Gianna’s offered assistance the entire time—and crawled into her bed. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.

Darkness greeted her when her eyes opened. Fuzzily, she attempted to focus on the clock, groaning when she saw it was almost midnight. No doubt Ian had been trying to contact her, but her phone was in her purse, which was across the room by the door. An earthquake probably wouldn’t have awakened her. She slid from the bed and got her phone.

Sure enough, a missed call, three text messages and a voice mail. He was worried about her. She dialed him back, and he answered right away.

“Are you okay? Fuck. I wanted to grab Brian by the throat and make him tell me where you live.”

“I’m fine. I fell asleep. How’s Brian?”

“Barely speaking to me, but he hasn’t fired me or hit me yet. Guess he’s waiting to cool off before we have the ‘long fucking chat’ he promised.”

“Are you home?”

“Yeah. I want you here, baby.”

“Then I’m on my way. I’ll bring some clothes.”

She was going to grab Brian herself. How dare he? As she threw a few days’ worth of her clothes in an overnight bag, she contemplated calling the little shit, but then remembered she was about to be staying only a few apartments down from him. What she had to say was better said face-to-face. Damn him.

Gabby swept her arm across the cosmetics on her vanity, shoving them all in her bag, then zipped it up and changed into a cami and more yoga pants—which would most likely be her uniform for the next seven months. And probably for months after. Slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she headed out the door and repaired her sloppy ponytail as she took the stairs down.

Her mother’s voice stopped her as she reached for the front doorknob. “Where are you going?”

Whirling, she saw Gianna sitting in the parlor in full view of the door, looking as if she’d been there awhile. It wasn’t like her to stay up late. She was dressed in silky lounge pants, and a half-empty glass of wine sat on the end table beside her.

“I’m going to Ian’s.”

Her mom’s gaze drifted to the heavy bag bumping against Gabby’s hip. “For how long?”

“I don’t know. I need to get out of here for a while.”