Page 76 of Slide

She blinked up at him. “What?”

“I’ll talk to your brothers. You can move in with me. We can say the baby’s mine if you want. Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

She sat up a little straighter and her face softened. Her hand lifted to his cheek. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I’m not arguing with you about this. I’m going to take care of you and the baby.”

She slid her thumb over his lips, silencing him. “I lost the baby. I was nearly three months along…that’s how I found out Daniel was married. When I told him I was pregnant, he freaked out and confessed. He said he’d leave her for me, but I didn’t want that. He’d lied to me. He already had a family. And I…I wasn’t in love with him.”

Her eyes lifted and locked with Adam’s, and his heart nearly banged out of his chest. There she was, the shutters were up and he couldn’t mistake what he saw. She loved him. Fucking hell, she loved him, as much as he loved her.

“What happened?” he rasped past his suddenly tight throat.

“I told him he was off the hook, that I’d lost the baby, that there was no reason for him to leave his family.” Her thumb brushed his lower lip again. “He didn’t believe me. Still doesn’t believe me. I tried to carry on with my classes, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. Then he told his wife he was leaving her for me, that we were having a baby, and everything…fell apart. She started calling, sending those awful texts. I told her I wasn’t pregnant and she accused me of lying to take her husband away. It all got out of hand and I had no choice but to leave.”

Adam felt like he’d been put through a fucking emotional mincer. Jealous that some other man got her pregnant, resigned, relieved…fucking ecstatic that he had an excuse to keep her for himself. Now he didn’t know what he was. She wasn’t pregnant anymore, but he didn’t think he could give up on the idea of making her his, of telling Hugh and Joe that he loved their sister and they’d just have to get over it.

But how could he do that to her, promise her a life with him, when he would end up hurting her in the end? The apple didn’t fall far from the tree—he’d proved that already. He was good at leaving people, at being a selfish asshole, exactly like his old man. But the thought of leaving Lucy was unimaginable. Maybe, just maybe, he could be what she needed.

He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head under his chin. He couldn’t think, couldn’t process any of it then. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew he couldn’t walk away either, not yet.

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, Luce, about the baby.”

Her fingers sunk into his bicep. “Thank you.” She turned more into him and he felt her body start to tremble. “You’re the only person that’s said that to me. I couldn’t tell anyone else. I…it was only early days, and it wasn’t something I planned, but I…I loved it. I already loved it.”

Adam held her while she quietly cried in his arms.

~ * ~

Lucy followed Adam to the door. God, she didn’t want him to go. They’d spent most of the previous day in bed. They hadn’t fooled around after she’d told him the truth of her situation. Instead he’d held her, talked with her, even managed to make her laugh a time or two. It felt good to finally tell someone about what happened, about the miscarriage, and how badly it had hurt.

He pulled the door open and took a step backward down the first step. He was still a lot taller than her like this, but close enough he’d only have to dip his head if he wanted to kiss her.

Would he kiss her?

He’d been all ready to move her into his house, claim the baby as his…now what? Was he going to walk away and they’d pretend that none of this happened, like they’d first agreed, or would he act on the way he felt about her? He could try and hide it all he wanted, deny it, but it was becoming clearer every moment they spent together. After the way he’d come to her, the way he’d been with her yesterday…

His hand went to her waist and gently fisted the fabric of her sundress, tugging her forward. Her hands went to his shoulders and her belly quivered, even after her emotional weekend, heating and fluttering with anticipation.

“Will you come to my place tonight, after you’ve finished work?” he murmured.

Relief coursed through her. Thank God. “Sure.”

He stared at her for what felt like forever before he leaned in slow, head tilting to the side as he came in for a sweet, heartbreaking kiss. God, her knees went weak.

“Love these lips,” he muttered against them. “They make me fucking crazy—”

A door banged beside them and Adam muttered a curse before pulling back.

Edna stood just inside her trailer, a wide grin on her face. “Come up for air, have you?”

Lucy felt her cheeks heat. “We weren’t, ah…I’m sorry if we—”

Edna waved a hand in the air. “Save it. There’s no point denying it, not with all the moaning and groaning I heard coming through my trailer wall.”

Edna cackled when Lucy’s mouth dropped open. Adam started laughing under his breath.

“Besides, I’m used to it, what with Shay and that giant husband of hers occupying that bedroom before you.” She pointed toward Harold’s trailer across the park. “Anyway, putting up with the noise was worth it to see that old coot blush like a schoolgirl. Never seen a man go red like that. He shoveled down his supper and ran out of my trailer so fast I’m surprised he didn’t dislocate a hip.” She shook her head. “He knows he has to eat slow. He gets indigestion,” she added. “The idiot will be full of gas now. If he thinks I’m letting him in when he comes to take Rocky out for her walkies, he’s got another think coming. Not having him farting up a storm in my living room.”