Dare to Hold (Dare to Love 4)

Then he’d met Meg. “I’m not going to hurt her. You know me better than that.”

“Of course I do.” Olivia laid a hand on his arm. “But all your women lately have been one-night stands or close to it. I don’t understand how you can cavalierly sleep with a pregnant woman and walk away. Or think it’s okay to have an affair with her like she’s just a woman you picked up in a bar.”

“Whoa.” This time he held up his hand. “I’m not sure where you’re getting these ideas, but trust me, Liv, you have no clue what I’m thinking, feeling, or planning.” Unfortunately, neither did he. But it was the early days… They’d slept together once. And he wasn’t going to let his sister convince him to walk away.

His sister narrowed her gaze. “Care to share?”

“Not particularly. Just understand, you know who I am. That should count for something.”

“I know,” Olivia said, her voice softening. “You’re a good man. But Meg is different than the women you’re used to.”

He knew that. She was everything his ex wasn’t. He sensed it at a glance. All those differences—the softness beneath the prickly exterior, the outward fragility that he knew belied a strong core, and the beauty that shone from her inside and out all called to a part of him he’d never known before.

“She has a history of picking bad boys who aren’t good to her, and she’s just promised herself she’ll change.”

“And you think I’m going to stop her from doing that?”

“I know you could.”

He ran a hand over his face. Yeah … he could. It was in his nature to take over, to control. He wanted to help her, take care of her and get to know her better. But contrary to what his sister believed, he wouldn’t hurt her. He meant to see what could be between them. If that meant pushing her past her limits … he’d do just that.

Chapter Three

Meg had a rough week. The meeting with the principal hadn’t gone as she’d hoped. Although she had a morals clause in her contract, it didn’t include having a child out of wedlock, and she’d counted on her abilities as a teacher and how much the kids loved her to hold sway. So she’d be a single parent. Women handled it all the time due to divorce or death. They also, occasionally, got themselves pregnant.

Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan Hansen hadn’t been happy. Meg wasn’t sure if his censure was more because he’d tried to date her before or because he really did have an issue with her teaching children and having to explain to young, impressionable minds why there was no baby daddy in her life. As if a kindergartener would even know about her personal life, let alone think to ask.

Luckily, he couldn’t get rid of her. She had just signed a new contract, and she hoped her job was secure … if no longer comfortable. She blew out a breath, knowing she had to get used to people having opinions and comments about her situation.

Meg settled into the couch in her apartment, laptop on her thighs, the television providing background noise. She drew a deep breath and began looking for baby items at online stores, making notes on a pad at her side. Budget was important, but safety was first. If she needed to deal with credit card debt to purchase what she needed for her baby, so be it. She had things she could easily give up to free up money. Professional haircuts, eyebrow waxing, mani-pedis, all things she could manage on her own.

A crib would be the biggest hit for now. She jotted down a few possibilities and prices. She didn’t want to go into stores until she had a good idea what she could afford.

Her doorbell rang, taking her by surprise. It was Friday night, and her friends had gone out for drinks. They’d invited her, but she’d begged off, wanting a quiet night at home.

She walked to the door, placed her hand on the knob. “Who is it?”

She was just about to look through the peephole when she heard, “Open the fucking door, Meg.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

Mike?

How could he dare show up here? She had a restraining order in effect. She didn’t plan on answering him

or letting him inside, but she couldn’t stop the tremors that took hold. Shaking, she went back to the couch and picked up her cell.

She returned to the door and leaned against it, hoping he would go away.

He banged hard again. No doorbell this time. “Meg! We need to talk.”

She drew a deep breath. He could talk to her lawyer, and he knew it. All she wanted was for him to sign away rights to the baby. For whatever reason, he refused to do it. She didn’t have any illusions that he wanted the baby. He just didn’t want the child to exist, period.

She placed a protective hand over her stomach. “Go away or I’ll call the police.” What the hell had she seen in him? How had she missed this side of him? Oh, he’d been fun and exciting … at first. Until she’d let him move in and he hadn’t paid rent. He hadn’t contributed to food. And he’d done what he wanted, when he wanted. And she’d still tried to make things work because it was easier than getting him out of the apartment. Easier than fighting all the time. Just like her mother’s relationships.

Ugh.

“Come on, I just want to talk.” He banged harder on the door.