Tempting the Crown (The Crown 1)

“Yeah, I thought pregnant women had to stay away from that shit.”

“Luke, we don’t know tha

t I’m pregnant and we’ve been careful every other time.”

“Have we?” He eyed me. “Last night? This morning? Pulling out isn’t birth control, baby.”

He had me there. It wasn’t. But when we were naked and I felt his body under mine all I could think about was having everything that was his. I wanted him in every way. He wanted it too. We were being careless and reckless. We were in no positon to have a baby. But every time I thought about it, the idea was less and less scary.

“I’m on the pill. I’ve taken it every day this week. Every day.”

He nodded. “Ok.”

But my fingers threaded through his and rested over my stomach. He kissed me, sucking on my lips.

“Can I get the password?”

“Oh yeah. It’s lovesong.”

He grinned. “Thanks.”

I watched him walk out of the kitchen. I had six weeks to break the news to Jake—he didn’t own me anymore. I belonged to someone else. Heart and soul.

26

Luke

Two weeks ago I was in Nashville. Tonight I was in DC, getting ready for our game against the Sharks tomorrow.

I had spent the day in a hotel suite studying the Sharks’ defense. I had seen it before, but I wanted to be prepared.

An hour ago Linc texted me. Charlie wanted to meet. I didn’t realize she traveled out of Austin for this kind of thing.

I sat across from Charlie. Linc was next to me.

She smiled. “We have a new strategy I want to go over with both of you.”

I hadn’t been in the headlines once in the past few weeks for anything other than winning games. There was no way in hell management was mad at me. I’d done everything Charlie asked I do. I was pissed I was in this meeting.

“What is it?” I asked. “Things seem to be fine.”

“They are fine because I have created a perfect plan. Without that and I can only imagine what you would do.”

I leaned forward. “I can handle it without you.” Linc’s hand was on my forearm.

“I think we have an opportunity to stir the Lexi Wilde rumors again.”

Fuck. I looked at Linc.

“Why would you want to do that, Charlie?” he asked. “That died down.”

She spun her laptop around so we could see her screen. “She’s in town this weekend, working with her children’s charities at the St. Regis Hospital.”

“So?” I balked.

“So. She’s in town and you’re in town. It should be easy to stage a run-in again. You two know each other. See what you can do with that.”

“I’ve already told you that’s not happening with her.”