CEO Daddy (Crescent Cove 6.50)

“Okay, so what’s the problem? You can have the hots for your boss. We’re heading for 2020. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Whoa. What? When did that happen? Weren’t you a virgin like a second ago?”

I studied my floured fingers, picking the sticky dough off with painstaking slowness. “Not exactly. More like three months ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me? Wait—you actually finally got a dicking and you didn’t tell me? First of all, that’s not cool. But baby? Who? How?”

“I don’t know!”

I was pretty sure her jaw was heading for the floor. “You don’t know the dude’s name? Who are you?”

“No, I know his name. I mean, I don’t know how it happened. We used a condom, dammit. I finally got up the courage to go for it with a man who made me feel something and I got pregnant right away.”

“Madre di dios. My worst nightmare. Then again, I was more like seventeen when I let Paul Carson pop my cherry. But we’re not talking about that.”

“Or the fact that you let Paul do the popping. What were you thinking?”

“There were extenuating circumstances and an unfortunate amount of Fireball in my system. He was a really good kisser, but don’t distract me. This is not about my virginity.”

It was remarkably easy to distract her, but of course, this had to be one of those rare times she didn’t go off on a tangent.

“So, you had a one-night stand that ended up with…” She looked down at my middle. “How far along?”

“New Year’s.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I just found out. I’m one of those weird women who almost has her period even after she’s pregnant, which seems excessively cruel since that should be a perk. At least it’s not an ongoing thing. Just tricked me into believing I was in the clear.”

“That is weird, but why didn’t you tell me? Was it that bad? Was he a vagrant or something?”

“No. He was amazing. It was amazing,” I sniffed as the tears sprang out of nowhere.

After that incredible night, now I had this little bean growing inside me. And I couldn’t be mad about it, even if I didn’t know how to work things out with Asher right now.

She rushed around the kitchen island to me. “Oh, no. Don’t you cry, then I’ll start crying.” She threw her arms around me. “It’s okay. We’ll do this together just like we do everything. I just wish you’d told me. You know you don’t have to do everything alone, right?”

“I know.” I rested my cheek on her shoulder, her soft sweater soothing me just as much as her familiar scent. I didn’t stay there long though, or I’d be a bawling mess. It was my default just to deal with things and move on.

“So, flirting with the hot rich dude is definitely a bit weird. I get it.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“Oh my God. You already slept with Asher too? When you get going, you really get going.”

I had to laugh, because what else could I do? “Not exactly. I mean, yes, I slept with Asher, but—”

“But what? Wow, by the state of your cheeks, I’m going to say you have the keys to orgasm city, but again, you didn’t tell me.” She shook my shoulders.

“I couldn’t. I didn’t want to even own up to it myself, especially since we ruin things as soon as we get naked. It’s like he puts his size-twelve foot in his damn mouth directly after.”

She tilted her head. “Size twelve? Wow, so he’s rich and hung? That seems unfair.”

“Why? Because he has big feet?”

She gave me bland look.