s no chance it’s not Rafe’s. Sorry.”
Now all I can think about is Sin, and time traveling back to Easter so I can get knocked up with his baby instead of Rafe’s. What would Daddy Sin be like? I bet it would be sexy. Everything he does is sexy.
I miss his strong arms wrapped around me in bed. Hell, I even miss him cornering me and pushing me up against the wall last night in the hallway. His big, scarred hand skimming my ass. Telling me to get myself off and think of him—like there’s even a chance I’d think of anything else.
My chest aches. I want to text him.
This is not how today was supposed to go. I feel like climbing back in bed and wallowing about what an asshole Sin is, not having a relaxing day with Rafe—one of the most handsome men I’ve ever met, who also happens to have fathered the little cherry-sized being in my womb. I really am going to die alone.
Rafe notices me lagging and takes over the phone call. It’s over a moment later since he and Carly don’t have much to do with one another. The way he looks over at me, I feel like he knows what I’m thinking, like he can see where my mind went. That’s probably me being paranoid, but it brings his words last night back to me. Now that he’s not angry and there’s no alcohol in his body, I wonder if there’s any give. I wonder what would happen if I just told him plainly that I am head over heels in love, regardless of his opinion about how quickly it happened, and I just want to be with Sin. It’s not like Rafe and I have some great love affair that can’t be replicated. We hit it off over Easter and spent the weekend having great sex—that’s every weekend for him. He only wants me because he thinks Sin does, but nobody wins if we don’t want each other.
I guess I cannot say I am giving this a fair shot with thoughts like these running through my head. Regardless of Rafe’s motives for wanting this, Sin doesn’t, and I guess that’s the thing that should ultimately shut these thoughts down. There is no choice between Rafe or Sin, my choice is between Rafe and Chicago.
And I do like Rafe. I liked him more a week ago, but I should try to keep an open mind. Maybe last night was an anomaly. Maybe the situations with other women would go away once he was in an established relationship. Everyone here thinks of him as a confirmed bachelor, so my presence at the table didn’t mean much. I’m still new. Anyone would have thought of me as temporary.
Of course, he did still buy that girl a present. Yesterday.
But Sin just teased my breasts and touched my ass last night, so maybe we should clear the slate.
Rafe is silent, watching me, waiting for me to say something.
In the interest of the clean slate, I put on my best smile and say, “Now, how ‘bout you show me this library?”
13
Laurel
I cannot for the life of me understand why, but Sin accompanies us to my baby doctor appointment. When Rafe informed me he would be driving us, I prepared myself for the awkward hell of the ride there, but I was not prepared for Sin to get out of the car and accompany us inside.
All three of us stand in the elevator on the way up, staring at the silver doors, not speaking to one another. I’m developing a theory that Rafe is testing me, but testing me when he knows I’ll fail isn’t cool. Even slightly-inebriated-Rafe gave me a few days, and it has only been one.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. Sin walks out ahead of me and I follow, my steps heavy with reluctance. Rafe walks by my side, so I try to keep my gaze off Sin. Because I’m trying, it’s that much harder.
In low tones as I look over at Rafe, I ask, “Are you anticipating an assassination attempt at the baby doctor?”
Rafe cracks a smile. “He wanted to come. I figured there was no reason to say no.”
“Is he at least going to stay in the waiting room?”
“You’d have to ask him.”
I sigh to myself, glancing up at Sin as he holds the door open for us.
Chairs are set up in a boxy U around the room, then there’s a blue, hard-looking couch in the center. That is already occupied by a very pregnant woman in a blue floral shirt with a schlubby-looking man next to her, scrolling through his phone. I see her gaze flicker in our direction as we walk in. Her eyes lower, then immediately snap back up and widen slightly. She’s looking at Rafe, of course. It’s like walking around with Brad Pitt in his prime, I swear to God. Since she has no idea who we are, after she gets done checking him out, her gaze drifts over to Sin. She looks him over more briefly, more warily, then her gaze snaps back to Rafe. Finally, she lands on me, like she wonders who I am that I warrant this well-dressed, sexy as hell entourage.
Rafe’s hand lands on my waist and he tugs me toward the window, a faint smile on his face as he leans down and says, “We can people watch later. Let’s get you checked in.”
“People watching with you is too hard. You attract too much attention,” I tell him.
“Want me to start wearing ugly glasses? You can bring yours, too; we’ll both go out in disguise all the time.”
“You’d still have this body, wouldn’t you?” I mutter. “Glasses won’t help. They’d just make you look smarter.”
“Hey, it seemed to work for Clark Kent,” he reasons.
My eyes brighten and I look over at him. “Do you like Superman? Carly and I have an unhealthy obsession with Smallville. Have you ever seen it?”
Nodding casually, he says, “I’ve seen a couple of episodes. You’re a little young to have seen that, aren’t you?”