Dirty Bad Boys Box Set: Forbidden Romance Collection

“See? I can’t even feed my child and then this happens,” I cry.

He lays Masen down beside the pillow and covers him with a blanket. Haden moves towards me, and in my pathetic state, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer into him. I don’t care what’s happening right now and continue to cry into his chest. Holding me tight, he gives me time to release my frustrations until my sobs slow down.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

He kisses my forehead and slowly pushes me away, still keeping our bodies in close range. Cupping my face, he gives me a sympathetic smile before speaking quietly so as not to stir Masen. “You’ve got to learn to ask for help. I’m here, Presley . . . I’ll always be here when you need me. Just don’t drop bullshit bombs on me like earlier.”

“You’ve got a life, Haden. You can’t stop living it. Like tonight, where were you?”

“It was a stupid party for Eloise’s friend. Trust me, I didn’t want to go.”

His deep stare and bewitching smile only reiterate what I’m terrified of feeling. How could the man standing here in front of me, the father to my son, not be the person I’m supposed to fall in love with? Yet every time we fight, it somehow brings us closer together, and I fall into the trap of thinking I really am in love with him.

How can I be in love with Haden Cooper?

I want to pull away from him, create the distance my heart needs right now, but he moves his hands down my arms till they’re sitting on the base of my shirt. Without saying a word, he grips the hem of my shirt and motions for me to lift my arms. I have no idea what he’s doing, but in my tired state, I let him take my soaked shirt off. I stand there in only my bra as he wraps his arms back around me, kissing my shoulder. As much as I want to stay like this, Masen begins to squirm.

“I think he’s hungry. Why don’t you take your bra off and feed him? I promise I won’t look.”

I laugh softly. “Have you seen them? They’re impossible to hide.”

“How can I not notice them?” He smirks. “But seriously, our son is hungry. I can turn around.”

My bra is wet and uncomfortable and I know I need to release the milk. I ask him to turn around for a brief moment as I unclasp my bra. It’s a relief to take it off and I feel the pressure subside immediately. Making myself comfortable on the bed, I move to lay on my side and pull the sheets to cover part of my skin. I pull Masen closer to me and he latches on with ease, gently sucking away. Haden turns around and lays beside me on the bed. Stroking Masen’s hair, he hums a tune I don’t recognize.

“You’re doing a great job,” he whispers. “You’re a natural even though you don’t see it.”

“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“No first-time mom does.”

“Yeah but first-time moms have husbands that help them.”

“I told you, I’m here.”

“You won’t be here forever. You’ll be doing the same thing with your wife soon.”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

I keep my voice down so as not to wake up Masen. “You never want to address it, Haden. If you love her, then marry her. But these moments we have . . . they need to stop.”

“What if I don’t want them to stop?”

“You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Sometimes you’ve got to make decisions and deal with the consequences, whether it good or bad. I’m a realist. I stepped away from a relationship even though it wasn’t easy.”

“But you don’t think with your heart.”

“Of course I do. I loved Jason—”

“But you wanted more,” he interrupts. “Tell me, what is your heart telling you now?”

He is asking me a question I dare not answer truthfully, because if I do, there’s a huge possibility my heart will be exposed and shatter if he walks down that aisle . . . with her. But on the flipside, I’m sick of this emotional rollercoaster and walking on eggshells.

“It’s telling me that love is a constant battle. The man that steals my heart . . . I want him to fight for me. I want to be the only woman he thinks about, the only woman his heart beats for. I want to be the object of his desire, the body he worships every day. I want to feel like nothing in this world exists if he doesn’t feel all those things for me.”

Behind his glasses, his beautiful eyes are consumed by my words. I know he feels something, but how much? I have no idea. My fingers ache to reach out and caress his face, but I’m terrified. The tiny human lying between us is at stake. One wrong move and his life changes forever.

“You deserve all that . . . and a man who will give you that.”