Dare Me Tonight (The Knight Brothers 3)

Riley rose to her feet. “I’m going to take Rainey for a bath. Maybe that will calm her down and make her want to go to sleep. Honey, say good night to your Aunt Sienna.”

“Night, Aunt Sienna!” Rainey hugged Sienna tight, and at the feel of her little arms squeezing her, a lump formed in Sienna’s throat.

She was having a baby, something she’d never, ever thought was possible. She hadn’t even let herself contemplate alternatives to normal childbirth. She hadn’t been at the right stage of her life for that. But now that she was pregnant, the reality was hitting her. This would be her life but she’d be doing it alone. She squared her shoulders, knowing she would handle anything life threw her way. She already had.

“Night, honey.” Sienna kissed the top of Rainey’s head.

Riley took her daughter’s hand. “Ian, you should know I agree with Sienna and we’re going to have a long talk tonight.”

He winced, something Ian would only do when his wife was angry with him.

Riley walked out with Rainey, the little girl chatting about her bath and her toys.

Ian waited until they were alone before turning to her. “You’re furious.”

Sienna stood. “That’s putting it mildly, Ian. You told Ethan he was the father before I was ready. Then you sent him away, firing him from a job that means the world to you both. And you hit him!”

Ian ran a hand over his face and groaned. “I can guarantee you if I’d done to his sister what he did to you, Ethan would have reacted exactly the same way.”

“That doesn’t make it right!” She paced the floor in Ian’s family room. “You need to understand that this is my life. I’m the one who hooked up with Ethan and got pregnant, and I have to deal with the consequences, including the father of my baby! You can’t run him off. Where does that leave me?”

She imagined Ethan was taking the weekend to come to terms with the news she’d already had time to digest. What would happen after that was anybody’s guess, but she knew he wouldn’t be returning to the stadium.

“It was disrespectful of him to take advantage of you, but you’re right. It’s your life. Your choices. I’m sorry.”

Ignoring the it was disrespectful comment, because she had no intention of telling Ian she had propositioned Ethan, she focused on the more important part of Ian’s statement. And nearly reeled in shock. “Excuse me, what did you say?”

An amused smile pulled at his mouth. “I said I’m sorry. It’s one of those things Riley has taught me. To apologize when I’m wrong.”

She placed her hands on her hips and eyed him warily. “What’s the catch?”

“I’m sorry I screwed things up for you. I’m not sorry I told Ethan how I felt and I’m sure he respects me for it.” Ian grinned unrepentantly.

“Fat lot of good that does me with him gone,” Sienna muttered.

Ian placed his hand on her back and pulled her into him. “If he’s half the man I think he is, he’ll be back.”

She rolled her eyes. Ian Dare was so frustratingly dense. Then again, maybe he was right. She wouldn’t know until she heard from Ethan and they talked again.

“You’re going to be okay,” Ian said. “You have the best support system there is and more aunts and uncles than your baby will know what to do with.”

She smiled. That much, at least, she knew to be true. She stepped back and looked up at her half brother. “Do we have an understanding, though? You’ll stay out of my personal life?”

“You’re going to want me around when the baby is born,” he said smugly.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” It was the best she was going to get from him, she knew.

* * *

Standing in his apartment in Manhattan, Ethan felt like he’d been gone a month instead of the week he’d been in Miami. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he’d say he’d become an entirely different man. Sure as fuck, he was going to be a father.

He ran his hand through his hair, shocked when a knock sounded on his door. Nobody knew he was back in town. He purposely hadn’t told anyone, wanting time alone to process what had gone down and decide how he was going to handle things going forward. He walked over and opened the door to find Sebastian on the other side.

“John told me you were back,” Sebastian said of the doorman as he strode past Ethan without waiting to be invited in. “Any reason I didn’t know?”

“Because I needed time alone,” Ethan said pointedly.

Sebastian sat down on the sofa in the family room, deliberately not taking the hint. “Talk to me, Ethan. Last time I saw you, I found out you’d slept with Ian’s sister. Now you’re home out of the blue. Why?”