“Ugh! You’ll never change, Dirk Littlewood. Never!” I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him with all my might.
He grabbed onto my wrists and pulled me to him, then spun us around and pushed me against the front door. “Stop talking for five fucking seconds, and let me think! What was her name?”
I was positive my mouth gaped open. “What? Do you honestly think I want to talk about your…your…”
“What. Was. Her. Name, Merit?”
I clenched my jaw tight before I hissed out the name. “Sarah.”
Recognition hit him—and then he laughed. “Sarah. She’s my aunt’s daughter. That’s right, she stumbled into the office in hopes to get away as well.”
“She really was your cousin?”
A slow, devilish smile spread over his face. He licked his lips in the most sensual way I’d ever seen, and I felt my knees wobble ever so slightly. “Were you jealous, Bugs?”
I growled in frustration, but it only made his eyes turn darker, and he pressed harder against my body. I could feel his erection, and my entire body buzzed with excitement. God, these damn pregnancy hormones.
“Merit,” he whispered. “Were you jealous?”
“Of course not,” I spat back at him a little too quickly.
He leaned in, and I felt myself still. I was afraid if I moved, I would give in to the urge to kiss him. Feel him closer, all over every part of my body. The urge to tell him I was carrying his child was so strong in that moment.
“I think you were, but you have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. You’ve got me so fucking twisted up as it is, the last thing I want to do is add another woman to the mix.”
My mind felt muddled, and I stared at him. “What?” I asked.
His hot breath landed on my face and neck, causing me to draw in a quick breath of air. “You heard me…Merit. You have me so confused.”
My name coming off this man’s lips sounded wicked. He leaned down and kissed the very edge of my mouth, and I had to resist the urge to lift my arms and wrap them around his neck.
“I think it’s sexy that you were jealous,” he whispered.
“I…I wasn’t jealous,” I stammered out. Even I thought it sounded like a lie.
“No?”
“No!” I forced out.
He let out a low, sexy laugh. “Then why are you running away from me?”
I opened my mouth to answer him, but then quickly snapped it shut.
Dirk softly placed a kiss on the other side of my mouth, and for a moment, I wanted to turn my head ever so slightly so he could kiss me on the lips and end this foreplay. But I needed to stop this before it went any further.
Suddenly, the phone call came back to mind. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed at him. “I believe Kaylee is waiting for you to put a baby crib together.”
Dirk paused and then drew his head back to look at me. He dropped his hold on my arms, and then took a few steps back, looking confused as he stared at me. “Kaylee’s just a friend.”
His voice had suddenly turned oddly cold. Memories of him defending Kaci rushed back in an instant. My body, once warmed from his touch, turned to ice.
I gave him a forced smile. “I never said otherwise.”
I turned and opened the door, but he reached out and pushed it shut again.
“You do realize she’s happily married, right?” he bit out.
Slowly, I turned and faced him. With a tilt of my head, I studied him for a brief second before I said with a sarcastic laugh, “Funny, I was going to ask you the very same question.”
Shock registered on his face, and his hand dropped away from the doorknob. I took that moment to make my escape. I yanked open the front door and slammed it behind me as I walked out of my house, my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
Without so much as a glance over my shoulder, I started my run, putting as much distance as I could between my heart and Dirk.
Chapter Fifteen
DIRK
I stared at the door as I stood there, trying to figure out what in the hell just happened. Did Merit think I had feelings for Kaylee?
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I pulled it out to see Brock calling. “Hey, Brock.”
“How are you feeling this morning?”
“Fine,” I lied.
He cleared his throat. “Ohhhkay. Are you still at Merit’s?”
I stilled for a moment before I turned and headed over to the sofa to put my shoes on. “How did you know I was here?”
He laughed. “I was the one who helped put your drunk ass into her car.”
I sighed. “Right. Is there any way you could come and pick me up?”
There was silence for a moment before he answered. “Sure, but where’s Merit?”