Tainted Gold (Providence Gold 3)

“A slut?” Levi offered, not having the same worries that I did.

“A loose bitch?” she suggested.

“A dick bunny?”

“Streetwalker?”

“Hooker?”

“Cum dumpster?”

“Oh, that one’s nasty,” Levi shuddered. “Clitoromaniac?”

“Love it,” she snorted. “Blowsabella?”

“Cock chafer?”

“Would the two of you stop now,” I snapped before she could throw another one out there. Glaring at both of them as they stared at me with big eyes, I finished what I was saying before they so rudely interrupted. “All of those things you’re not. The baby was a surprise, but it’s a great surprise.” Her face softened as I said it all, and you’d have had to be blind not to see the relief she was feeling. “A friend of our cousins almost lost his woman and kid while we were there, and seeing it all it put what I felt for you in perspective for me, and that was only after one night together.”

“Huh, I knew you were different while we were away,” Levi muttered, reminding us he was here for this crucial conversation. How we’d forgotten, I didn’t know, but we both jumped and looked at him in shock.

Seeing our reactions, he mimed zipping his lips up and walked backwards so he could jump up on the countertop.

Whatever!

“But why are you so sure it’s yours?” Lily pressed, pointing at her stomach. “I mean, I know it is, but y’all can’t be blind to the fact that bitches are bitches, and they lie about shit like this all the time.”

“Some women also tell the truth,” Levi reminded her. “Can’t be lumping everyone in together, even though it’s easy to do.”

For some, this might seem like an almost redundant comment. After his reaction last night, it would also confuse people. For me, it was fucking awesome. It meant that in the time since he’d found out, regardless of what we’d all said to him, he’d made up his own mind based on what he’d seen of her and knew about her. He’d taken it all and had realized what me and our parents knew immediately – Lily James wouldn’t lie about this. It also showed me he trusted my judgement on the situation too, and that in his mind the baby was a Townsend.

Again, our intuition about people was rarely that wrong, even if it took us a minute to figure it out.

Lily stared at him open-mouthed, obviously remembering his reaction last night too, and blinked rapidly.

“Lily,” I called, getting her attention again. “The whole time I was away, I felt like shit in case you thought I’d just used you for one night. You’re not a one-night stand for me. Hell, even if the baby wasn’t a factor, I’d be begging you to let me make it up to you, and also asking you to give me a chance to get to know you so we can try and make us an actual us.” Jesus, I hoped that made sense to her. “I know we need to take it slowly and get to know each other, but I’d really like it if you could give me a chance.”

Her head dropped to look down at her hands in her lap, leaving me (and Levi) waiting for an answer. I started to sweat a little when she didn’t give me one immediately, glancing at my brother who was watching her too.

I forgot one of the most valuable and true sayings in the history of mankind though – that all good things come to those who wait.

“I did think you’d just wanted a one-night stand with me,” she sighed, lifting her head back up to look at me. “I know our parents know each other, and I know the kind of family you all are, but I just didn’t know what to think. Then, the baby,” she waved her hand and turned to look out of the window behind Levi. “I figured I had nine months to find how to break the news to you…”

“He might look dumb,” Levi interrupted, “but he’s not. He’d have seen the bump.”

When both of us turned to look at him, he shrugged unrepentantly.

“Why are you still here?” I snapped.

Jumping down from the counter, he picked up his mug and made his way toward the door. “I smelled the waffles, and you make good food. I also wanted to apologize to Lily about last night. Hearing the conversation going on, I’m now feeling like I need to go and do something that reminds me I have a dick.”

He was so full of shit. The thing few people realized about my brother was – he was softer than silk. He’d most likely not slept all night after saying what he had last night and had wanted to find a way to apologize to Lily. He’d also wanted to make sure I was ok, and that I was also ok with him.