The Heir Affair (Las Vegas Nights 5)

Since she’d run into Hunter in New York, Kyle had mentioned

several times that she might have unfinished business with the DJ. That couldn’t be farther from the case, but there were things she’d had in common with Hunter, like them both being in the music business, that she didn’t share with Kyle.

Melody set her hand on his arm to bring his attention to her. “I have something I need to tell you.”

When his hazel eyes shifted her way, she released the breath she’d been holding. It was long past time she got this off her chest, but now that the time had come, saying the words out loud was way harder than any speech she’d prepared in her head.

“Earlier I said things are complicated.”

Cool eyes watched her from a face made of granite and Melody longed to be anywhere but here. Given Kyle’s family background, he wasn’t exactly emotive. He played his cards close to his chest. She had absolutely no idea how he was going to react to what she had to say. She could only hope the anticipation was worse than the outcome.

“I’m pregnant.”

Kyle’s flat expression vanished. Instead, he looked like the floor had dropped from beneath his feet. “Pregnant?”

“Yes. I know it’s a shock...”

They hadn’t anticipated this. The topic had never even come up. Nor had marriage or anything having to do with the future. Their relationship had been new and untested. They’d both committed to taking things one day at a time.

“You’re having a baby.” His gaze went past her shoulder and roved around the room as if he was in search of something to help him understand. Like a lodestone, the vase of red roses snagged his notice once more. His body went rigid. “And the father?”

Melody shook her head and took a step back. Had she heard him right? “What do you mean?”

“The father.” Kyle flung out his hand in the direction of the flowers as if they explained everything. “Do you know who it is?”

Two

At his question, Melody blinked several times in rapid succession and then just stared at him in shock. As the impact of what he’d asked sunk in, Kyle realized he’d just made a huge mistake. His heart clenched in misery. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but that was all he seemed capable of these days.

“What I meant was...” he began, but she was having none of it.

“You’re the father,” Melody said, her voice raw with disappointment and anguish. “How could you think anything else?”

“The flowers.” He slashed his gaze toward them, unable to face the judgment in Melody’s eyes. “It’s the exact thing Hunter sent you last year when he was trying to get you to reconsider picking me over him.”

“Hunter and I are friends.” Her stiff tone brooked no argument. “Nothing more.”

“The same could’ve been said about us before we got together,” he reminded her.

For several seconds she stared at him in silence as her chest rose and fell in response to the large quantity of air she was moving through her lungs. Her blue eyes were overly bright as she assessed him.

When at last she spoke, her words thudded like hammer blows on his psyche. “I can’t believe you could think that I would cheat on you with Hunter or anyone else.”

The urge to fold her into his arms flooded him, but so much resentment lay between them. He doubted she’d be open to any attempt on his part to touch her.

“I don’t.”

“Then why would you ask me something so ridiculous as whether I know who the father is?”

“It came out wrong.” But it hadn’t. In the back of his mind was that ever-present image of Melody and Hunter hand-in-hand.

“I don’t think it did. You’ve been looking for an excuse to break up for months.” Her voice was ragged and raw. “I’m not going to fight you any longer. We’re done.”

“What?” Although he’d been dreading this outcome for months now, Kyle wasn’t prepared for the actual ending. His thoughts reeled. “Just like that?”

“You just accused me of being pregnant with some random guy’s baby—”

“Not some random guy,” he reminded her, hating the words coming out of his mouth but unable to stop the flow. He needed to get his suspicions out in the open. That was the only way they could move forward. His tone was bleak as he finished. “Hunter’s.”