Page 68 of Secret Baby for My Brother's Best Friends

Chelsea cocks her head. "Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about that.”

"About what?"

"About why my brother dislikes you so much, at least in the context of me dating you," she says. “I mean, I don’t think he necessarily wants me with any of you, but he seems to hold a very particular grudge towards you, though. You're the one he wants me with the least. Is there a reason for that?"

“Yeah,” I say as the memories fully drift back. “Not really proud of it, but I was a real idiot in college.”

Her eyebrow raises. “I’d love to hear about it.”

“Invite me in, and I might tell you." While a part of me is enjoying talking outside with the evening breeze nipping at our faces and her scent blending with the smell of spring, I’d much rather be in the intimacy of her home, sitting together on the couch, staring into her eyes, leaning in and kissing her–

No.I stop the thought dead in its tracks. That’s not what I came here for. I came here for...

Hell, I’m not even sure.

Maybe it's because of what Sam told us this morning, right before the meeting, about how she'd thrown up in his car and felt so sick that he'd taken her to the hospital.

I was worried about her.

But aside from my worry, I also imagined them in the hospital, with him by her side, holding her hand through it all.

And when I saw them together today, it was clear that something had shifted in their relationship. She smiled at him first when she walked into the conference room, and he smiled back at her, and there was just an intangible bond between them.

It triggered a dark heat in my chest that I struggled for the rest of the meeting to suppress.

I told myself that it was because I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t there for her when she needed me. I hated that Sam kept that from us until right before we arrived, and when I tried calling her, all the calls went to voicemail.

I mean, the baby could be mine, so it should be at least partially my responsibility to take care of her, and I shouldn’t have beenjust Sam with her that day when she was sick. I told him as much and told myself it had nothing to do with envy, even though the thought of them making out in that car has replayed in my mind on a loop since it happened.

I was going to let her go.

I knew he liked her more than I did, so I was going to do the decent thing and let them be a couple without my interference. Heck, that's why I suggested she drive with him in the first place.

So what am I doing here now?

The baby.

That's right. I was going to let her go, but that was before the baby was involved. Now, I can't just turn my back on my child. This is all about the baby.

Liar.

She’s staring at me now, contemplating the offer, and then she purses her lips and steps back. "You can come in.”

“Thank you," I say. I walk in and take off my jacket, hanging it on the hook.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch her eyes dropping to the t-shirt stretched across my chest that lifts showing off the V in my lower abdomen.

A responding heat floods my body.

Oh yeah.

I didn’t wear this on purpose, but the flare of the desire in her eyes makes me want to preen like a damn peacock.

She wants me. Despite whatever's going on with Sam, she still wants me.

Why does that fill me with so much pleasure?

Why do I want to kiss her so badly right now?