by Hart, Staci
There she was, the girl from before. She appeared like a specter with a softening of her eyes, her face, her body, affected by me as I was by her. It was automatic, unwitting, a natural reaction of her body and mine. An instinct. An impulse.
“I don’t think we should see each other romantically, Theodore,” she whispered. Her eyes said something else entirely.
But I didn’t press. Somehow, I’d known this was what she’d say. “Whatever you want, Kate.”
“Katherine,” she breathed.
“When you call me Theo, I’ll call you Katherine.”
For a moment, she said nothing, just stared at my lips. “Why do you want to raise a child with a stranger?”
The question simmered in my chest, warm and bubbling and steady. “Because I didn’t have a father, and the thought of fathering a child who doesn’t know me just isn’t something I can live with.”
A break in the clouds, a slant of light behind her eyes. Her understanding shone on me like a ray of sunshine.
“That, and I don’t feel like you’re a stranger at all.”
“But I am,” she insisted.
I shrugged my shoulder as I slipped a hand into her hair. Her stubborn little jaw rested in the curve of my palm.
“Technically, yes.”
“There’s no other way but technically.”
“Oh, there is. And when you figure it out, I think you’ll marry me.”
The color rose in her cheeks the split second before she laughed. It was a strange, musical sound from a woman so contained, a sound free and floating. “I don’t believe in marriage.”
“Don’t worry. There’s plenty of time to change your mind.”
Brighter her cheeks flared, though her eyes were merry, laughing as readily as her lips. “You are presumptuous.”
“It’s true. But I’m always right. Statistically, it’s safe to presume.”
With another chuckle, she stepped back. I instantly wished I’d kissed her.
But if I was going to have her for my own, I had the feeling that patience and logic were the only paths to get her.
And I had both in spades.
I was about to reach for her bag in an effort to help her out. But before I could, she listed, shifting in a dangerous tilt that indicated a loss of control.
And with one step and a painful lurch of my heart, I intercepted her before she hit the ground.
3
Let Me Help You With That
Katherine
“Kate? Kate, wake up.”
A big, warm hand on my clammy face. His voice, tight with concern, deep with worry. Something soft under my back—the couch, I realized.
My lids were vault doors, heavy and immovable.
“Katherine,” I corrected, a whisper through sticky lips.
A chuckle.
“Oh, thank God.” The voice was Amelia’s, and the sound wrinkled my brow.
I summoned the strength to crack my eyelids and found three worried faces hovering over me. One was Amelia’s, her eyes wide and bright. The other two were mirrors of each other—dark eyes, dark hair, furrowed brows, full lips ticked down in a frown. But Tommy’s hair was long and irreverent while Theo’s was cropped and contained.
I found I much preferred the latter.
I moved to sit, eliciting arguments from the peanut gallery. But Theo took my arm and helped me up, kneeling at my feet.
“We should get you to the doctor,” he said. Worry etched his brow.
I sighed, rolling my neck. “I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve thrown up everything I’ve eaten. I think my blood sugar is low.”
Amelia slid in next to me. “Are you all right? Are you sick?”
“No, I’m pregnant.”
Her lashes were flittering wings as she blinked. “You’re…I’m sorry. You’re what?”
“Pregnant. With Theodore’s embryo.”
Her mouth opened. Closed again. Opened and hung there. Closed once more. Tommy turned to his brother, and when their eyes met, they had a full conversation without speaking a word.
“The night at the club,” Theo said, answering their silent question.
“A baby?” Amelia breathed, her big eyes sparkling with tears.
“Eventually, yes. But right now it looks closer to a Lovecraftian demon than a baby. So, for now, it’s just an embryo.”
She laughed. “Katherine, it’s a baby.”
“Amelia, it has a tail.”
Another laugh. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re handling this so well.” Her voice softened. “When did you find out?”
There it was again, a twist in my chest that wasn’t painful, just a tight ache that seemed to be trying to tell me something, though I couldn’t imagine what. “Just a bit ago. I was going to ask you all to come over so I could tell you. I didn’t expect for you to find out like this.”
She took my hands, her lips smiling. “Oh, Katherine. I’m just…I’m so happy for you.”
I smiled back, a cursory flicker of my lips. “Thank you,” I said like I was supposed to. Because the truth was, I didn’t know how I felt. I just was. It just was, when a few hours ago, it wasn’t.
I wondered briefly if some emotional fallout would come from the decision. It was likely. And the when and how of it would probably be out of my control. I shifted against my discomfort.
Theo’s dark eyes appeared black, the pupil and iris a meld of color so deep, there was no discerning their bounds. His lips, which were wide and lusciously full, frowned.
“Who’s staying with you?” he asked with the direct authority of a man about to get something done.
“No one,” I answered. “Not anymore. Occasionally, my roommates will stay over, but that’s become infrequent now that they’re in relationships.”
His frown deepened. “I think you should reconsider my suggestion. In fact, I think it should become effective immediately.”
“Suggestion?” Tommy asked, a looming column of darkness. The same black eyes, the imposing dark hair, the inky color of his leather jacket, which squeaked as he crossed his arms.
“Theodore suggested that we cohabitate. That it would be easier if we’re living in the same space once the baby is born.”
At that, Tommy shared another look with his brother. This one held an edge of amusement, judging by the uptick of those devilish lips of theirs.
But it was Amelia who spoke. “I have so many questions, but we’re going to talk about that later.” It was as close to a warning as Amelia ever gave.
I sighed, already dreading the full focus of her attention when we were alone.
It seemed I had quite a bit of explaining to do.
Theo’s jaw was set, his eyes sparking with determination. “You just fainted. What if you’d been alone? What if you’d hit your head or fainted in the shower? I don’t think you should be alone, Kate.”
Amelia’s face swiveled to Theo, her brows arched in surprise.
Another sigh, this one resigned. “I’m not infirmed. I’m pregnant. I doubt I’ll faint again.”
“There’s no way you can know that,” he countered deftly.
Amelia nibbled on her lip.
Tommy watched the whole thing with the gears in his brain whirring.
They were all looking at me. And I found myself struggling to argue.
“I appreciate your concern, but really, I’m fine. I should have eaten some crackers after throwing up. As long as I keep my blood sugar in a healthy range, I won’t faint again.”
Theo ignored my protest completely. “Upstairs are two full master bedrooms and a living area. There’s an office, which we can convert to the baby’s room. I’m here. My mother is here. Amelia and Tommy are right upstairs. You won’t be alone if something happens.”
Now it was my turn to frown. The expression felt mighty on my face, though it was little more than a fractional downturn of my lips. “That’s a lot of people in one place.”
“It’s not really one plac
e,” Amelia said, instantly excited. “We’re in a separate apartment, and Sarah is down here. Really, you should see Theo’s floor. You’ll have privacy. It’s quiet here. You won’t be bothered. And I’ll be right here, all the time. I hate the idea of you being all alone in the house. You don’t even have Claudius anymore.”
A single chuckle huffed from my nose. “I was thinking about going by a shelter on my way home.”
“A cat won’t push a Life Alert button for you,” Tommy pointed out. “If you’re here, we can all help.”
My frown deepened. “I don’t need help.”
Amelia squeezed my hand. “No, you don’t. You can do anything. But wouldn’t it be easier—safer—if you weren’t alone?”
I had no argument beyond not wanting to live with strangers. The idea of so much change made me uncomfortable. But I considered the embryo. And the fact that I had just fainted. Had Theo not been there, I would have hit my head on the coffee table.
The thought gave me pause.
“I…need more time to consider it,” I finally said.
A flash of triumph shot across his face before it smoothed, though his smile remained intact. It was small, higher on one side, cocksure and infallible.
I wondered briefly what his percentage of the time he was right, and estimated by his confidence that it was extraordinarily high.
“I’ll take that answer as enough,” he said as he stood. When our eyes met, he added, “For now.”
I ignored the implication that he’d press me. I didn’t like to be pressed. Or coerced. Or told what to do. I appreciated order and rules, but beyond that, I was as steadfast and stubborn as anyone, including Theodore Bane.
“Well, I’m coming home with you,” Amelia insisted.
I couldn’t even pretend to argue. My relief was instant. “All right,” I said, shifting to stand.
All three of them moved to help me at once. But Theo made it first, taking my arm, slipping a hand around my waist. Something in his touch relayed his thoughts—tenderness, affection, protection. And although I rankled at the feeling of being treated as an invalid, there was something deeply comforting about the gesture.
I didn’t dislike the sensation at all. In fact, I leaned into it for just a moment.
And then I broke away.
There were things in life that I cherished, upheld as holy gospel—logic, knowledge, and truth. And in that triad, there was no room for such things as sentimentality. Feelings were false, brain chemicals and triggered dendrites. Love wasn’t real. It was a series of chemosignals that one became addicted to. Nothing more.
There was no magic to love. Because magic didn’t exist.
Not for me.
But partnership did.
And Theodore had already proven himself to be well suited for the job.
To someone more tenderhearted, our meeting would have been called fate. But to me, it was a matter of momentary compatibility. In truth, we could have been compatible for longer than that, which was in large part why I’d avoided seeing him again. The idea that I could find someone to truly be with, who would overlook my multitude of faults, was a theory I didn’t want to test. And that I liked Theo very much only deepened my aversion.
The more I liked him, the harder it would be when he realized I was impossible to endure.
And now, I was even more thankful for the distance I’d so astutely placed between us.
Because starting a relationship out of obligation and with a child hanging in the balance was a terrible idea.
And I’d keep reminding myself of that until I convinced myself it was true.
4
Exemplary Specimen
Katherine
“You’re what?” Val screeched.
It was the closest word I could find for the high-pitched sound that could have come from a bird of prey were it not for syllables. I didn’t think raptors had the tongue dexterity to form syllables.
“Pregnant,” I said again, though a little slower, just in case she’d actually misheard me. I could never be sure.
Rin blinked. Val gaped. Amelia’s arms were folded, her lips a disapproving line.
“I can’t believe you told Theo before you told us,” she said again.
We sat in our kitchen. Well, I sat. My three roommates stood around the island, staring at me in disbelief.
“Well, no one was here, and his sperm had created the embryo. It doesn’t seem that unrealistic that I’d go straight to him.”
The three of them gave me a look.
“I was going to text you when I left,” I added.
It didn’t faze them.
“What are you going to do?” Rin asked, her porcelain face touched with worry and dark hair falling over her shoulders.
My brows flicked together. “Have the baby.”
“Alone?” Val’s question was dubious. She crossed her arms, leaning the wide curve of her hip on the counter.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Amelia beat me to it.
“Theo wants her to move in with him.”
Val’s and Rin’s faces immediately softened into smiles.
“That’s genius,” Rin said. “Amelia will be right upstairs, and when the baby comes, Theo will be right there to help.”
My frown deepened. “But I’ll have to live with strangers. Lots of strangers. I haven’t done that since freshman year with you three.”
“But wouldn’t it be better than you being all by yourself?” Val asked.
“I can’t imagine how. I’ll go from blissful solitude to reminding Theodore to put the toilet seat down. Everything will change.”
“Everything’s already going to change,” Val pointed out helpfully.
I realized I was pouting and smoothed my face. “So why pile more change on top of the inevitable?”
“She fainted,” Amelia blurted, her cheeks flushed and voice high.
I pinned her with a look. She wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“She swooned and fainted, and Theo caught her and had time to call us down before she even woke.”
Now, they were only concerned.
“Oh my God,” Rin breathed, reaching for my hand. “Are you all right?”
“My blood sugar was low,” I huffed. “It won’t happen again.”
“You don’t know that,” Amelia countered, her little mouth set in a firm line. “She could hurt herself, and no one would be here to help her.”
“I’m pregnant, not infirmed.”
“I know that,” she said, “but it’s not just you anymore. You have your embryo to worry about.”
My nose wrinkled. She was right, I knew, but I didn’t want to move. I wasn’t ready for that much change.
Rin and Val exchanged a glance.
“Maybe we could move back,” Rin said.
Val nibbled her lip. Rin’s eyes were wary.
And I shook my head. “Rin, you should live with your fiancé. Court’s place is right next to work, and you’re about to get married. And Val, you and Sam are just starting out.”
“I don’t like the thought of you being alone,” Val said quietly.
I sighed, trying to release the pressure in my chest, but it did little good.
“Well,” Rin started, “you don’t have to move in now. I mean, the first trimester is kinda dodgy anyway, right? So what if you wait until you get through that? Go to the doctor, confirm all the things, get out of the danger zone.”
I perked up, straightening on the stool where I sat at our kitchen island. “I like this idea. I like this idea a lot. Theodore and I could spend the next seven weeks getting used to each other.”
“I dunno,” Amelia said. “He already seems pretty used to the idea.”
This time, it was Val who looked accusatory. “That’s another thing. How the hell did you not tell us you slept with Theo?”
A hot flush crept across my cheeks. “Because it was a one-time thing.”
Val snorted a laugh. “I mean, they say it only takes once, b
ut this is taking it to the extreme.”
“He smells good. We have chemistry. When we danced, I knew we would. So we went home together.”
They waited for me to finish.
“And that was it,” I clarified.
“Oh, that was not it,” Val said with the roll of her eyes. “How was it?”
For a second, I didn’t answer. I hadn’t had a wide variety of trysts, but he’d easily topped them all. Another reason to stay away.
If I continued to see him, I would become beholden to him. And if I gave him that power, I would lose control. That possibility scared me even more than the embryo in my uterus.
“It was exemplary,” was my answer.
“Why didn’t you see him again?” Rin asked gently.
“Starting off a relationship with a one-night stand seems irresponsible.”
“Well, now you’re starting one off with a baby,” Val said.
“There is no relationship,” I assured her. “Theodore and I won’t be romantically involved.”
Now Val was pouting. “Why the heck not?”
“Because I’m also not willing to be with a man simply because he fertilized my egg.”
A laugh burst out of Amelia, and she clapped her hand over her mouth.
“What? That’s what happened.”
“I know, but you sound like you’re talking about chickens. He’s the father of your child,” she reminded me. As if I didn’t know.
“There will be too many variables, too many emotions with the baby alone. We can’t get our hearts involved on top of that. It would be too messy to untangle.”
“Well, you might not have a choice,” Amelia said. “I was bound and determined not to fall for my fake husband, and look how that turned out.”
“I slept with Theodore once.”
“I know, but you never sleep with anybody, so he’s obviously special,” she argued.
“That’s not true. I occasionally sleep with people.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “Biannual one-night stands barely count.”
“How so? I sleep with them, don’t I?”
“But you don’t like them.”