by Katie Knight
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, APRIL 2020
Copyright © 2020 Relay Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Katie Knight is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.
Cover Design by L J Mayhem Covers.
www.relaypub.com
Blurb
Navy SEAL Demetri Lewis is used to danger. So when he receives threatening notes, he brushes it off. But when his former squad leader is murdered and Diana Addison, his best friend’s little sister—and the girl Demetri spent an amazing night with four months ago—is threatened, things become personal. Demetri immediately rushes to Diana’s house to save her and gets even more shocking news. Diana is pregnant. With his baby. Now, keeping Diana safe has taken on a new and monumental meaning. After losing his parents as a child, Demetri has tried to never care too much for anyone, which is why he’s terrified of his growing feelings for Diana.
All Diana ever really wanted was a normal family and a happy home—picket fence and all. Being single and pregnant was never in the plans, but Diana is willing to do what it takes to give her child a good life. Hopping from hotel to hotel, trying to lose whoever is after them, is terrifying—but it’d be far more difficult without someone like Demetri by her side. He’s kind, strong, sexy, and his kisses are decidedly swoon-worthy. When they finally settle in at Demetri’s childhood home to use it as a safe house, it's impossible not to picture them becoming a family. But with the threats on her life intensifying, Diana is stunned by a decision Demetri makes—one that will tear them apart forever. She knows she can trust Demetri with her life, but can she ever trust him with her heart?
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
End of The SEAL’s Accidental Pregnancy
Thank You!
About Katie
About Leslie
Sneak Peek: The SEAL’s Convenient Marriage
Also by Katie
One
Demetri Lewis prided himself on being a hero, even when it came to blind dates.
Which explained why he was sitting in a darkened, rain-slicked parking lot on a Saturday night waiting for his best bud’s little sister to arrive for the ball. Normally he wouldn’t go anywhere near an event like this, preferring to stick to his own company socially, but apparently his mystery date had already purchased her tickets and then got dumped by an ex who’d cheated on her.
According to his buddy, she needed an escort to the ball to show the world she was better off without her ex. And Demetri? Well, he liked playing the knight in shining armor, so here he was.
Headlights flashed in his rearview mirror as a car pulled into the empty space behind his. He adjusted his black bow tie before climbing out of his vehicle and smoothing a hand down his already-immaculate tux.
Showtime.
And yes, maybe the fancy monkey suit was overplaying it a bit. But Demetri didn’t do things half-assed. Ever. The lady needed an escort? He’d be the best damned blind date in the history of fix-ups.
He straightened to his full six-five height and took a deep breath before approaching the late model compact car. Through the windshield, he caught a glimpse of long dark hair and a frothy pink dress beneath the orangish glow of the streetlights above.
In all honesty, this was an almost completely blind date. He’d seen this woman once before, ten years prior, when he and her brother had graduated from the naval academy. Back then, both he and Peter Addison had been proud as hell to have been accepted into the SEAL training program and were raring to get on with the next phase of their lives.
Diana had been there with Peter’s mom to celebrate his big day. She’d been sixteen and geeky as hell, in a cute sort of way. Braces, blushes, and big-ass glasses. Sweet as southern iced tea too. He’d enjoyed hanging out with her. Hopefully, time hadn’t changed that.
The door to her car swung open, narrowly missing him, and one long shapely leg ending in a pink high heel extended from the vehicle. Soon the rest of her followed, and all Demetri could do was stare.
Nope. Definitely not the same geeky girl from a decade ago. This Diana Addison had it going on in spades. Tall, yet curvy, with legs for days and the bluest eyes Demetri had ever seen. Those hadn’t changed at all. Said eyes were now regarding him with a mix of wariness and hope.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, her voice a tad huskier than he remembered, whether from age or emotion he wasn’t sure. The thought that she might’ve spent a lot of time lately crying tugged at his heart uncomfortably.
Demetri avoided tears almost as much as he avoided entanglements.
He was a man of action. When he saw a problem, he wanted to fix it—but tears were something he couldn’t fix. He’d learned that lesson long ago, when he was just a kid, helplessly watching his mother spiral into grief after they lost his father.
She continued to blink up at him, those pink lips of hers turning down farther by the second from her initial shaky smile into a frown. Finally, she crossed her arms and shuffled her feet. “What’s the matter? Don’t I look okay?” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s this dress, isn’t it? Dammit. I knew I should’ve gone with the blue one. Brad always told me I looked like a slut in this one. With the slit up to there in the front and the neckline down to there. Ugh.”
Diana fiddled with the bodice of her dress, trying to tug it up to her chin, before Demetri stopped her by placing his hand over hers. The heat of her skin seared him and jolted him back to reality. He pulled away fast and cleared his throat of the sudden constriction clogging it.
“No. You look beautiful. Don’t worry.” He felt discombobulated by the odd fascination he felt watching her. That wasn’t like him at all. Precise, professional, prudent. Those were the words he lived by. Yet standing there in the shadows with his best bud’s little sis, he kept acting like a bumbling doofus. He hadn’t opened her door for her. Hadn’t helped her out of her car. Hadn’t complimented her on her appearance until she’d all but dragged the words from him.
Shit. This date was not turning out at all like he’d expected, and it had just started.
Determined to get back on track, he shook off the weird tingles of awareness zinging through him and forced a confident smile he didn’t quite feel. “How’ve you been, Diana?”
Her shoulders slumped slightly, and he could’ve kicked himself. Not cool, dude. She’s just been dumped,
how do you think she’s been? Chalk up another mark in his Fail column tonight.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Then she straightened and lifted her chin defiantly. There was the Diana he remembered—smart and resilient. “Okay and getting better each day,” she said, sidling around him and heading for the entrance to the banquet hall where the ball was being held. “And you?”
“Can’t complain,” he said, glad to be back in his element again. He caught up with her in two long strides and placed his hand beneath her elbow to steady her, as those heels looked far too high for good balance. Still, she didn’t miss a step. They reached the entrance to the hall, where the light was better, and she stopped to check her reflection in the glass door. Demetri took the opportunity to get a better look at her. Same thick, dark hair hanging down her back, same creamy skin, same gorgeous blue eyes.
She caught him staring and met his gaze in the glass. “Are you sure I look all right?”
“You look amazing,” he said before he thought better of it. It was true, of course, but he didn’t want her getting the wrong idea about him. Demetri didn’t do close relationships. After what he’d witnessed growing up, he kept to himself and liked it that way. Still, he had some repair work to do if he wanted to keep his hero reputation intact tonight, so he stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders, her bare skin above the strapless dress like velvet beneath his fingertips. “Peter told me about your ex. I’m sorry that happened, but based on what I’m seeing right now, that guy was a complete idiot and he’s the loser, not you. Ready to go inside?”
Those piercing blue eyes watched him for a moment, as if gauging the truthfulness of his statement, before she turned to face him. And there it was, the blush he remembered. Pretty pink color suffused her cheeks and he found himself inordinately pleased that that hadn’t changed either. That tug was back in his chest, along with a squeezing warmth that made him wonder exactly when the temperature had gone up. He stopped himself from running a finger under the stiff white collar of his shirt and instead walked over to open the door, bowing slightly at the waist to hide the heat prickling his own face. “Ready to go inside?”
Diana took a deep breath, then nodded, brushing past him into the lobby of the reception hall, the sweet floral scent of her perfume tickling his nose as she passed. “Yep. Let’s get this over with.”
Not exactly the sentiment he was hoping for, but considering the jumbled mess this date had suddenly become for him, Demetri would take what he got.
Man, I haven’t felt this nervous since the first night Brad and I slept together.
Diana stared around the room at all the happy couples and her spirits flagged. Coming tonight had been a mistake, no matter how dashing her date might be. She took in the elegant swaths of tulle draped around the columns in the large space, the round tables covered in white linen with massive centerpieces brimming with roses and carnations and lilies, the overhead LED fairy lights switching from lavender to pale pink to white, and all she longed for was her home and her bed.
“Wow,” Demetri said from beside her as they stood on the threshold. “They did up the place nice.”
“Yeah.” She fiddled in her evening bag for the tickets she’d purchased, then handed them to the attendant to her right, doing her best not to notice the heat emanating from her studly date’s form or the delicious scent of his cologne—vanilla and musk and soap. Tonight didn’t mean a thing, other than she’d allowed her older brother to talk her into accepting a pity date to use the tickets she’d bought rather than sitting at home on her sofa with a tub of ice cream and reruns of her favorite show on TV. She mustered what little enthusiasm she could and said, “Super nice.”
Demetri snorted, his chuckle low and deep and altogether too sexy for her comfort. “Tell me how you really feel about being here.”
“My brother warned me you were a smooth talker,” she said, dishing the snark right back to him and finding herself smiling despite her crappy attitude. Honestly, she’d always liked Demetri, in an off-limits, older-brother’s-best-friend kind of way. While they’d only met in person once, she felt like she knew him from the stories her brother had shared, and the snapshots she’d seen of the two friends over the years. He seemed decent enough, if a bit too good-looking to be trusted, what with that killer bod of his and those adorable dimples when he smiled. Not to mention those warm, chocolate brown eyes of his. Man, a girl could get lost in those eyes and never want to come out. Well, any girl but her. She didn’t go in for that silliness anymore.
“Right this way,” the attendant said, gesturing toward the ballroom. “I’ll show you both to your table."
A tuxedo-clad arm appeared in front of her and she looked up at Demetri, torn between running for the hills and clinging to him like a hopeless mess. He really was a nice guy and he was doing his best to be a good date to her. The least she could do was try to have a good time. With a small smile, she looped her arm through his and they descended the stairs into the party.
Candles flickered on the tables as they weaved through the crowd of elegantly clad women and men in dress uniforms. Demetri had worn a tux tonight and looked just as commanding as he would have in Navy whites.
“Here we are,” the attendant said, holding out a chair for Diana at a table near the dance floor at the front of the space. A string quartet played tasteful renditions of classic standards in the corner and several couples were swaying to the music beneath a large chandelier draped in more tulle. It lent the space a muted, elegant sort of feel. Diana took her seat and thanked the attendant, then placed her small bag on the table while Demetri took a seat next to her. His arm brushed hers and tingles of awareness shot through her system before she could stop them. It was just the fact she’d been alone for the past month since Brad left. That was all. She was starved for attention.
“So,” Demetri said, reaching for the bottle of complimentary champagne on the table to fill her glass, then his. “How’s work going?”
“Fine. Good.” She sipped her drink and focused on the couples dancing, the fizzing bubbles tickling her nose. “It’s kindergarten, so the kids are always fun.”
“I bet.” He sat back and stretched out his long legs under the table. Diana did her best not to notice how the expensive material of his trousers clung to his muscled form or how graceful his movements were. The one time they’d met, when she was all of sixteen, she’d developed a massive crush on him, fantasizing about someday having Demetri declare his undying love for her and sweep her off her feet to carry her into the sunset. Life had certainly corrected her views on that. She wasn’t worthy of an HEA, at least not according to Brad, who’d ground her self-confidence to dust during their thirteen months together.
“Your mom must be ecstatic with everything you’ve accomplished. Getting your Masters degree and all,” Demetri said, jarring her out of her thoughts. “Peter can’t stop talking about you and all the great things you’ve done.”
“Well, he’s biased—my mom, too,” she said, trying not to sound jaded and failing miserably, if Demetri’s raised brow was any indication. She sighed. “I mean, thank you for the compliments.”
“But you don’t believe them.” It wasn’t a question, his gaze far too perceptive for her comfort.
Bone-deep weariness caught up with her. She’d been battling away her feelings of inadequacy, working so hard to cover them up for so long, that she just couldn’t anymore. All thanks to Brad, the man who’d told her on a daily basis what a disappointment she was—from her looks to her job to pretty much everything about her. Toward the end of their relationship it had gotten so bad, she didn’t even trust herself to pick an outfit on her own without his opinion. Of course, that was how he’d wanted it. Brad couldn’t stand the fact that she might be an independent person with her own thoughts and likes and power.
He’d wrecked her self-esteem to make sure she’d never even consider leaving him…and then he’d left, because another woman had caught his
eye. She’d felt worthless and discarded but also fiercely, powerfully relieved to be free from him at last…and a little ashamed of herself that she hadn’t been the one to leave. And a little worried that he might have been right about her all along. And a little disgusted that she was still letting him influence her in any way. It had been, needless to say, a tumultuous month.
She looked up at Demetri through her lashes. “No, I don’t. Did Peter say anything about my break-up?”
“Some.” He toyed with the stem of his goblet, drawing her attention to his long, tapered fingers. An image of the two of them in bed together, and all the wonderful things he might do to her with those fingers, flashed through her mind unbidden before she pushed it aside. She shivered and he noticed, because of course he did. “Cold?”
“No.” She gulped more champagne for lack of anything better to do. At this rate, she’d end up spending most of her night under the table instead of sitting at it. She’d barely eaten in two days so she’d fit into this stupid dress. “What exactly did Peter tell you?”
“Only that things between you and your ex weren’t good. He said the guy was a real controlling asshole.”
“He got that part right.” She poured herself more champagne, then sat back, the alcohol swirling in her stomach and taking the edge off slightly. “Brad Davis seemed like a prize at first. Successful banker, nice car, great house, tons of money. But underneath all that success lurked an insecure bully. He found the easiest way to make himself feel better was to put other people down, especially me.”