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  She noticed two possibilities, both of which were nearby. Grabbing her purse and her room key, she set out on foot. The closest one wasn’t her favorite, but any money was better than no money. At this point, she was ready to take a job cleaning houses if it meant she’d have money for a place to sleep and food to eat.

  Stopping in front of the store, she took a breath and went inside. It was a small boutique specializing in upscale women’s clothing. Not the type of place Chloe was used to being in, but surely that wouldn’t be an issue for a simple sales clerk position.

  As she made her way to the back, she noticed the women in the store. Most were polished and obviously came from money. The only sales clerk she saw on the floor was dressed in a black skirt suit. Was that the required type of clothing for their sales people?

  Chloe approached the checkout counter and noticed the woman behind the counter also wore a suit. Obviously this wasn’t the right place for her. Without even stopping, she made a u-turn and headed for the door. There was no sense in wasting their time, or hers.

  Once she was back out on the sidewalk, she sighed and looked at the next potential job on her list. A floral shop needed a receptionist. Chloe had no doubt she was qualified to answer a phone, and a floral shop should be a fairly casual place to work. At least, she hoped that was the case.

  After walking several blocks, Chloe stopped in front of Ackman’s Flower Shop. When she opened the door, a bell jingled overhead. Stepping into the store, the scent of flowers hit Chloe, making her sneeze. She loved flowers, but the scent was over-powering. Before she could take another step, she sneezed two more times and her eyes began to water.

  Backing out of the store, Chloe stood once more on the sidewalk. How could she answer their phones if she couldn’t even stand in the shop?

  Her stomach growled and reminded her she hadn’t eaten yet. Giving in, she walked over to the McDonald’s on the corner. If she kept eating out, she’d be completely broke by the next morning.

  As she ate her food, she stared thoughtfully out the window. It seemed she was out of options. While she might have another two nights at the motel, she didn’t have enough money for meals. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to find Michael. If she and her baby were going to survive, he was her only hope.

  ***

  After her meal, Chloe slowly trudged along the sidewalk. She remembered that Michael worked at his family’s garage and that he'd mentioned living across the street. She knew where Andrews Auto Repair was located, which meant his home had to be the large Victorian across from it. Unfortunately for her, both were still several blocks away. She hated to spend money she didn’t have, but it was apparent a bus was in order; walking was out of the question.

  Stopping at the nearest bus stop, she sat on the bench and waited. Before too long, the bus she needed stopped and she got in. Dropping her money into the machine by the door, she took the first vacant seat she came across.

  Two blocks from the Victorian, the bus let her out. She slowly made her way along the sidewalk, deep in thought.

  What would she say to Michael? Hi, remember me? The woman you knocked up? No, she obviously couldn’t say that. Not if she wanted his help. And honestly, what did she expect him to do? It’s not like he could make a job miraculously appear for her. She wasn’t sure what she expected or what she wanted. Chloe only knew that she was completely out of options.

  Standing in front of the large house, she gazed up at it in wonder. It was pretty intimidating up close. She'd never been inside of a home this large before. For all she knew, he’d slam the door in her face, and she wouldn’t get a chance to go inside one now either.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps and knocked on the door. She was surprised when a beautiful woman with black hair opened the door. Was this why Michael hadn’t been

  around? Had he not only moved on, but allowed a woman to move in?

  “May I help you with something?”

  Chloe clutched her short-sleeve cardigan a little tighter around her, feeling insecure wasn’t something she was accustomed to and she didn’t like it.

  “I was hoping that Michael might be at home,” she murmured, her voice low and husky with unshed tears. Her hormones were working overtime. She hated being so emotional all the time. Just the thought that Michael had replaced her so quickly hurt more than she cared to admit.

  “Michael? I’m afraid he doesn’t live here anymore,” the woman told her.

  Chloe’s breath caught in her throat. He’d moved? Now what she going to do? She had no way to find him and she had nowhere else to go. On the plus side, that meant he hadn’t replaced her with the raven haired beauty standing before her.

  “I’m sorry to have bothered you,” she said in a near whisper and started backing away from the door.

  “Wait. Why don’t you come in for a minute?”

  Chloe shook her head. “I’ve disturbed you enough for one night, but thank you.”

  A large man walked up behind the woman. Chloe could tell he was related to Michael. She remembered him mentioning two brothers. If she had to guess, Chloe would say that she was currently facing the oldest brother.

  “What’s going on?” the man asked, putting his arms around his wife.

  The woman tipped her head back to look up at him. “This young woman was just looking for Michael. I told her that he doesn’t live here anymore.”

  “No, he doesn’t. Would you like to come in for a minute? Maybe have some tea or coffee?” he asked.

  Chloe let go of her cardigan long enough to hold up a hand. “No, really… I should be going.”

  His eyes widened in shock as he took in the gentle swelling of Chloe’s stomach. “Are you pregnant?”

  Chloe blushed. “Um, yeah, I am… only about five months though.”

  He seemed to do a quick calculation in his head and come to the conclusion that Michael was the father if his next statement was anything to go by. “I think you need to come in for a few minutes.” His tone brooked no argument.

  Chloe sighed and hesitantly stepped into the front entry. She looked around at her surroundings. The walls had been freshly painted and everything gleamed. It was just as beautiful as

  she’d thought it would be.

  The woman motioned toward the living room. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll keep you company while Gabriel makes us some tea. I’m Kiera, by the way.”

  Chloe nodded and walked over to the sofa. As she sank into the comfy cushions, a sigh escaped her before she could stop it. Getting off her feet felt heavenly; the sofa being extra cushy just made it that much better.

  “I’m Chloe.”

  Gabriel disappeared, leaving Chloe alone with Kiera. Michael’s brother returned several minutes later with two cups of tea in his hands.

  “I was just asking Chloe where she was staying,” Kiera said as Gabriel walked into the living room.

  Chloe’s blush had deepened until her whole face was bright red. She was staring intently at something on the floor, trying to hide behind a curtain of hair, making it obvious that she was ashamed of where she lived.

  “I was staying in an apartment over on Walnut Road,” she murmured in response, hoping that would be the end of it.

  “Was? You mean you aren’t now?” Kiera asked.

  Chloe really didn’t want to answer the question. She hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable it would be coming here and having to answer a barrage of questions. Was it too late to leave and figure out something else? She gave a furtive glance toward the front door, wishing it were closer and that she were faster. She had a feeling that Michael’s brother wouldn’t let her leave yet. It was obvious he suspected that Michael was the father of her child.

  “Chloe?” Kiera prompted, still waiting on her question to be answered.

  Chloe cleared her throat. “I was evicted yesterday.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Kiera said, placing a sympathetic hand on her arm.

  Before Ch
loe could respond, the front door opened and closed.

  “Hey bro, you said you wanted to see me?” Michael said as he walked into the living room.

  When he saw Chloe, he looked confused.

  “Kiera, I think that Michael and Chloe need to talk for a minute. Why don’t we go into the kitchen?” Gabriel said, holding his hand out to his wife.

  Kiera climbed to her feet and gave Chloe one last glance, looking as if she wished she could help in some way.

  When his brother and sister-in-law had filed out of the room, Michael looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow. “I take it you were looking for me?”

  Why had she talked herself into this? She wasn’t ready to confront him, wasn’t sure what to say or do. She stared at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her.

  “Chloe?” Michael took a step toward her.

  She glanced up at him. Her mouth went dry. He was every bit as gorgeous as he had been the night she’d met him. His tall, muscular form was every bit as delicious as she had remembered. His blue eyes contrasted nicely with his inky black hair; his strong, full lips made liquid heat pool between her legs. For whatever reason, Chloe seemed to lose the ability to think when Michael was around, which was obvious since she was pregnant. The man was sinfully handsome, of that there was no doubt. It was also obvious that she still desired him as much as she had five months ago. This was definitely a mistake! Finding Michael was more dangerous than she had thought.

  “I shouldn’t have come here,” she told him, pushing herself to her feet.

  Before she could reach the door, Michael reached out and gently took her arm. “Wait, you had to come here for some reason. Just tell me what you wanted, Chloe.”

  She shook her head. “No, this was a mistake.”

  Pulling her arm free, she tried to walk out the door again, only to be stopped – again.

  “What was a mistake, Chloe?”

  Shaking her head, she tried to go around him.

  Michael put his arm out, effectively blocking her path. In the process, her cardigan was pushed aside, revealing her stomach.

  Grabbing the edges of the material, Chloe tried to cover the small bump. She wasn’t quite fast enough if the shocked expression on Michael’s face was anything to go by. She sighed, resigned to her fate.

  “You’re pregnant?” he asked.

  “Yes, five months.”

  His eyes darted to hers. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

  Anger filled her, eyes flashing she pushed past his arm and out the front door. She was down the steps and part way down the sidewalk before Michael even registered what had just happened.

  ***

  Chloe was fuming! How dare he ask if the baby was his? As if she slept around all the time! The nerve of the man! He’s the one who walked out on her, who quit calling and coming by. What

  right did he have to question her?

  She had just reached the bus stop and sat down when a Corvette pulled up to the curb. Leaving the car running, Michael got out and walked over to her.

  Hunkering down in front of her, he tried to catch her attention. Chloe was looking everywhere but at him. “Chloe, would you look at me?”

  She stubbornly stared at the ground.

  “Chloe, what do you want me to say? I’m sorry, okay? You kind of blindsided me.”

  She had to grudgingly admit that he was right on that point. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure I had planned on ever telling you. You left and stopped calling. I figured you had gotten what you wanted from me and moved on.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I ended up getting attacked by some crazy guy who was after my sister- in-law; then my other brother got married a few weeks later,” Michael said by way of explanation.

  Her eyes widened in shock. “Attacked? What do you mean attacked?”

  “It was nothing. I was laid up for a week or two, but I’m fine now.”

  Chloe scooted closer to the edge of the bench. “So you were attacked shortly after our last night together?”

  Thinking he was getting through to her, he smiled. “Yes, I was. Otherwise, I would have called you.”

  “And you were stuck in bed during your recovery?” she asked.

  He nodded. “For at least two weeks.”

  Chloe set her jaw. “And you couldn’t work a phone in all that time? Or in the months since then?”

  Too late, Michael realized his mistake. “Well, I…”

  “Just admit it, Michael! You weren’t going to call me. I was nothing more than a fling to you, which is why I didn’t bother telling you about the baby. You didn’t want me so why should I think you’d want your child?” she snapped.

  Michael lost his temper. “If you didn’t think I wanted you or the baby, why did you come looking for me now?”

  Tears blurred Chloe’s vision. “I wouldn’t have, but I didn’t have any other options.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I lost my job, lost my car, and yesterday I was evicted from my apartment. The few things I

  have left fit in a plastic sack,” she said.

  Michael sighed, his anger draining away at her admission. He gathered her hand in his and gave it a slight tug. “Well, come on.”

  She looked up at him, a tear having slipped down her cheek. “What? Where are we going?”

  “To my place. You can’t sit on this bench all night.”

  She shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t have come looking for you. I should have just figured it out on my own. This is my problem, not yours.”

  “In case you missed it, Chloe, the baby you’re carrying is mine. That makes your welfare my problem just as much as it is yours,” he growled. Damn but the woman was independent!

  “Okay, but just for tonight,” she relented grudgingly.

  Michael rubbed his jaw. “And you’re miraculously going to have a job and a place to live in the morning?”

  “Well, no.”

  He nodded. “Then I think it’s safe to say you’ll be staying with me for longer than just tonight.”

  Chloe knew she’d lost this round. One way or another, she was going to find a job! Staying in Michael’s house wasn’t going to be easy. He might have been able to forget about her, but she hadn’t been able to forget him. She’d thought of him every waking moment since the last time she’d seen him.

  Michael stood and held his hand out to her. Helping her stand, he put an arm around her waist, which she promptly shrugged off.

  “Michael, maybe we need to get something straight.”

  He didn’t think he liked where this was going. “What is it Chloe?”

  “We aren’t going to pick up where we left off. I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “I didn’t expect you to, Chloe.” Although he had hoped she would. Having her under his roof and not in his bed was going to drive him crazy.

  “So what’s with the arm around my waist?”

  “I just thought you might be tired. I was only helping you to the car,” he answered.

  Some of the anger left her, visibly relaxing her posture. “Oh. Sorry, I thought you were trying to make a move on me.”

  Michael’s lips twitched as he fought a grin. “Honey, if I made a move on you, you’d know it.”

  A blush stained her cheeks. “I remember,” she murmured.

  Michael opened the car door and Chloe climbed inside. Once she was buckled, he closed the

  door and walked around to the driver’s side. Shaking his head, he climbed into the car. It was going to be a long night, of that he had no doubt. He had a feeling his life would never be the same.

  Chapter Two

  A short time later, after having retrieved Chloe’s possessions from her motel room, Michael pulled up in front of his home. It wasn’t big and fancy like the Victorian, but it was his. Matt had sold it to him right after Kiera and Gabriel married. The three-bedroom o
ne-bath brick home backed up to a large park, which made it ideal for a werewolf. There was a large privacy fence around the backyard as well, with gates in both the front and the back.

  Chloe was surprised when she saw Michael’s house. After the Victorian, she had figured he lived in a large house. The small brick home in front of her looked cozy, like a family home. That’s the last thing she needed to be thinking, she mentally chastised herself. She and Michael were not going to be a family!

  Getting out of the car, she carried her sack up to the front porch. She surveyed the area while Michael unlocked the front door and pushed it open.

  “After you,” he said, motioning for her to enter.

  Chloe stepped into the house and was pleasantly surprised. The living room was fairly small with hardwood floors and tan walls. The furniture was simple, but seemed to suit the room perfectly. Through the living room, she could see the eat-in kitchen.

  “The bedrooms are through here,” Michael said as he headed for a small hallway off to the left.

  “I don’t have any furniture in the first bedroom. The second one doesn’t have much either,” he said, passing both rooms.

  “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  He pushed open a third door. “Actually, I’m giving you my room.”

  Chloe looked at him in surprise. “You can’t do that.”

  “I think I just did.”

  “But… it isn’t fair for you to give up your room,” she insisted.

  “Chloe, would you just take the room? The bed is bigger and more comfortable. You’re carrying my child, just let me do this one small thing,” he said in desperation.

  Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but the stubborn set of Michael’s jaw told her it would be futile to argue. She gave a slight nod, “Okay, I’ll take the room, but only because you insist.”

  Michael walked into the room and cleaned out a dresser drawer for her, “You can put your things in here.”