RUINED - The Price of Play: Everhide Rockstar Romance Series Book 2

by Tania Joyce

  Kara’s head spun. She’d tried for months to fall pregnant with Conrad. They’d wanted a baby desperately, and it had never happened. All the ovulation checks and monitoring had gotten out of control. One night with a man she could barely tolerate had achieved what Conrad never did. Shit.

  Dr Lloyd bowed her head. “Do you know who the father is?”

  Kara squeezed her eyes shut, tight. Bitterness swamped her mouth. “Yes,” she whispered.

  “When was your last period, or do you remember the day you had intercourse, so we can work out your due date?”

  “Um . . .” Kara shivered in her chair. One amazing night with Hunter at Gemma’s engagement party had turned into her worst nightmare. She wanted to scream and shout and tear his God damn hair out. “My period was during the second week of October. I was with the guy three and a half weeks ago. October 21st.”

  Kara’s doctor typed away on her laptop. “So that was your date of fertilization. This explains why your breasts are tender, and you’ve been feeling sick. You have morning sickness, my dear.” Dr Lloyd kept her eyes on her computer screen. “The due date of your baby is calculated from the time of your last period. That puts you at just over five weeks on the chart. You’ll be due around July 13th.” Dr Lloyd gave her a sympathetic smile. “Kara, this has obviously come as a shock. Take some time to think things over. If this is an unwanted pregnancy, you have options available. We can talk about them if you wish.”

  “No. Not now. I don’t know what I want to do.”

  Three and a half weeks ago, she’d been given the news she had to have a hysterectomy to put an end to her severe endometriosis. Having her own child was not an option. Now she was pregnant. Was this her only chance to ever have a baby?

  “Okay.” Dr Lloyd nodded. “You have a big decision to make but one that needs to be made quickly.” The doctor stood and opened the door. “Let’s leave it there for today. Come and see me in a couple weeks.”

  “Thank you.” In a fog, Kara picked up her purse and headed out of the doctor’s office.

  She was pregnant? PREGNANT!

  With Hunter’s baby.

  Oh God. What the hell was she supposed to do?

  Chapter 6

  “I’M PREGNANT, YOU ASSHOLE!”

  Hunter’s heart jerked like a tow strap. Searing pain crippled his ability to breathe. His eardrums rang from Kara’s shrill voice screeching down the phone. All the blood drained from his face, and his brow broke out in a sweat. “What are you talking about? It’s not possible.”

  “Oh, you’re right. It shouldn’t have happened.” Raging anger and pure animosity boiled in Kara’s voice. “Did I miss something? We used condoms. Did it break, and you didn’t tell me? Take it off for some cheap thrill? I don’t want one of your God-knows-how-many sexually transmitted diseases.”

  He grabbed a fistful of hair and he paced the length of his hotel room in Denver. “I told you, I don’t have any STDs.” He hissed through his teeth, trying to keep his voice in check so Gemma and Kyle wouldn’t hear from the suite’s living room. “Second, no, it didn’t break. And third, I didn’t take it off. Are you crazy? As if I’d take a condom off. I’ve never had unprotected sex. Ever. I’m not stupid.”

  “Well . . . somehow I’m pregnant. It’s yours.” Her sharp tone stabbed him like an arrow to his chest. “After feeling sick in LA, I went to the doctor and had blood tests done. It’s all confirmed. That’s why I was ill onset. It wasn’t from food poisoning or alcohol. It was morning sickness.”

  “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Slow down. Is this some psycho joke? You’ve gone too far.” His jaw cramped. “It can’t be mine.”

  “Well, it is. This is no joke. Somehow those little suckers of yours got inside me.”

  Hunter’s knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the edge of his bed. That night with Kara at the engagement party replayed at high speed through his mind. He went down on her, nailed her up against the wall, and then did it again on his bed. It had been the best sex he’d had in months.

  But pregnant? How could this have happened? Had that moment after orgasming, when he stayed inside her until his cock softened, resulted in this epic failure? Didn’t he pull out in time? Had some of his cum leaked from the condom? Shit . . . no, wait. The condom from his drawers had been in there for a long time. Fuck! He should have used the new ones in his nightstand.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  He didn’t need this crap at eleven a.m. He had a show tonight. “This is bullshit.”

  “I know. But it’s your baby. I haven’t slept with anybody else.”

  He rubbed his stomach, wanting to throw up. Staring out over the Denver skyline, his vision blurred. This couldn’t be happening. After growing up with an autistic sister, he was adamant about not having children. He’d had scares before. Two girls had falsely accused him of fathering their children. Neither had been true. He never had unprotected sex. When he was with someone, he always pulled out in time. He never took a girl to his room when he was too drunk. He always, always, always, used condoms. Even if the girl said she was on the pill or used other forms of birth control.

  He was not a father. And didn’t want to be. Ever.

  But this . . . coming from Kara. It was a nightmare. She had no reason to lie. Did she? Was she after his money? Surely not. She had enough of her own.

  He squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth. He wasn’t one to get angry, or mad, or fly off the handle. He hated confrontation of any kind. Growing up with Jenny, he’d learned to hide and control his emotions. His outlet was his music. But Kara had him at breaking point. “I don’t believe you. But if it is mine . . .” His stomach lurched. He swallowed hard to keep his nausea at bay, “ . . . you need to get rid of it.”

  Silence.

  More silence.

  Even more silence.

  Not a sound.

  Not a breath.

  Tension mounted in his temples with each passing second.

  “Kar?” Her name caught in his throat.

  She sniffled and snuffled.

  “Kara?” He pummeled his fist against his forehead, praying that this was a bad dream. “Please tell me you’re going to get rid of it.”

  “I only found out about this two days ago. I’m here, sitting in Bryant Park on my lunchbreak, numb. With you having shows on at night, I didn’t know when else I could call you.” Kara blubbered. “I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do, Hunt.”

  “There’s only one option. There’s too much risk involved. My genes could be defective. It could turn out autistic like my sister.” His shoulders hunched at the pain erupting in his chest. Was he being selfish? But what else could he say? He had to be honest. He loved his sister—but it terrified him that his own children could suffer the same fate.

  “There’s risk in any pregnancy, Hunt. But you don’t understand. This is not an easy decision for me.”

  “It should be.”

  “No . . . it’s not.” Her voice quivered.

  “Then please explain, because I don’t understand,” he seethed, trying to keep calm and handle the situation. “Why would you want to keep it when we don’t even like each other?”

  “Trust me,” she snapped, “you’re the last person in the universe I’d want to have a child with. But a baby is what I’ve always wanted. It’s my body. My say.”

  “Bullshit.” He ripped his fingers through his hair. What was it going to take to get through to her? She couldn’t have this baby. “I do have a say when it involves me.”

  “No. You don’t. The universe and Mother Nature have pulled a hell-of-a-job on both of us.”

  His heart constricted. His head ached. This wasn’t a game anymore. “Kara, I’m begging you. Do the right thing for both of us. Please, put an end to this before it goes any further.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that.” Her voice rasped above a whisper. “I need more time to think. We’ll talk later. I gotta go back to work.”

  “Kara? Wait.”

/>   But she hung up.

  Now what the hell was he supposed to do?

  He shot to his feet, stepped over to the window, and stared out at the gloomy Houston sky. Autumn colors had sucked the life out of the leaves in the park below. Like the cold mid-November temperature outside, numbness consumed him. Anger, frustration, panic, and fear festered inside him, but he couldn’t move. He wanted to take the nightstand lamp and smash it on the desk. He wanted to tear the flat-screen off the wall and hurl it out the window. He wanted to pick up the chair and break it into a thousand pieces.

  A baby would ruin his life.

  He banged his head against the glass window. Why was this happening to him? Kara was supposed to be nothing but a bit of fun, not a life sentence. There was no way they could have a child together.

  He should’ve known there would’ve been consequences after sleeping with her. But he’d never expected anything like this.

  They’d slept together once. Once!

  Shit.

  His brain rattled. He had to come up with something, anything, to make sure she made the right decision.

  In three weeks’ time when he had a few days’ break from tour, he would visit his parents in Chicago to celebrate Jenny’s twentieth birthday. He had to convince Kara to come and meet his sister. See the harsh reality of why she had to terminate. It wouldn’t be too late by then, would it? When could you legally put an end to this sort of thing? He’d have to google and find out.

  A knock on his bedroom door made him jump. “Hunt, you ready?” Gemma’s voice came through muffled. “We have to go soon. I’ve made you a coffee.”

  “Coming. I’ll be out in a sec.”

  Shit. He had to clear his head. He had promotional duties and a show today.

  For the briefest of moments, he mulled over not telling Kyle and Gemma. But they were his best friends—Kyle since elementary school and Gemma since high school. He needed their strength to get through this mess. No more secrets. This was one conversation he was not looking forward to.

  He finished dressing, grabbed his coat, and stumbled out into the suite’s living room. Gemma and Kyle sat together on the sofa with cups in hand. His drink sat on the coffee table, curls of steam rising into the air. Just the smell made Hunter’s belly lurch. He wasn’t sure if he could stomach it.

  “Hunt? What’s wrong?” Gemma watched him flop into the single sofa seat. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “This is much worse.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His gaze jumped from Kyle to Gemma as he tried to gather his composure.

  “What’s happened? Who were you talking to on the phone?” Gemma blew on her hot drink.

  Hunter clasped his hands together, cutting off the circulation to his fingers. “Kara.”

  Kyle chuckled. “Did Conrad screw up one of your suit orders or something?”

  Hunter squeezed his eyes shut and let out a slow breath. “No . . . she’s pregnant.”

  “What?” Gemma sat straight. “She called you before me?”

  He gulped, his throat burned with acid. His heart ached with every beat. “Yes . . . because it’s mine.”

  Gemma choked on her coffee and Kyle slammed his cup down on the table.

  “What the hell?” Kyle’s pitch soared. “You? Slept with Kara? You can’t stand each other.”

  Gemma thwacked her cup down. She grabbed the damask cushion from behind her, and bashed Hunter over the head. He covered his face, but he let Gemma beat him. He deserved every thump.

  “No. No. No. Not Kara,” she wailed. “Why do you always have to sleep with my friends? Why Kara?”

  “Enough, babe.” Kyle stood and dragged Gemma away. Exasperation hovered in his voice. “I want to hear this.”

  Kyle sat back down with Gemma on the sofa. He wiped his hand over his chin, scratching his stubble. The shock and disappointment on Kyle’s face was another low blow to Hunter. His stomach twisted and turned like it was trying to swap places with his intestines.

  “It just happened.” Hunter winced, hating his pathetic explanation.

  “Oh, right,” Kyle groaned. “Your cock just accidentally slipped into her pussy.”

  “It happened the night of your engagement party,” Hunter blurted.

  “Our engagement?” Hurt rippled through Gemma’s eyes.

  “We had a few champagnes. We were flirting. I was horny.” Hunter flopped back in the sofa chair, rubbed his eyes, and gave Kyle and Gemma a blow-by-blow account of the party and the conversation he’d had with Kara on the phone.

  “Surely there’s some kind of mistake.” Concern flooded Kyle’s eyes.

  “She says she hasn’t been with anyone else since we slept together.” He stared at the ceiling. “I told her to get rid of it.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what every girl who’s knocked up wants to hear.” Kyle looked at him like he was the biggest idiot.

  Maybe he was. But he didn’t want this baby.

  Gemma twirled the tassels on the cushion in her fingers. Deep etches formed in her brow. “What if she decides to keep it?”

  Hunter sat upright, vertigo spinning his head. “She can’t. She just can’t.”

  “I’m so mad at you right now.” Tears pooled in Gemma’s eyes. “I can’t believe you knocked up my best friend.”

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you we’d been together, but Kara got all thingy about you being my ex.”

  “What?” Gemma grimaced. “I don’t care about that. That was a lifetime ago.”

  “That’s what I said.” Hunter dug his fingers into his knees. “But now this. This is just fucked. I’m always careful. Guys, what am I going to do?”

  Gemma came over and sat on the armrest next to him. Sliding into his side, she kissed the top of his head. “You know not to keep secrets from me because I always find out. I love you, and I’m here for you. But I know Kara a lot better than you do. You’re going to have to face the fact that she may want to keep the baby. Whether you like it or not.”

  A chill swept over him, and he shivered. He wrapped his arms around Gemma’s waist and gave her a hug. “I have to make sure that doesn’t happen. Help me convince her to meet me in Chicago. Spending a weekend with my family should be enough to make her see that getting rid of the baby is the only option.”

  “I’ll help you get her to Chicago,” she said. “The rest is between the two of you.”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you.”

  The doorbell rang.

  Kyle stood, smoothed out his jeans and headed for the door. He called out over his shoulder. “Hunt, whatever you need to do, we’re here for you. Always will be. This is going to be one major mess to sort out.”

  Kyle opened the door and in charged Bec, Kate, and Sophie, followed by security—Sam, Chester, and Mick.

  “Sort out what?” Kate’s curious eyes jumped from Kyle, to Gemma, to him.

  “Nothing.” Gemma stood.

  “Not yet, anyway.” Hunter feigned a smile. His head still spun, and his palms sweated. How was he going to get through this?

  “Good. I like to hear that.” Kate adjusted her sunglasses on top of her head.

  “Let’s move.” Sophie slapped Kyle on the back. “We have promo at River Oaks Shopping Center, then we’ll head out to the concert arena. Show number thirty-seven. But who’s counting?”

  “Me.” Bec waved them toward the door. “Three months down, six to go until the end of tour. Woohoo!”

  It sounded like a lifetime, but Hunter loved touring. He got to be onstage every night in front of thousands of adoring fans. That was where he belonged. Not at home, with screaming babies and tantrums and diapers and toddler toys. Dear God, please, please, please, make this baby disappear. Make it all go away.

  Leaving his untouched coffee behind, he picked up his backpack and led Kyle and Gemma out the door, down the elevator, and into their waiting car. As they headed out to the concert arena, Hunter closed his eyes to avoi
d the worry embedded on Kyle’s and Gemma’s faces.

  He’d screwed up with Kara. Big time. But he didn’t need to wallow. He would do anything and everything to stop Kara having the baby. She had to come to Chicago and meet Jenny. He’d load on the charm and fly her first-class. She had to see that there was only one course of action, so he could put this mess behind him and get on with his life.

  Chapter 7

  Kara touched down in chilly Chicago early Friday evening. Her blood pressure was still high after bad weather delayed her flight. Hunter had flown in earlier that day, so he picked her up in the passenger zone, driving his mom’s silver Audi. After he tossed her luggage in the trunk, she slipped into the luxurious leather seat beside him and let out a long breath.

  “Made it.” She stuffed her purse onto the floor beside her feet.

  “Good. Let’s go.” Hunter pulled out into the heavy traffic.

  On the clogged highway, horns beeped. Slush made the going slow. As they headed toward his parents’ house in North Shore, Kara’s brain hurt trying to make conversation.

  “How’s tour?” she asked.

  “Fine.”

  “How are Kyle and Gem?”

  “Fine.”

  Knots twisted like twine in her gut every time he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, shot her an anxious glance, or wiped his palms on his jeans over and over until she thought he’d wear holes in them.

  Kara was under no illusions. She knew why he’d flown her here. He wanted to change her mind about having the baby. But she had her own agenda. She wanted to change his.

  Whatever the cost, whatever his ultimatum, there was one thing she was sure of. She would have this baby.

  Hunter turned into the driveway of his parents’ home. Early December snowfall covered the gardens, making it a magical wonderland she yearned to explore. She hugged her arms around her belly and daydreams swirled around her head. Snowmen. Sled-riding. Her baby. But would Hunter be involved?

  “You ready for this?” Hunter drove into the garage, parked next to his dad’s red Ford Ranger emblazoned with a blue and yellow Morton Home Constructions logo, and killed the engine. “I’ve warned you, my old man’s football crazy, Mom will smother you, and Jenny . . . well . . . she’s either going to love you or hate you.”