Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“I guess I should go,” she said, shifting on her heels a bit awkwardly, a direct contradiction to the confident woman who’d been in his bed.
Before she could head out of the kitchen to the front door, he spoke up. “What are we doing here, Skye?” he asked, curious to know where her head was at and what to expect in terms of them. “You and me.”
She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Sex? Fun, no strings attached hookups?”
He arched a brow, hating the way that sounded. “Is that all I am to you?”
Something in her eyes flashed but was gone before he could fully decipher it. “You’ve never had an issue being friends with benefits before.”
Yeah, that direct shot fucking burned, but she was right. That’s all he’d offered her in the past. “So that’s what we are? Friends having sex?” Because for now, he’d take it over nothing at all.
“Sounds like a perfect arrangement to me,” she said, a bit too flippantly. “At least until I get pregnant.”
His entire body stiffened, as if he’d heard that proverbial record scratch in his head, where everything came to a screeching halt because he was certain he’d misheard her. “What did you say?”
She cringed, her face flushing pink, as if she couldn’t believe she’d spoken the words, either. “That came out sounding really bad,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean until I get pregnant from having sex with you.”
What the ever-loving fuck? “You plan on getting pregnant by someone else?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes.” She winced again, now looking embarrassed. “Shit, that sounded worse.”
It sure as hell did, and the mere thought of another man impregnating her make him feel nuclear. “Care to explain?” he asked with forced calm.
“Yes, I do.” She set her purse on the table and sat in one of the chairs. Her palms absently rubbed along her denim clad thighs as she met his gaze. “Actually, there is something you should know. I mean, you’ll find out eventually and it’s not something I’m keeping secret. I just didn’t think we’d need to have this as a morning after conversation.”
He could tell she was nervous, but he leaned against the nearest counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and remained quiet, refusing to do or say a thing to deter this discussion until she gave him answers.
“I want to have a baby, on my own,” she said on a rush of breath. “I’ve already looked into it and I plan to get artificially inseminated.”
His jaw nearly dropped to the floor in shock. “With some guy’s random sperm and a turkey baster?”
She pursed her lips in annoyance. “They don’t use a turkey baster, and it’s not random. It’s actually a specific process to find a sperm donor, and I’ve spent the past few months researching and looking into possible donors based on what I want genes-wise.”
His mind was spinning as he tried to process what she was saying—that she was already planning a future. One that obviously didn’t include him, since they’d just ran into each other last night. But the pain in his chest told him that Skye going the sperm donation route was not an option. Not for him.
When it came to Skye, she was his. “You’re serious about this?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “Things might not have worked out with Jack, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have the child I’ve always wanted.”
“I’ll do it,” he blurted out, and there wasn’t one part of him that regretted the spontaneous words. If this is what she wanted, he was all in, because the mere thought of a random stranger being her baby’s father made his stomach churn.
A small frown formed between her brows. “You’ll do what, exactly?” she asked.
“I’ll give you my sperm,” he said, meaning it. “I’ll give you a baby.”
She laughed, the sound strained. “I know we made that silly promise about you being my baby daddy back when we were dating, but really, you’re off the hook.”
He pushed off the counter and joined her at the table. Pulling out the chair next to hers, he sat in the seat facing her, so there was no way for her to hide. He grabbed her hands and held them gently as he stared into her eyes.
“I’m serious, Skye. I’ll do it.” Because the image of her carrying another man’s child, and him losing her before he even had the chance to prove he was still in love with her, ate at his gut like acid.
She sighed. “Tripp . . . as much as I like the idea because I know you, giving me a baby could get complicated.”
He smiled and brushed his thumbs along the back of her hands. “It doesn’t have to be.”
She pulled her fingers from his and placed them in her lap. Her lips firmed in a straight line. “After Jack, well, I’m not looking to get married, or even be tied down. Having a child with you would bind us for the rest of our lives, and I’m sure you don’t want that responsibility.”