The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [94]
He didn’t gloat, and he didn’t sound exactly pleased with himself. He was simply matter-of-fact in his reply. “I always do.” Then more quietly, “When are you getting married?”
“I’m not.” She felt him studying her and she twisted to face him so she could glare right back. “I’m not getting married, okay? There’s no groom, no wedding, no happily ever after. Satisfied now?”
There was a sudden stillness, then Morgan relaxed, all the tension ebbing out of him, his breathing easier, his expression less stern. She hadn’t even realized he was holding himself so stiffly until he returned to his usual cocky self. He uncrossed his arms to spread one over the back of the swing, nearly touching her shoulder, and he shifted, all his big muscles sort of loosening and settling in.
In a tone meant to clarify, he asked, “You’re not getting married?”
“What, do you want it written in blood? I’m not getting married. The very idea is repugnant. I have absolutely no interest in marriage.”
“I see.” The aggression was gone, replaced by something near to sympathy, and to Misty, that was even worse. “What happened to the father of the baby?”
Why not, she thought, fed up with fending him off. “He found out he was going to be a father and offered me money for an abortion.” She wouldn’t look at him. The humiliation and pain she’d felt that day was still with her. It had been the worst betrayal ever—or so she’d thought, until she’d lost her job. “I refused, he got angry, and we came to an agreement.”
“What agreement?”
“I wouldn’t bother him with the baby, and he wouldn’t bother with me.”
The swing kept moving, gently, lulling her, and though Morgan was silent, it didn’t feel like a condemning silence as much as a contemplative one. Finally he asked, “How long have you been sick in the mornings?”
“Only for a few weeks. And before you ask, yes, I’ll tell Honey. But not now. She has a tendency to worry about me, to play the role of big sister even though I’m only a year younger than her. She’s so happy with Sawyer now, she doesn’t need to hear about my problems just yet.”
His fingers gently touched her hair, smoothing it. It was clearly a negligent touch, as if he did it without thought. When she glanced at him, she saw he was watching her closely.
“Will the baby be a problem?”
“No! I want the baby.”
His gaze softened. “That’s not what I mean.”
Lifting her chin, she said, “If you’re asking me if I’ll be a good mother, I hope so. I don’t have much experience, but I intend to do my absolute best.”
“No, I wasn’t accusing you of anything or questioning your maternal instincts.” He smiled slightly. “I just wonder if you know what you’re getting into. Babies are a full-time job. How do you intend to work and care for it, too, without any help?”
She shook her head. Since she didn’t even have a job at present, she didn’t have an answer for him.
“Will you be able to get a leave of absence?”
The irony of that question hit her and she all but laughed. Instead, she turned her face away so he couldn’t see how lost she felt.
Morgan touched her cheek. “Malone?”
“Isn’t this interrogation about over?”
“I don’t think so. So why don’t you make it easy on yourself and just answer my questions?”
“Somehow I don’t think this conversation is going to be easy on me no matter what I do.”
He got quiet over that. “I don’t mean to make things difficult for you.”
“Don’t you?”
“I didn’t create this situation, Malone, and the attraction isn’t one-sided. Will you at least admit that much?”
She didn’t want to, but saw no point in denying it. “Yeah, so? I think the fact I’m pregnant and without a groom shows my judgment to be a bit flawed, so don’t let it go to your head.”
His large hand cupped the back of her skull, his fingers gently kneading. The tenderness, after his previous attitude, was startling. “Everyone makes a mistake now and then. You’re not the first.”
“Which mistake are we referring to? Me being pregnant, or my response to you?”
Again, he was quiet.
She decided to make a clean break, to finish her confessions and get away before she became morose