Bled Dry Read Free

the commode.
    He offered her a seat in the sleek gray suede chair next to the bed, but she shook her head.
    “What is the matter?” he asked, unable to resist the urge to smooth her hair back from her forehead. She really looked ill, and he felt prickles of concern.
    “Corbin... I’m pregnant,” she blurted, locking eyes with him for a second, before dropping her gaze to the floor.
    “Pardon?” She’d spoken so quickly, mostly to the carpet, that surely he had misunderstood.
    Those dark eyes, which he found so innocently alluring, locked onto his. “I’m pregnant. I’m having a baby.”
    That was rather unpleasant news. Granted, he had not spoken to her since the night they had made love, aside from when she’d been ill, but he had foolishly thought she had felt the same way as him—knocked off his feet by their encounter. He had not so much as looked at another woman in those eight weeks, yet she had moved to another man’s bed. He was not so memorable, it seemed.
    “Ah. Zat explains the vomiting,” he said, his English slipping as it always did when he was irritated. “Morning sickness, yes? Well, I wish you happy.”
    The last remaining bits of color in her cheeks leeched away. She frowned at him. “Is that all you’re going to say?”
    Corbin shifted uneasily. He didn’t see how the situation called for him to say anything else. “Take care of yourself,” he said politely.
    “Uh!”
    Tears came out of nowhere and rolled out of her eyes, scaring Corbin senseless.
    “What ez the matter? Don’t you want to have a baby?” And why was he the one standing there in complete discomfort patting her arm inanely? Where was the baby’s papa?
    “ I want to have a baby. And I thought that it was only the right thing to do to come and tell you that you’re having a baby, but it seems like I shouldn’t have wasted my night. You could care less!”
    Corbin listened to her words. Played them back in his brain. Was she saying... “ I’m the father?”
    “Duh. Of course you are!” Brittany swiped at the tears on her face. “Who else would be? You’re the only man I’ve slept with in six months.”
    Well, that was pleasing—she hadn’t found him so lacking as a lover she’d had to find another. But that also meant... “ Mon Dieu , you’re having a baby? Our baby?”
    “That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
    Corbin needed to sit down. He needed a drink. He needed to think this through. Good God. A baby? A small, crying, helpless, mortal creature. That was half his, half Brittany’s biology. It didn’t seem possible. There had only been that one night. But he had made no effort to use birth control or even withdraw at the precipitous moment. Quite the opposite. He had enjoyed exploding deep inside Brittany. Just the memory had him shifting, manhood swelling inappropriately.
    “You are certain?”
    She sighed. “Yes, Corbin, I’m certain.”
    “We didn’t use birth control,” he said, trying to reconcile what she was telling him with what had happened.
    “No. But I didn’t think you had sperm.”
    Corbin frowned at her, feeling insulted. “Of course I have sperm. I am still a man. I still function, do I not? I have everything that is manly the same as a mortal.”
    Brittany couldn’t stop a small smile from crossing her face. Corbin looked so outraged and French. “Yes, you still have everything.” And then some. She would never forget how in five minutes he’d given her better sex than some guys had in six months of dating.
    “Absolutely.” He nodded up and down once.
    Brittany couldn’t tell how he was taking the news. He didn’t look angry. He looked surprised, but nothing more. Damn, he was cute. She’d almost forgotten how adorable he was in person with his caramel-colored hair and rich, chocolate eyes.
    Corbin rubbed his jaw. “And as such, I owe you an apology. This is my fault and I accept complete responsibility. I will marry you.”
    Brittany forgot how cute he was.