Surrogate and Wife Read Free

Tough, almost.
    Had she ever noticed a man’s nails before? She didn’t think so. There was something oddly personal about looking at Jake’s hands. Warmth swirled through her body, pooling somewhere deep inside of her. Where she carried his baby.
    She jerked her gaze back to his, cursing the blush she could feel on her cheeks. His eyes were practically gleaming with amusement. As if he could read her thoughts and knew just how unsettled he made her feel.
    A scowl settled on her face and she sat up straighter. “Don’t—”
    â€œLet me stop you right there,” he interrupted. “We both know you don’t like me.”
    â€œI don’t know you well enough to like you or not,” she protested.
    â€œOkay, don’t approve of me.”
    Well, she couldn’t really argue with that. They’d only met on a handful of occasions and she’d never been able to relax around him. She saw right through his laidback charm to the testosterone-fueled masculinity beneath. It was less that she didn’t approve of him and more that she simply didn’t know what to do with him. Which made her very nervous. She also couldn’t deny how drawn to him she felt. Why now? Why Jake of all people?
    Maybe this sudden attraction she felt was just some weird pregnancy thing. Maybe her body somehow knew he was the father of the child she carried. If that was the case, all the more reason to maintain her distance.
    So she stiffened her spine as well as her resolve, and said, “No, I don’t.”
    â€œRegardless of that, we’re in this together now.”
    â€œI disagree. If anyone is in this together, it’s Beth, Stewart and me. Your part in this is, thankfully, over.”
    â€œThat might have been true before, but now—”
    â€œNothing is different now.”
    â€œYou can’t really be that naive.”
    She bristled at his words, even though there was nothing objectionable in his tone. She leaned forward over the table. “Trust me. I am anything but naive. I understand exactly—”
    â€œOkay, not naive then.” He held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “But you’ve got to admit, things are going to be a lot different than any of you planned.”
    â€œYes, they’ll be different, but I’ll manage.”
    He continued as if he hadn’t heard her concession. “You were planning on Beth and Stew helping you out. Taking care of you. Things are going to be different now. They’ve got their own pregnancy to contend with.”
    â€œYou think I can’t take care of myself? Trust me, I’vebeen doing it for years. Far longer than most women my age, actually.”
    â€œThat’s not what I meant.”
    â€œThen what did you mean?”
    â€œFrom what Beth has said, you haven’t had an easy first trimester, but it’s only going to get worse. The second trimester won’t be too bad, but by the time you hit the third trimester, you’ll—”
    â€œWhat makes you such an expert? Have you taken some sort of course in prenatal care?”
    He grimaced. “No, but five of my buddies have had babies in the past eighteen months. I’ve heard my share of complaints about late-night cravings and women who can’t tie their own shoelaces.”
    â€œWell, unless you’re planning on moving in with me, I don’t see how you could help with either one of those situations.” She chuckled, but the sound died in her throat when she realized he wasn’t laughing with her. “Oh my God. You can’t be serious.” She gaped at him in disbelief, waiting for him to crack a smile and laugh at her expense. He didn’t even blink. “You are serious. You think we should move in together.”

Two
    K ate jerked away from him and shrank back into the booth. “Are you insane?”
    Okay, that could have gone a little more smoothly.
    â€œJust hear me