Chapter Eight
O ver an hour later, Charlotte found herself in Jared’s apartment, her feet up on the sofa, blanket over her legs. He’d prepared dinner and was catering to her every need and she wasn’t sure how to feel about all the attention.
She was well aware his priority was making sure the baby was okay, which the doctor had reassured them, it was. Though she knew fainting could be normal in pregnancy, she was still reassured.
She’d passed out due to low sugar, made worse by her skipping lunch. She was pretty sure Jared had let out a low, sexy growl when he’d heard that news. For some reason, his reaction had gone a long way to soothe her insulted ego when he’d seemed to be more worried about the baby than her.
She knew in her heart she was overreacting but that moment was a reminder of her core issue. She might be developing feelings for Jared, but she’d never know if he desired her for herself or because she was carrying his baby.
He strode into the room with a tray filled with food and set it down across from her. He’d rolled up his sleeves, revealing muscular forearms. His hair was that messy style she loved.
“Your dinner is served. And so is mine.” He settled in beside her, so close she smelled his familiar, sexy cologne, which always managed to arouse her.
She glanced at the food. “Thank you, but I told you I had crackers at the hospital.”
“Crackers isn’t a meal. You heard the doctor say you need to eat to keep up your strength. Though I shouldn’t admit this, Lizzie sends me home with dinners, so I’ve got apricot chicken and mashed potatoes for you.”
Her stomach rumbled and she blushed. “I guess I am hungry.” And she felt like she could hold down this meal, which looked delicious. “Thank you,” she murmured.
They didn’t speak as they ate and to her surprise, she gobbled down her food, finishing all but one spoonful she couldn’t possibly find room for.
“One more bite?” He picked up her fork and placed the food on the tines, holding it out for her.
She let out a groan. “Please tell me you’re not going to be one of those hovering baby daddies?”
He shrugged. “What if I am? And it’s not just about the baby. It’s about me making sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
“Why?” Why did he care? And why did she have this deep-seated need to know?
He placed all the dishes on the tray and moved it out of the way, then turned toward her, his knees touching hers. “Why? Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the wedding? Because I think you’re a special human being and I care about you?”
“Are those questions?” she asked, knowing she was being a wise-ass. But her defense mechanism kicked in, even as her heart filled with his words, making her feel better about her fears.
Not that they’d ever go away, but at least he said all the right things.
“Cute. But I’m serious and I want you to know that. You scared me today,” he said, his tone more intense than she’d ever heard from him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to skip a meal, it’s just so hard when I’m not feeling well.”
He nodded. “You need a keeper, Charlotte Kendall.” He moved in closer and when she didn’t object, leaned closer still until his lips hovered over hers.
She had no intention of stopping him. Not when he was everything she desired. Even if she planned to protect her heart, she couldn’t deny wanting him.
He kissed her and she leaned into him, kissing him back. With a groan, he slid his hand through the back of her hair and tipped her head, holding her in place while he plundered her mouth.
One thing about Jared. The man knew how to kiss. His tongue swirled around hers and it wasn’t long before she was lost. He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth, releasing it with a pop and soothing the skin with sensual licks.
He lifted his head and she moaned at the loss but he clearly had a plan as he turned her body, easing her down on the sofa. She went willingly and he maneuvered her so her head was at the top of the couch and her legs draped over his.
He slid his hand inside the leggings she’d been forced to wear because her jeans no longer fit, and rubbed his fingers over her sex.
“Jared,” she moaned, enjoying the sensation of his strong fingers strumming her pussy over her panties. It wasn’t enough. She needed to feel him directly on her skin and she arched her lower back, seeking further contact.
With his other hand, he slapped her there and she jumped in surprise, the even bigger shock following when warmth traveled through her lower body.
“I’ll give you what you need,” he said in a firm voice that also turned her on.
“Can you hurry then? I need to come,” she said, hearing the plea in her voice and not caring a bit.
“Lift,” he said, and she raised her hips, allowing him to work her leggings and panties down. He slid his fingers back to her sex. Using his forefinger, he rubbed her entrance. “You’re wet for me.” His voice was gruff and she liked it. His slick finger began to rub over her clit, as he worked her body like an instrument only he knew how to play.
Back and forth, then slow circles, his touch aroused while inside she felt empty and needy. Unable to stay still, she circled her hips in time to his motions and the sensations began to rise inside her body.
“I…”
“What? Tell me,” he said, pinching the tight bud and releasing it quickly.
She moaned again. “I need you inside me.”
“I need to be delicate with you after what you’ve been through today, but I can help.” He slipped one finger inside her, pumping in and out until she was wetter and slicker, before adding a second finger.
She arched her head back and her lower body lifted, pulling him farther inside her.
He curled his fingers and began to rub at a sensitive spot she’d heard of but never believed existed. “Oh my God.” Spots appeared behind her eyes, and not the dizzy kind.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Soon.” He pumped his fingers, hitting the right place each time he went deep, and soon she was screaming out an orgasm. One that had her seeing stars and losing herself to his perfect ministrations.
She came back to herself slowly. She didn’t remember him pulling out his fingers but when she opened her eyes, he was sucking in the two digits, and wow, that was hot.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Much,” she said, more languid and relaxed than she’d been in far too long.
He chuckled, a satisfied smile on his face despite the hard ridge of his cock pressing against her bottom.
“You scared me today,” he repeated. He swiped her hair off her cheek and stroked her skin with his other hand. “Promise me you’ll eat three meals a day and snacks?”
“I promise to do the best I can.” Her voice felt thick, her entire body still a gelatinous mess.
He nodded. “Fair enough. Move in with me,” he said.
Despite the relaxed state she’d been in, she pushed herself back and sat upright on the sofa. “Have you lost your mind?” she asked him, ignoring the handsome smirk on his face. “Tell me you didn’t try and use my orgasm as a means to get what you wanted.”
He lifted his shoulders and shrugged. “It seemed like as good a time as any to ask. I’ve got four bedrooms. The office is in the second, you can take the third and the girls can share the fourth when they’re with you. And by the time you have the baby, I’ll have found us a bigger place to live.”
She blinked, feeling like she’d entered an alternate universe. “Jared, we barely know each other.”
“And what better way to do that than live together? After what happened today, I don’t want you to be alone. I’d feel much better if I were around.”
She drew in a deep breath and let it out again. “Today was a freak thing. I’ll watch what I eat. I pushed myself because I’d promised the girls I’d take them to the museum, but I won’t do that again.”
“But—”
“No buts! I’ve lived alone my entire adult life. I got through a pregnancy with twins and have been raising the girls just fine without a second parent on the premises.” She heard herself getting worked up but she was feeling pressured and never responded well to pressure. “Listen, I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need.”
Charlie was independent by necessity. As nice as it sounded to let Jared take care of her, it wasn’t in her personality to trust that easily.
He groaned, but she heard him accepting defeat in the sound. “Then I want you to take the downstairs apartment so you’re close by. Fair enough?”
Since she’d already come to terms with doing just that, she nodded. “Yes. I appreciate what you’re doing for me and the baby.” Their little life being the sole reason he was in this with her at all.
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
“You’re welcome.” She glanced down and realized she was still undressed. Her cheeks flaming, she slid her feet off his lap and rose, pulling up her pants without meeting his gaze.
“I really need to go home. It’s been a long day.”
He stood, looking not the least bit flustered while she knew she must be a mess. “Let me know when you want to move in. I’ll take the day off and arrange things with the building manager. He’ll set aside an elevator for a couple of hours.”
She rubbed her hands together, thinking about the logistics. “I have furniture in storage that I have to arrange to have moved. I’ll need to call movers and it’ll take me a bit to get things organized.” She lifted her purse from the table and pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?” he asked, stepping close.
She met his gaze. “Calling a rideshare.”
“I’ll take you home.”
She shook her head. “There’s no reason for you to go out again when I can get home easily.”
“Not home, to the hotel, and I want to make sure you arrive at your room safely.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “You’re going to be overbearing for the next seven months, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “I am. It’s one of my finest qualities.”
With a put-out sigh, she placed her phone back in her purse and gestured with one arm. “Lead the way.”
He hooked his arm in hers. “My pleasure, sweetheart.”
God, the man was potent with his hands and with his words. Pushing aside all her conflicting feelings, she let him put one hand on her back and steer her toward the garage.
***
Jared returned from taking Charlotte back to the hotel and walking her to her room. After having his fingers in her pussy and her taste on his lips, going home alone had been cold comfort, but he was a man of patience. He’d take his time and do the old-fashioned thing. He’d woo her. Never in his life had he thought about slowly romancing a woman but Charlotte was different.
When she’d passed out in his arms, he’d been petrified, both for her and the baby. The idea of her moving in had been a spur-of-the-moment thought but it felt right at the time. It still did. But he understood why she’d rebelled against it. She was an independent spirit and he needed to respect that. If she ever moved in, it needed to be because they’d reached that point logically in their relationship. A relationship he wasn’t sure she believed they had. Which was why he intended to show her how things could be.
In the meantime, he needed to tell his family about the baby. Charlotte had given her okay, and he had a choice. He could make the rounds to inform his siblings about his upcoming big life change one at a time or call for a family get-together. He opted for the latter and since he didn’t want to reveal the news in a public place, he asked Lizzie and his dad if he could have everyone at the house on Saturday.
With everyone over, his father sat in his favorite recliner, the rest of his siblings and their significant others, minus Aiden, sat on the circular sofa in the family room, with a few in club chairs. Aiden had gone back abroad, planning to come home next month, and Jared had invited Brooke because she was family.
“Jared, are you going to explain why we’re all here?” Remy asked, meeting his stare. “You said it was mandatory.”
Raven sat beside him on the couch, her hand in his. “I’m curious, too.”
“Who’d you knock up?” Dex asked with a chuckle, and his wife smacked his shoulder.
“Behave!” Samantha said.
Noah shook his head, remaining silent because he and Fallon had already heard the news.
Jared rose to his feet. “Dex guessed it. I’m going to be a father.”
“Damn! I should have taken bets,” his brother said. “Are you serious?”
“Completely.”
Chatter surrounded him as did shouted questions. Jared tuned them all out, waiting for silence.
He stared at his father, wondering what the older man was thinking. “Dad?”
“You’re stepping up? Doing the right thing?” Alex asked.
Jared nodded. “Of course I am. The other news is about the baby’s mother. It’s Charlotte Kendall.” He met Noah’s gaze but found no judgment there. He supposed his brother-in-law had been in this exact same position almost a decade ago.
“Charlotte as in Charlie?” Remy asked. “You and Noah both…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
Noah had already winced.
“Yeah. Can we not go there? The fact is, she’s pregnant with my baby and is going to move into the empty apartment in my building. At least she’ll be close by. I just wanted to tell everyone at once. Not make the rounds.”
“Well, I say congratulations!” Fallon rose, walked over, and pulled him into a hug. “We’re going to have many small family gatherings.” She laughed as she stepped back. “Seriously, though, you’re going to make a great dad.”
“Thanks, sis. I appreciate that.”
“How are you going to handle the baby and work? You’re at it twenty-four seven.” Dex had risen to shake his hand, but he also asked a valid question.
He blew out a breath. “I’ll figure it out,” he said, knowing he’d promised Aiden not to reveal his plans to return home.
“I’m here for whatever you need at the office,” Brooke said. “And I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I’m going to take you up on that offer.”
She smiled. “I expect you to.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking to his siblings, answering questions, and being grateful for the type of family he was born into. Despite losing his mom, something he’d never get over, he had a solid parent in his dad, Lizzie who had stepped up as a maternal figure, never trying to replace their mother, and siblings just as happy to rib him as support him.
All things he could give to his baby. Knowing his child would be part of a close-knit family eased his mind about his fear of the unknown. None of these people would leave him floundering. His biggest challenge would be to bring Charlotte into the fold and convince her she belonged.