Bennett (On the Line Book 2) (14 page)

“Charlotte,” he hissed, “what the hell was that?”

“What?”

He looked down at my bump. Not that he could see it, since I wore big cardigans and sweaters every day to conceal it.

“You don’t think you should have told me
in private
? I deserved to hear that in a staff meeting? You’re something else, you know that?”

“Um . . . sorry. I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal.”

His eyes bulged. “You don’t . . .” He laughed bitterly and tightened his grip on my wrist. “I deserved to know a hell of a lot sooner than this. I assume you deliberately waited until it was too late to terminate?”

I jerked my wrist out of his grasp, realization dawning. “Maybe you should have the decency to ask if it’s yours first, you asshole.”

“Is it?”

“
No
.” I glared at him.

He stepped back, looking bewildered. “It’s not . . . and it’s due in June?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus, you didn’t wait long after we broke up, did you?”

That was an understatement, but I wasn’t about to tell him how long I’d waited. It was none of his damn business.

“Are you sure?” he asked in a low tone. “I mean, it could be mine.”

I shook my head. “My doctor pinpointed the conception, and it had been three weeks since you and I had been together.”

He gave me a disgusted look. “Three weeks? Christ, Charlotte . . . whore around much?”

My urge to slap him was so strong my hand shook. “Don’t you
ever
speak to me like that again,” I said, my calm belying the storm of anger inside me.

“So you’re with this guy now? I haven’t even dated anyone else, and you’ve found a guy and gotten knocked up already?”

“Turns out I’ve got a thing for big dicks,” I said, shrugging.

“This is not a joke. I loved you.”

“Past tense, Riley. I’ve moved on and you should, too.”

His gaze was hard and cold. “Clearly,” he said, brushing past me to leave the room.

I sighed deeply as I went out to the common area of the office. Sara gave me a sympathetic look. I smiled at her and headed for my office, stopping when a Flyers sweater caught my attention in a photo on the Sports page of the local paper that was lying on the coffee table in our client waiting area.

It was Bennett and Killian, both smiling and holding their sticks in the air on the ice after a home game win. Seeing Bennett’s million-dollar smile made me warm all over. He’d done a lot more than just scratch my itch for sex the other night. I’d felt just like I remembered feeling our first night together—sexy. Seeing a big, powerful man like him worked up over me was a heady feeling.

He’d stayed for breakfast the morning after our night together, kissed me good-bye, and left. I’d thought of him constantly since. My bedsheets had his leather and cologne smell now, and I wouldn’t be washing them anytime soon.

I folded the Sports section in half and took it into my office with me. As soon as I logged back on to my computer, there was an email waiting from Riley. I rolled my eyes and opened it.

Charlotte,

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean the things I said to you in the conference room. That was my hurt talking more than anything. Please forgive me and give me another chance to talk to you about this.

Riley

I closed the message and got to work on my research. There was nothing else for me to talk to Riley about. He just wanted to interrogate me about who I’d been with and when, and that was none of his business.

I’d been working for a few minutes when I glanced over at the Sports section I’d tossed on my desk. The photo wasn’t showing, so I flipped the paper over and put it next to my mouse pad.

The boring case-law research had to happen. Might as well look at Bennett while I did it.

Bennett

The locker room was loud today. Spirits were high because we’d won our last game and had just finished a grueling practice. I’d showered and was about to go to a buffet with Killian and Liam, where I’d eat more than my money’s worth.

“The bed was knocking against the wall ’til three this morning,” my teammate Tony Karpas said to Shuck. “Did she manage to walk out of our apartment this morning or did you have to carry her?”

Shuck turned a dark shade of crimson. He was a super nice, non-womanizing guy who didn’t get a lot of women in the sack.

“Shucked her pretty good, eh?” another teammate said, laughing.

“Did you shuck her in the ass?” someone else yelled.

Shuck looked like he was about to die of embarrassment. I felt bad for the guy. I was about to go over and save him when the locker room started to quiet.

“Bennett.”

I turned my back to see Keri, our team PR person, looking at me expectantly.

“Yeah?”

Thank fuck I had my pants on. Our new owner Sid and Keri both went in and out of the locker room with no care for whether or not we were dressed. I didn’t like it since I knew Killian was with Sid and suspected Liam was with Keri.

“I’ve got some exciting news,” Keri said. “You’ve been named one of the Hottest Men on Ice by
Glamorous
, a national magazine.”

The locker room went silent.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“A reporter and photographer will be coming to interview you and take photos for the article.”

The snickers started. I shook my head and shot a few dirty looks around the room.

“Is this a joke?” I asked Keri. “If Liam set you up to do this—”

Keri rolled her eyes and glared at me. “Really? Is this where you tell me you’re not that hot and I reassure you that you are?”

“No, I just wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

“It’s an honor. I’m sitting in on the interview if you don’t mind. They’ll be here Thursday.”

I pulled a T-shirt on over my head and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

“And I think we’ll do some shirtless photos on the ice.”

“I’ll freeze my balls off.”

She gave me a big, fake smile. “It’s for a great cause. You’ll have women beating down your door soon.”

Then she turned and left before I could protest further.

“This is gonna be fuckin’ awesome,” Killian said, laughing.

“Fuck you.” I covered the few steps between my locker and his and shoved his shoulder.

Liam struck a cheesy seductive pose, looking over his shoulder and biting a fingertip.

“Fuck you, too,” I said. “You’re just jealous.”

This was nothing but a pain in my ass, but I’d have to put on a good face for the team. For once, I didn’t want women beating down my door. There was just one I was interested in.

I closed my eyes and winced. I hadn’t done that in so long—wanted just one woman. And the only other time I’d committed myself to a relationship, it had ended very badly.

It was too soon to go there. Charlotte and I were expecting a kid together and had slept together a second time. I just wanted to enjoy her without letting thoughts of the past cloud everything.

Forcing memories of Kelly from my head, I vowed to do just that.

The guy who owned the Chinese buffet was glaring at our table when we sat down with our third round of food. He’d accused us of trying to eat him out of business in the past. We worked up massive appetites at practice, though.

“So how’s it going with Sid?” I asked Killian.

He shrugged. “Good.”

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. He was a moody prick, but he’d never been one to keep his relationship with a woman so close to the vest. That meant he was really into Sid.

“Who the fuck is this?” Liam muttered, staring at the screen of his vibrating cell phone. He slid his thumb across the screen and answered it.

“Yeah,” he said after a few seconds. “I remember you, Riley.”

There was silence as he listened.

“Yeah, I found out a while back that she’s pregnant . . . No, I don’t know who he is.”

I tried to look disinterested, though my heart was pounding hard. What the hell was Riley doing calling Liam? That fucker was old news.

“If you can find out, call me,” Liam said. “I’m dying to get my hands on the guy . . . Yeah, I know you’re a good guy . . . Wait, what? You want me to tell her she should
marry
you? Do you know my sister? She’s got a mind of her own.”

I clenched my hand into a fist under the table. That bastard. He’d
proposed
to Charlotte? That pissed me off, not only because he needed to fuck off, but because she hadn’t told me.

Liam rubbed his temple. “Yeah, man, I do appreciate you calling to ask for my blessing. Our dad’s not in the picture. But I only met you the one time, you know?”

There was silence as he listened. “I don’t know if she’s with the guy. She won’t tell me . . . okay, yeah. And you let me know if you find anything out, too.”

He hung up and exhaled deeply.

“What’s up?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“My sister’s ex wants to marry her and raise her kid as his own.”

My fist was numb. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Oh, yeah? What’s she think about that?”

Liam shrugged. “All I care about is finding the asshole who knocked her up and then disappeared.”

“He disappeared?”

“I haven’t met him and neither has our mom. I think she’s ashamed of the guy. He’s gotta be married or something.”

“What a douche,” Killian muttered.

I kept quiet, filling my mouth with beef lo mein to avoid standing up for myself. This wasn’t the time or the place.

I had to get to Charlotte. I wouldn’t confront her at work, but I’d be waiting at her place when she got home later. This fucker Riley would
not
take what was mine. He didn’t realize he was messing with a guy who was mild-mannered most of the time but lost his shit when the people he loved were involved. I loved my kid and was on my way there with Charlotte, whether I wanted to be or not. I wasn’t about to let some asshole who’d hurt her step in and take her from me.

Charlotte

B
ig, wet snowflakes filled the air, blocking the view of my apartment from the street. I put my head down and followed the path of the sidewalk to the door, clutching a bag of groceries.