Ramagos, Tonya - Strictly Accountable [Stud Service 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (10 page)

“Yeah, being raised on a ranch, I’m betting you can. You did the first two. I reckon only time will tell if you did the third.”

“You, ugh, never mind.” She slapped the surface of the water, splashing them both. “You’ve got good genes.” That got her another raised eyebrow over an eye that glittered in half amusement. She didn’t dare attempt to define the other half of what she glimpsed in the look. “Despite your father’s apparent shady dealings, you come from good stock.”

“Yep, you’ve definitely got ranching in the blood.”

His comment almost made her grin. She bit it back, still too irritated with him to allow an ounce of humor to show. “You’re attractive, seemingly healthy and you’re great with your niece…”

“And?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. “For Pete sake, Brody, how much do you need your ego stroked?”

“Enough that I’m certain you aren’t holding anything back.”

“I wanted you.” The truth spilled from her lips before she could think to swallow the words. Worse, once the bucket tipped, she didn’t stand a prayer of damming the flood. “It didn’t matter how much I told myself to be practical. It didn’t matter how much I attempted to convince myself you were the last man I needed to touch or let touch me. You tempted me. I gave in. We had sex. Great sex,” she added quickly. “If a baby is the result of that recklessness, I’ll be completely accountable for it. I’m okay with that.”

“You’re okay with that.” The way his tone dropped to a dangerously low timbre clued her in that she finally pissed him off. “And I’m supposed to, what, walk away and forget you might be carrying my child?”

She didn’t want him to. God help her, she wanted more. She shouldn’t this soon, but she did. And she didn’t just want more spontaneous, meaningless sex. She wanted him, his baby, his love, the whole works. Now that she experienced the earth-rocking ecstasy of having him inside her, of being close to him, she wanted it more than she ever thought she could.

“I didn’t plan this, Brody.”

“We established that already. Hell, Sabrina, you certainly haven’t been in this pond alone this afternoon. I seduced you. In case it slipped your notice, I started doing that in the old man’s office yesterday.”

More like standing in the doorway of her kiosk on Friday, but she didn’t bother to correct him.

“I’m as accountable, as you put it, for what happened here as you are. I’m not walking away if you’re pregnant, and you damned well better tell me if you find out you are.”

She should’ve known better than to think he would demand any different. More, knowing he would be there for her, be there with her should’ve filled her with happiness. Instead, she felt consumed with dread over the idea of Brody being a part of her world only for the child they conceived.

You should’ve thought about that before you refused to let him pull out
.

“Fine.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay. I will.”

The water really wasn’t deep enough to swim, but she managed to do it anyway for the few short strokes it took her to reach the edge of the pond. Keeping her naked flesh concealed beneath the water wasn’t an option if she expected to get dressed. Not that it mattered if he saw her now. What he hadn’t seen of her body already, he’d touched with his hands and devoured with his mouth and cock.

Still, she kept her back to him as she climbed the steps and pulled on her clothes, drenching them because she didn’t have a towel to dry off first. She turned and found him exactly the way she left him in the pond.

“Do you mind if I take some of the files out of the office home with me? I would like to work on them from my apartment.”

“The house is unlocked. Take what you need.”

“I probably won’t make it back for a few days.”

“Everything else will be here when you get back.”

More uncomfortable than she ever felt in her life, she shuffled her weight from foot to foot, nodded, and swallowed. “All right, then I’ll see you later.”

“Sabrina.”

She stopped at the sound of her name and looked back at him over her shoulder.

“It won’t do you a lick of good to run from me. I promise I’ll catch you.”

* * * *

Not pregnant
.

The two words ping-ponged in Sabrina’s head as she shuffled to the kitchen for a glass of water and the bottle of Midol she kept in the cabinet by the sink. She leaned against the counter, tossed back two of the pills with a swallow of tepid tap water, and groaned when the doorbell chimed.

“No visitors. Not today.” She turned her upper body, set the glass in the sink, and splayed a hand on her aching belly as she pushed away from the counter and started to head for the living room sofa. She was halfway there when she realized she couldn’t pretend not to be home. Anyone with half a set of ears would hear the television Kirk left set to half-volume even through the closed apartment door.

The doorbell rang again and she diverted her course, grumbling under her breath as she yanked open the door. She knew that hard wall of muscle despite its current disguise of a truly hideous plaid Western-style button shirt. A slow climb of her gaze confirmed it still belonged to the one man she would rather not face at this particular moment.

She blinked up at him, the sunlight spilling around him making it difficult to focus. She figured she should probably consider that a good thing. “How did you know where I live?”

“I called Lucille.”

Sabrina sighed dramatically. “I really need to have a talk with that woman.”

Brody hooked his thumbs in his pockets and studied her. “I told you not to run.”

“I’m not running,” she snapped. “I feel awful.” She barely restrained the whine that wanted to accompany her statement.

His gaze fell down her front and did a leisurely climb back up that any other time would’ve had her hormones jumping to hit the sack. “You are looking rough today, darlin’.”

“Gee, thanks.” Sabrina scowled and left the door open as she walked away. In the living room, she grabbed the remote control and a throw pillow and cuddled the latter in her lap as she started flipping through the channels. She heard the front door close, followed by the clunk of his booted feet on her hardwood floor. Of course he would decide to stay. Whatever made her think he would leave her alone?

“Should I offer to fix you some chicken soup?”

Sabrina shot him an intrigued look as he stopped just inside the living room archway and leaned a shoulder against the wall. He took off his Stetson and held it loosely by the brim at his side. “You can cook?”

“Better than most of the women I’ve dated. It’s another of my strong suits, right up there with tenacity.”

“Hmm, well, maybe some other time.” The mere idea of food made her stomach churn worse. “I’ll be fine as soon as the Midol kicks in.” She tossed the remote aside, giving up on finding anything worth watching on a weekday afternoon.

“Midol,” Brody repeated slowly.

“It’s a medicine women take for cramps. Seeing as you apparently put a good hand in raising your three sisters, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”

“Then you’re not pregnant.”

“Apparently not.” She shifted, trying to get comfortable and failing. Finally, she gave up and looked at him. She expected to see relief shining in his expression. The disappointment evident in his eyes shocked her.

“Well, now, I guess that means we’ll have to try again.”

Sabrina gaped at him, her cramps momentarily forgotten. “Why in the blazes would we do that? I thought you were pissed the last time.”

“It pissed me off the way you handled it. The way you apparently believed I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass if I got your pregnant or not really stuck in my craw, too.”

“You’re a better man than that, Brody,” she admitted with a sigh.

“Glad you managed to figure it out.” He pushed away from the doorway, moved to the opposite end of the sofa, and sat on the edge. He rested his forearms on his thighs as he leaned forward, his head turned her way, eyes watchful.

Sabrina wanted him to hold her. She wanted to crawl into his lap, lay her cheek on the solid warmth of his chest, and sink into the comfort she knew she would find there. The desire to be in his arms again started to grow to an almost desperate, nearly unbearable need over the last two weeks since they had sex in the pond. Every inch of her flesh burned to be touched, to simply be skin-to-skin with him.

“Now maybe you’ll tell me the rest of the story.”

Her gaze snapped to meet his. “Tell you the rest of what story?” She tried to play dumb, but knew it wouldn’t fly. She couldn’t get anything past him.

“The whole ‘parents wanting grandchildren’ story. There’s still more you haven’t told me. I know families like yours, parents who put demands on their children that most don’t expect. The demand your parents put on you and your sisters is grandchildren. What’s the prize?”

“Access to our trust funds,” Sabrina said grimly.

Brody’s lips formed a thin line and he nodded once. “Money.”

“Doesn’t it always boil down to the bottom dollar? Mom and Dad suspended access to our trust funds until we each give them a grandchild.”

Brody looked around, slowly scanning her apartment. “You could touch it before?”

Sabrina nodded. “They put the stipulation in place last summer. I never used it, but I could have if I wanted to.”

“Why now? What does it matter if you can touch it when you’re obviously doing okay without it?”

“You mean besides the fact that it rightfully belongs to me, and it’s my security for the future?” Sabrina pushed a hard breath from her lungs and shifted, sitting up a little straighter in the corner of the sofa. “Mom and Dad picked the worst time to toss out the ultimatum. I never touched the money because I’ve been biding my time, making sure I have all my ducks in a row before I implemented the plans I’ve made for my career, my
life
. I’d expected to start that this year.”

“What kind of plans?” Brody leaned back, stretching an arm along the back of the sofa and turning his upper body to face her.

“Finishing my studies to get my CPA license, opening my own accounting firm that specializes in helping struggling companies get their finances straight before it’s too late.” She shrugged. “Chattanooga and the surrounding areas are full of independently owned businesses run by people with good work ethics and a strong understanding of what it takes to make the company successful, but a lack of knowledge on how to handle the finances to get to that point. These companies end up folding because they can’t afford to hire someone to get them on track. Firms in town charge top dollar for services they can perform for a fraction of the cost.”

“You want to help people save their businesses without putting them further in debt.”

“Simply put, yes. I’m already doing this, but I want to do more. I want to expand. To do so I’ll need help and an office for starters. I’ll encounter my own startup costs, and I know it will take some time to get the firm on stable ground. It can be done,” she added quickly, confidently. “I don’t doubt that for an instant. I’m not looking to get rich.” She laughed dryly. “I’m already rich. I’m just looking to do the career I love and put it to use by helping others do the same.”

“Why not go to a clinic? There are those baby banks or whatever you want to call them that specialize in artificial insemination. You’ve got a sister that’s a doctor, don’t you? She could probably tell you the best place to go.”

“Savannah,” Sabrina nodded then shook her head. “I don’t want a tube baby, Brody. I won’t say I didn’t consider it. It’s the most practical option I’ve come up with. But it’s not what I want. I just can’t do it.”