Ross 04 Take Me On (21 page)

“Me too.”

“I know I don’t have a fucking thing to offer you.” His voice nearly cracked, but he struggled to keep it steady. “I know you’re a woman who has it all in the palm of your hand.”

She lifted one of those hands and put it to his cheek. “Maybe now I do,” she said, smiling. His heart jumped and pounded hard. “I’m so sorry for acting like I wanted to shut you out from the start,” she went on. “When this happened, all I could think about was how I wished you were with me. I knew something had to come up for you not to be here. I was so scared I might lose the baby, and I kept imagining having to tell you—” She stopped and shook her head, closing her eyes against tears. They escaped anyway, getting caught in her spiky lashes. He gently stroked them away with his thumb until her erratic breathing returned to normal.

“We still don’t know each other very well, sweetie, but I’m ready to give this thing a shot if you are. It might work and it might not, but I can’t stand never knowing. I want to be around. If you wake up craving weird shit in the middle of the night, I want to be the one to go get it for you. If you have to go on bed rest, I want to be the one taking care of you.”

“Are you saying…?”

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’ll stay. I’ll move. We’ll work it out. I just want to be with you. If I’m scaring the shit out of you with all this, I don’t mean to. Just…please don’t keep me at arm’s length.”

Her tremulous smile warmed his heart. “Good, because I don’t think I can stay under my parents’ roof anymore. Not that they’ll kick me out. They’ll just drive me nuts.”

Was she serious, or was he hearing things? Maybe he’d hoped so hard for this that he’d finally gone insane. “You want to stay with me?”

“Is that weird? Too soon, right? Ugh. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s…it’s what I was getting at. I can’t believe you want to do it, though.”

“What better way to see if it’ll work than finding out if we drive each other nuts?”

“There’s one thing I want to make clear, though.” When she frowned at him, he sighed and dragged a chair from the corner to her bedside. Her fingers were warm and supple as he reclaimed her hand in his. “I realize none of this would be happening with us if you hadn’t gotten pregnant.”

He lifted his gaze from her hands to her face, counting on her to be honest with him. She didn’t let him down. “You’re right about that. No use denying it. It’s not that I wouldn’t have liked to see you again. I just…wouldn’t have let myself become distracted by you if I didn’t have to.” She looked down at her belly with a chuckle. “Seems someone else had other plans.”

“Our circumstances have kind of forced us into action, but I don’t want that to be the reason you’re with me. Not the only reason, anyway.”

“Trust me. It’s not. And I don’t think hormones are clouding my judgment or anything either,” she said.

“When do you leave for Dallas?”

Cringing, she raised a hand to her forehead. “Next week. And there’s so much to do. I mean, depending on how this turns out today. If I’m deemed high risk or anything, I couldn’t go back to school now if I wanted to.”

He was so fucking tired of feeling guilty, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the gnawing ache of it in his chest. All the girl had wanted was a night of abandon. She’d chosen him—and holy shit, thank God she had and not one of those other bastards at her pool table. Now, because of that, her world had been upended. “I’m sorry, baby. So sorry to interfere with your dreams like this.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I have another dream now.”

The partially closed door swung all the way open, and a nurse strolled in. Ian stood and moved his chair, feeling uncomfortable as hell as she checked on Gabby. But he didn’t want to leave her. If he was in this thing, then he was in it. He’d have to get over his mild phobia of all things medical, because it looked like it might become a big part of his life for the next little while.

The nurse made a note on her chart and told them the doctor would be in soon. As she went back out, Gabby shifted in the bed, and he was at her side in a heartbeat. “Do you need anything?”

“To get out of here would be spectacular,” she said dryly.

“I’m with you there.”

The door opened again, and her parents came into the room with their Styrofoam coffee cups. Instinctively, he wanted to snatch his hands off their daughter—he’d caused her enough trouble by putting his hands on her, after all—but she held on tight to him.

“Any news?” her mother asked.

“Nothing really,” Gabby said. “A nurse just came by and told us the doctor would be in soon.”

“Oh, good. Maybe they’ll discharge you.”

Gabby and her mother went on talking, but Mr. Ross stared silent daggers at Ian. Jesus, he looked like a man who could fuck your world into oblivion if he wanted. This was Brian’s dad? Poor guy. Earl probably would’ve wept and bowed down to this dude.

“You work for Brian?” Mr. Ross asked.

Yes, and please allow me to continue to do so for now, if he’ll have me.
“Yes, sir.”

He nodded and took a sip of his coffee but didn’t comment further. Ian figured he knew what he was thinking, though. Fucking little horny-ass bastard who nailed all of his clients and had finally found a way to screw his way into the Ross family. Goddamn, he was
so
gonna get fired, if not literally chased out of town. He racked his brain for something to say, but what was there? Anything that came to mind would probably make Mr. Ross feel as if Ian had only confirmed his suspicions. He didn’t want to spout anything about undying love or devotion to Gabby. It would sound fake and lame at this point.

All he could do was try to prove himself. Let his actions speak for him. It was the way he’d lived most of his life.

“Brian knows,” Gabby said to her parents, pulling him from his thoughts. “Ian had to tell him when he left work to come here.”

“Really?” her mom said. “Well, we might as well not keep Evan in the dark either.”

“I’ll call him tonight.”

Mr. Ross raised an eyebrow at Ian. “How did Brian take it?”

“Not well. I had to tell him he could punch me later.”

“Would you let him?”

“I guess if he felt that strongly about it.”

That got a chuckle out of him. “I wouldn’t worry.”

Why the hell did everyone assume he was scared of Brian? “Oh, I’m not.” That got an even bigger chuckle out of him.

The doctor came into the room soon after, and though Ian was apprehensive about what he would tell them, at least it put an effective end to the awkward conversation. Happily, he had good news. Her bleeding had subsided, her ultrasound looked great, her blood work was solid. She could go home and take it easy for a few days and watch for any other weirdness.

As they left the hospital after the discharge paperwork, her parents walked on ahead and Gabby hung back with Ian, lacing her fingers through his. In his entire life, he couldn’t remember a feeling as sweet as her being at his side. No more secrets, nothing to hide.

Chapter Sixteen

Gabby rode back to her parents’ house with her mother while Ian went back to work. The entire time, Gianna remained quiet and tense—not a good sign where she was concerned. If she was angry, you knew it. For her to be bottling her emotions, stewing in silence, it meant she was up to something.

But Gabby was too exhausted to even puzzle over it, and she certainly didn’t want to get into whatever was going on in her mother’s mind. As soon as she got home, she eased her way up the stairs—waving away Gianna’s offered assistance the entire time—and crawled into her bed. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.

Darkness greeted her when her eyes opened. Fuzzily, she attempted to focus on the clock, groaning when she saw it was almost midnight. No doubt Ian had been trying to contact her, but her phone was in her purse, which was across the room by the door. An earthquake probably wouldn’t have awakened her. She slid from the bed and got her phone.

Sure enough, a missed call, three text messages and a voice mail. He was worried about her. She dialed him back, and he answered right away.

“Are you okay? Fuck. I wanted to grab Brian by the throat and make him tell me where you live.”

“I’m fine. I fell asleep. How’s Brian?”

“Barely speaking to me, but he hasn’t fired me or hit me yet. Guess he’s waiting to cool off before we have the ‘long fucking chat’ he promised.”

“Are you home?”

“Yeah. I want you here, baby.”

“Then I’m on my way. I’ll bring some clothes.”

She was going to grab Brian herself. How dare he? As she threw a few days’ worth of her clothes in an overnight bag, she contemplated calling the little shit, but then remembered she was about to be staying only a few apartments down from him. What she had to say was better said face-to-face. Damn him.

Gabby swept her arm across the cosmetics on her vanity, shoving them all in her bag, then zipped it up and changed into a cami and more yoga pants—which would most likely be her uniform for the next seven months. And probably for months after. Slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she headed out the door and repaired her sloppy ponytail as she took the stairs down.

Her mother’s voice stopped her as she reached for the front doorknob. “Where are you going?”

Whirling, she saw Gianna sitting in the parlor in full view of the door, looking as if she’d been there awhile. It wasn’t like her to stay up late. She was dressed in silky lounge pants, and a half-empty glass of wine sat on the end table beside her.

“I’m going to Ian’s.”

Her mom’s gaze drifted to the heavy bag bumping against Gabby’s hip. “For how long?”

“I don’t know. I need to get out of here for a while.”

“Why? Have we done something wrong besides worry ourselves sick about you?”

“Please don’t—”

Gianna put up a quelling hand. “Do
not
try to tell me not to worry about you. I don’t know why you can’t simply
talk
to us. Is sneaking out like this the way to handle things?”

“I’m not sneaking anywhere. I fell asleep, and I didn’t mean to. What I meant to do was rest until Ian told me he was heading home, and then go see him.” She lifted her free shoulder in a shrug. “It just worked out this way.”

“So you’re leaving. You’re moving in with this man.”

“I’m not
moving in
with him. But I want to spend some time with the father of my child, yes. I don’t get it—wouldn’t you consider that a good thing?”

“Just be careful, Gabriella.”

That made her laugh. “I think the worst has already happened, Mom.”

Gianna shook her head and stood, collecting her wineglass. “Not necessarily,” she said, walking past her without another word.

So much for her mother being excited about another grandchild. She honestly hadn’t expected this. Sighing, she let herself out into the heavy, humid night air.

Five minutes later, Ian’s door swung open, and he immediately reached to take her bag from her shoulder. Before he could do anything with it, she pitched herself into his arms and put her mouth on his, the very thing she’d wanted to do ever since he’d walked into her room at the hospital.

“Mmm,” he groaned as their lips parted at last, then sighed as he buried his face in the hair at her neck. “I’m glad you’re here.” She held him tight, savoring the safety of his arms.

“Me too,” she whispered. But there were things to clear up, a conversation she was burning to have, and she needed to get it out before she exploded. Not with him, though. With her little-shit brother. “First thing,” she said, drawing back from the comfort of his embrace and missing it immediately. “Let’s go see Brian.”

“It’s late—”

“I don’t give a damn. You know he’s still up.”

“Or out scrounging for watermelon Oreos.”

“What? Gross. Let’s go.”

He followed her purposeful steps as she headed to Brian and Candace’s apartment, but he tried to talk her out of it the whole time. She wasn’t having it. She pounded on their door until it flew open and her brother stood there, shirtless and pissed off.

“What the
fuck
, Gab?”

She glanced back to make sure Ian was still behind her. He was, but he looked rather pale. She stuck her finger in her brother’s face just as Brian was opening his mouth to say more. “Do you mean to stand there and tell me that after everything you went through to end up with that sweet girl in there, after you knocked the shit out of her brother, after you pretty much did with her whatever the fuck you wanted no matter what her family thought, you’re going to give
him
shit for being with me? Really, Brian? Are you going to stand there and tell me that?” She’d been poking him in his naked chest to punctuate each point she made, but now she cupped her hand behind her ear and gestured at him to
bring it
with her other. “Come on. Say it. Let me
hear
you try to say that to me. Right now.”

Brian stood gaping. No words came. She smacked him on his inked pec. “I thought so. Now that hopefully you realize what a hypocrite you’re being, I expect you to not be a shit to him anymore.”