Chapter 17
I found myself nodding in agreement. “I wasn’t planning to keep dancing anyway.”
“You need to move in with me,” he said, with the same authority he probably used to
order hits on his enemies.
I stared at him, certain I’d misheard. “Excuse me?”
“Move in with me. I’ll take care of you and the baby.”
I laughed nervously. “We’re not even a couple.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you and our child,” he countered, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
Logical. Right. Because moving in with a man who could have me killed with a snap of his fingers is completely logical.
“I can take care of myself,” I insisted, even as I wondered how I would manage without the income from Skyline.
“Really?” His eyes narrowed. “In that tiny apartment that’s smaller than this office? With what job? What savings?”
I flinched at his words, hurt blooming in my chest. “I don’t need your charity.”
“That’s not-” He stopped himself, taking a deep breath. “That’s not what I meant. You live in an apartment that’s smaller than this office. The heat barely works. The neighborhood isn’t safe. Please let me be a good father. Taking care of you both isn’t charity–it’s what I’m supposed to do.”
I bit my lip, his offer tempting in ways I didn’t want to admit. A warm, safe place to live. No more worrying about making rent. But this was Nathan Sullivan–heir to a crime empire. A man who ordered people killed before breakfast.
And yet… the way he’s looking at me right now, like I’m something precious. Like he’d burn the world down to keep us safe.
“Are you really ready to be a father?” I asked softly.
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Chapter 17
Nathan’s lips curved into a humorless smile. “We don’t have a choice, do we? I think we have enough time to prepare ourselves, don’t we?”
The reality of our situation hung heavy between us. We were two people from completely different worlds, bound together by an unplanned pregnancy.
“I don’t want you to give me false hope,” I said, my voice quivering. “I don’t want you to
abandon us.”
“I won’t,” he said firmly. “I swear.”
His voice is rough, like gravel, like he’s barely holding himself back from–from what? Pinning me against this wall and kissing me senseless? Throwing me over his shoulder
and carrying me out of here like some kind of caveman?
“What about your father?” I asked, remembering the intimidating Richard Sullivan.
Nathan’s eyes flashed with irritation. “This isn’t about anyone else! This is about you and
me and our baby!” His voice rose, echoing off the walls of his office.
He immediately regretted his outburst, I could see it in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t
have raised my voice.”
I nodded, accepting his apology but still wary.
“You should rest,” he said, moving to open the door. “Think about my offer. Please.”
I walked toward the door, feeling like my entire life had just been turned upside down. At
the threshold, I paused and turned back to him.
“If we’re going to do this together, you have to promise you won’t abandon us,” I insisted, needing to hear it one more time.
Nathan looked at me intently, his green eyes serious and, for once, completely transparent.
“Lily,” he said softly, “I promise.”
His voice wraps around me like smoke, thick and intoxicating. I want to believe him. I want to believe him so badly it terrifies me.
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Chapter 17
As I walked out of his office, I wondered if a promise from Nathan was something I could truly believe in. But for the sake of our unborn child, I had to try.
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