Unexpectedly, the panic I expected to descend never came. Instead, I was filled with the desire to do it again. And again. Until I knew for sure, she was pregnant. I pictured her with a swollen belly, and my cock hardened to the point of pain.
Children had never really factored into my plans, not that I didn’t want them, but I’d been focused on my career. And I’d never met a woman who’d inspired the idea of a wife and family. With Lisa, I wanted it all. I also had to admit that a little part of me liked the idea that a baby would permanently tie her to me. And it probably made me an asshole, but my male pride would certainly be boosted by breeding my woman.
However, it would change the dynamic of Lisa’s career path, and I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it. I knew she wanted kids—just from the way she interacted with my nieces and the little things she’d said from time to time—but I didn’t know when they factored into her plans. But with as much come as I filled her with over the past twenty-four hours, she might not have a choice in the matter.
I was adding the last slice to a plate piled high with French toast when my cell phone started ringing. After turning off the griddle, I followed the sound until I found it in the pocket of my jeans from the night before.
It was Austin.
“Hey,” I greeted cheerfully. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to warn you, there’s a swarm of paparazzi outside the gate.”
“What else is new?” I joked, though I wondered what had prompted him to call me about it this time.
“They aren’t here for me. And security caught one of them by the pool ten minutes ago.”
“Pardon?” Icy dread trickled through my veins. The guesthouse was at the back of the property, right by the fenced pool.
“They were trying to sneak away.”
“Away?” Shit. That meant they’d gotten what they came for.
“I’m so sorry, Hale. This almost never happens, but occasionally, someone manages to slip security…they’ll never make it to the main house, but I don’t keep as close an eye on the pool area unless we’re using it.” Austin stopped, and I knew he was about to tell me something really bad. “He had a video camera. We confiscated the tape, but I have no way of knowing if he sent it somewhere first.”
Lisa was going to flip her shit. She had every right to, but I was terrified that she would use this as an excuse to run from us.
“Do you know what’s on it?”
“I didn’t watch it. But…”
Dread filled me. Oh, fuck.
“You, um, didn’t close the blinds to your bedroom, and I’m pretty sure he was filming through the master bedroom’s patio door.”
Rage burst from every pore, and I felt as though a hulking monster was about to rip from my body. He was a dead man. I was going to rip his balls off and then shove them down his throat so no one would hear him scream while I slowly and painfully killed him. “You still holding him?” I growled.
Austin was silent, and I immediately started walking toward the front door. “Don’t,” he said in a steely tone. “The police will be here in less than five minutes. You won’t be able to deal with this shit or protect your woman from a jail cell.”
My hand was on the doorknob, but I hesitated as his words sank in. Fuck. He was right, but I was having a hard time talking myself out of my violent rage. My control snapped back into place when a soft voice carried across the room.
“Is everything okay?”
“Let me deal with this prick, Hale. Go take care of your girl.” Then he hung up. I shoved my phone into the pocket of my pants, then turned to face Lisa.
Damn, she looked gorgeous. Her hair was tumbling around her shoulders in dark, damp curls, her face scrubbed clean, and she was wearing one of my football jerseys that was so big, it fell to her knees. Seeing her in my clothes lit a fire under the possessive feelings that had consumed me when Austin told me about the fucker who’d invaded our privacy.
I took a deep breath and forced a smile onto my face. “We have some things to discuss, but why don’t we get settled at the table and eat while we talk?”
Lisa’s eyes squinted and her lips pursed, but after a long, silent pause, she nodded.
Once we were seated and our plates were full, I broke the news to her about the phone call from Austin.
Her eyes widened with horror, and I cursed before shoving out her chair and lifting her into my lap. “I know it’s bad, baby. But we don’t even know if it’ll get out. Or what exactly is on the tape. But no matter what, we’ll get through this together.”