Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 by Maisey Yates (inspirational books .TXT) 📗

did. Knew there was more to who he was and everything that he carried around inside of him, even if she didn’t know quite all what it was.

But this was the time, she supposed. This was where the rubber met the road and the…well, the positive pregnancy test met with their present reality.

She took a deep breath and got out of her truck, making her way up the paved walk that led to the large, flat entryway. The door was huge, and it made Cricket feel tiny. She stood there and took a breath, trying not to be reminded of feeling tiny in other circumstances. Standing outside the door to her father’s office. Sitting way down at the end of a long banquet table, feeling lost in the family villa.

No, this was different. Because she was standing there a changed woman from who she’d been back then. When she’d just been a girl. When she hadn’t known who she was or what she wanted. When he called her little Cricket, it wasn’t a bad thing. And she didn’t mind. When he said it, it somehow made her feel special, protected. And right now, she was protecting a life inside of her. And that made her feel strangely powerful. Renewed and changed.

She’d never really thought about being a mother. And in fact, in passing, had thought she wouldn’t be. After all, her own experiences with family hadn’t been any good. But she didn’t feel tied to that. Not now. Not anymore. Whatever the Maxfields were, it didn’t make Cricket Maxfield one of them. It didn’t mean she had to repeat their legacy over and over again. Somehow, that little inner boosting helped buoy her on, and she raised her hand and knocked on the solid oak door. She shook her hand out, because it hurt. And she wasn’t even sure it had made a sound in the gigantic space.

But then, the door opened, and she jumped back. Because there he was, standing in the doorway wearing a tight black T-shirt, jeans and a black cowboy hat. And he looked…well, amazing.

“Hi,” she said.

“Cricket,” he responded. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, that’s not the friendliest greeting.”

“Sorry. Do you want to come in?”

“Probably should.”

He opened the door, and let her into the room made of the same wood as the exterior of the house, glossy black details punctuating the rustic look, making it feel somehow modern. The room was huge, square, with a ceiling so tall it brought her back to that place of smallness.

Of course, Jackson and all his height contributed to that, as well.

“We need to talk,” she said. “The way you left me… I wanted you to stay.”

“Yes, and I explained that I couldn’t.” His jaw was tight, his expression firm.

“Yeah, and you didn’t give me a good reason. So I’d like to hear it. I really would.”

Before she told him what she had to say, she wanted to know what he might say to her without that information.

“It’s complicated.”

“No. Complicated is having a crush on a man for years, then finding out he might be your half brother, then wanting to sleep with him anyway. Then finding out he’s not your half brother and sleeping with him for the duration of a thirty-day wager. That’s complicated. So, we’ve been through complicated already, so whatever else you have on your mind, whatever else you have to tell me, is not going to touch that. I think we can figure it out. Trust me when I say I’m pretty resilient.”

“All right, Cricket,” he said. “You really want to have this conversation?”

“Yes. I do.”

“I don’t want to get married. I mean, what’s the point? It just two people being tied together for no particular reason that I can see.”

“So, why does there have to be marriage? Why can’t we just be together?”

“I would never want to be responsible for not loving someone enough. For doing to them what my father did to my mother. And at the end of the day, whether I admire or look up to him or not, I’m Cash Cooper’s son.”

“And I’m James Maxfield’s daughter, but I’m not going to sexually harass anyone. I’m not going to treat my kids like an afterthought and my wife…well, husband, like a trophy. It doesn’t matter whose son you are. What matters is what kind of man you are. And that’s your choice.”

“Okay then, it’s my choice not to put myself in a position where I could hurt someone that way.”

“So you don’t think you could love me.”

She stared at him, willing herself not to break his gaze. Not to be a wimp. She would brazen this out. She just would.

“It’s not you.”

“Oh, it’s not you, it’s me. Very original. You know, Jackson, I expected better from you. Better from us. For us. We are not like anyone else. So don’t be a cliché now.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you…”

“Another good one. Who writes your dialogue? Because it’s not very good.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And I’m pregnant.”

CHAPTER TEN

Jackson felt like a bomb had been dropped in the middle of his living room. It was like watching a horror movie. Looking back on the last few weeks. Sitting there, wanting to tell the idiot not to go into that house, but he’d gone in anyway. And now here he was. Exactly the thing he’d been trying to avoid.

She was pregnant.

That was absolutely everything that he hadn’t wanted to happen.

“When did you find out?”

“Literally an hour ago? I went to my sister’s house—not the one who is married to your brother—and then I came straight here.”

“What the hell are we going to do?”

“Well, the unfortunate thing is I was kinda hoping you would have something better to say than what you just did.”

“You understand that we can’t get married.”

“Well, fantastic,” Cricket said. “I figure I’ll just find another man to marry, then.”

“You damn well will not.”

“But you don’t want to marry me. Then maybe somebody should. Because maybe I care about that kind of thing.” She