Baby Steps (Yeah, Baby Book 2)(12)

I emptied her other bag to find books about pregnancy, but looking at them was making me nauseous. I’m aware of the irony. Putting everything back in the bags, I clutched them tight, not ready to let them go, as though if I did, it would cease to be real. Moving my pacing to the front hall, I anxiously waited for the doctor to arrive.

An hour later, I’d worn a hole in the damn floor waiting for Dr. Morgan. I asked him to wait in the informal family room located through another arched doorway near the stairwell, while I checked on Jade. Realizing I was still holding the books and medicine, I dropped the items on a table in the entryway and jogged up the stairs to her room. I knocked softly and listened for any sound indicating she was awake.

I heard shuffling and the door opened revealing a deliciously mussed Jade. Damn, she looked adorable and so fuckable at the same time. She looked a little green and had a hand over her flat stomach. A vision of Jade with her hand resting on a swollen belly flashed before my eyes. She looked beautiful.

“Have you seen the, um, bags I brought home with me?” she asked, breaking me out of my daydream. Her voice was hesitant, but her green eyes were flared with worry. Was she ever intending to tell me? I was becoming rather confused. Why wouldn’t she have announced it right away and demanded I marry her? I couldn’t let her take all of the blame for her condition, but I was shocked she wasn’t trying to use it as leverage to trap me.

It suddenly occurred to me, was it because I was technically her step-brother? Tension wrapped itself around my heart as I considered the possibility she might fight for me to not be a part of my child’s life. No. That wasn’t going to happen. As soon as I could get control away from the current board at work, I’d be marrying her ass if I had to drag her to the courthouse, kicking and screaming. Until then, we’d have to keep it a secret and stay under the radar.

“I left them on the table in the foyer.” I held my hand out to her, “Come, my family doctor, Dr. Morgan, is waiting for you downstairs. I want him to have a look at you.”

Her green eyes grew impossibly wide, “What?” she shrieked. “Bu—but, I already saw a doctor!”

I huffed in annoyance, “Your doctor obviously didn’t know what the fuck they were doing. They sent you home and you fainted. Not to mention, you look as though you’re about to lose your stomach again.”

I took her hand instead of waiting for her to reach for mine and started towing her behind me, intent on getting her to Dr. Morgan.

She tugged weakly, trying to get me to release her, but I disregarded her efforts.

“My doctor is fine. She sent me home with medicine, I just need my pills, not to see another physician.”

We reached the stairs and I immediately started to worry about her fainting again and taking a spill, possibly hurting herself or the baby. I swung her up into my arms, ignoring her when she protested.

“Jade,” I said, my voice a little patronizing. “The sooner you stop arguing and let Dr. Morgan look you over, the sooner I’ll stop harassing you about it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a glacial stare, until it once again caved under the weight of my stubbornness.

“Fine, but no blood tests or anything invasive. Just a standard checkup,” she finished as I crossed the threshold into the room where Dr. Morgan had set out his instruments.

“She needs a blood test,” I informed Dr. Morgan as I set her down on the overstuffed couch. I threw her a black look when she started to comment and it shut her up.

“And who have we here?” Dr. Morgan smiled at Jade, “Does this beautiful woman belong to you, Lucas?”

“No,” Jade answered before I could even open my mouth. She returned my angry expression with a somewhat sly smile. “I’m his step-sister, Jade.”

I had no clue how to respond. Did I tell the doctor about our history and trust him to keep it a secret? Or did I pretend the baby wasn’t mine and we were simply cohabitating step-siblings? I wanted to shout and punch something. This whole situation was so fucked up.

“Really? I didn’t realize Jonathan’s new wife had a daughter. It’s lovely to meet you.” He smiled and shook her hand. If he weren’t here to examine her, I might have ripped off his appendage for touching her. No one else will ever be caressing her silky skin but me ever again.

“We didn’t know about each other until recently,” she admitted.

“Really? Well, how wonderful you two aren’t left without family.”

His comment made me cringe, much too similar to the words of my father’s will, which put me in this ridiculous spot in the first place.