Baby Steps (Yeah, Baby Book 2)(13)

“Now, what seems to be the problem, my dear?” Dr. Morgan asked as he began taking her blood pressure.

“She’s been nauseous, exhausted, and she fainted earlier,” I growled, glowering at Jade as I started to pace again.

“Any chance you’re pregnant, Jade?”

I waited with baited breath to see how she would answer.

She cleared her throat, “Um.” She glanced at me and Dr. Morgan took notice.

“Lucas, perhaps you should wait in another room.”

Jade smiled triumphantly.

“I need to be here. With our parents gone, I’m her legal guardian. Our parents wanted someone to take care of her.” I grinned back at Jade.

“Puh-lease. I’m twenty-two years old. And even if I wasn’t, nobody would pick you to guard their dog, much less another human being.” Her cheeks brightened with color as we bantered back and forth.

“Now, now, Jade, you mustn’t compare yourself to a puppy, at least you’re house trained.”

She huffed and Dr. Morgan chuckled. “Squabbling like siblings already.”

Our matching gasps of disgust seemed to shock the doctor and his gaze bounced between us like a pinball machine. After a tense moment, he focused back on Jade as he got her arm ready for a blood draw.

“Ugh. Another needle, I think I’m going to be sick again.”

“You know,” I drawled, “You didn’t answer the doctor’s question.”

Jade’s eyes flew to me and I smiled sinisterly. “Any chance you could be pregnant Jade?”

“Yes,” she snapped. “I had a fling with a macho, egotistical, shallow, pompous ass who apparently didn’t know how to use a fucking condom and knocked me up. That’s why the blood test isn’t necessary because my doctor already confirmed it this morning.”

I didn’t know why but hearing her admit it out loud made the whole thing much more real. Holy fuck. I’d gotten Jade pregnant. Mentally banging my head against a wall, I amended the thought. I’d gotten my step-sister pregnant. The board was going to ruin me and send me off to live in Louisiana with all of the other people whose lives sing like a fucking country song.





Chapter 7


Jade


Had I really said what I thought I did? Someone please tell me I hadn’t. I slowly opened my eyes, which I’d squeezed shut in mortification as soon as the words popped out of my mouth. Yup, I’d totally said exactly what I thought I had. The twin looks of shock on Lucas and the doctor’s faces confirmed it.

“I guess we won’t need a blood test after all,” the doctor drawled, placing the needle down right before jabbing me with it. It was the only upside to my untimely announcement. He got over his surprise more quickly than Lucas, who stood there staring at me with his jaw open and his eyes wide. Dr. Morgan’s attention shifted between the two of us before focusing on Lucas. “While I appreciate your concern for your step-sister, I think it would be better if you gave us some privacy to discuss such a delicate matter.”

Privacy sounded fantastic to me, but I couldn’t bear the tormented look on Lucas’s face at the doctor’s request. I’d pulled the rug out from under him with my announcement, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to make him wait in another room so soon afterward.

“It’s okay,” I sighed. “He can stay.”

“If you’re sure?” Dr. Morgan’s tone was doubtful, but I appreciated him giving me another out if I wanted to take it. Lucas didn’t welcome it, though.

“You heard Jade,” he growled, prowling over to me, taking my hand in his and squeezing tightly.

Lucas turned towards me as soon as we heard the sound of the front door closing. “The baby’s mine?”

I wanted to scream and cry at the very thought of him suspecting it was someone else’s, but I couldn’t blame him for the question. It wasn’t even an accusation, he was merely asking for confirmation of what I had hinted to when the doctor was present. “Yes.”

His gaze dropped to my stomach and I swore I saw triumph in his eyes, which made no sense at all considering his opinion of me. “Okay, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In a way, you being pregnant simplifies things,” he mumbled to himself, pacing the length of the room.

“How is my pregnancy simple?”

Instead of answering, he shocked me speechless by striding over to me and lifting me up in his arms. He swiftly made his way through the house, up the stairs and into his bedroom, placing me gently on the mattress. Then he quickly stripped out of his clothes, only leaving his boxers, and climbed in next to me.

I was about to object, my lips ready to form the words, when he stopped to place a soft kiss on my belly. The gesture was so darn sweet, I all but melted into the mattress. By the time he settled himself on the pillows with me in his arms, I was a strange combination of an emotional mess and a beyond horny as heck woman.