Pregnant by the Maverick Millionaire(18)

What? No! She didn't play nicely with others. She had no idea how to  work within a team. She was a lone wolf; she didn't function within a  pack. And really, what the hell did he think he was doing, acting all  reasonable and concerned?

That wasn't going to work for her. She made her own decisions and she  didn't like it that with Kade, she wasn't in charge. He might sound  laid-back but beneath his charm the man was driven and ambitious and  bossy.                       
       
           



       

But even as she protested his change of heart, she had the warm fuzzies  and felt a certain relief she wouldn't be carrying this burden alone.

Even so, she shook her head. "There is no we. This baby is my problem, my responsibility."

"This baby is our problem, our responsibility. Mine as much as yours,"  Kade replied, not budging an inch. "Quit arguing, honey, because you're  not going to win."

Behind her back Brodie gripped the balustrade with both hands. "What  does that mean? Are you going to change diapers and do midnight feeds?  Are you going to drive around the city trying to get the kid to sleep?  Or are you just going to fling some money at me?"

Anger flickered in Kade's eyes. "I'll do whatever I need to do to make  your life easier, to be a father. I will support you, and the baby, with  money, but more importantly, with my time and my effort. I'm repeating  this in an effort to get it to sink into that stubborn head of yours,  you are not in this alone."

"I want to be," Brodie stated honestly. It would be so much easier.

His fingers touched her jaw, trailed down her neck. "I know you do, but that's not happening. Not this time."

Panic flooded her system and closed her throat. Wanting to protest,  Brodie could only look at him with wide, scared eyes. She needed to push  him away, to end the emotion swirling between them. "You just want to  get into my pants again."

The only hint of Kade's frustration was the slight tightening of his  fingers. She waited for him to retaliate but he just brushed his amused  mouth in a hot kiss across her lips.

"So cynical, Brodie." He rubbed the cord in her neck with his thumb and  Brodie couldn't miss the determination on his face and in the words that  followed. "I want you, Brodie, you know that. But that is a completely  separate matter to us raising a child together. One is about want and  heat and crazy need, the other is about being your friend, a support  structure, about raising this child together as best as we can."

"We can't be both friends and lovers, Kade!"

"We can be anything we damn well want," Kade replied. "But for now, why  don't we try to be friends first and figure out how we're going to be  parents and not complicate it with sex?"

He confused and bedazzled her, Brodie admitted. She couldn't keep up  with him. She felt like she was being maneuvered into a corner, pushed  there by the force of his will. "I don't know! I need to think."

Kade smiled, stepped back and placed his hands in the pockets of his  khaki shorts. "You can think all you want, Brodie, but it isn't going to  change a damn thing. I'm going to be around whether you like it or  not." He ducked his head and dropped a kiss on her temple."You might as  well get used to it," he murmured into her ear.

Before Brodie got her wits together to respond, Kade walked across the  patio to the outside stairs. He snapped his fingers. Simon lumbered to  his feet and they both jogged down the stairs. Brodie looked over the  balustrade as they hit the ground below.

"And get some sleep, Stewart! You look like hell," Kade called.

Yeah, just what a girl needed to hear, Brodie thought. Then she yawned and agreed it was a very good suggestion.

* * *

Kade glanced down at his phone, the red flashing light indicating he had  a message. He looked across the table to his friends and partners and  saw they were still reading a condensed version of Logan's contract. He  slid his finger across the screen and his breath hitched when he saw  Brodie's name.

He hadn't spoken to her for two days but he kept seeing her in his  mind's eye, looking down at him from the patio of the cabin-bemused,  befuddled, so very tired. He had deliberately left her alone, wanting to  give her time to get used to the idea of them co-parenting.

Back in the city. Thought that you might want to know.

Kade smiled at her caustic message. Not exactly gracious but coming from  the independent Brodie, who'd rather cut off her right arm than ask for  help, it was progress.

He quickly typed a reply.

Feeling rested?

A bit.

Any other symptoms?

Do you really want to know? He grimaced at the green, vomiting emoji tacked onto the end of the message.

Ugh. Will bring dinner. Around 7?

Tired. Going to bed early.

Oh, no. When was she going to learn that if she retreated he would follow? You have to eat. I'm bringing food. Be there.

Suit yourself.

That was Brodie speak for "see you later." Kade tapped the screen and  smiled. The trick with Brodie, he was learning, was to out-stubborn her.

"Kade, do you agree?"                       
       
           



       

"Sure," he murmured, looking straight through Quinn. He'd have to tell  his friends at some point but there were reasons why he didn't want to,  not yet. He was still wrapping his head around the situation and he  wasn't ready for his friends to rag him about it. He still felt raw. The  situation was uncertain and, consequently, his temper was quick to the  boil.

Besides, it was one of those things he needed to discuss with Brodie...  Was she ready for the pregnancy to become public knowledge?

He didn't think either of them was ready for the press. Especially since  Brodie was supposed to be finding his dream woman. His next date. She  was, after all, his damned matchmaker.

No, he definitely wasn't ready for the news to be splashed across the  papers and social media. It was too new and too precious. Too fragile.  Kade half turned and put his hand into the pocket of his suit jacket,  which was hanging off the back of his chair. Pulling out a container of  aspirin, he flipped back the lid and swallowed three, ignoring the  bitter powder coating his mouth.

He'd had a low-grade headache since he'd left Brodie and he'd been  popping aspirin like an addict. It was a small price to pay for a very  large oops.

Kade looked up when he heard a knock on the glass door. Two seconds  later his personal assistant leaned into the room. "What's up, Joy?"

"There's someone here to see you and she's not budging," Joy told him  after tossing a quick greeting to Quinn and Mac. Joy snapped her  fingers. "Someone Stewart."

Kade frowned. Brodie? Was something wrong? She'd just been texting him.  He stood up abruptly and his chair skittered backward. Crap! Something  must be wrong. Brodie would never come to his office without calling  first. He started toward the door and stopped when he saw the slight,  stylish figure of Poppy Stewart walking toward them.

"Poppy? Is she okay?" He winced at the panic in his voice.

Poppy frowned. "Why wouldn't she be?" she said when she reached him.  Kade placed a hand on his heart and sucked in a deep breath while Poppy  graciously, but very firmly, sent Joy on her way. "We need to talk."

"You sure she's okay?"

"When I left she was eating an apple and drinking ginger tea. She has a  slew of appointments today and was heading downtown later." Poppy walked  into the conference room and Mac and Quinn rose to their feet.

"My, my, my," she crooned, holding out a delicate hand for them to  shake, her mouth curved in a still sexy smile. "You boys certainly pack a  punch."

Kade rubbed his forehead. God, he wasn't up to dealing with a geriatric flirt. And why the hell wasn't the aspirin working?

"Poppy, why are you here?" he asked, dropping back into his chair.

Quinn pulled out a chair for Poppy and gestured for her to sit. "Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Poppy replied.

Mac frowned at Kade. "I'm Mac McCaskill and this is Quinn Rayne."

God, he was losing his mind along with his manners. "Sorry, Poppy. Guys, this is Poppy Stewart."

"Stewart?" Quinn asked. "Any relation to Brodie Stewart, the matchmaker?"

"Great-aunt," Kade briefly explained. He caught his friends' eyes and jerked his head in the direction of the door.

Mac just sat down again and Quinn sat on the edge of the conference  table. It would take a bomb to move them, Kade realized, so he stood up.  "Let's go to my office, Poppy. We'll have some privacy there."

"You need privacy from your best friends?" Poppy asked.

Mac lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah, do you?"