Page 19 of Haden

I nearly drop my coffee.

He laughs. “Brody and I saw you come out here last night. Plus, we aren’t blind. You spent most of the day with him yesterday, and at dinner, you kept staring at him like a puppy.”

Pursing my lips, I look away.

“Wanna know more, squirt?” Dallas teases.

“Not really,” I grumble.

“Brody and Haden went for a jog together this morning. They talked. Then Brody filled me in.”

There’s a solid chance I might collapse. My legs feel weak. I’m gripping my mug so hard my fingers hurt. I have to force myself to take another sip of coffee, trying desperately not to let this information bother me.

It’s not like I could chase Haden around without people knowing, but I hadn’t realized I’d been so obvious. I’m confused by Dallas’s reaction to this news, but I’m not about to ask questions. He’ll spit out his opinion in a moment.

Dallas finally continues, “I’ll admit I don’t know Haden as well as Brody does. The two of them have been friends and coworkers for years. But Brody is confident Haden would never hurt you and wouldn’t dare use you, so you can stop sneaking around. We’re good with it.”

I jerk my gaze to him. Is he serious? That’s rather unexpected. I mean, I didn’t think my brothers would stand in my way forever, but I assumed they would be more hesitant and need some time to accept whatever this is.

I’m feeling ridiculously certain about my feelings toward Haden this morning. I shouldn’t be. He sent me back to the mansion last night like a naughty child. Told me to think. He more or less threatened that if I wanted to take this step with him, I would be submitting to a very firm Dominant for the rest of my life.

The thing is, I spent half the night thinking. He did not scare me off. I want what he’s offering. I went over every bossy thing he said to me in my head, and each time he ordered me around, tingles trailed up my spine.

I wasn’t aware I had a submissive side. Maybe I wouldn’t if it were any other man. But it’s Haden. He could command me to do just about anything, and I would probably comply.

Am I nervous? Yes. But I’m also confident I’m making the right decision.

I suddenly feel Haden’s presence approaching from behind a second before Dallas lifts his gaze to look over my head. He smirks again, nods, and walks away.

There’s a solid chance I’m going to break this mug with my bare hands if I squeeze it any tighter. I don’t turn around. I don’t need to. Haden doesn’t face me, nor does he stop a few feet away. Nope. He continues until his hands are on my shoulders and his front presses against my back. He lowers his mouth to my ear. “RV, naughty girl.”

That’s it. That’s all he says before he angles us toward his new home and nudges me forward.

His tone makes me think I’m in trouble, though I’m not sure what I’ve done this morning to warrant reprimanding. I’m certain it’s something, though, and I’m smiling because I really fucking like it when he talks to me like that.

There’s a solid chance that I’m going to start doing anything to make Haden chastise me because every time he does, my pussy clenches. I suspect it will be difficult to know what might trigger him. He’ll just make things up because he enjoys scolding me at least as much as I enjoy being on the receiving end of it.

I’m half surprised he doesn’t swat my bottom to get me to move faster. This is a curious turn of events. We haven’t even spoken to each other since he sent me to my room last night. And yet, he’s claiming me in front of every man who lives in the house.

I don’t see any of the wives yet, but in my peripheral vision, I notice Ryder, Tiago, and Brody have stopped what they’re doing to watch as I’m marched into the RV. Apparently, Haden made a decision about us without my knowledge.

I’m not sorry about that either because now I don’t have to grovel. I don’t even need to confront my brothers and cousins. He’s already on top of that.

As soon as we’re inside, he takes my coffee from me and looks into the mug. I expect him to ask if I want more. Maybe he has a pot out here in the RV. But that’s not what happens.

“Are you done with this, jitterbug?”

I shiver at the soft timbre in his voice. “Yes.” I don’t think I could possibly drink more of it. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to swallow again. I’m trembling for reasons I can’t explain.

He sets the cup in the small sink, lifts my chin with a finger, and holds my gaze. Fuck, he’s intense. “No more coffee, jitterbug.”

I frown. What’s he talking about?

“It’s not good for you, and you can’t have it while you’re pregnant, so make a clean break right now. Got it?”

My knees finally buckle.

Haden catches me, his arm coming around me to keep me upright.