Page 111 of Secret Baby for My Brother's Best Friends

“Chelsea?” Jake’s voice distracts me from my panicked thoughts. “Did something happen? Did my devastating good looks stun you again?"

I shake my head. "Um, no, it’s nothing.” Nothing except that I'm just realizing that I might have fallen for more than one of the men I’m sleeping with, and my stomach tightens just thinking about it.

Not that I didn’t think it would happen. They're all so irresistible that it's impossible for a red-blooded female not to fall for at least one of them.

It’s just that I thought I might have a clear preference by now. I thought it would be obvious who I want to continue the relationship with or who would be best for me, but even now, I don't know. The men are so different in their own ways, yet so equally amazing.

Adam is the glue that seems to hold everything together, a natural leader who's so selfless and giving without even realizing it, so much so that I want to help take some of that burden off of him, even if it's a little.

There's Sam, who melts me with his soft, heated gazes, who seems to understand who I am fundamentally as a person and seems to share very much the same fears and hopes I do.

And then there’s Jake, who makes me laugh harder than anyone I’ve ever met, and who makes my days brighter just by being around, and who also has a secret vulnerability that mirrors my own.

All these men hold pieces of my heart, and with each passing day, the emotions grow stronger, feel more permanent. I can’t choose between them.

This is going to be a problem.

“Now I’ve lost you again,” he says as his lips drop on my neck.

My body leans to his instinctively, absorbing his warmth, taking his strength, so I can hope for the best end to this. I can’t imagine that any of them are going to be thrilled to hear at the end of this little experiment that I love all three of them equally. That’s probably not one of the allowable options, and even if it were, am I just going to date three men for the rest of my life? Have three fathers for my baby? Walk down the aisle to the three of them waiting for me and introduce them all to my parents as my husbands.

How ridiculous would that be?

Not to mention James' reaction.

We’ve somehow managed not to alert him to what’s going on between us. My occasional working from home isn't a problem, because I've been having bouts of morning sickness here and there, but he still thinks it's a stomach bug that I caught while on vacation, and has been so worried about me that I feel so guilty about the subterfuge.

I need to tell him soon. I mean, I'll definitely have to before I start showing. I was just hoping to tell him after I've made my decision on which of the men I chose.

It sounds so wrong, so dehumanizing, choosing between other humans like this, even if they don't seem to mind. None of them has ever expressed jealousy when I was hanging out alone with the other. Not even Jake. I try to make a point of not excluding him, or any of them, and lately we've been spending a lot of time together. But even when we're not, and I'm with the others, he doesn't express the same jealousy. Maybe he's just better at hiding it. Or maybe he's actually learning to deal with it.

It doesn't change anything, though. Eventually, I'll have to make my choice, or leave them all alone, so I don't ruin their friendship.

We step out of the house and lock the door, then decide to walk to the grocery store. Well, Jake decides.

He absolutely refuses to get in the car and starts jogging, leaving me to chase after him, yelling, "Stop running, you crazy man!"

"Only if you catch me, angel," he calls back.

I giggle, and I feel like a little girl again, or maybe like the little girl I never got the chance to be. I never got the chance to really have much dating experience in high school, and the little I did have could give me nightmares. Not that anything terrible happened in them, but the amount of effort I put in for people who never gave a damn about me is cringe-inducing.

For the first time, I experience what it's like to be truly cared for in a relationship, and it's so wonderful beyond my wildest imagination.

As the wind slaps through, Jake slows his pace enough for me to nearly catch up to him.

Then he suddenly stops, and I end up crashing into his back. Or I would have crashed into his back if he didn't spin around at the last second and catch me in his arms while I squealed. I slap his shoulder. "Let me down, you ass."

"Only after you admit that I'm strong."

"You're strong."

"And handsome."

"You're handsome," I relent immediately, because I'm concerned about his leg and also because we're making a scene.

"And that you love me."

The breath expires in my throat, my lips freezing around the words.