Page 31 of Caught in Us
None of my business! “How old is Matthew, exactly?”
She glances down at her hands. “He’s two.”
I wait. The silence stretches as I mentally beg for her to come clean. Does she take me for a fool? Or the kind of man who won’t acknowledge his own son?
She must know what I’m getting at.
Only, she doesn’t say a damn word.
“Alicia.” I practically bite out the words, “When’s his birthday?”
Her gaze snaps up to mine, fire in her gaze. “Just say it.”
Oh, so she doesn’t want to play games. I’ll get straight to the fucking point, then. “Did you really leave the country pregnant, with my child, and keep him from me?”
Her sharp inhale fills the cab. It cuts like a slice through my heart. Her jaw works back and forth, her head shaking as if I’m the asshole. “How dare you!” Her tone is sharp and low. “You know nothing about the last three years or what I’ve been through.”
“Because you cut me out!” I throw my hands in the air. “Jesus, Alicia! You never answered my calls or texts. You moved across a fucking ocean, for God’s sake! You just left. No good-bye. No conversation. Nothing.”
She has the decency to appear rattled. “I left you a letter.”
“A letter.” A wry, humorless chuckle leaves my lips. “Oh, yes! How could I forget?”
“You’re a real piece of work. I see some things never change.” She jerks the truck door open, jumps out, and turns to leave me with one last insult. “And you’re still an ass.” She slams the door and stomps toward the garage keypad, jamming her fingers against the numbers as if they’ve personally offended her.
“And you’re still stubborn as hell,” I grumble, yanking my door open. I should calm down. Take a moment to center my thoughts. But the energy pulsing through my veins and the air rushing in my ears shoves away all good sense. Who the hell does she think she is, coming back into my life unannounced? Twisting everything upside down!
Climbing from the truck cab, I ignore the boxes and crates of wedding supplies in the back and stomp over to where she stands, arms crossed and foot tapping as the garage door lifts.
“Hey! We’re not done yet.” Not with this conversation. Not by a long shot. I don’t know what comes over me. Or why she looks so damn good when she’s this mad. But I close the space between us with quick strides, crowding her personal space.
She spins at my approach, fury in her eyes. Only she must not expect me to stand so close and the gasp that escapes her parted lips sounds exactly like the sounds she used to make when we made love. “I’m not doing this right now,” she threatens, taking a step back. Her spine hits the wall. Her gaze drops to my lips.
Fuck.
“Alicia,” I practically growl.
“What do you want from me?” The question leaves her lips a whisper. Taunting. Tempting. Pulling me into her universe. I can’t fight it, but really, I don’t even try. When it comes to her, I’m both lost and found.
My lips crash to hers, swallowing her next gasp. She tastes good. Her lips just as I remember. The anger inside my chest is still there, but with every brush of my lips it morphs and fades to a different feeling. Passion. Heat. Desire. My hands grip her waist, my fingers digging into her flesh through the fabric of her jeans. I press her harder against the wall, capturing her moans and savoring this moment.
Because I know it won’t last.
She’s going to shove me away.
She’ll run again. She always will. Only this time I’m prepared for the rejection.
Fuck.What the hell am I doing? I have a girlfriend. My fingers release her as if they’ve been burned and I stumble back, my chest heaving with each inhalation.
“Chase . . .” Alicia lifts her hand to her lips, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have . . .” I shake my head, shame filling my chest with the realization of what I just did. I’m not a cheater. I’m not that man. Not anymore. I’ve changed. Fuck, I’ve spent the last three years committed to deep and meaningful transformation. Yet one afternoon with Alicia and I throw it all away.
“Why?” she asks, hurt in her big brown eyes.
“Why?” I parrot, unable to grasp what she means.
“Why do you care who Matthew’s father is?” she asks softly.
