Legacy (Steel Brothers Saga #14) - Helen Hardt Page 0,8
face turned white.
No. God, no. That meant bad news.
No. Just no.
Not on top of everything else.
“I understand. Thank you, Daddy.” She hung up the phone and turned to me. “She’s going to be all right. They pumped her stomach. She’s going to be all right.”
I held her when she fell back into my arms.
“See? Everything’s going to be fine.”
She pulled back and sniffed. “Everything’s not fine, Brad. Everything’s so far from fine. My mother just tried to end her life. Because of me.”
“Baby, this wasn’t because of you.”
“Of course it was. I came home pregnant after a month in college. She expected more from me. I promised her I’d be okay.”
“You are okay. It was an accident. A true accident. We took precautions.”
“I know.” She dabbed at her eyes. “Crap. I need a tissue.”
“Okay.” I stood. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Upstairs, to your right.”
I went up, grabbed the box of tissues out of the bathroom, and brought them to Daphne. “Here you go.”
She took several and blew her nose. “I must look atrocious.”
“You look beautiful.”
“You’re such a liar.”
“Baby, you’ll always be beautiful to me.”
“What about when I’m nine months pregnant and big as a house?”
“Especially then.”
That got a chuckle out of her—a tiny one, but a chuckle nonetheless.
“Why?”
“Because the baby we made is in there.” I touched her belly tenderly. “He’s in there now.”
“He?”
“Yeah, I think it’s a boy. What do you think?”
“I know it’s a boy. I’m not sure how, but I do.”
I smiled at her. She was so beautiful. So innocent. Yet her innocence had been stolen, though she didn’t know.
Now, more than ever, I renewed my vow to look after her always. She needed my protection, and I’d never waver.
Had I bitten off more than I could chew? Maybe, but it didn’t matter. I was all-in now. All-in for this sweet and wonderful young woman and the baby she carried. My baby. Mine and hers.
Daphne grabbed more tissues, dabbed at her eyes, and then blew her nose again. “Brad?”
“Hmm?”
“Daddy won’t be home tonight. He’s staying at the hospital.”
“I figured as much.”
“That means we’re alone. Here. In the house.”
The fact hadn’t escaped me, but I wasn’t going to—
“Make love to me, Brad.”
“Baby, this is your father’s house.”
“I don’t care. I need you.”
“You’re upset. You’re worried about your mother. That doesn’t mean you need sex.”
“It’s not the sex I need. It’s you. I need to feel something beautiful, and you and I together, that’s beautiful.”
I touched her cheek. It was red and puffy but still like silk beneath my calloused fingertips.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Don’t treat me like a child, Brad.”
“But—”
She placed two fingers over my lips. “Please. We’re in love. I’m pregnant. There’s no going back now. I want to make love with you tonight. I need to.”
Trying to be a gentleman while this goddess begged me to make love to her was more difficult than I ever imagined.
“Please,” she said again.
Already my cock was responding. I wanted her. I always wanted her. But more than my desire to satiate myself in her body was my desire to take care of her, to do what was best for her. I wasn’t sure lovemaking fit into that category tonight.
“Daphne, I don’t think—”
“This is what I want. Show me what’s truly important.”
I’d made love to her before. But now… Now that I knew what she’d been through, how could I do this to her? She was so innocent. So damaged.
But so wonderful. And so fucking beautiful. And I loved her. I loved her so damned much.
Despite my name, I wasn’t made of steel. “All right, baby. Take me to your bedroom.”
Chapter Eight
Daphne
My bedroom wasn’t decorated in pink. Wasn’t overly girlie. The only problem was the twin bed, but we’d make do.
Puppy still sat where I’d left him earlier. I wasn’t embarrassed by my stuffed dog. I picked him up and moved him to a chair.
Brad looked around. My room was so small compared to his bedroom at the townhome, and especially compared to the room at his ranch house outside Snow Creek. He was so big and broad that this room seemed to swallow him up.
He acted hesitant, so I did something I’d never done. I took the lead. I walked to him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled his head downward until his lips met mine.
I kissed him softly at first, and then I opened my mouth and let my tongue wander out to meet his. He tasted of liquor and woods, of cinnamon and strength, of