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wife was expecting our first. I was trying to get enough for a house. I did it, too.”

“I know. Bruce said something similar. But Hunter has a house. A few houses. And cars. And a

bunch of crap he doesn’t need.”

“I don’t know, Livy. I’ve never understood him. Ask Brenda.”

“I have. She’s really tight-lipped about it. She knows something, but that woman is a vault. It’s

annoying.”

A laugh died in the back of Bert’s throat as we pulled up to the building. Before I could say

anything, he was out of the car and hurrying to my side. He grabbed my computer and helped me out

of the car.

“Seriously, Bert, I can manage. Wait until I get really big before you hem and haw.”

“Okay, Livy.” He held the door open before following me in.

I held out my hand for my computer. Just like yesterday, and the day before, and every day since

I’d decided to spend my time coding here, he ignored my hand and followed behind me.

Yes, this was the definition of crazy—doing the same thing and expecting different results. But I

really hoped that someday he’d catch on.

I rolled my eyes as he waited right behind me for the elevator. Then followed me in.

“You need to get a little dog,” Brenda said as I came into sight. She looked over her half-moon

glasses at me. “Usually the big bodyguards are carrying the celebrity’s dog.”

“He followed me in again. I had no choice.”

“I know. But you need to get a dog. Do you not listen?”

I stopped in front of her desk. “What’s got you so bitter?”

“I’m always bitter.”

“Your scowl is more pronounced than normal. What’s up?”

“I don’t see a difference,” Bert said behind me.

I stifled a laugh as Brenda intensified her scowl at him. “That one”—she jerked her head to the

currently empty desk beside her—“can’t keep up. Neither could the one before her. Hunter is working

them all to death.”

“You, too?”

She sniffed. “I know the end game. I can hang in there.”

“What end game?”

Her lips pursed. She looked back at her computer, pulling a Hunter. She planned to ignore me

now.

I rolled my eyes. They had plans, and they weren’t telling me what they were.

I walked into Hunter’s office, prepared for my favorite view of the morning. I got exactly what I

was expecting. The light streaming over Hunter’s broad shoulders before I feasted my eyes on the

most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.

I smiled, reveling in his splendor. “Hey, baby.”

Bert unslung my computer on the table. “Okay, Livy. Call me if you want lunch.” He nodded at

Hunter. “Mr. Carlisle.”

Hunter rose from his desk and came around, his eyes soft and a small smile dusting his face.

“Good morning. How are you?” He wrapped an arm around my back and put his palm on my baby

bump. “And how’s the little one?”

“Good. Both good. I’m worried about you, though. This is starting to get out of hand, Hunter.”

He kissed my lips softly. “God, I love you so much, Livy.” He rubbed my belly. “Don’t worry

about me. Let me worry about you. How was the ride in?” He directed me to the chair at the table.

“Same as always.” I took the proffered seat.

“Do you need some water or tea?”

“No, that’s okay. I can get it. Carey isn’t my assistant, she’s yours.”

An edge crept into his voice, his business tone and power infusing his words. “You’re a guest and

she gets paid to distribute beverages to guests.”

Guest? I was practically a tenant. “I’m good, Hunter. I’ll get it when I need a break.”

After a moment he kissed the crown of my head. “Get to work, then.”

Fawning one minute and commanding the next. The man had issues.

“Hey, did you see this?” Brenda popped her head in the office and held out an iPad.

“Brenda, you can just tell me where to look on my phone. You don’t need to bring in your iPad

every time you see my game…” I laughed as she walked closer, holding out the screen for me to

inspect.

“My kids pull this stuff up. I don’t know how to find it. Look—” She pointed to the familiar

graphic of Bruce’s and my game. Apple had given us a banner on the storefront.

I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It was just one of the many awesome things that had

happened with the game in the last two months. It had taken off. Flat-out gone wild. Our game had

stayed number one for a solid month. That was almost unheard of. It also hit number one with the

Android market, on PC, and even did well on e-readers that could download apps. Money was

pouring in. Enthusiastic fans clamored for more levels, more! We’d created a hit.

Thank God I’d switched jobs when I had, because even working full-time, I was hard-pressed to

stay ahead of the players. I was trying to get the next game going, too, working through the same

process with that. I never had an idle moment, and I loved every minute of it.

Soon after the game blew up, I thought Bruce was going to have a meltdown. After all, wasn’t this

a replica of his first company? It grew into a sensation virtually overnight and blindsided him with demands?

Amazingly…history didn’t repeat itself. It was like he was expecting it. When we needed

programming help, he was already on it. When we got a mention on the
Ellen DeGeneres Show
,

Bruce was ready with a marketing boost directly after. The man was on fire! He’d definitely learned

how to run a business. And he still gave his wife plenty of face time. Win-win for him.

“Yeah, they are pushing the game again because we got a mention on some comedy show,” I said.

“They called us ‘wonderfully addictive.’”

“Huh.” Brenda looked at Hunter, who was watching us. “I thought it was boring. I just don’t get

all these electronic games. I’d rather just read a book. My kids finally played, though. They liked it.

Have you played it?”

“I have, yes.” Hunter’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me. “I’m waiting for harder levels.”

I sniffed. “You’re a little smarter than our test demographic, Mr. Snobby.”

Hunter had ripped through the game in record time with very high scores. I was currently

developing a game just for him. I’d stump that bastard if it was the last thing I did.

With that, I fell into my coding. The more I kept his focus, the longer he’d have to stay tonight. I wanted some fondling time. I hadn’t been able to stop at third base yet. He got me so worked up I

strived for home every time.

Tonight, though, I’d show him what he had missed when he was a teen. I fully expected him to hate

me for it.

Chapter Seven

“Hey, baby—” Hunter stopped in the doorway.

“Do you need to shower?” I asked innocently. I was lying on the bed in his pajama bottoms and a

tank top that didn’t completely fit. It stretched along my baby bump, showing clearly that I was

expecting.

His head shook slowly as his eyes traveled my body. His tie was loosened and his button-up shirt

was open down the front, revealing an undershirt hugging his cut pecs and lying against his flat

stomach. He unthreaded his tie all the way and pulled it from under his collar. He walked to the end of the bed before shrugging out of his shirt and then pulling off his undershirt.

I sucked in a breath at the most exquisitely cut chest in the world. The thing was bumpy and

delicious. I got why women salivated just at hearing his name.

Seriously, how the hell did I get so lucky?

He stripped out of his pants and crawled onto the bed in his boxers, already tenting.

“You look beautiful,” he said as he stretched out beside me. His hand traced up my hip and in,

over my stomach and up. He didn’t touch a breast. Instead, he skipped over and ran his fingertips

lightly along my chin. He leaned in, grazing his lips across mine.

Shooting sparks of expectation lit me up. I ran my hand up one powerful arm and then down his

side, feeling the play of muscles as he, in turn, ran his hand back down my side. I felt him deepening the kiss before leaning, gently pushing me to my back. He didn’t lie on me, though. Instead, he traced my stomach with his hand again, lightly. Softly.

“When are we going to tell your mother?” he murmured against my lips.

I tensed, not expecting that question. It needed to be done, I knew. She was my mom. For better or

worse, I really should tell her big news like this.

“Soon. Probably. I don’t know. Maybe next month.”

“Why not this weekend?”

A surge of panic had me pushing him away without realizing it. He lifted a little, looking down at

me with those bedroom eyes, reminding me of sexy nights.

I turned my head to the side. “She’ll just be weird about it. She already calls me periodically to

ask how it’s going with you. With this she’ll probably turn up at your doorstep with an overnight bag.”

“
Our
doorstep. And what is your concern? That she’ll ask for money?”

I rested my hand on Hunter’s big shoulder. “Truthfully…I’m sure she will. I don’t know if she

pissed away all her money, or she’s just afraid it’ll run out because she’s never really worked and

won’t start now, but that’s why she’s always chasing rich men. She’s after their money. She thinks I’m giving her an ‘in’ with you. This would be a big, golden gateway as far as she’s concerned. You don’t want to be subjected to that.”

“I wouldn’t be. I’m no stranger to people wanting my money. What would make it easier on you,

though?”

I laughed sardonically. “I have no idea.”

I felt Hunter’s fingers apply pressure to my cheek. I let him pull my face toward him before he

planted a sweet kiss on my lips. “Let me run interference. I can handle your mother.”

“You don’t know my mother. She can wear down a rock.”

His lips connected more soundly. “I’m more headstrong than a rock,” he mumbled against my lips.

“Certainly denser. I can’t argue there.” I smiled as I ran my hand down his smooth back. “Why do

you want to tell my mother when you are ignoring yours like the plague?”

Hunter kissed me soundly, stealing my focus. His issue with his mother was completely forgotten

for the moment. He was definitely great at running interference.

He opened my mouth with his, then explored with his tongue. His hands found my breast now,

kneading. His finger traced around my nipple, making me moan.

“Wait, wait,” I said, already out of breath. My sex pounded, begging for him. But this was a return

to the past. I needed to stay in the safe zone, whatever the hell that was.

The irony of being knocked up out of wedlock, and then trying to pretend I was a virgin, was not

lost on me.

“Go slow,” I said against his mouth. “I don’t want to have sex.”

His body peeled away from mine in a flash. His hands were gone the next second. Cold air

replaced his heat, and made me shiver.

“I didn’t mean I
can’t
have sex, just that I don’t want it,” I clarified.

“Why? What’s wrong?” I heard the panic lining his words.

Perhaps I should’ve approached this a little differently…

“I’m fine. And can have sex. And want to have sex. But I think it’d be better for you if you…

Look, I’m trying to stop at third base, okay?”

He blinked at me for a second, as if trying to process the crazy words coming out of my mouth.

“This just got awkward,” I muttered. I grabbed his thick arm and pulled. “C’mere.”

A confused grin lit up his handsome features. “Do you think you can hold out?”

“I have no idea.”

His warmth came against me again as he shifted. “You scared me for a minute.”

“Sorry about that. Sometimes I’m pretty sure it’d be easier if you could read my mind.”

Hunter laughed as he traced my collarbone with his lips. “What’s off limits? This?” His hand

trailed over my breast slowly.

I sighed, closing my eyes. “No, that’s okay.”

“Hmm.” He peeled my shirt up, exposing my chest. His lips rolled over the swell of my breast

before his hot mouth closed over my taut nipple. He sucked as his free hand tweaked my other nipple.

I moaned, running my hands along his shoulders. “That’s definitely okay.” My sex swelled,

uncomfortable now. “I think more touching, too.”

“Awfully forward of you. Naughty girl.” Hunter raised me up so he could slip my shirt off. “I

assume third base has nudity.”

“It does now.”

He went back to my nipple for a while before his hand slid gently over my belly. His mouth

stilled. Then he sighed. “I can’t believe we’re going to have a baby. This is a strange dream. I never thought it would happen.”

“I am the maker of miracles,” I said, just about ready to push on the top of his head to get him

where I needed him. His sentiments were sweet and all, but this girl needed a little action.

He scooted up, going the opposite way to where I wanted him to. I didn’t remember being so

sexually frustrated when I was a virgin.

His lips connected with mine, hot and passionate. His hand moved down to my thigh, rubbing

along the outside. I clung to him, opening my legs a little. That hand was in the wrong spot!

I felt down his stomach, marveling at the muscle, before dipping into his boxers. My fingers

glided along that smooth, velvety skin.

“Is that allowed?” Hunter said against my lips, his breath heavy.

“I think everything but sex is allowed.”

“You’re making the rules…”

“Oh, right. Then yes, everything but sex is allowed. And in the middle of the night when I

randomly wake up, desperate and horny, sex is allowed.”

“Cheater.” He nibbled my lips as my palm worked down his shaft to the base. I took a firm hold