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Alyssa flinched. The last thing she wanted was to have sex—ever again.

Rolling over, he positioned her face to meet his. “You want this?” he asked, thrusting his hard cock against her. She may have said nothing, but her eyes said it all. Alyssa wanted him even though she denied it.

“Have nothing to say? Well, I want you, and more. How’s that? I don’t just want to fuck you. I want all of you right now. Happy?”

“Go away,” she said, pushing at his chest. She didn’t like how crude he was acting.

“No.” He didn’t budge. “You couldn’t push me off even if you tried with all your might. And you know what? I don’t think you want me to go anywhere. I think you want me here, between your legs begging for you.”

“John … Please …” she said, tears forming in her eyes, fear taking hold of her. That wasn’t what she wanted. She just wanted to be held. “Just stop.” Her heart was beginning to pound. “Please … stop.”

John let go and she could breathe again. “It’s not fair. Is it, Alyssa? Touching you was stupid because it only leads to things we can’t have right now. You want me and I want you, but we have bigger things to figure out.”

“We have nothing to figure out. I have stuff to figure out. On my own.”

John abruptly let go of her arm. “You got another thing coming if you think I’m just going to up and leave and forget about you.”

Why did that have to break her heart? Alyssa should be happy that she had someone as wonderful as John willing and wanting to be there. “You can’t help.”

“There’s a possibility you could be carrying my child and you think I’m just going to walk away? What kind of man do you take me for? A piece of shit, like Ben?”

Her cheeks flamed, embarrassed. She turned her head and looked away. Unfortunately, the first thing that popped in her head was John hitting the road if this wasn’t his baby. “No,” she said softly. “You know I don’t think that.”

“Get up. Let’s eat and figure this shit out. I don’t have much time left before I have to leave.”

Hurt, Alyssa slowly go out of bed. She held her stomach, pain searing through her ribs. She gasped and reached for John’s bed. In seconds he was at her side.

“I’m sorry,” he said, instantly feeling guilty. “I’m so sorry if I brought on this pain. I’m always fucking up.”

“You didn’t,” she grunted.

“Then why are you acting like you’re in agony?”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “That’s because I am? Did you forget I have fractured ribs?”

Closing his eyes, he said, “Of course I didn’t.”

“Well, they hurt right now. It’s going to take me a minute to get moving.”

“Let me help you,” he offered his hand.

“No,” she said, pushing him away. “You won’t be here tomorrow and I don’t know when you’re coming back, so I need to do this on my own.”

As much as John hated it, he let her win. “Okay … you’re right.”

Standing up slowly, Alyssa let out a gush of air, the veins in her neck straining and then began walking to the bathroom.

She hated her life right now.

After lunch, John took Alyssa over to Luke’s house. Luke wasn’t home and John wanted privacy with her to go over everything. She needed him, and he was going to be there for her.

“Your brother’s home is incredible,” Alyssa said absentmindedly as she rubbed her belly. “The way the lake glistens … It’s so peaceful out here. I feel like I don’t have a care in the world.”

“He did a great job with all of it.”

When Alyssa looked at John with a fractured smile, he knew he’d made the right decision about coming here.

“Listen, Alyssa, I don’t have much time left, so I feel like we should get to the point. I spoke with my parents last night well into the early hours. They want you to stay at their house for as long as you like. So do I. I’ll be sending money to help you with whatever you need too so you don’t have to worry.” She went to speak up, but John stopped her. “Don’t even argue with me on this. It’s done.”