Page 17

Loud squeals of laughter fill the silence from behind her, and I glance over her shoulder, unable to hide the sneer on my lips when I witness what looks to be half a dozen children fighting over a bowl.

Jesus, does she not feed them all?

Can she afford to feed them all?

Sickness wells in my stomach, curdling into a ball of dread.

Her long hair flicks from side to side as she shakes her head. “I need to sort the kids.” She opens the door wider, and I shove past her before she can second-guess her offer.

“You can wait in there.” She points to a room on the left. “I won’t be but a minute.” Then she leaves me in the hallway while she heads to what appears to be the kitchen.

My eyes wander to take in my small surroundings; it’s like a fucking box. A small one. One that needs dropped in the fucking dumpster. Even the best upscales could do nothing with this Tardis.

When my attention latches onto some photo frames on a sideboard, I can’t help but pick one up and scrutinize it.

Gia is smiling in the photo, alongside a shirtless man kneeling beside her and a small boy with a fishing rod in his hand. A wood cabin is in the background, and my throat becomes dry when I consider how happy she looks, how happy they all look.

As her footsteps approach, I snap out of my daze, place the photo down, and take two steps into the direction of the living space she pointed me toward.

A three-seater couch and a chair fill the space, and the only sign of money is the television hanging on the wall. I cluck my tongue at how small it looks, yet I suppose in this confined space, it fits just right.

“Would you like a drink?”

I turn to face her and can’t help but appreciate how beautiful she is. God, she’s stunning, and I’m certain she doesn’t even realize it.

The tight, stretchy-looking dress she’s wearing emphasizes the bump and her impressive rack, causing my mouth to water. Fuck, she’s like a walking wet dream. Even while growing another human. My eyes fixate on her stomach, and I clench my fist, fighting the urge to caress it.Where the fuck did that come from?

“Reed. A drink?”

“No. I-I need you to do a DNA test.” She rears back and her face falls. Fuck, I want to kick myself in the balls for putting that look of disappointment on her pretty face.

“Okay,” she whispers, and shock hits me how easily she gave in. I expected a bit of a fight.

“Okay?” I raise an eyebrow.

“You’re the only person I’ve slept with in years, so I’m pretty certain.” She laughs, but it’s forced.

I jolt. “Years?”

“Yep.” She pops thep, then glares at me while crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her heavy tits higher.

Holy shit, no wonder she was tight.

Very tight. So tight, I questioned if she’d ever slept with anyone else previously.

Pulling my phone from my jacket pocket, I fumble, aware of her eyes on me. I quickly type out a text, informing my doctor we can follow through with my instructions as I’d planned. I’m about to shove my phone back in my jacket when what I can only describe as a brown wolf leaps toward me. “Holy shit.”

“Chester, down.”

The dog instantly responds, and my heart thumps with relief as my mouth falls open in a dazed shock.

“What in the fuck is that?” I sneer in its direction.

“That’s Chester. He’s visiting,” Gia states.

“Visiting?”

“Yes.” She crosses her arms over her chest again, emphasizing her tits and causing my mouth to water while the dog stares up at me like I’m his next dinner.