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What if he did this on purpose? I would. If she wasn’t already pregnant, I’d be poking holes in every condom I own. After this baby, I’ll have to keep him away from her.
Maybe I can convince him to get a vasectomy. He’s, what, fifty?
“What do you mean, why? Obviously, in case some hot model flung herself at me.”
“Which clearly hadn’t happened in at least six years.” I match his smirk with an arched brow.
All I need is for him to prove me wrong, for him to mention sleeping with someone else. Aurora will forget he even exists. Come on...
“Please don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” Aurora’s hands dart up, covering her ears and ruining my chance of knocking him down a notch.
Ethan directs his piercing gaze my way. “This brings up another topic. Why is she insecure about other women?”
How the fuck did this get flipped on me? I’d rather cut off my dick than cheat on her.
“Why are you looking at me?” My blood boils at the accusation. I don’t need Ethan planting seeds of doubt in Aurora’s mind. I do that well enough on my own, thank you very much. “Maybe it’s because you regrettably fucked her while still married.”
His body stiffens, and he advances on me, fists clenched and fury blazing in his eyes. “The only regret I have is dealing with you. Repeat that, and a broken hand will be the least of your fucking worries.”
He’s a tad taller and bulkier than me, but I’ve been brawling my whole life, thanks to Kyle. It’s muscle memory, and I won’t feel a thing if enraged. Ethan’s size doesn’t intimidate me. The only thing I fear is losing Aurora.
“Then don’t insinuate I cheated on her. It never fucking happened.”
This is an ongoing theme in my and Aurora’s relationship, and she has every reason to be insecure. For one, there’s the stigma of being a hockey player. Add my addiction, and that puts me in places with people I shouldn’t have been. Then there’s Kyle, who never met a stripper or prostitute he didn’t fuck.
To worsen the situation, I ended our relationship by not returning home and ignoring her calls and texts.
I’ve yet to grow balls big enough to make that confession, but no women were involved unless you count the nurses I was surrounded by. And I was in absolutely no condition to be thinking about sex. Even if I could, I wouldn’t.
“Stop.” Aurora wedges herself between us, a palm on each of our chests. “For fuck’s sake, you two. Is this my future? Can we see the place now? Please.”
She turns toward the seven-thousand-square-foot beachfront estate, leaving Ethan and I grumbling behind.
“I fucking hate you.”
He grins, because of course he does.
Once we returnto the car, Aurora withdraws into a familiar shell.
She said she loved the house. Her eyes lit up over the nursery and the beachside pool.
It’s everything I knew she’d want. So why is she not excited?
Ethan and I share a worried glance. He must sense her brooding as well.
He raises her chin to meet his gaze. “Do you need to eat, baby? It’s been about four hours.” He runs his palm over her neck and his fingers into her hair.
“I’ll eat when I get home.”
She tries to pull away, but he tightens his grip.
“Tell me what’s wrong, and don’t deny it. That’s a waste of time.”
Sad, caramel eyes bore into his, her whisper almost inaudible. “It’s too much.”
He shakes his head. “Nothing is too much for you.” His words echo my thoughts exactly.
“I can’t live somewhere I can’t afford, especially with the baby.”