Page 98 of Lieutenant

He changes sides, walking around the bed so he can look me in the eyes without me craning my neck around at an odd angle. He smiles as he lays a hand on my cheek and leans in, kissing me. “Susa’s pregnant.”

Rage washes through me. “What? Who fucking did it? I’ll fucking kill them my-goddamned-self! I’ll—”

It’s Carter’s rolling laughter that shuts down my anger, followed by Susa’s soft giggle.

“What?” Fuck, the bastard extraordinaire can’t be so goddamned callous and cruel that he’s…laughing? “Whyare you laughing? This isn’tfunny! Who raped her?”

Carter’s now laughing so hard that tears are rolling down his face. He has to brace one arm on the bed to support him, because he can barely stand. He hooks the other around my head and pulls me in for a deep, confusing—to me—kiss.

“It’syours, dummy!” he says.

Susa clears her throat with a warning tone I know all too well.

“No, pet, in this case, it’stotallywarranted.” Carter smiles at me. “She’s pregnant withourbaby. Yours, ours—you.Dumbass.”

He’s…he’s got to be fucking with me…right? It’s been, what, the better part of four years since she went off the pill, and I’ve fucked her in nearly every position mentioned in theKama Sutra, and a few that weren’t, and…

“Really? I whisper.

Susa reaches up and tangles her fingers in my hair. “Want me to beat Sir for you for calling you a dumbass? I will. Just ask me.”

I’m laughing even as I’m crying again. “We’re going to have ababy?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Owen,” Carter snarks. “Sheesh.Thatdidn’t go the way I thought it would.”

“But…but it’s been so long, and…” I don’t even know where to go from there so I let it die off into silence.

“It happened,” Carter said. “Just our luck on the timing, I suppose.” He sighs. “We’re going to need to have a lot of tests done, watch her carefully. Don’t… I don’t want you to think this is a sure thing, yet. All right?”

I nod, but now I’m staring down into Susa’s eyes. “I’ll announce I’m going to pull out of the race when we get home, and—OW!”

She’s grabbed my ear and is painfully twisting it, pulling me down close to her face, so close I feel her breath against my cheeks.

“Listento me,” she says, full-on Ma’am mode engaged. “You arenotpulling out of that race. We’restillrunning, I’mstillyour lieutenant governor, and we’re going to fuckingwin. We’re going to try to keep this secret until after the election. The plan is still in effect. This changesnothing.”

“But—”

“No buts, Owen. I’m serious. We’re running.”

My hand settles over her tummy. She feels like a sack of bones, and that makes me heartsick on numerous levels, but within her…ourbaby.

Mybaby.

Even if we’re the only three who will ever know the truth.

I’m going to be a dad.

Me!

I look up at Carter when she finally releases my ear. “Sir?”

He’s standing there,thatsmirk on his face, and his arms crossed over his chest. “Don’t look at me,” he says. “I’m just the governor’s chief of staff. I’m out-ranked.”

But he can’t hold it. The smirk turns into a full-on grin.

I stare down into her eyes. They’re red and bloodshot and fucking gorgeous.

More gorgeous than anything I’ve ever seen.