Page 36 of One Night Seduction (ONS #1)

Logan

It’s been six weeks since Arianna has moved in. You’d think that both of us would be settling in, getting used to the other, and the honeymoon phase would start to fade. You’d think.

Instead, every day I come home, she is either leaping into my arms, peppering me with kisses, or waiting for me on her knees. I swear to god, I’m the luckiest man in the goddamn world.

I bring her home flowers or a gift every day.

She tells me it’s excessive and unnecessary.

Logically, I know it is, but I can’t stop.

I have more money than I could ever spend in one lifetime, and it would be a waste not to thoroughly spoil her rotten.

She says I’m going to ruin her for all others, but that’s entirely the point because as long as I’m still breathing, there will be no others. Ever.

My eyes glance at the new camera sitting on my desk.

My assistant had to scour the internet for weeks before she found it.

A 1923 Oskar Barnack 0-Series Leica. Arianna had come home talking about it after her lecture one day and said she would love to see one in person.

It held such a huge piece of history and was such a rarity that little to none are even on the market or believed to exist. The way her eyes lit up solidified that not only did she have to see it, she had to have it.

My assistant checked with me three times before buying it, verifying that I wanted to spend over twelve million on a camera that wouldn’t even be used.

Just picturing that same excited gleam in her eyes is well worth the money and then some.

Besides, the last time one went to auction, it went for over fourteen million several years ago, so this was a steal.

My phone rings on my desk, and I look to see that it’s my assistant calling from her desk up front.

“Yes?”

“Uhm, Mr. Cunningham. I have Ms. Fulton here to see you.”

“Let her in.”

“Are you sure? I know you have that debrief coming up?—”

“Louise, let her in now,” I say sternly, shaking my head.

Arianna has come to visit me a few times at the office, and I told Lousie from day one that she has an all access pass to the building. She can come and go as she pleases. I don’t know why she thinks she has any right to stop her, let alone argue with me over it.

Tucking the present into my drawer, I hide it for now.

I want the moment to be perfect when I give it to her.

Locking my computer, I feel myself straightening my tie and running my fingers through my hair like a kid picking up his date at prom.

It’s a pretty spot on feeling. Arianna puts me on edge in the best way.

I’m always cool, controlled, and confident, but she throws me off kilter.

She makes me really think about my actions, my words.

I hyper fixate on every single conversation we have, and I have yet to, and will never stop, trying to make myself better for myself, but mainly for her.

I stand, smiling to greet her when my smile falls. A woman pushes into my office, her high heels eating up the space between us before she pushes her weight to one hip, her hand on the other as she smiles at me in a way that twists my stomach.

“Hi Logan,” Kelly purrs.

Wrong Ms. Fulton, Louise.

Goddamnit.

“What are you doing here?”

She snorts out a laugh, eyes roaming around the room.

“Not very friendly today, I take it.”

“To you? Never. Maybe I wasn’t clear, but both Arianna and I want nothing to do with you. Get the fuck out of my office and stay away from the both of us.”

Her face pinches at that as she gives me a disgusted look.

“I would, but it’s not just us anymore,” she says before resting a hand on her stomach.

My brows furrow as I stare at her. It takes longer than it should for her words to sink in.

“You’re knocked up?”

She bristles at that as she snaps.

“No! I’m pregnant. Knocked up is something that happens to slutty teenagers.”

“Well, you’re an adulterous whore, so.” I shrug.

She narrows her eyes at me.

“Well, this adulterous whore is carrying your baby.”

My body goes cold, a chill running through my body, and I instantly have the urge to throw up.

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true!”

“Even if you are pregnant, which I severely doubt, there is no way it’s mine. We fucked once in the last three years. God knows how many men have been inside you in the last three weeks. ”

She sneers at me, attempting and failing to keep her cool.

“It’s your baby, Logan.”

I raise my hands in bewilderment. “You literally admitted that you fucked Tom within days of me. It’s probably his.”

“I know that’s what you’d hope, but Tom and I always used protection. You, however, came inside my cunt, and now your child is growing inside me.”

Her tone seems like it’s supposed to be upset or maybe even irritated. The winning grin on her face tells me that she feels nothing of the sort, though.

That nausea from before is hitting me full force. I can hear the blood pounding in my ears as she carries on. This can’t be happening. She has to be lying. She doesn’t look pregnant, she’s a manipulative bitch.

As if she can read my thoughts, she reaches into her purse and pulls out a pregnancy test, setting it on my desk. The word pregnant glares at me as she sets down another. Pregnant. Kelly pulls out one more that looks like it hasn’t been used yet as she waves it in front of me.

“I’m happy to take another in front of you if that’s what it takes.”

I feel my chest begin to heave, anger thrumming through my veins as I turn to my desk, hastily grabbing my briefcase, phone, and Arianna’s present.

Fuck.

Arianna. This is going to kill her. It’s killing me. What the fuck have I done?

“I want a paternity test immediately.”

“Fine by me,” Kelly says.

Shaking my head, I storm out of my office and down the hallway.

“Mr. Cunningham,” Louise calls out, but I put my hand up to stop her .

If I talk to anyone except Arianna right now, I’m gonna blow the fuck up, and no one deserves that. This is my fuck up. I got shit faced drunk and fucked my ex. Without a condom. All because I was falling in love with her daughter, who kept pushing me away. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

When I get to my car, I type out a quick text to Arianna.

Me: Meet me at home as soon as you can.

Her response comes immediately.

Sparrow: What happened? Is everything okay?

No. Everything is fucked beyond belief. I don’t want her to be scared and driving erratically, though.

Me: Everything is fine, Sparrow. Drive home to me as soon as you can.

Sparrow: On my way.

I’m sitting in the living room, my knee bouncing uncontrollably as I wait for her. I debated giving her the camera first, like it would somehow soften the blow. In reality, I know that’s a terrible fucking idea, so I hid it away for now as I clench my fists together and wait.

When the front door opens, I don’t feel ready for what comes next. Telling her feels like it’s making it real, and it could very well not be. Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe I should wait to say anything until the paternity test. I could be spiraling over nothing but a bullshit lie .

I can’t do that, though. In our relationship, trust is the most important thing to the both of us. If I don’t come to her with something like this immediately and she ever finds out…I’m not willing to risk that.

A concerned looking Arianna steps in the door, her hair up in a sleek ponytail I absolutely love. She’s wearing a pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt, but she makes the entire outfit look completely breathtaking.

“Hey, what’s going on?” she asks with a frown.

I stand to my feet, wrapping my arms around her as I just hold her. We stand there for several seconds before I look down at her.

“What’s going on, Logan?”

The fear in her voice tells me she knows it’s something bad, and I’m not exactly downplaying it because it is bad. It feels like my entire life, our entire life, is crumbling around us.

“Kelly came to see me today.”

She frowns at that, waiting for me to continue.

Only, I can’t. I struggle to find the words as I stare at our intertwined hands.

I don’t even remember grabbing them. Not surprising, though.

I seek her out at every opportunity, every moment.

This is no different despite the words tumbling out of my mouth.

“She’s pregnant.”

Arianna stills, unmovable like a statue, as her eyes bore into me. She blinks once, twice, before finally speaking.

“And the father?” she asks tightly.

“We’re getting a test,” I answer.

I don’t know what I expect her reaction to be. Probably devastation and heartbreak like I’m currently feeling. It’s not. It’s anger. Pure blinding anger.

“What the FUCK, Logan!” she snarls, throwing my hands away from her as she moves to the other side of the room .

“How the fuck could this have happened? Did you fuck her without a condom?”

I look down at the floor, too ashamed to meet her eyes as she lets out a mocking laugh.

“Unfucking real. Cool, so my boyfriend knocked up my mom. Awesome.”

“We don’t even know if the baby is mine, Sparrow. It could be Tom’s. It could be some random guy she hooked up with. I’m going to get a test done immediately and?—”

“And what? Huh? What if the baby is yours, Logan? What’s your plan?”

I’m at a loss for words, knowing nothing I can say will fix this.

“I haven’t made it that far yet.”

Her lip wobbles, and though there is still fire in her eyes, her voice is strained.

“So, you’re saying that if the baby is yours, we’re over.”

I take two large steps, closing the distance between us in an instant.

“No! Fuck no. Never, Sparrow. No matter what happens, it doesn’t change anything between us.”

“But?” she says, pushing my hands away.

“But what?”

“I’m sensing a but there. If the baby is yours, you won’t be with her, but…”

I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I look into her watery eyes.

“I won’t punish the child. I’ll support it, be a part of its life.”

A choked laugh escapes her as a tear rolls down her face. I reach out to brush it off when she swats my hand away from her. She lifts her finger and opens her mouth like she’s about to tear into me as more tears begin running down her face .

“I…you…”

All of her words die before she shakes her head and storms past me.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“Wherever you’re not!” she shouts.

Running my hands over my face and up into my hair, I pull hard as I shout.

“FUCK!”

When I look up, I realize that she’s already out of the house and climbing into her car. Jogging after her, I reach the side of her car in seconds.

“Please don’t drive, Ari. Not like this. I’ll go. You can have time to think and process?—”

“Process?!” she shouts. “There is nothing to process, Logan. You fucked my mother. You knocked her up. I’m not gonna stick around and play step-mommy to my fucking sibling!”

She shuts the door and starts the car as I grip the open window.

“Please, Sparrow. Just?—”

“Do not call me that! This was a mistake, everything. I wish I could go back in time and never see you at that fucking club.”

Hurt pierces through me, but I know she doesn’t mean it.

“You don’t mean that.”

Her head turns to me, an impassive, icy stare covering her face as she glares.

“Yes, I do. I really do.”

That hurt blooms into an overwhelming amount of pain. I push it down, though, focusing on her safety first and foremost as the car starts to move. I hold on to the open window as I start jogging.

“Arianna! Stop it! Get out of this fucking car.”

“Fuck you!” she snarls before punching the gas .

I have to leap out of the way before she runs over my feet as she peels out of the driveway. I feel my heart break with every foot she drives. Part of me is ready to jump in the car and chase after her to make sure she’s safe. The other part knows she needs the space.

“GODDAMNIT!”