Page 122 of The Bad Girl

Maxwell stops, jaw dropping, his eyes lit with fear, or maybe it’s confusion.

“I’m sorry,” I follow up, trying to think of what else to say.

“You’re pregnant? Like with a baby? I mean, this better be a baby and not some creative way of telling me you have an idea.”

“Yes, a baby, though a barely-there baby.”

“That’s wonderful!”

I emit a dry laugh. “Yeah, you say that probably not realizing the baby is yours.”

“I said that hoping the baby was mine.”

My eyes dart to him, which takes effort considering my neck is locked in place. “Hoping?”

“I figured it was either mine or Tom’s, but it’s unlikely it’s Tom’s because you just started seeing him.” He downcasts his eyes, exhaling a defeated breath. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

“I can’t imagine this is going to be easy to share with Tom.”

“I don’t think Tom’s going to care. We’re just friends.”

“Oh, I’m sure—very good friends.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m fucking Tom?”

“Well, he’s been to your apartment multiple times—”

“Have you been stalking me?”

“Ummm…”

“And what were those things on your arms?”

His gaze never leaves me as he takes off his blazer, unbuttons his cuffs, and reveals his forearms .

Higglesworth, Sir Fookshit, Ernesto, Anali, and Embertooth stare back at me.

Why the fuck are those doing on his arms?

“You know I can sue you for copyright infringement?” I say.

“Have you filed with the US Copyright Office yet?”

“Not yet—”

“Before you sue for damages for my infringement, make sure to do so.”

I’ve never seen Maxwell look sheepish before. If anything, he’s bold and brazen to a fault. What reason would a man like him ever have to be self-conscious? He’s tall, sexy, absolutely stunning beneath his three-piece suits with rock-hard abs. But for some reason, he looks nervous.

Even more confusing, is he doesn’t seem to care about my unplanned pregnancy. If anything, he looks happy. Excited.

“What’s going on?” I finally say.

“I love you, Nadine.”

“Excuse me?”

“I love you, and if you don’t love me, that’s okay. I’m not your type, and I don’t want to force you into a relationship because you’re pregnant with my child. Just know that I’ll be here for you and the baby. You’ll never want for anything the rest of your life.”

“I love you too,” I reply back before I can give it any thought. But I have no doubt that it’s true.

Maxwell closes the distance between us, cupping my cheeks above my cervical collar, and bringing his lips to mine, and we proceed to have the most awkward kiss in human history, where I cannot even tilt my head to the side, and he’s so scared he’s going to hurt me that he’s pecking at me like a bird.

I push on his chest. “Max, l just need you to know that I’m done with this bad girl bullshit. So, if you have any designs on being with me, you’re going to have to be cool with that, or rather, cool with safe and sane Good Girl Nadine.”

“I wouldn’t have you any other way.”