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Harrison gives me a look that says he’s impressed that I came out of my shell all of a sudden where Marlee is concerned, but I know that’s only because he doesn’t know Marlee and I have this baby-making situationship between us.

I’ll let them think whatever they want for now and fill them in later.

Much later.

“Yeah, absolutely.” He shares a sympathetic smile with Marlee. “Hope you feel better Marlee. Have Ledger here stop and get you whatever you fucking want from the store, yeah? Really milk it because he can more than afford it.”

She laughs. “He can definitely spring for a candy bar, wouldn’t you think?”

“If he doesn’t buy the whole chocolate aisle for you,” Bear says, pointing to me, “you report back to us and we’ll handle him for you.”

“Thanks Bear.”

“She’ll get whatever she wants,” I say, only having eyes for her. I let go of her hand and then wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

I accompany Marlee down the hall to the elevators so we can stop at her office to grab her things. She’s unusually quiet and I can tell something is weighing heavily on her mind.

She said herself if she gets her period we just try again.

Is she upset over something else?

Did my limerick offend her?

I know I’m not that great at them but I was actually kind of impressed with myself.

She makes it into the elevator before she breaks down and turns toward me, burying her head in my chest.

Whoa!

“I’m so sorry, Ledger,” she cries. The tears spilling down her cheeks are like a thousand tiny vises twisting inside my chest. All I want to do is lift her into my arms and tell her everything is going to be okay. But we don’t have that kind of relationship.

“Hey…” Not knowing whether I should touch her or not, especially while we’re at work, I chuck everyone’s opinions in the fuck-it bucket and wrap my arms around her anyway.

I smooth one hand on the back of Marlee’s head, threading my fingers through her long soft hair, and drag my other hand up and down her back.

She’s not stepping away from me and I won’t deny that it feels good to be able to hold her.

“Marlee you have nothing to be sorry for. Absolutely nothing.”

“I really wanted to be able to tell you I was pregnant,” she cries. “I mean I know it doesn’t always work on the first go, but I was so hopeful and you’ve been…more than I could have asked for. You’re an amazing person and…you really went above and beyond for me and I don’t want to let you down.”

“Let me down? Marlee?” I bring my hands up to cup her face, swiping her tears away with my thumbs.

“You are never letting me down. We’ll just give it another go is all.

I mean I totally get why you’re upset and your feelings are valid here, but this isn’t the end.

I’m not a one-and-done kind of guy. We can try again, right? ”

“Yeah.” She nods.

“I told you I’m in this with you, okay? So, I’m in it all the way. We’ll try as many times as we need to. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I just…” She sighs. “I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t have to be a burden to you when the season starts up. We’ll be traveling a lot and?—”

“Mar, look at me.”

She raises her eyes until she meets my stare and I swear to God I would do anything to take away the sadness gazing back at me. “I need you to hear me when I tell you this, okay? Like really hear me.”

She nods. “Okay.”

Speaking pointedly but tenderly, I tell her, “You have never been nor will you ever be a burden to me Marlee Remington. Please believe me when I tell you this.” I press my lips softly to her forehead, wishing like hell I could capture her lips with mine and kiss away all her sadness.

I lean back to look at her. “Are you hearing me?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “I hear you.”

The elevator door dings before it opens. Feeling the need to pull herself together she stands up a little taller and steps away from me, leading us both down the short hallway to her office.

She smiles halfheartedly to Layken who is working at her desk and then tells me, “I’ll just be a minute.”

I nod and then stop at Layken’s desk to say hello while I wait for Marlee. “Hey Lake.”

“Hey Ledger! Long time, no see.” Layken’s brows pinch as she watches Marlee and then she shoots a glance to me and whispers, “She okay?”

I shake my head. “Period.”

Layken’s shoulders fall and she murmurs, “No baby.”

“Correct. It’s okay though. We’ll just keep trying.”

A slow smile spreads across Layken’s face.

Not only does she know about my crush on Marlee, but she and Griffin are the only ones who know that I’m Marlee’s sperm donor.

Thank God they’ve both willingly kept my secret for me.

“Yeah you will.” She brings a hand to her mouth as if to hide what she’s about to say, and then whispers, “Maybe trying the old-fashioned way will help.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“Hey, also, call your brother, will you?” Layken says to me, referring to Griffin.

I roll my eyes as I let out a quick laugh. “It’s only been forty-eight hours since we saw each other. Is he really that bad?”

She shrugs. “You know how he can get. It’s the end of summer and he’s bored. And between you and me, I could use a break if you know what I’m saying.” She winks and a humored smile spreads across my face.

“Hear you loud and clear, Lake. I’ll call him tomorrow.”

“My vagina and I thank you very much,” she whispers and then winks just as Marlee comes out with her purse and briefcase bag.

“Ready?”

“Mhmm.” Marlee turns to wave at Layken as we head out. “I’ll see you tomorrow Layken.”

“Feel better Mar. And if there’s anything you need…seriously, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks.”

She’s quiet in the car as I navigate the streets and it’s killing me that I can’t make this all better for her. I can’t just pull out my wallet and give her exactly what I know she desperately wants because like it or not, money can’t buy everything.

“Where are we going?” she asks, finally realizing I’m not driving straight to her place.

“I’m taking you out for comfort food. Whatever you want. You want hot dogs? Chinese? Pizza? A whole night of junk food gorging? An entire bathtub full of chocolate to sit in? Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

“You know it’s just a period, right Ledge?” She turns her head to look at me. “Women get them for five to seven days every single month mostly like clockwork so it’s not something I’m not used to.”

“I know.” I shrug. “But this one hits differently and I get that. So, I want to help you feel better. I can’t erase the period for you and I can’t change what getting your period means for us, but I can certainly do something to hopefully put a smile on your face and a little hope back in your heart. ”

That earns me a small smile. “Ledger Dayne, is there a bit of a compassionate romantic deep down in that brawny body of yours?”

If you only knew, Marlee.

If you only knew.

“I don’t know that it’s so deep down in there. Helping others is just…”

“Your love language?” she asks, her eyes narrowing and her head tilting as if she’s all of a sudden studying a part of me she’s never known before.

Pretty sure you’re my love language, Marlee.

Anything that involves you.

I nod. “Yeah. Something like that.”

She inhales a deep breath and pushes it out, relaxing against her seat. “Alright then. Show me what you’ve got.”

I spin my head toward her momentarily. “Really?”

“Really,” she says. “I could use a fun evening to distract me from my own stupid thoughts, so what do you have in mind?”

“Do you trust me?”

She glances at me once more, the corner of her mouth pulling up. “In case you’ve forgotten, you sat between my legs and gave me one hell of an orgasm. I’m pretty damn sure that means I trust you more than anyone right now.”

And fuck, if that wasn’t the best night of my life so far.

“If you want another one of those, all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll make it happen, Mar. A little blood doesn’t scare me in the slightest. In fact, it might help with the cramping.”

“Hmm. It was one of the better orgasms I’ve ever had, I’ll give you that, but I think I’ll pass this time. I’m just feeling a little too…gross.”

I nod. “Alright then. Hang tight.” I take us around the block, pulling into a local drug store and unhooking my seatbelt.

“What are we doing here?”

With one foot out of the car, I turn and give her a challenging glance. “Are you trusting me or am I telling you all my plans as I execute them?”

Giggling, she shakes her head. “Right. Sorry. I trust you.”

“Good. Wait here. I’ll just be a minute.”

She smiles at me and my heart flips inside my chest because fuck, I love seeing her smile.

I’m in the drugstore for less than five minutes which, in case anyone ever needs to know, is long enough to literally pick up one of every chocolate candy bar in the store, an extra bag of M&Ms, because who doesn’t need an extra bag of M&Ms, some pain relievers, and a few extra boxes of feminine hygiene items to replenish the stash I already have at home.

When I toss the bags into the back seat of the car, Marlee gives me a curious glance, but I simply shrug in response.

“Bear said one of everything.”

She cackles. “Oh, my God!”

“You like Italian?”

Marlee lifts a brow. “Marios?”

“Is there seriously any other place to go when you want Italian in this town?”

I can tell by the smile on her face that my suggestion hits the spot. “Then yes! I love Italian.”

“Good because I already placed an order. Let’s go pick it up and then I hope you don’t mind if we spend a night in. It’s kind of hard to go out and not be recognized by at least a few fans and I want you to be able to relax.”

Not that I’m not always willing to say hi to fans when I meet them, but tonight, I don’t want to people. Tonight, I only have eyes for Marlee.

She nods, understanding my plight. “Totally get it. A night in sounds cozy.”

We weave through the mid-afternoon traffic until we reach Marios where I pull into the curbside to-go spot and await the delivery of the order I placed.

Marlee willingly holds our meals as I drive us back across town, pulling into the parking garage of my apartment building.

Obviously Marlee knows this isn’t her place, but she doesn’t ask questions when we arrive.

Instead, she simply helps me with a few bags and follows me to the elevators.

“Wow!” Her jaw lowers and her eyes bulge when we step into my apartment. “It’s much…warmer than I expected it to be.”

Her suggestion that I live within the confines of four cement walls makes me grin. “Did you expect a prison?”

“No.” She giggles. “But I didn’t expect neutral-colored walls, oversized furniture, luxury ocean-front décor and…” She gestures to the set of six different pots I have situated on my patio. “Plants.”

Taking the bags she helped carry, I make sure to meet her gaze when I say, “Well, I guess there’s a lot you have to learn about me, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

I’d show all of myself to you if you gave me the chance.