She pushed against him, and even though Austin was scared, he still felt the stirring of his body as she squirmed on his lap.
“Let me go,” she demanded when he didn’t loosen his grip. He quickly dropped his arms and she jumped up, gathering her clothes and slipping them on. It took Austin a minute to get moving, but finally he stood on shaking legs and followed suit.
“I didn’t mean anything, Kinsey. I’m just saying I’ve been taught better. I should’ve never thought about putting you in this position.”
Even when he was trying to be a good guy, she had to snap. He was beginning to get irritated about it. He tried to reason with himself that they were both stressed, but he wasn’t in the best frame of mind to keep his cool.
“So, in other words, I haven’t been taught correctly. I’m just a female, after all. I don’t think of things like pregnancy or disease. I just expect the big strong man to take care of me,” she said with sarcasm. Austin felt his last thread of temper snapping.
“What is your problem? We’re fighting over something that probably isn’t even an issue. The next time we have sex, I’ll make sure to put on two condoms,” he barked as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“Next time? Are you flipping kidding me? You really think there’s going to be a next time? Not even if my life depended on it.”
“Oh, there’s going to be a next time, Kinsey. And a time after that, and after that. We’re not nearly done with each other,” he warned.
She stood gaping at him as if he’d lost his mind. He may have, in fact, lost it. He didn’t even know any more. He couldn’t seem to think around her, well, not with the right brain, at least. He knew he couldn’t stand being away from her. He certainly wasn’t ready to end their romance, or whatever it was they had going on.
Kinsey marched up to him, her eyes flashing fire as her hand came up and poked him hard in the chest. He suddenly forgot what they were fighting over as desire consumed him.
She was magnificent in a temper. Intoxicating.
“I’m not some push-over, Austin. I blame it on temporary insanity, lack of sleep, too much to drink, any number of excuses for the few times we’ve been together. But that’s all over. Do you hear me? Over! I’m done with whatever this is, and I’m getting on with my life. I don’t think you have to worry about a pregnancy, because right now my body is certainly a hostile environment, and if your seed comes anywhere near my uterus, laser beams will strike the little swimmers down,” she snapped.
Austin couldn’t keep from smiling, which led to laughter. A deep-from-the-stomach, bend-you-at-the-waist, healing sort of laughter. She was so glorious in her anger, so unbelievably exceptional that he wanted to haul her over his shoulder and cart her off to the nearest cave, where he could pound his chest and claim her as his.
“That’s it, move from that door right now!”
Her chest was heaving she was so angry. It took a mighty effort but he managed to stop the laughter, though his lips were still twitching. He leaned back, even more comfortably, as if he had all day.
Kinsey’s eyes narrowed before she lifted her leg and slammed her foot down on his still bare one. Austin inwardly cringed as a small pain shot up his leg, but he just smiled at her. There was no way he was letting her know he’d felt a thing.
“This discussion isn’t over yet, Kinsey, so you may as well make yourself comfortable so we can chat,” he said, keeping his voice calm.
She glared at him for several more moments before letting out a frustrated breath and taking a step back. She must’ve figured out there was no way she was going to physically move him, so she had little choice but to stay in the closet and hash it out.
“Fine, then talk. But make it fast because I’m exhausted and want to get home.”
“If you’re pregnant, how soon until you know?” he asked as if it was a simple question to answer. In his mind, it was pretty black and white.
“Really, Austin? How soon will I know? Well, let’s see, considering I’ve never been pregnant before, I wouldn’t know. Most women that come into the hospital are in their second month and still shocked when we tell them they don’t have the flu, but they’re going to be a mother in about seven months.”
“I don’t know either, Kinsey. It isn’t like I go around knocking women up.”
“Austin, there’s nothing we can do about it tonight. The deed is done. It’s not like we can go back in time and slip a condom on you, so let’s leave it alone until we know something. I’ll tell you what, in a few weeks if I haven’t started my cycle, I’ll get a test, then give you a call. Until then, back off.”
“The sooner you know, the better, Kinsey. If you’re pregnant, I want to get married right away. I don’t need our son or daughter figuring out the math earlier than they need to,” he said as he bent and started putting on his socks and shoes.
When he was done, he looked up, and he could swear he saw smoke coming out of her ears. Her face was red and she was looking at him like he was an alien from another planet.
“What?” he asked. He had no idea why she was still so ticked off.
“What? Really? I mean every woman dreams of the ideal proposal, but I think I need to send this one in to Bride’s magazine,” she replied tartly.
“You want romance? Fine, I’ll give you romance,” he thundered.
“I don’t want romance. I don’t want anything right now but to get out of this claustrophobic room,” she yelled back.
They stood glaring at each other for several minutes. Austin knew it wouldn’t do him any good to continue the conversation, but for some reason he didn’t want to open the door. He knew the second he did, she was going to run out and then he’d have a heck of a time seeing her again.
Why was he chasing a woman so hard who obviously didn’t want to be caught? His pride was taking a serious downward spiral the longer he spent with her.
“I’m just trying to do the right thing, here.”
“I never asked you to, Austin. I didn’t ask for you to sacrifice yourself for me. If I were pregnant, that would in no way mean I’d expect, or even want, to get married. It would just mean there would be a small being growing inside me. I refuse to get married because you think you have to do the right thing. That’s no life for me to live, and it wouldn’t be fair to you, either. We would just end up hating each other and making our child miserable,” she explained, some of her temper dimming.
“I don’t look at it like a sacrifice, Kinsey. I don’t think being married to you would be a hardship. We’ve proven we’re great in bed. That, right there, is half the battle. We obviously don’t have a problem with expressing ourselves, so there’s the other half. I say we’re a match made in heaven.”
“I’ll think about everything, okay? I just… I need some time,” she begged.
Austin knew the discussion was over. He couldn’t hold her hostage all night in the janitor’s closet. If she thought it was the last she’d hear from him, though, she was sadly mistaken.
“Fine, but we need to talk more about this after you’ve rested.”
“Okay,” she agreed too easily. He had a feeling once she marched out the door, the discussion would be over in her mind. Well, she thought he’d been persistent in pursuing her before. It was nothing compared to what he’d do to fight for his family – and if she carried his child, she was family.
Austin opened the door without another word, and Kinsey quickly skirted around him and made a beeline through it. He followed her out and watched as she rushed down the hallway. He let her go. She could blow off some steam and then they’d revisit the discussion later.
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
Kinsey stepped outside the hospital and kept on walking. She didn’t dare look back. She couldn’t. She was both afraid he was there, and he wasn’t.
Really, what was wrong with her?
She couldn’t get a handle on how she felt about Austin. When he was with her, he seemed to inspire her strongest emotions, whether it was happiness, lust, joy, or sorrow. She also had to admit that when he wasn’t there, she missed him. Missed him past the point of rationality.
Why did she like him so much? Was sex really that important? There must be a switch in her brain that would allow her to turn off her attraction to him. If only she could figure out how to find it...
Her mind replayed the last year. Her best friend’s wedding – where it all had begun. He’d made her burn that night, and she hadn’t stopped since. She was fighting him each step of the way because he scared her. She knew she could easily fall in love, if she wasn’t there already. She also knew he could walk away without a thought. That’s who he was. She knew that, so she’d only have herself to blame if she were in love.
Her stomach dipped, and she felt tears burn behind her lids. What if they really had made a baby together? What would she do?
“Don’t even go there right now, Kinsey,” she muttered aloud, needing to hear the words spoken.
Life changed all the time. Sometimes it was for the better and sometimes for the worst, but no matter what, it was important to remain standing. She’d been through a few hard times in her life, she could make it through this.
Kinsey thought about her family. It was time to go home for a visit. Her mother would know something was wrong the moment she walked through the door, but that was the price she was willing to pay, because she needed her mom’s shoulder to cry on. She needed her father’s comforting hug. Heck, she even needed the harassment she’d receive from her brothers about her never visiting anymore.
She could deal with it all if she just went home and regrouped.
With a plan in motion, Kinsey picked up her pace. It was too far of a walk to her apartment, but she needed to burn some energy or she’d never be able to sleep once she got there. She decided she’d just walk until she was tired, then find the nearest bus stop.
After a half-hour she was ready for the warmth of the bus. She found a pick-up location and waited. Her luck was with her when it showed up five minutes later. She climbed on board, huddled in her seat and waited for her stop.
She smiled when she thought that by noon tomorrow she’d be with her mom, sitting in her big country kitchen, while chaos erupted all around her. It was exactly what the doctor would order.
Chapter Fourteen
Day Eighteen
“I can’t seem to get a single second alone with you. I don’t want to do this on the phone, but Esther Lyon, will -” George said into his phone.
“Don’t you dare say it, George,” Esther interrupted him.
George groaned in frustration. He felt like an errant teenager, hiding in a bathroom stall. He’d tried to get away from his kids, but something was always coming up. Every time he turned around, there they were. He had to speak to Esther – had to make her see they were meant to be together.
He missed her – missed her more than he thought possible. He knew, without a doubt, he loved her, and he was dang well going to get her to agree to be his bride.
