Free Loving Lawson by R.J. Lewis Page B

be. Shit.
    “Are you asking me as a way to get me to see him?” I wondered aloud.
                  “No,” he replied immediately. “Absolutely not, Allie. I just want to know if you’re alright. We’ve been spending a lot of time together and you don’t talk about him.”
    “He hurt me,” I whispered. “I feel like he tore my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.”
    “Yeah,” he exhaled. “He fucked things up for everyone.”
    “How could I ever trust him again?” Now I was seeking the answer in his dark eyes. “It’d be easier to face if he would just admit he did it, but I know how stubborn he is. He won’t do that. He’ll just keep telling me he’s sorry without actually explaining why. How do I know he won’t get out and go right back to it? That’s no example I want to set for my child.”
    He nodded in understanding. “I know.”
    His thumb circled my belly as he thoughtfully looked back down at it. Christ, he was still touching me there. No pregnant woman had to endure this, I was sure.
    “Have I upset you?”
    I shook my head. “No.”
    “You promise?”
    “I promise.”
    “Okay.”
    He still hadn’t dropped his hand. His touch was hypnotic, and I was in a trance, thinking he could do this for hours and it’d be just as relaxing.
    “You’re still small,” he then muttered thoughtfully, changing the subject. “Am I feeding you enough?”
    I nodded, half of me too focused on the circular motions he was rubbing into my skin. “Yeah, Heath…”
    “How about I take you out tonight? Get you a nice fatty meal in town or something?”
    Blood rushed to my cheeks. I was still concentrated on his touch as it sent tingles everywhere inside of me. “Um… sure, yeah. That sounds good.”
    He smiled that charming white smile and opened his mouth to respond when a knock at the front door interrupted us. He immediately dropped his hand and took a step back, like he’d been jolted into the present after being swept away in whatever spell we’d put ourselves in. I, too, was out of sorts. It almost felt like we’d been close to being caught doing something we shouldn’t have.
    When the knock sounded again, he ran a hand through his buzz in what looked like frustration before he hurried to it. I wondered who it could be at this early hour, but by the look on Heath’s face, he seemed to already know.
                  He opened the door and glared at someone. “Tru.”
                  “Hey, sexy man, did you just get up?” came that familiar voice from many nights ago. Oh, shit. She was the last person I wanted to see right now.
                  “Yeah –”
                  “So you haven’t had breakfast. That’s good. I made a tray of muffins last night.”
                  She invited herself in holding said tray in her hands. Without surprise, I quickly learned she was as sexy clothed as she was nude, looking sinfully good this early in the morning. Wearing a tight top and very small shorts, her brown hair was down in waves. She saw me and her hazel eyes widened, but she didn’t miss a step. Instead, she smiled wickedly and I hated her for a split second – for ruining my moment with Heath and for making me feel drastically plain.
                  “You’re still here! Heath said you were crashing for a while. Ryker’s girlfriend, right?” I wasn’t sure why she’d put emphasis on Ryker’s name like that. She stepped into the kitchen and set the tray down before turning to me. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “It’s good to meet you face to face. I’m Tru.”
                  Face to face. Was she implying about that night? I tensed, hoping she’d keep her mouth shut. She seemed the type that might take pleasure in torturing someone by dropping hints like that.
                  “Hi,” I let out, hugging her back because what