Free Anything For You by Kaydence Macy Page B

straightened up and kissed her knuckles gently.
    “ Okay then. I’ll be at your place tonight at seven. We’ll talk then.”
    “ Uh…umm…no. Alex….”
    One eyebrow raised as he narrowed his gaze. “Other plans?”
    She looked away quickly, stalling. Her shoulders dropped in defeat. “No,” she replied quietly.
    “ Seven o’clock.”
    With a quick but firm kiss to her lips, he slipped back around the counter and walked out the door, passing Angie on her way in.
     
    Her best friend turned and watched him until he was out of sight before looking at L eslie.
    “ Are you gay or something?”
    Leslie laughed. “What!”
    Angie stuffed her purse on the shelf underneath the counter and plopped down on the stool, still grinning. “You’ve turned that man down so many times, I was just curious.”
    Leslie hadn ’t told Angie about her plans, so she couldn’t very well tell her about their conversation today. She could get her off her back though. As she bent over and scooped up the torn papers from the floor, she said “He’s coming over tonight. We’re going to talk.”
    Angie laug hed again. “Yeah, right.”
    Leslie shook her head and went to her office, though she thought she heard Angie say “talk about what color condoms to use maybe” as she shut the office door behind her. Leslie sighed once more. If only Angie knew that condoms were the farthest thing from her mind.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    “Change of plans.”
    Devin looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. He reached for another cookie from the container on the counter. Damn that woman could cook. He smiled fondly at the thought of Alex ’s mom. She was always stopping by the office with some sort of treat for all of them. Yesterday it was apple pie – today fresh chocolate chip cookies.
    “ I think I’m in love,” he said, pointing at the box.
    Alex rolled his eyes and continued pacing.
    He wanted Leslie. He’d wanted her from the time he set eyes on her. It hadn’t taken him long to find out she was also a fiction writer, publishing numerous erotica novels under alias Dixie Landis. He hadn’t told her he knew that though, and wouldn’t – at least for a while yet. After reading most of the books she’d written, he’d put a plan together to have her – in every way. He wanted to make all her fantasies come true.
    But he hadn ’t counted on a baby.
    He ’d always wanted a family and had been thinking of settling down for a long time now. He was half in love with Leslie already, and knew he could provide a good life for her. But could she love him? He wasn’t under any false illusions – a happy marriage had to have two loving partners. Could he risk bringing a child into the world not knowing if the mother loved its father, or wanted him around? No way would he allow a child of his to grow up fatherless. Whether she wanted him for herself or not, he’d be there for his son or daughter. Yet, if not him, she’d get pregnant on her own, and the baby would truly be fatherless then. Better for the child to at least know his or her father, than not?
    He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. The guys had openly agreed to his plan before. They were waiting almost as anxiously as he on when, or if, they would get t o move forward. Would they change their minds now? These were the only men in the world he would trust to do something like this. If they wouldn’t do it, then he’d never be able to give Leslie the fantasies that she wanted.
    He stopped pacing, and without t hinking of the consequences, he blurted out “I’m going to be a father.”
    The door opened as the words left Alex ’s mouth. Brad rushed in and smacked Devin in the back several times, preventing the man from choking to death on the cookie he’d obviously just inhaled when Alex had made his announcement. Jared and Tony followed behind Brad, and now they all stood looking at Alex in shock.
    “ What the fuck, man?” Devin finally