Free Stepbrother Soldier's Baby: The Hero (The Complete Series) by Lila Moore Page A

late?”
    “These men work in the intelligence field, in national security. They don’t take kindly to the idea of strangers learning their secrets. That clusterfuck at the airport is going to take a lot of explaining. I’m asking a huge favor of them to hush it up. In return, they’re going to want my services. That’s the most I can tell you.”
    I nodded my head, but I was only half listening. Conversations with Nate could be exhausting sometimes. He couldn’t tell me anything, but it was all for my own good. Sure.
    “Look,” he said, “we’re all stressed out and tired. Why don’t you go lie down with Mia and take a nap?”
    “I’m not going to share a bed with her.”
    I couldn’t hide my disgust with the idea. I didn’t want to be anywhere near her.
    “Give her some slack. She saved both of our lives.”
    I bit my tongue. I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. Trying to explain Mia’s motives was pointless. Nate just couldn’t see her for who she really was. What would it take for him to see the real Mia?
    I yawned and stretched. Nate was right though; I could use a nap. I eyed one of the empty bedrooms.
    “What about you?” I asked. “You could use a break too.”
    He rubbed his face. “I’m waiting for a phone call.”
    “From who?”
    “My contact. The sooner we can resolve this the better.”
    Nothing would have made me happier than to crawl into bed with Nate and sleep in his arms for a few hours. Did we have time before his meeting? Did he even want to sleep with me? Did he regret sleeping with me before? He was acting close with Mia. What if he wanted to reconcile with her?
    “It would be nice if you laid down with me,” I said. I’m usually not this bold, but what did I have to lose? “It would make me feel better, safer.”
    I inched closer to him. His eyes drifted over my body quickly. I could tell he was debating what to do.
    “Are you angry with me?” I blurted out.
    “Why would I be angry?”
    “Because I didn’t tell you about the baby sooner. I wanted to. I just didn’t know how.”
    “Trust me, I understand the feeling.”
    I wasn’t sure what to say. I inched away from Nate and leaned back against the couch. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was unwanted. He’d acted impulsively in sleeping with me. Now, I was pregnant and he probably regretted it all. I understood to an extent.
    “I didn’t ask for a baby,” I said sadly.
    Nate put his hand on my leg and rubbed it slowly. I watched his fingers trace invisible circles on my skin; I felt like crying. I swallowed down my emotions. I was not going to cry. Mia would never cry. Then again, Mia is a borderline sociopath. Maybe crying would do me some good.
    Nate wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his chest. I closed my eyes and focused on the warmth of his body. How could he stay so strong and confident despite everything?
    I squeezed him tight and wished I could steal some of his strength.
    Nate ran a hand slowly up and down my back.
    “Let’s go lie down,” he whispered.
    He led me to the empty bedroom next to the one Jackson was in. For one terrifying second, I thought Nate was going to take me to Mia’s room and put me in bed with her, then leave. If it was anyone other than Mia I wouldn’t have minded, but I did not want to get close to her.
    Thankfully, Nate led me to the empty bedroom. He pulled back the covers then helped me undress. I let him pull my clothes off. For a second, I stood before him in my underwear. His eyes surveyed my body. I was sure I had a slight baby bump by now. It made me self-conscious.
    I sat down on the bed quickly and pulled the covers up to my chest. Nate pulled them back down.
    “I want to look at you,” he said.
    He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hand over my breasts and across my stomach. A chill shot up my spine. I twisted like I’d been tickled.
    Nate smiled. He took off his boots, then his shirt. His sun-kissed skin looked radiant even in the