Just One Night by Carly Phillips (fiction book recommendations txt) 📕

name one thing he was careful about, it was using protection.

“Excuse me?” she asked, straightening her shoulders.

If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot.

“I would think you could figure that one out yourself. Maybe that ancient condom we used the first time?” she reminded him with no lack of sarcasm.

Son of a bitch, he thought, clenching his jaw. He’d been so hot, so eager to get inside her he hadn’t cared what kind of protection he’d used as long as he was covered.

How the fuck did he process this? He’d been fifteen when he’d discovered his father was cheating. Seventeen when the man had slapped him on the shoulder and said, “Always wrap up, son. You don’t want to end up with a kid you don’t want,” before Linc went out on a date one night. Not to mention finding out about Aurora about a month ago. But even before he learned his father had gotten his secretary pregnant and abandoned the baby, Linc had promised himself he wouldn’t bring kids into the world. Never wanted them to end up miserable like he and his siblings had.

“Shit,” he said louder than he should have, running a frustrated, angry hand through his hair.

“Don’t worry about it. This baby isn’t your problem. I’m not your problem.” Jordan’s voice brought him back to the present.

He’d never seen the blank look on her face before, and a sudden rush of fear ran through him. A different kind of fear than when he’d overheard she was pregnant with his baby. He simply couldn’t get ahold of all his emotions. They were too big. Too panic-inducing.

“Even if you wrote me a check like Collin or your father, I wouldn’t take it,” she spat.

Oh, shit. Her words shook him to his core, and he realized exactly what his reaction had done. “Jordan–”

She looked past him and rushed for the door. A large group of people was entering, but she managed to barrel through them, and though he attempted to go after her, the crowd of fans here to see the band was too big, too rowdy.

And when he finally stepped out of the room, he looked up and down the hallway, but he didn’t see Jordan. There were so many people lined up against the wall he couldn’t hope to find her. And with an exit sign at both ends, he had no idea which way she’d gone.

“Son of a bitch!” He slammed his palm against the wall, the pain excruciating, but he didn’t care.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he dialed Max, who waited in the town car in a nearby lot.

The man answered on the first ring. “Hi, Max. Have you heard from Jordan?”

“No, Mr. Kingston.”

He clenched the cell tighter in his hand. “If she happens to call you, contact me immediately. I need to know she’s safe.”

“Of course. Is there anything else I can do?”

Linc groaned. “No. If she doesn’t call you for a ride, I’m sure she’ll take an Uber. Do me a favor? In five minutes, start driving around. I’ll meet you at the same exit where you dropped us off. Thank you.” He disconnected the call.

He intended to meet Jordan back at her apartment and discuss things more rationally, but he needed to let his family know he was leaving or else they’d worry.

He didn’t explain his reasons for rushing out, but he did take the time to pull Aurora into a reassuring hug. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But it was Jordan’s place to tell you.” She blinked back tears.

He had a feeling she was afraid she’d lose the family she’d just found. “I overheard you. You didn’t intentionally tell me. Now please try and enjoy the rest of the night. I’m going to find her and we’ll talk.”

He glanced at Chloe, who obviously also knew about Jordan’s pregnancy, and she stepped up to wrap an arm around Aurora’s shoulder. “Come on. Dash and the guys are finishing up. Let’s go hang out with them, okay?”

He nodded his thanks to Chloe, who smiled reassuringly as she led Aurora away.

“Linc? Is everything okay?” his mother asked.

He met her concerned gaze. “It will be. But I have a feeling I’m going to need to talk to you soon. It’s too complicated to get into now.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Well, now I am worried.”

He patted her hand. “Don’t be. I just need to fix some things I screwed up.” He just hoped like hell Jordan was open to listening.

He made his way down the escalators at the Garden, found the VIP exit he’d told Max to park near, then called his driver and met up with him.

“Did you hear from Ms. Greene?” Max asked.

“No.” Linc had continuously checked his phone.

Once he was in the car and could concentrate without weaving his way through people, he called her, but it went straight to voicemail.

Next, he texted her: I fucked up. I’m coming over to talk.

He kept an eye on the screen, but it didn’t show she’d seen it. Either she was ignoring him or she’d changed her settings not to show other people she’d read her messages.

Throughout the ride uptown, his stomach churned with concern. She’d run off by herself, upset. His shock had worn off, as had the thoughts he’d let fester in the back of his mind for years. He’d had a knee-jerk reaction to words he’d never thought to hear and responded like a complete jackass.

He wasn’t proud of himself, and he was worried about what he’d done to Jordan’s feelings, knowing he’d been no better than Collin the asshole. He curled his hands into fists and wished the time would pass faster, but eventually they pulled up in front of her building.

“Hang out, Max?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Kingston.”

“Thank you.” He opened the door and slid out, rushing inside.

The doorman greeted him on sight with a friendly nod, which meant Jordan hadn’t put him on a not-allowed-to-come-up list. “Hi, Jerry. Can you please tell Ms. Greene I’m here?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kingston.