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

He owned his actions, and she not only appreciated it, she knew what it said about his character. None of which meant she would let him off easily. A big part of her needed to express her feelings so he really understood what he’d done.

“Complete understatement,” she said with a hint of defiance in her tone. “Should we start with you asking me how it happened? Your angry tone of voice?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know. How about when you said, shit? As if the worst thing in the world had happened to you?”

Ducking his head, he admitted, “None of them were my finest moment.”

Although she gave him credit. He didn’t use him being caught off guard as an excuse. But she was well aware that how he’d found out she was pregnant factored into his negative reaction, something her mother had forced her to face.

Jordan blew out a long breath and sighed. “Look, I know you were in shock. You overheard Aurora and it was the last thing you expected to hear.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” he muttered.

She nodded in agreement. “No, it doesn’t. But I shouldn’t have lumped you in with your father and Collin, either.”

His wince told her how hard the comparison had hit him, and she couldn’t help but feel bad.

“I know I wasn’t fair. You’d never throw a check at a problem like this.” She’d hurled the accusation as a means of self-protection, before he could treat her the way Collin had.

The amazing thing was, Linc’s silence and lack of emotion had sliced through her worse than her ex’s financial solution.

Linc’s body stiffened. “Jordan, you are not a problem and neither is our baby.” As he said the word, his entire expression softened. “We’re having a baby,” he repeated in awe, almost as if he’d just now realized what her being pregnant meant, and he was now happy about it.

“I don’t understand.” She shook her head, confused. “We both know you were against having kids.” Her stomach churned at the reminder. “You said you didn’t want them to relive your childhood in any way.”

“And they won’t,” he said, his tone full of certainty. “No baby of ours will relive the kind of upbringing I had. Not with us as parents.”

She blinked back tears and trembled at the swell of emotion rushing through her. Reaching out, he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, and it was all she could do not to wrap her body around him and put last night behind her.

Could she?

Should she trust his change of heart?

“I want you to listen carefully and hear everything I’m about to say. Now, are you paying attention?” His firm tone had her sitting up straighter and focusing.

He slid closer, picking up her hand and holding it in his. “When I said I didn’t want children, I imagined marrying and having them with someone like Angelica, who I couldn’t see ever getting along with long-term. Those were the kind of women who came and went, but I didn’t let any of them in, and none stayed for long.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“But I finally understand why. I was so insistent on not wanting to lose what we shared that I was blind to what we actually were. To what we are.” His blue eyes were dark, his voice laced with sincerity, his gaze warm and full of what she thought was hope.

“And what is that?” she asked, her voice thick. Her heart rate picked up speed, and she felt the rapid beat in her chest.

His dizzying smile nearly brought her to her knees.

“We’re best friends.” He cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze with his. “Soul mates.” He brushed his lips gently over hers. “And very much in love,” he said, sealing their mouths together.

She kissed him, falling into their desire. He smelled so good, and now she did push herself up and settle in his lap, facing him and wrapping herself around him like she’d been dying to do earlier. His erection settled against her sex, and she moaned, their tongues sliding against each other, the kiss going on for a long while, until she broke their connection.

They still had more to discuss. “You’re saying you love me.”

“Yes, Jordan. I love you,” he said in a deep, honest voice.

She bit down on her damp bottom lip, then asked, “And what if I wasn’t pregnant?”

He grinned. “Then I’d knock you up as soon as possible. Now isn’t there something you want to tell me?”

Although she loved his answer, they had one more thing to talk about. “Not yet.” She cleared her throat. “We both know I have issues with how I fit into your world. Things my mother said, that Angelica said, and how people at that club look at me.” She shook her head. “I’ve always been able to handle it because I was an outsider, but I don’t want to put you in the middle. Not to mention, what will your mother say? She’s always been nice to me as your friend, but as your girlfriend?”

His unexpected laughter had her stiffening.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m not laughing at you. I had a long talk with my mother already, and she had the perfect way to help me convince you that you are one of us. And to hell with what anyone else says or thinks.”

He shifted her up and slid his hand into his front jeans pocket, fishing around and returning with something in his closed hand.

“Do you remember my grandmother Cecile?” he asked.

She nodded. “Your father’s mother. Of course. She was your favorite grandparent.” Jordan recalled the times he’d spend with his grandma and tell her all about their talks whenever she saw him next.

“Well, she gave my father a diamond to set into an engagement ring for my mother. And unlike their marriage being awful, my grandparents loved each other very much. I forgot about them in light of