Holiday Baby Scandal. Jules Bennett

Stubble rustled beneath his palm, and he honestly had no idea what to do next. He’d never faced something this life-altering, this damn scary.

      “I don’t expect anything from you.” Laney stood straight, apparently feeling better. Her coloring was back. “But I wasn’t going to keep this a secret, either. I know you don’t want anything to do with me—”

      “Stop saying that,” he growled. “You have no idea what I want.”

      She tipped up her head, quirked a brow, as if issuing a silent challenge. “Enlighten me.”

      If only things were that easy. If only their relationship was about sex and nothing else. If only was the story of his entire messed-up life.

      “I will be here for this child,” he told her, turning to face her fully. “I’ll keep you protected.”

      “You’ve been looking out for me for years.”

      He took a step forward. “Not like this. If you think I was protective before, you haven’t seen anything.”

      Laney rolled her eyes. “Don’t do this. Don’t be overbearing. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant, I know you would’ve gone on to ignore me on a personal level. That night we spent together wasn’t supposed to happen, but we were on that path for so long, it was inevitable.”

      He hated when she was right. Hated even more that every night since then, he’d had to replay it over and over in his mind because he would never be that close to her again. And she’d ruined him for any other woman.

      “I can take care of the baby and myself just fine.” She glared back. “But I don’t want my brothers to know just yet. I’m not ready.”

      As much as he hated hiding from anything that threatened him, he was in total agreement. Braden and Mac would find out soon enough, but for now, just no. First, he and Laney had to grasp this news themselves.

      Ryker took another step until the gap between them was closed. “Let’s get something straight now. I will take care of you and our baby. You need anything, I’m providing it. You won’t shut me out. If I have to haul you off to my home in London and watch you personally, I will.”

      Laney snorted. “Really? Now you choose to let me in?”

      “I don’t have a choice,” he muttered.

      And maybe he never had...not where Laney was concerned.

      So how the hell did he even attempt to keep his loyalty to this family when he’d betrayed them? And how was he going to be closer to Laney than ever before and keep his hands off her?

      Ryker Barrett had lived through some rough times, but he had a feeling he was entering a whole new level of hell.

Two

      How cute was he, thinking he could be all protective and overbearing? Poor Ryker. He clearly forgot he was dealing with an O’Shea. She may be the baby sister, she may be the one everyone loved to keep safely tucked away behind the computer, but she knew more than they’d ever realize. She wasn’t naive, and she wasn’t blind.

      And going to London? Not an option. She was working on something right here in Boston that was so near to her heart, she refused to walk away. Pregnant or not, she’d see this project come to fruition.

      Once she’d left Ryker’s house earlier, she headed home, changed her clothes and went for a run. Her doctor had informed her that keeping up with her regular exercise routine was perfectly fine. She needed to release some pent-up energy and blow off steam anyway. Perhaps she should’ve joined Ryker in his punching bag workout. Although she feared he’d have pissed her off and she’d have ended up socking him in the face to knock some sense into that thick head of his.

      Why did she have to be attracted to such a stubborn, frustrating man? Why did she still have to feel how amazing he was weeks after their encounter? The imprint of his powerful touch would be with her forever. Laney had always wondered if the reality of being with Ryker would measure up to the fantasy...and it was better. So much better than anything she could have dreamed up.

      But now that she was pregnant, she wasn’t going to use the child as an excuse to get closer to him. She wasn’t a pathetic, desperate woman. She may have loved Ryker for as long as she could remember, but she would never use an innocent child to get a man.

      She’d worried about telling him, though. Worried because she knew enough of his childhood to figure out he probably had no dreams of becoming a father. Ryker never spoke of his birth family—his family had become the O’Sheas the instant Mac and Braden brought him home after school one day. All she knew was that his first twelve years had been hell, and nothing any child should have to go through.

      Ryker may be ten years older than her, but that didn’t make him out of her reach. By the time she’d been old enough to notice boys, she’d had eyes for only one man. Oh, she’d dated, but nobody had captured her attention like Ryker. And for years he’d ignored her.

      Then one night, as if the dam had broken, he’d quite literally torn off her clothes. Never had Laney been so thrilled, so relieved to finally have a dream become reality. But no dream could’ve ever prepared her for the experience Ryker gave her.

      Laney pulled her damp hair into a loose topknot. Now that she’d exercised and showered, she was ready to get some work done. Her brothers were so close to finding their family’s missing heirlooms, and she so wanted to be the one to crack the mystery.

      For years, decades actually, their family had been searching for nine missing scrolls. The precious documents dated back to the sixteenth century, when one of their ancestors, an Irish monk, transcribed some of William Shakespeare’s work. The scrolls had been handed down from generation to generation.

      But when the Great Depression robbed so many people of their normal lives, the O’Shea family lost their home and everything inside. The home actually ended up falling into the possession of Zara Perkins’s family, which was how Zara and Braden met. Braden had thought that cozying up to the pretty event coordinator and getting inside her house would help in their search. Little did Braden know he’d fall in love.

      The scrolls weren’t found, so now the search continued. And Laney would love nothing more than to be the one to find the missing treasure. Her entire life she’d been sheltered, kept at an arm’s length from the dangers of the family business. If her father and brothers hadn’t needed her mad computer skills, she had no doubt they wouldn’t have told her a single thing.

      Well, if she found these scrolls, they’d have to acknowledge just how much she brought to the table and how she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Family meant everything, and, now more than ever, she was determined to take a stronger role in the business. Proving to her brothers, to Ryker, that she could keep up with them wasn’t going to be a problem. She was an O’Shea. Determination was ingrained in every fiber of her being.

      Laney pulled up her email and slid a hand over her flat stomach. This baby would be so hardheaded and strong. There was no other option, considering the genes.

      Scrolling through messages, Laney tried to forget Ryker and his demanding ways. But it was those demanding ways that had rocked her entire world at a hotel in Miami.

      Maybe she could distract herself with some online Christmas shopping. Maybe that would take her mind off Ryker and the fact she now carried his child. Laney couldn’t help but wonder how her overbearing brothers would react to this news.

      Dread filled her stomach. How would Zara take the pregnancy? She and Braden had miscarried a child several months ago. Were they trying for another one? Laney hated to pry, but she also didn’t want to seem insensitive. Especially if they tried and were unsuccessful.

      Oh, they’d be happy about the baby, but privately would they be hurt? Laney loved Zara like a sister and didn’t want to cause her any more grief.

      With Mac and Jenna planning a wedding,