glare.
Traitor.
Seeing my glare, she held up her hands, confused. “What’d I say?”
I sighed in defeat and rolled my eyes. “Nothin’.” I met Ben’s gaze again. “She’s not lyin’. Bein’ by myself wasn’t what I expected.”
“How do you two know each other?” Paul questioned, glancing at Lyric and I.
“She was at the bar where I work, drinking her sorrows away,” Lyric informed him.
I wanted to crawl under the table and hide. If they only knew the reason why.
Stay calm, Sam.
Lyric went on, “We started chatting, and before I knew it, I asked her to join us. She needs someone to show her around and make sure she has a good time.”
A small smile snuck its way to my lips. How could I be annoyed with her after saying that?
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Ben murmured, raking his gaze down my body. Heat filled his eyes, and arousal shot through me, making me all hot and needy.
Wonderful.
I was disgusted with myself…and him. What kind of man hits on a woman when he has a pregnant girlfriend at home? And why weren’t his friends not slapping him upside the head?
I stole a peek at Paul and Lyric, wondering what they were thinking. Paul was watching me thoughtfully, and Lyric’s eyes were lit with glee.
Okay…?
Our drinks arrived, and I practically downed the entire glass of Crown and Coke. Lyric must have felt how uncomfortable I was because she turned to Paul and changed the subject. “How’s Mags feeling?”
Paul’s expression morphed into one of complete love and joy. “Great. She had another ultrasound done today. Wanna see?” He pulled his phone out of his suit jacket and showed it to her, his pride radiating off of him.
Lyric squealed and snatched it from him. She stared at the picture in awe. “How gorgeous is she…” Reverently, she ghosted her fingers along the screen.
“Who said anything about a she ?” Ben questioned, playfully cocking a brow.
Lyric shot him an annoyed look. “This face is way too pretty to be a boy, Ben.” Beaming, she glanced at me and offered me the phone. “What do you think, Carolina?”
I took the phone without questioning her and stared at the screen. My face gentled at the black and white 3D image of a perfectly formed baby. “How adorable,” I murmured and looked at Paul. “Congratulations. She’s perfect.” I winked at Lyric to rub it in, attempting to hide my unease with this whole situation.
“See!” She pointed at Ben. “I told you so!”
Paul and Ben chuckled at her exuberance.
Hoping to appear polite, I offered the phone to Ben. “Do you want to look?”
He shook his head with a grin. “I got to see in person. Paul,” he motioned at his friend, “the workaholic that he is, couldn’t make it to his wife’s appointment, so I offered to take her.”
I blinked a couple of times at him, surprised. “Oh.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I ignored it and stared at Paul, moving on. “Are you waitin’ to find out the sex?”
“Yeah,” Paul answered, smiling big. “We want it to be a surprise. Secretly, I’m praying for a little girl.”
“I hope she gets her mama’s looks,” Lyric teased. “All that red hair and those green eyes…” She sighed happily and addressed me. “I don’t know how he landed Maggie, his wife, but she’s one of the prettiest women I’ve ever met, inside and out.”
“Hey,” Paul grumbled, scowling. “I’m a catch, too.”
“She’s way too good for you,” Ben joined in on the ribbing.
Wait?!
Red hair.
Pregnant.
Appointment today.
Realization dawned.
Ben wasn’t with his girlfriend earlier; he was with Paul’s wife!
I wanted to laugh and jump up and down in elation.
Thank you, Jesus!
Yes, my trip was definitely turning for the better.
Chapter 5
Ben
Samantha’s here.
The gorgeous woman that I couldn’t banish from my thoughts no matter how hard I tried was sitting next to me.
And to think Paul and Maggie had to cajole me into coming,
Traitor.
Seeing my glare, she held up her hands, confused. “What’d I say?”
I sighed in defeat and rolled my eyes. “Nothin’.” I met Ben’s gaze again. “She’s not lyin’. Bein’ by myself wasn’t what I expected.”
“How do you two know each other?” Paul questioned, glancing at Lyric and I.
“She was at the bar where I work, drinking her sorrows away,” Lyric informed him.
I wanted to crawl under the table and hide. If they only knew the reason why.
Stay calm, Sam.
Lyric went on, “We started chatting, and before I knew it, I asked her to join us. She needs someone to show her around and make sure she has a good time.”
A small smile snuck its way to my lips. How could I be annoyed with her after saying that?
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Ben murmured, raking his gaze down my body. Heat filled his eyes, and arousal shot through me, making me all hot and needy.
Wonderful.
I was disgusted with myself…and him. What kind of man hits on a woman when he has a pregnant girlfriend at home? And why weren’t his friends not slapping him upside the head?
I stole a peek at Paul and Lyric, wondering what they were thinking. Paul was watching me thoughtfully, and Lyric’s eyes were lit with glee.
Okay…?
Our drinks arrived, and I practically downed the entire glass of Crown and Coke. Lyric must have felt how uncomfortable I was because she turned to Paul and changed the subject. “How’s Mags feeling?”
Paul’s expression morphed into one of complete love and joy. “Great. She had another ultrasound done today. Wanna see?” He pulled his phone out of his suit jacket and showed it to her, his pride radiating off of him.
Lyric squealed and snatched it from him. She stared at the picture in awe. “How gorgeous is she…” Reverently, she ghosted her fingers along the screen.
“Who said anything about a she ?” Ben questioned, playfully cocking a brow.
Lyric shot him an annoyed look. “This face is way too pretty to be a boy, Ben.” Beaming, she glanced at me and offered me the phone. “What do you think, Carolina?”
I took the phone without questioning her and stared at the screen. My face gentled at the black and white 3D image of a perfectly formed baby. “How adorable,” I murmured and looked at Paul. “Congratulations. She’s perfect.” I winked at Lyric to rub it in, attempting to hide my unease with this whole situation.
“See!” She pointed at Ben. “I told you so!”
Paul and Ben chuckled at her exuberance.
Hoping to appear polite, I offered the phone to Ben. “Do you want to look?”
He shook his head with a grin. “I got to see in person. Paul,” he motioned at his friend, “the workaholic that he is, couldn’t make it to his wife’s appointment, so I offered to take her.”
I blinked a couple of times at him, surprised. “Oh.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I ignored it and stared at Paul, moving on. “Are you waitin’ to find out the sex?”
“Yeah,” Paul answered, smiling big. “We want it to be a surprise. Secretly, I’m praying for a little girl.”
“I hope she gets her mama’s looks,” Lyric teased. “All that red hair and those green eyes…” She sighed happily and addressed me. “I don’t know how he landed Maggie, his wife, but she’s one of the prettiest women I’ve ever met, inside and out.”
“Hey,” Paul grumbled, scowling. “I’m a catch, too.”
“She’s way too good for you,” Ben joined in on the ribbing.
Wait?!
Red hair.
Pregnant.
Appointment today.
Realization dawned.
Ben wasn’t with his girlfriend earlier; he was with Paul’s wife!
I wanted to laugh and jump up and down in elation.
Thank you, Jesus!
Yes, my trip was definitely turning for the better.
Chapter 5
Ben
Samantha’s here.
The gorgeous woman that I couldn’t banish from my thoughts no matter how hard I tried was sitting next to me.
And to think Paul and Maggie had to cajole me into coming,
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