Page 17 of The Billionaire's Knight

Gwen grinned as she took it. He’d been a cute baby and grown into a sexy man. She could easily imagine his cocky smirk if he caught her looking through baby photos with his mom.

“Check this one out.” Julia held up one of a five or six-year-old Jase dressed in a lab coat with glasses perched on his nose. He was adorable. So adorable her ovaries might explode.

She choked on her coffee, turning her head in time to avoid spraying any of the photos spread across the table.

“Gwen, are you okay?”

She waved off the concern, unsure which of the Hayes women had spoken as she moved a few feet away to collect her breath. Holy mother of god! How many times had she and Jase had sex? Five? Six? And never once had they used any protection.

She pulled her phone up immediately and thumbed through her calendar. Three months. She was three months late for her shot. How the hell had that happened? Maybe, she should have listened to some of the voicemails from her doctor’s office instead of making a mental note to call back. Obviously, that hadn’t worked. How the hell had it been three months?

“Gwen, honey, are you okay? You’ve gone pale on us?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Hayes.”

“Claire,” Jase’s mom corrected. “Call me Claire, please. Are you sure you’re okay? Julia, go get her some water.”

Gwen cleared her throat, doing her best to get her emotions under control. She wasn’t even afraid of being pregnant. Not that she had any idea how long it took for the birth control shots to leave the system, but three months seemed like a long time. Time enough that Jase’s swimmers could have found passage to the promised land. She wasn’t sure what was more terrifying. The thought of being pregnant or the realization the tingle in her stomach wasn’t so much fear as excitement. Excitement at the thought of possibly being pregnant by a guy she’d only known for a few days. What was she doing?

“Falling in love,” she murmured, repeating the words Jase had told her when she’d asked that question aloud.

“Are you?” Claire asked as Julia arrived with the water.

“Am I what?” Gwen asked as she took a sip.

“Falling in love with my son.”

Julia laughed, taking the water glass back as Gwen once again found herself spewing liquid while she coughed.

“Well?” Claire asked.

“I only met your son recently.”

Claire shrugged. “Time is meaningless when it comes to the heart. A day, a month, a year, or a decade. Love happens in its own time. Whether you’re ready or not.”

Gwen definitely wasn’t ready. Not ready for love or babies or the type of commitment both would require. Hell, she didn’t even have plants because she forgot to water them until they were beyond saving. Besides, what did she know of love? Her father had been an alcoholic with a heavy hand. Her mother had been the recipient of that touch more often than not. Neither had been happy together but refused to consider ending the marriage. Gwen had left after high school and never looked back. She wouldn’t start today either. She wasn’t her parents.

“More water.” Julia grinned as she held out the glass out.

“Thanks.” Gwen took a beat to collect herself as she sipped at the cold water.

“Let’s head inside out of the sun,” Claire offered. “Julia, help me gather the pictures. Not you, Gwen. You carry the water.”

She felt bad that Jase’s mom and sister thought the sun was getting to her. Well, Claire might suspect something more, but Gwen wasn’t confirming anything. Mostly, because she wasn’t sure of anything.

“Any chance I can talk you into showing me some of those mad skills of yours?” Julia inquired as they headed in.

“Mad skills?” Claire asked, beating Gwen to it.

Julia flushed. “I peeked at the file Jase had on you. Plus, I kept asking Levi endless rounds of questions while he worked at my house.”

“What do you want to know?” Gwen asked.

Julia shrugged. “If you’re really as lethal as it sounded.”

Gwen laughed. “I can hold my own.”

“According to Levi, you’re the best. He said he’s watched you take down guys twice your size without breaking a sweat.” There was something in Julia’s gaze that nudged Gwen’s curiosity.

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