Page 17 of Teasing a King

Hope looks torn. She takes a breath and blows it out. “Normally, I’d say yes. It’s insane to move in with your one-night stand who knocked you up.”

“Classy,” I mutter.

She shrugs. “Factual.”

I concede the point, waving for her to continue.

“But,” she continues. “Van’s not some random guy. At least, he’s not a total stranger. He’s a good man.”

I roll my eyes. “That doesn’t mean I should live with him. What if we drive each other crazy and he wants to strangle me within 48 hours?”

Hope dismisses my words with a wave of a hand and a smirk. “Please,” she says in a dry tone. “It’s far more likely you two will end up boning in the kitchen.”

I want to deny it, but my mind fills with the image as she says it and I can’t help but feel a hot sliver of desire in my core. I do my best to school my reaction.

“I think we’ve done enough of that, don’t you?”

She shrugs. “What’s enough? Besides, it’s not like he can knock you up again.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. “Not helpful, Hope.”

She glowers at me before letting out a sigh of her own. “Fine,” she says. “You really want to know what I think?”

I nod.

“I think you should do it,” she says. When I open my mouth to argue, she holds up a hand to stall me. “With conditions,” she says. “Lay out the ground rules. Talk to Van about what it is you both expect from the situation. Agree on an easy-out clause if either of you thinks it’s not working. Simple.”

I cock an eyebrow at her. “That simple, huh?” I make sure she can hear the sarcasm dripping from every word. It doesn’t bother Hope, though. She just winks at me.

“And if you both decide you want morning sex on the kitchen counter,” she says. “It’ll be super convenient since you’re already in the same house and all.”

I swat at her, but she just laughs.

Hope makes her voice sound breathy and overly sweet. “Oh Van? Can you be a dear and pass me the syrup? While you’re at it, I could really use some…sausage, if you know what I mean?” She bats her eyelashes at me as I try and fail to hold in a laugh.

“You’re an asshole,” I say.

She grins. “But you love me.”

“I can’t remember why,” I mutter.

Hope’s expression turns serious. “Look,” she says. “You’re both adults. You’re going to be parents soon. You get along well, which is great. I know you want to try to give your baby a normal family life.” She hesitates before going on. “And I know why,” she says in a gentler tone. I hate the familiar lurch in my stomach at the reminder of my own upbringing. Hope is the one person in my life who knows all my secrets. Luke knows some of what I endured as a child, but not as much as Hope. She’s the only person I’ve ever trusted enough to confide in.

“This probably isn’t exactly what you had in mind,” Hope says. “But normal is an illusion, babe.”

I suck in a shaky breath and blow it out, straightening my shoulders. “Maybe you’re right,” I say. “It can’t hurt to at least hear him out, right?”

“Right.”

I nod once. “Good. Because I’m going over to see the house today.”

Hope looks back over her shoulder as she walks toward the door. “While you’re there, check out the size of his kitchen. Countertop height is especially important.”

Laughing, I swat her with the back of my hand. “Shut up!”

Chapter Eight

Van

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