Page 71 of It's Not Home Without You

“Stay with me. After you get released from the hospital, stay with me. I’ll help with your recovery. I’ll buy a better bed. I can take time off from work to tend to you. I’ll take care of you, Freya. Just come stay with me.”

“No,” I breathed.

Max’s smile dropped instantly, his eyes darkening. I kissed his jaw, running my hand through the stubble.

“Just yesterday you were ready to get married. You can’t just switch me with Abigail and plant me in the new life youwere ready to live.” God, it hurt to say her name. “I love you, and I love that you are here, but I can’t move in with you. I’m not the same girl you loved, Max. I changed, and so have you. I think we should take it slow. Give time for the chaos to blow over. That way we can get to know each other all over again.”

“Dammit, I justgot you back, and you want space? Was the last seven years not enough space for you?” When he let go of me, it felt like a physical blow. “I lived seven years believing a lie, Freya. The last thing I want is space.”

“I’m not saying that, Max. I’m just saying to keep things quiet for now, out of respect for others, and meanwhile, we get reacquainted.”

He ran his hand across his face, then shook his head, and my heart sank.

“At this point,I’d walk through fire if it meant that at the end of the night you’d be in my arms. You want to keep things between us for now, I’m all for it, baby. Fair warning, Freya, I will not make this easy on you. I’ve been wanting you since the night I met you, and that sure as fuck hasn’t changed, so you pretend like we aren’t together.”

Damn, I needed to ask my doctor how soon sexual activities were allowed after surgery. Wait, I couldn’t do that; it went against going slow.

“Okay, deal.” I smiled at him. Max’s gaze became heated and then soft as he smiled back at me. We were back to being Max and Freya. “Now you want to tell me what the hell is going on? Emma was about to break down and confess, but you spooked her.”

“Any chance you’ll drop it?” he asked once again.

I stared at him. Did he not know me? He sighed, coming to the same conclusion.

“Your father showed up.”

“Yeah, I know. Grandpa was here earlier; you saw him.”

“Your father, Freya. Your real father.” Max kept talking, but I didn’t hear him. It was a good thing I was already at the hospital; bombs like this were the type to shock someone to death. How many nights did I stay up as a little girl wondering who my sperm donor was? Now here he shows up all “Hey I’m your daddy, Freya.” I kept watching Max’s lips move; they were kinda erotic to watch, all masculine and kissable.

I didn’t say that.Instead, I said, “Grandpa is my real father.”

Max’s eyes went soft. “I know, baby. Now that you are awake they can get your DNA see if it’s a match. If it makes you feel better I think Dex is taking it as hard as you.”

“Why would Dex care?” I was still processing the factthat my father showed up.

“He’s Brandon’s son. That would make him your half brother,” Max said slowly, giving my shocked brain time to catch up.

“Brandon Hendrix said he’s my father?” I asked in disbelief. Now the conversation we had at Rocco’s made sense. All the questions he asked, the way he stared at me. “Did he know about me all this time?” I looked up at Max like he had all the answers about my absent father.

Max grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips. “According to him, he had no idea. Said your mother told him she was pregnant once before, trying to get him to stay, and it turned out to be a lie. When he finally did leave, he didn’t believe her when she said she was pregnant.” My heart hurt for my mother. This didn’t mean I forgave her, but I understood her a little better. I laid my head on Max’s chest and just let him hold me while my world continued to turn.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

As soon asI showed up to the factory, everyone’s eyes followed me around. Sandy kept asking me if I was okay. I smiled and told her I was fine. Last week I was a mess. I felt terrible for Sandy. She had to deal with my anger. Being at the factory was better than being at my practice, at least here I could hide and not be in the middle of Main Street.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Dunnett?” The worry in my secretary’s voice was comical.

“Sandy, I’m fine. Why don’t you take the day off? I’m sure I can handle the payroll.”I gave her a reassuring smile, but she was still tense.

“If you’re sure.” She gave up.

“Go on, I’ll call if I need anything.”

After she left, I continued to do my work. Around noon, I couldn’t take it anymore and almost gave in and called Freya, despite just having seen her before I came to work.She should be getting releasedtomorrow, if things went well. My girl was not having it. She hated being cooped up. I was just glad she was fine. I hated that I wasn’t there with her, but changing Freya’s mind would not be easy. Her stubbornness was one of the many things I loved about her, even if I hated it now.

What to get a woman who hates roses? It’s been so long since I had asked myself that question. I couldn’t deny the way my muscles tighten in anticipation of the challenge. I had just finished the payroll and was debating whether to fuck Freya’s rules and go to the hospital when my brother walked through my office door.

Prescott glared at me with a fire in his eyes that wasn’t there the last time I saw him. “You couldn’t fucking marry the Newtons’ little princess?They took away my fucking funding.”

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