Page 19 of SEAL's Secret

“No?” He raised his eyebrows, wondering even more what this was about.

“Hudson. I wanted to talk.”

“Okay. Want to walk on the beach or something? Or grab an empty bench somewhere? If your ex is bothering you—”

“It’s not my ex,” she told him.

“So, what’s wrong?” he asked, hating the terrified look on her face. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and gripped her hand. It was so damn small in his own, but it felt right. They might not be together, but shit. He knew what it felt like to be inside her. To hear her sweet cries. He wasn’t some asshole off the street she’d just met. They had a history—brief as though it was.

Layton clung to him like he was her lifeline, and Hudson guided her over to an empty picnic table beneath some palm trees. His thumb ran over her smooth skin, so damn soft. Just like the rest of her. He helped Layton to sit down, and she slid off her sunglasses as he folded his big body onto the bench beside her. Tears filled her pretty blue eyes as she looked up at him, and those lips he loved began to tremble.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.

A beat passed, and he blinked, certain that he’d heard her wrong. “Wait—what?”

“I’m pregnant,” she repeated, her voice growing stronger. “And it’s yours,” she added needlessly, as if there could be any other reason she’d want him here alone on the beach to talk.

He stared at her a moment, the world suddenly growing smaller and smaller as the sounds around him faded into the distance. He felt a little dizzy, actually. Woozy. He put his hand on the table to steady himself. He might be sitting down, but it felt like someone had just sucker punched him. Layton was looking at him, waiting for him to say something, but he would’ve been less surprised if she’d shot him with a stun gun. It was like his brain was short-circuiting, unable to process the news and form a coherent thought.

They’d used protection. He was always careful. Always. And despite being with various women over the years, since Hudson was a teenager, not once had a single woman uttered the words Layton just said.

“Wh—” He cut off, still staggered by the news. “You’re pregnant? Are you sure?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded, a few stray tears slipping down her cheeks. Hudson’s stomach dropped. He hated to see her cry, but she’d just shocked the hell out of him. She couldn’t be pregnant. It was one time. Once. With a condom.

“I’m sure. I know this must be a shock to you,” she said, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. “I was pretty surprised myself. Obviously, I do have a child, but I wasn’t planning—I wasn’t expecting….”

“When did you find out?” His voice was gruffer than he’d intended. Harder. She flinched slightly, interpreting his reaction as anger. Everything about this felt fucking wrong.

“Just before I came to Hawaii,” she said. “I’m six weeks along.”

“Six weeks? But that’s over a month! Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”

“I just found out!” she cried. Looking mortified, tears streamed down her flushed cheeks.

Hudson’s anger slid away, concern suddenly filling his features. “Layton,” he said in a choked voice.

She shook her head, swiping away the wetness on her face. “That’s how it works,” she said, suddenly looking annoyed. “Once you miss your period, you’re already one month pregnant. I was late, but given the stress I’ve been under, I wasn’t worried at first. I mean, that’s not completely unusual for me. But then I started feeling nauseous, different, and suddenly I just knew.”

“You knew.”

“I bought a pregnancy test, and the two pink lines confirmed it. Positive. I came here shortly after that. Dropped everything and booked a flight. When I saw you yesterday, I panicked. I couldn’t just tell you on the beach in front of everyone,” she said accusingly. “We hadn’t even seen each other or spoken since that night. Was I supposed to just shoot you a text out of the blue?”

Hudson had the decency to look sheepish. “You’re right, and I appreciate you telling me in person.”

“Exactly. And now that we’re alone, without my sister and all of your friends around, I’m telling you that I’m pregnant with your child.”

“This is…holy shit. I don’t know what this is.” He raised his hands to his head, adrenaline coursing through him. He wanted to beat the shit out of something. Go for a ten-mile run. Anything to burn off the adrenaline and anxiety coursing through him. If only he could turn back the clock. Rewind what they’d done.

One fucking night, and his entire life was suddenly shaken up.

Hudson rose, Layton looking at him in alarm. A cold sweat broke out over his skin, and he felt clammy. Jittery. Hudson was usedto being a man in control. But nothing—no one—could stop the panic suddenly surging through him. His emotions were like a freight train, unstoppable in their power. “Layton. Holy hell. I wasn’t planning on ever being—”

“Don’t say it,” she said sharply, eyes like steel. “It takes two to tango,” she snapped, throwing his words from months ago back at him. “Guess you’re a better tango partner than you thought.” The sarcasm dripped from her voice. While she’d been upset moments ago, anger was rising to the surface.

“I can’t be a father, Layton. I didn’t even have a father growing up—just asshole foster parents who’d rather push a kid around. Shove him down rather than build him up. I lived with foster families who were in it for the money, not any sense of love. I don’t know the first thing about raising a child. I mean, we barely know each other. You have a daughter!” he said.

Layton threw her hands up in exasperation. “We had a one-night-stand, Hudson. A fling. Neither of us told each other our entire life story. It gutted me having to fly home a few days later after the night we’d shared, but that’s all it was supposed to be, right? No strings. No expectations. Just one night of hot sex.”

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