Page 23 of Mr. Kelly

My room is a typical hotel room, with carpet that doesn’t seem to match anything else, but it’s a nice size and clean. I drop my bag on the bed and dig out some clothes. I spend my entire shower fantasizing about the nap I'm going to take as soon as I finish. Dressing comfortably in a tank and yoga pants, I release a long yawn as I stretch across the bed.

A knock has me popping back up and cursing myself for not putting the ‘do not disturb’ sign on my door. I grab the sign and open the door.

“I don’t want-”

My words die on my lips when Theodore takes the tag from me and puts it on the door. Without a word, he stalks forward, causing me to walk backwards as his intense blue gaze remains locked on me. My hormone intensified body reacts to his nearness, preparing to do anything he wants. Andrea appears a few seconds later and closes the door, bumping into the bed. I sit while both men stare down at me.

“I’m going to ask you one time and one time only,” he begins. “Did you steal from me?” The question is the last thing I expect, and I must be giving him a weird look because he sighs. “Answer me, River.”

“No. Steal what?” I hope he can see that I’m beyond offended by the question because I am.

“How did you pay, Surly?”

I sigh hard now that we’re catching up. “I should have known…Helena practically threw it at me. She told me you two were stronger than ever and both of you felt I needed to pay Surly and go.”

Theodore closes his eyes and cracks his neck, something he does when he’s irritated, then focuses on me again.

“Stand,” he orders me with one word.

I do as he asks and his eyes roam over my body, softening when they land on my belly. I raise my shirt to give him a better view.

“Is it…”

“Capable of meeting the requirements of your surrogacy request? Yes. My egg and your sperm.”

“Hell yeah. I’m going to be an uncle,” Andrea boasts and pats Theodore on the back. “We did it, buddy. I told you River looked fertile.”

“What?” I snap my head in Andrea’s direction, but he just looks back at me unapologetically.

Theodore shakes his head, but his eyes have yet to leave my small bump. “Ignore him.”

“That’s my cue. Congratulations.”

Andrea is gone before Theodore’s hand grazes my belly. My eyes flutter because it feels too good being touched by him.

“I didn’t send you away. I’d never send anyone, especially not Helena, to say anything for me.” His eyes move up to meet mine. “I speak for myself. Understand?”

“It’s not my place to argue with yourwife.I only believed her because I saw the regret on your face before she appeared.”

His hand is flat on my abdomen and the flex of his fingers feels almost possessive. Theodore looks up, his blue eyes are glossy with emotion, making him appear to be on the verge of tears.

“No. I didn’t like that I pulled you into the middle of my fucked-up marriage. I didn’t like that I’d placed myself in the position to cheat. You didn’t want to be a mistress, and I’m not the kind of man who wanted one. I should have realized she wasn’t going to give me children long before the night I touched you.” He shakes his head. “I’ve never regretted touching you, kissing you, making you come all night.” Dropping to his knees, he places his head on my abdomen as if he can hear the baby’s heartbeat. “And I have no fucking regrets about getting you pregnant.”

I feel the moisture on my belly before he looks up at him with tears streaming down his face.

“Oh, Theodore…”

He makes no moves to hide his emotions and that makes him sexier. “I’m going to be a dad.” Kissing my belly all over, his fingertips dig into my hips. “One night with you. One night. And over six fucking years…”

He’s not talking to me. The numbness of the shock has worn off and he’s now marveling in the knowledge that he has a baby of his own on the way. I run my fingers through his hair as he takes a moment with our child. I can’t resist touching him any longer. I never wanted to be in this position, but I can’t stop wanting him. Our thoughts must be in the same vein because he stops peppering my belly with kisses for the baby. The slower, lingering kisses that he is pressing on my side and stomach as he rolls down my pants to expose the skin of my lower abdomen are all for the mama.

“River…” He says my name with his voice thickened like that night four months ago. My already heated body feels capable of coming apart from the tone of his voice alone. When our eyes connect this time, his are full of the desire I’ve only seen once. “If you’re still uncomfortable with sleeping with a married man, run. This is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve seen, and if we go there this time, I’m not stopping.”

Chapter Twelve

THEODORE

Fuck,I’ve missed her. It’s something I didn’t want to admit since I wasn’t sure how it ended. I don’t have security cameras in the bedrooms or the dance studio, but I saw River leave with the bag from the bar’s cameras. Now that it’s cleared up, I have no problem telling myself the truth. River is who I thought about most of the days. After River disappeared, I thought it was fair to give this new route with Helena a shot, but I soon realized that I’m not into making love to her anymore. I’ve done it enough to keep the arguments low, but I’m not all in like I used to be. It has nothing to do with River. I’d never compare them. They are two different women, from different worlds. It, surprisingly, has nothing to do with Helena’s inability to get pregnant. It’s Helena and her lies.

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