Page 123 of Darling Obsession

“Hmm. That really hasn’t been my experience.”

“Okay, but… only when I’m naked…”

“Then we should get you naked.” He draws back. “After I have a shower.”

“Seriously?”

He heads for the door. “I always have a shower when I come home.”

“Come on.”

“The world’s a dirty place, Quinn Monroe.”

I don’t know how he made that sound so sexy. Maybe because he’s starting to unbutton his shirt.

“I’ll have Edward make us dinner tonight,” he says, “so you can relax. You can’t be working all the time.” Then he heads out of the kitchen to take his shower.

I wash the buttercream from my hand with a stupid smile on my face. I can’t help it.

Whatever this mood of his is, I like it. Because it seems to be telling me that he likesme. Enough to hang out a bit, and not just when we’re having sex.

Maybe I don’t understand him, and maybe he’s moody, but the one thing I know for sure is that he’s nothing like Justin—who couldn’t be bothered with paying attention to the things that matter to me, yet pretended to want a relationship.

At least Harlan isn’t lying to me about what he wants from me.

Or… maybe he is?

My smile is gone as I think it over. He’s told me, many times, that our relationship is only sexual.

Is it? Or is it not?

I don’t even know, yet here I am, offering to make him dinner again. And trying to bring him home to Mom.

Dani was right. It’s my nature to nurture.

I finish decorating the birthday cake and store it carefully in the fridge. That cake took way too long, thanks to Harlan’s unfairly sexy ex-bedmate. I still have a batch of cupcakes to bake for tomorrow. So I whip up Mom’s recipe for cookies and cream cupcake batter, pour it into my cupcake trays, and get them in the oven.

As I’m cleaning up a bit, I open my iPad, and swipe away Geneviève’s movie with a pang of embarrassment. I’m about to update my grocery list when I notice a couple of alerts from my calendar.

Alerts I somehow missed.

No…

I read them carefully, even though it’s crystal clear what they’re telling me. And what they’re telling me is that I’ve missed something important.

Crucial.

I check my calendar, scrolling back a few weeks.

I tell myself not to freak out—as I start freaking out.

I go peek into the hallway to make sure no one is around as I call Dani.

As soon as she answers, I tell her, “Help me, I’m freaking out!”

“Whoa, babe. What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I’m at Harlan’s. I have cupcakes in the oven, so I can’t leave.” It’s beyond surreal when I hear myself say the words. “Is there any way you can come over with a pregnancy test?”

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