Page 4 of Shameless
“And I’ve been working and saving for this religiously as I knew not many people make it past thirty-five in my job.”
“You’re not religious about anything except cosmopolitans. So who’s the guy?”
“I can never talk about that,” I said quickly. Wanting to protect him if I could, I changed the topic back to myself. “I’m honestly in a state of shock.”
“Well, you have cash, and I’m sure you can move your job to the Norouzi finance world as they’ve repeatedly offered you a position.”
“I’m not using Hope and Avril’s new fiancés to land a job I can get on my own.”
Kelly pointed and smiled. “That’s my girl, but that’s also why they want you.”
“Fuck.” I closed my eyes. “Honestly, I’d rather stay here and somehow make it work with friends than go home, but I feel this need in my soul to see my family. If they want nothing to do with me, it’s fine. I handle rejection well.”
“Maybe it’s not that bad.” Kelly patted my arm like I was a child as she asked, “And there's no hope with the father of this child, who could help?”
He was penniless and poor, just like I’d been when I was Britney Smith. I doubted he would want to take a job as a full-time father. We certainly didn't know each other well.
I shook my head and said, “I’m hopeless, Kelly.”
When someone knocked on the door, Kelly bounced up. “The others are here.”
We went to let Hope, Miley, Avril, and Isabel in, but then my heart beat faster when I met the blue-eyed gaze of the man of the hour instead. I clutched my belly and said, “Michael, you’re early.”
Kelly tapped on her lips and said, “Michael Fuller… Hope’s butler.”
She knew. That was fine. Maybe she could help me explain it to our friends so that he wouldn't be fired or anything.
I took her hand and said, “Kelly, you need to keep this quiet.”
She gazed at both of us and said, “Well I’ll head off the rest of them downstairs, but you need to join us in the bar in an hour. Miley won’t let us stay away that long.”
Miley was usually the silent, analytical one who figured everything out.
Kelly was the kind one with a good heart and sometimes dirty mouth. I waited for her to leave.
Michael put his hands in his pockets and said, “So your friends now know.”
I’d wanted to include him in my life and it seemed he was indeed included.
I crossed my arms and said, “You’re never early.”
I let him unfold my hands, and a spark still rushed through me at the fact that he was mine, even for the fleeting time we had.
Then he said, “I need you to sit down.”
I winked at him and sashayed back to my couch, saying, “With our clothes on. New experiences every time with you.”
He joined me and gently pressed my wrist. “Very funny.”
When he opened up, he was less stiff and much sexier than he was being then. “I wasn’t joking.” He lifted his chin and said, “Are you intending to have my heir?”
That British accent of his still sent a thrill down me, but I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Heir? I don’t want my baby to inherit a vacuum.”
He froze like the truth had slapped him, and I cringed inwardly. I had no right to hurt him, and honestly, he was the only guy I thought was sexy as fuck. I was a bad person all around. Then he took my hand, and I honestly thought that if he kissed me, the usual steam would come right back.
Then he said, “He won’t. Charlie knows… all the Norouzi family are in on my secret, but it’s time you understand too.”
I narrowed my gaze. It wasn’t like anyone ever pulled anything over me as I asked, “What are you saying?”
