Page 87 of Cursed Love
Even as he woke wrapped around her soft body, he was ready for more. His hand slid down her side and to her stomach, stopping inches away from her sweetness. Their baby lay below his hand, he thought to himself. Ryan grinned when a different kind of pleasure wrapped around his heart.
Images of her round with their child flowed into one of him cradling his baby to his chest. While it was true he had never wanted a child, now it was all he could think about. A little girl with Brandy’s eyes and temperament…
She shifted, her fingers linking with his. “Morning.”
He placed a kiss below her ear, and she shuddered. “How’d you sleep, sweetheart?”
“Mmm… great actually,” she said, and he caught the edge of her smirk.
“What?” he asked a moment later when her body tensed.
She rolled to her back and met his eyes. “I believe Peter, but um…”
Ryan chuckled. “You want to take a test, don’t you?”
Brandy’s teeth scraped along her lower lip. “Maybe…”
“Go take it and then we’ll shower.”
She kissed him quickly and rolled out of bed. Leaning on an elbow, he enjoyed each sway of her hips as she disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. The woman was gorgeous and all his. At the sound of the toilet flushing, he padded to the bathroom, ignoring his own need to relieve himself. Brandy shifted from foot to foot as she stared down at the stick.
“C’mere,” he muttered.
She did not argue and wrapped her arms around his waist. Ryan held her close, laying his cheek on her head, even as his eyes focused on the small window on the stick. Neither spoke as the seconds ticked by.
Pulling back, he cradled her face. “I love you so damn much. I may not have been eager to find you, but I can’t imagine myself anywhere but at your side.”
She smiled, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I love you too.”
Ryan kissed her softly and turned her in his arms. Linking fingers, they walked the few feet and stared down at the two lines. “We’re definitely having a baby, sweetheart.”
***
“Oh no,”she said.
“What?”he asked and followed her gaze.
Five men spaced throughout the large living room stopped talking and faced Ryan. Their brows furrowed, and their sharp eyes took him in. The men, while different from each other, were similar. It was undeniable they were related. It was also clear they shared the same thought as they stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder. Ryan heard a few murmurs from the other guests, but his focus was directed at the very-pissed-off Broderick brothers.
“Why’s it so quiet?” Ethan asked a moment later, coming in from their left. “Hey, Bran, Rye,” he called when their eyes met. Ethan moved to them and hugged Brandy before shaking Ryan’s hand.
The three of them stood side by side, facing off with the other five, who still had not spoken a word.
“This was a mistake,” Brandy stated.
Ryan pulled her against him and tipped her face toward his. Tears brimmed her eyes, a more common reaction in the last few days. Anger rose within him at the men she loved so dearly. He peered over her head and glared at her brothers.
Junior’s eyes narrowed a second before softening. “Bran, don’t go, baby girl.”
“Why should I stay if you’re going to act like assholes to Ryan?”
The expression on the others’ faces became a mix of shame and what he knew was their need to protect her. His woman was loved, and there was not a man in the room who would not fight for her honor.
“They’re just being protective,” Ryan whispered. She pressed her face to his chest, and a little part of him sighed with satisfaction.
“Come on, you big babies, stop it!” a woman snapped and broke between two of the men. She was blonde with wavy hair, and she slapped one man in the gut and hurried toward Brandy. “I’ve missed you. Now introduce us,” she said, waving between Ryan and herself.
Ryan chuckled at the cute woman who was clearly a spitfire in the bunch. “Hi, I’m Ryan,” he said and offered his hand.
