Page 78 of Baby for My Enemy Billionaire

“And it’s my baby?”

She doesn’t verbally respond. She nods, and I see the tears in her eyes. I’m about to ask why she’s about to cry when Jade suddenly starts speaking so fast she’s almost tripping over her words.

“Listen. I don’t expect anything from you, Finn. I was going to tell you, but…I wasn’t sure when…or how. That’s why I got you to leave my apartment this morning. I'll still manage if you don’t want anything to do with the baby. If you do, we can co-parent. Just…”

“Just what?”

Jade swallows, her hands twisting together in her lap.

“Don’t ask me to marry you because I’m carrying your baby. That makes it sound like an obligation rather than a declaration of love. I don’t want a shotgun wedding, and I don’t want to be seen as a burden.”

“Oh, Jade.” I urge her to lean towards me, her head resting on my shoulder. “I would never see you as a burden. You’re too special to me to think that.”

“Special?” Jade looks up at me in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

Here it comes. This is the little speech I had been figuring out in my head, and now it feels like a mess. A shout from outside distracts me, and I get up to look out the window. Mr. Summers appears to have sprayed Nate again with the hose, herding Nate towards his car like a dog herding a stray sheep. Nate is shouting in annoyance, but Mr. Summers squirts him repeatedly. I watch Nate get into his car, gesturing at Mr. Summers before he drives away. Mr. Summers lowers the hose and looks pleased with himself.

“It looks like your ex-boyfriend is gone now. He’s probably got a soggy interior as well.”

“He’s got a soggy brain, so that matches him perfectly.” Jade is watching me with a frown. “Don’t get distracted, Finn. Tell me what you mean by I’m too special.”

Sighing, I turn to her, noticing that Mr. Summers is returning to the house. I can only hope he doesn’t interrupt us.

“Jade, I was beginning to think that you and I would dance around each other forever. Yes, I’m your landlord, and this wouldn’t be ideal in the business sense, and our first interaction wasn’t the greatest. But as time went on, I didn’t care about any of that. I like the person I encountered. You drive me mad in more ways than one, yes, and it doesn't stop me from wanting to be with you.”

This is starting to sound like a complete mess. I thought I could be more articulate than this. Evidently not. Jade is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“I…I’m not sure I understand.”

“I know. I don’t think I understand myself if I’m honest.” I rub the back of my neck, wondering if I can salvage this. “The point is, after going back and forth on everything, I want us to stay on one medium. Not go from one to the other.”

“That is still not making any sense.”

“Then how about I show you?”

Before Jade can respond, I stride across the room and pull her to her feet, kissing her until she melts into my arms. She quickly wraps her arms around my shoulders, rising on tiptoe to kiss me. The arousal that flares inside me is just as fierce as the night before. If I didn’t know that her dad and my daughter were in the house as well, I might have pulled her onto the couch and gotten rid of her clothes.

But I have to pull back, holding onto her as we catch our breath. Jade licks her lips, which makes me want to kiss her again.

“Wow. That’s one way of telling me you want me.”

“In more ways than one.”

“Careful! Dad and Katie are nearby!”

“Just be thankful all I’m doing is kissing you.”

Jade groans and slaps my chest. I laugh and kiss her forehead.

“Look, I was actually going to come and ask if you wanted to be in a relationship with me.”

“What does that mean?”

“I mean, I want you to be my girlfriend. Lover, partner, other half, significant other…take your pick.”

Jade stares at me, her mouth opening and closing.

“But…what about you being my landlord? Isn’t that going to raise questions?”

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