Page 13 of The Baby Behind Their Marriage Merger

She fiddled with her settings and realised that she’d somehow put her phone on silent. Scrolling through the messages, she saw that they were all from Jude...

We need to talk.

The storm is really bad. Are you okay?

Dammit, Addi, I know you were upset when you left but can you please let me know if you are okay? There’s flooding on the road you’re on...

Right, that’s it. I’m coming to look for you.

Addi widened her eyes at his increasingly irate and worried texts. She was a big girl, had been looking after herself and Lex since her teens, and didn’t need any man checking up on her.

Will you please call me?

But the last thing she needed was another dust-up with Jude; she couldn’t handle any more tonight. Pulling up his contact number, she told Lex she was just going to make a quick call, when headlights swung into their driveway. Addi turned around in her seat and immediately recognised the huge car sitting on the other side of the gate. She released a loud groan.

‘Ads, there’s a strange car in our driveway,’ Lex stated.

Addi scrambled out of the car and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s fine, Lex, I know who it is.’ Addi hit the button on her remote control, the gate slid open and Jude drove onto their property.

Lex turned to look at her, her red eyebrows lifting. ‘And who might that be?’

‘Jude Fisher. He’s a...’ How did she explain him? The man who’d rocked her world? The guy with whom she’d created a baby? The star of all her sexy dreams? ‘He’s someone I’m working with.’

‘And why is he at our house at eight on a Wednesday night?’ Lex asked, her eyebrows lifting even further as Jude parked behind Addi’s car.

‘Good question,’ Addi murmured as Jude left his car and half-walked, half-ran through the driving rain to join them under the car port.

He stared at her, his eyes running over her body, and she saw him release a sigh. ‘You’re okay.’

Addi nodded. ‘I am.’ She saw his expression harden and anger flash in his eyes, but before he could blast her—because she knew he wanted to—she turned to Lex. ‘Lex, this is Jude Fisher. Jude, my sister, Lex.’

Jude nodded at Lex, and her sister’s eyes bounced between the big man who’d unexpectedly rocked up at their house and Addi.

‘I need to talk to Jude, Lex,’ Addi told her. ‘I’ll come in soon.’

Lex looked as if she was about to invite Jude inside, but Addi shook her head and Lex caught the tiny gesture. Her sister, no wallflower, just folded her arms. ‘Will you be okay with him out here on your own?’

Addi nodded. She wasn’t scared of Jude; she knew he would never harm her. They might yell and shout—and that was why she wasn’t going to invite him into the house—but he’d never use his strength or power to physically hurt her. ‘I’m fine, Lex, I won’t be long.’

Lex stared at Jude, her eyes narrowing, and finally walked away. Addi knew that she’d stand just inside the back door, just far enough away to give them privacy. The sisters looked out for one another.

Addi turned back to Jude, who’d pulled on a black cashmere jersey over his open-neck shirt. ‘What are you doing here, Fisher?’ she asked.

He put his hands on his hips and glared down at her. ‘When I came out of my “I’m having a baby” shock, you were gone, and about five minutes later there was a cloudburst. I couldn’t get hold of you and I went online to see social media blowing up with posts about flooding on the road you were driving on. Gale-force winds also pushed cars off the road. There were multiple accidents and, when you didn’t reply, I thought you were in one.’

He looked genuinely frightened. ‘I was ahead of the storm, just,’ she told him.

‘Look, I know that my response wasn’t ideal—’

‘You accused me of trying to scam you!’ Addi replied, her tone turning hot.

He dragged his hand through his damp hair. ‘But when you didn’t reply I thought something had happened to you.’

She lifted her shoulders and looked away. ‘That would be convenient, right?’

His big hands grabbed her shoulders and he bent his knees so that their eyes were level. His sparked with angry green fire. ‘Don’t ever say that to me again, okay?’

Addi frowned, confused, because he not only sounded angry but also genuinely upset. She wasn’t sure what was happening here, and she felt as though she was holding a script but couldn’t read the words. Looking down, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before speaking again.

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