“Ekatia?” Connor prompts.
“Yes, I’m sorry, what?”
“Why won’t you stay the night?”
“You know why.”
“Maybe I do, but I want to hear you say it.”
Nobody steps foot in this city unless the Crossbow twins allow it. If I stay, I’m protected from the crime lord. But I’m afraid Connor will find out and execute me for lying to him.
“I want to take my baby home, have a nice bath, and sleep. I want to wake up and do the same until I figure out what to do about the offer I got from work.”
“What offer?” Connor rocks Hanna and shows me her face. Her eyes are closed, her mouth is open, slobbering on his black shirt.
I groan. “She’s falling asleep. Give her back.” I stretch out my hands.
Connor moves away. “When I put her in the car seat, she’ll wake up crying and fussing until midnight.”
“You’re evil.”
He pulls his lips through his teeth. “Thank you. Stop complimenting me unless you agree to stay the night and let me have my way with you.”
An image of Connor doing wicked things to me flashes before my eyes. I bet all my savings that this man is great in bed. Attentive. Dominant. Would probably want to poke my butthole with the barrel of his gun.
“See.” I snap my fingers. “You do know why I can’t stay another night.”
It occurs to me that Connor changed the equation for me. I’ve slept with men and hoped they wouldn’t stay for breakfast the next day. I’ve slept with men and left while they were still in the bathroom, sliding off the condom.
None of this applies to Connor.
For one, I’m in his house with no way of leaving because his brother confiscated my keys. For two, my baby loves it here. There’s so much space, and everyone plays with her. Lastly, theyhave a pool. It would be so easy for me to say yes to Connor and not worry about the consequences.
Renne would throw caution to the wind.
Ekatia can’t.
I must be smarter. “I really can’t stay. If you could get my keys, that would be great.”
“You like the car, huh?”
I chuckle. “I love Pete’s car.”
“It’s not his car anymore, if you want it.”
“We have to return it once he gets out of the hospital.”
“No, we don’t. Did you visit him?”
I open my mouth, close it.
Connor rolls his eyes. “You did. You’re such a sucker.”
“You’re the one who sent him flowers,” I counter.
“Duh, I want to remind him of who put him in there. If I don’t remind him, he’ll come for you when he gets better, and you’ll be visiting him at St. Dosir’s Cemetery instead.” He turns to show me Hanna again. Her mouth is scrunched up against his shoulder. My baby is the cutest. I swear it.
I throw up my hands in surrender. “Fine.”