Chapter 15

"Ladybug!" Mason shouts out, using the nickname that's never managed to die off, despite the fact that I've hit three decades of life and am a successful surgeon. He's wearing Boston Rebels red swim trunks, and an unlit cigar hangs limply from his smiling mouth.

"Ladybug?" Bennett questions with a crooked grin.

"Yep. You'll hear all sorts of nicknames for me today. Lady killer," I throw back at Mason because he pretty much is. Tall, good-looking, muscular, funny, and a famous NFL quarterback for the Boston Rebels. Need I say more? I throw my arms around my cousin, and he lifts me high off the ground, hugging me fiercely.

"Glad you could make it, babe. And I see you brought a snack for Owen and Vander."

I roll my eyes. "Mason, this is my…" Dammit, we didn't work out what I'd call him.

"Boss, friend, and potential baby daddy," Bennett finishes for me, making my eyes go wide. "Nice to meet you, Mason. I'm a huge Rebels fan."

Mason shakes his hand automatically and then stalls mid-shake to turn back to me with a slow head swivel. "I'm sorry, did he just say potential baby daddy?"

"He did." I beam because I might as well roll with it.

Mason looks back over at Bennett, and gives him a long once-over, doing the guy sizing him up thing. "Oh shit, this is going to be a fun afternoon. I don't even have to break your fingers, brother. Owen and Vander will fuck your ass so hard you'll be crying for your mama in no time."

Boys. Like, really?

"I doubt that," Bennett says confidently. "But it'll be amusing to watch them try."

"Bold. I like that. Hold onto that one. You'll need it for all the ass-raping that's about to go down."

Bennett takes a step and then Mason does too, and what in the Wide World of Sports is going on here?

"They'll love him," I state firmly as I step in between them, pushing Mason back with my hands. "I mean it, Mason. I don't want any of this macho, overprotective thing all you assholes feel the need to do to show off your dick size. Last I checked I'm a grown woman who can handle her own life without intervention." Sorta. But anyway. "You all know how important this is to me. If you scare him off, or even worse, kick the shit out of him for bullshit reasons, I'll never forgive you or make lasagna for you again."

Mason's incredulous green eyes whip over to me with the speed of a bullet. "You're threatening the lasagna over this guy?" He juts his thumb in Bennett's direction.

I fold my arms. "And the game-day egg casserole."

"Fuck," Mason hisses. "You're serious with this."

"As serious as my cinnamon rolls. I mean it, Mase. This isn't me bringing a boyfriend around. This isn't romantic. It's both of us wanting the same thing and nothing more. And frankly, you're all too old to act like juvenile asswipes on the playground." Especially since I'm listing the only foods I make well. Cooking is not my forte, but for some reason, Mason loves what I make him.

Mason searches my eyes, absorbing my words before he goes back to Bennett. "Welcome to the family, Bennett." He slaps Bennett on the shoulder. "As long as you swear in blood that you're going to be good to my girl here and understand that I will fucking murder you if you're not, then we're cool."

"I guess we're cool then," Bennett states, and the two of them do some sort of male stare-off, and then Mason cracks up and so does Bennett.

"It's nice to see you again, Doctor. I think we really got her with that one." He fist-bumps Bennett.

"What?!" I squawk. "You know each other?" My head volleys back and forth like a tennis ball during a match.

Mason is laughing at my appalled expression. "Do you remember when we played Minnesota last year and I got hit in the gut and they were worried I had some internal bleeding?"

"Yeah."

"Dr. Bennett Lawson was my doctor in the hospital when they brought me in. In fact, two of my guys got stuck in an elevator with him. So when Owen told me this morning that you were bringing him today, I texted the good doctor and he suggested this just to fuck with you a bit."

I turn on Bennett. "You know Mason and you never mentioned it to me?"

"I told you I got stuck in an elevator with two linemen when their quarterback got hurt."

"Uh. So. You didn't say which quarterback."

He shrugs, but there is no hiding the humor dancing in his eyes. "Patient confidentiality."

"Fuck your patient confidentiality." I smack his shoulder. "You planned this just to mess with me?"

"You told my mother we're getting it on," he counters.

Touché on that. But still!

"You're both assholes."

I start to storm off, only to swivel back around and point a finger at Bennett. "I don't care if you're my boss or potential baby daddy. You're on your own now. I'm going to change and swim with my girls. And Mason was right. Vander and Owen will fuck you up the ass. Enjoy. I hope they don't use lube. And Mason? Good luck winning your next preseason game without my breakfast casserole because I'm not making it for you." I spin back around and head for the bathroom to change. Jerks. I can't believe they did that.

"That's not fair!" Mason cries out indignantly. "I'm on your side. It was a joke."

"Tell it to someone who isn't ovulating!"

"You're not mad," Bennett throws out.

I'm not, but he can't see my smile to know that.

"You get no access until I say so, Buster!" I yell back at Bennett.

Even if he did totally get me, it was very funny and a bit un-Bennett-like. Which I like because it means he's loosening up a bit. And I like that he knows Mason and took care of him.

I change into my bikini, do a quick check of my blood sugar to make sure it's okay after the huge breakfast I had before, and then head out to the pool area that's filled with my people laughing, drinking, eating, and hanging out. It's the best, and it brings an automatic smile to my face. Glancing around, it's easy to spot Bennett with his dark, wavy hair, tall frame, and broad shoulders.

He's talking to Owen, Vander, and Stone, and seems to be in one piece. He must sense me watching him because suddenly his eyes are on mine before they dip down and take in every line of my red bikini. His lips part as if he's sucking in extra air, and when his eyes meet mine again, they're smoldering. I give him a wink that makes his lips bounce and shake his head.

That is, until Owen steals my attention. "Kit-Kat!"

Ugh. Men today. Can't a woman get a break?

"What's up?" I call back without going over to them since they're by the built-in bar area and I'm halfway to the pool on the other side.

"Tell me I shouldn't kill him," Vander says plainly to me before taking a sip of his beer, and I roll my eyes.

"You shouldn't kill him."

"I think it's kickass, Katy. Ignore them."

I blow Stone a kiss. "That's why I like you the best." I glare at Owen who is not happy.

"You didn't tell me everything there was to tell," Owen accuses, dragging a hand through his thick, brown hair.

"No?" I feign innocence. "Sucks to be you then. You don't get to hear about my sex life. BFF or not, I reserve the naughty talk for my female besties unless you want to start hearing about orgasms and oral."

Owen makes a face like he just swallowed a bug, Vander curses, Stone cracks up, and Bennett wipes a hand across his forehead, but I can tell his lips are twitching.

"Are we even yet?" I ask Bennett, and he turns and stares at me. I can tell we've drawn a bit of an audience.

"Not even close. You just upped the ante."

I smirk at him. "Looking forward to it, Doctor. Be nice to him, guys. I already threatened Mason's food, and I can come up with something for you too."

"We should talk about this," Owen calls out.

"We will. But later." Because suddenly two redheads, a blonde, and a brunette surround me. Keegan, Kenna, Wren, and Tinsley are all over me.

"Yeah, leave her alone!" Wren shouts at Owen, who is her older brother. "She's ours to get the dirt from." She turns on me, flipping her insanely long blonde hair back and leveling me with a don't bullshit me stare. "Please tell me you're screwing the hot doctor I just met before my brother came in and stole him from me. Because holy shit is he freaking delicious. A bit old for me, but for that"—she waves a finger in his direction—"I'd make an exception."

"I'm screwing the hot doctor," I tell her as I grab a Diet Coke from the table by the pool and pop the top on the can.

"I knew it!" Keegan shouts triumphantly. "I freaking knew it. That took you all of… what? Not even two weeks. We should have had a bet on it. Why didn't we have a bet on it?"

I poke her with my elbow. "Stop. I hadn't planned to sleep with him, and it's not what you think." I swallow, suddenly feeling a little nervous and shy. "We're sleeping together because we're trying for a kid."

"I'm sorry. What?" Kenna is about to shake me.

"He's going to hopefully be my baby daddy."

I get four sets of round eyes. "Your baby daddy," Tinsley parrots.

I nod. "Yep." I take a long pull of my soda.

"That beautiful man over there is going to be the father of your kid?" Wren looks like she's about to pass out.

"That's the plan."

"And you didn't freaking tell us?!" Keegan yells, only for Kenna to roll her eyes at her twin and calm her down with a hand on her shoulder.

"It all just happened last night and this morning," I explain, taking a sip of my soda and then rolling the can between my hands. "His mom is sick with cancer, and he wants to be a dad for himself and to give her a grandchild, but he just ended a horrible marriage and doesn't want a relationship. It's perfect."

Kenna snorts, eyeing me dubiously. "Uh-huh. I think I've read that book before."

"And seen the movie," Keegan follows up.

I shift my weight, some of my bravado and spunk slipping a little as I explain this to them. "It's not like that."

"Yup. Sure," Tinsley mocks. "At least not now, it isn't. But there's more. I can see it on your face. What aren't you telling us?"

I sigh because I hate that their sarcasm has a point, and if it were reversed, I'd be saying the same things to them. Only this is different. "Listen, you can't say anything to anyone. I mean it." I point a stern finger at all of them, especially Keegan since she works in the hospital with me. "This is a secret baby-making mission, and it has to stay that way."

"We get it," Wren promises.

"Good. Because I'm moving into his place."

"No wonder Owen and Vander look like they're popping aneurysms," Wren states, and I glance over to find Owen, Stone, and Vander still talking to Bennett. Owen does appear a little flummoxed, but overall, they seem to be getting along well.

"They need to get over it." I turn back to the girls. "It's just until the baby is six months old or so. He wants to be part of it. The pregnancy, the delivery, the newborn stuff. He wants to be a full-time dad without the full-time wife attached to it. He's coming out of a bad marriage, and I had a bad thing. Neither of us wants to complicate this any further."

"And yet you're moving in with your boss and having sex with him," Tinsley deadpans. "Good luck with all of that. Because your heart and your vagina aren't besties or anything."

"They're not always," I defend indignantly. "Sometimes they hate each other too and aren't on speaking terms. I messed around in college with that guy for a couple of months and didn't catch feelings." I'm getting a little huffy because I don't like the insinuation that I can't maintain a separation between sex and love.

"True," Kenna agrees, holding up a consolatory hand. "You did manage that with that guy. How'd that go with Zane since, if memory serves, you said the same thing when the two of you first started?"

I push past them and hop in the pool because suddenly it's very hot on this roof. I turn around and drop my forearms on the hardscape, setting my soda down and looking up at them. "Zane was different. He plied me with words of love and fed me every line I wanted to hear. Bennett won't be doing that. We're going to have a contract. I know it sounds bad, and if I were you, I'd be all over me about it too. But Bennett and I talked about it." Sorta. Okay, maybe we didn't talk as much as we should have. Maybe I threw myself into the deep end with this headfirst. But we can fix that. "Trust me, the sex is just, well, for sex. For procreation and nothing more, and it's only going to happen when I'm ovulating."

"So you're not enjoying it then?" Keegan folds her arms, giving me a motherly stare. "He didn't kiss you or make you orgasm? There was no foreplay? It's simple fornication and nothing more?"

I flush and stare down at my hands. "No sense in having bad sex."

"So the sex is good?" Tinsley asks, and I nod.

"How good?" Wren presses.

I glance up. "As good as your imagination, only better."

Kenna sighs and sits on the ledge of the pool, dipping her lower legs in the clear blue water. "We're happy for you, Katy. We seriously are because we know how much you want to have a baby."

Keegan comes on the other side of me, doing the same thing her twin is. "But we're also worried. He's a lot of things that a lot of women want and go for. Living with someone you're having sex with—especially really good sex—does things to people, whether we want it to or not. Plus, he's your boss and you're after a fellowship he oversees. We just don't want to see you get hurt again, or worse, seriously fall in love and then be stuck with him as your kid's father for all eternity if he's not on the same page with you."

"Not gonna happen," I promise them, only the pang of unease I've been fighting feels like it's multiplying by the second. That won't be us, I silently double down on my promise. No way.

"Say whatever you like"—Wren smiles down at me—"but he's been watching you nonstop. Every few seconds he glances this way, knowing exactly where you are, and he lingers until he's forced to look away."

I make a dismissive sound in the back of my throat, but that doesn't stop the impossible-to-resist pull, and I turn to immediately lock eyes with him. My skin tingles, and my heart speeds up.

There are times in our lives when we can look at a situation and know that what we're doing might not be the smartest play, but we do it anyway. The lies we tell ourselves are either convincing enough that we force ourselves to believe them, or we want it badly enough that we don't care if what we're doing is wrong. That's what I'm doing now.

I don't love Bennett, and I have no plans to.

But I like him.

And I have to make myself stop that if I want a child with him.

I won't risk my heart again.

This is too important for that.