“One quick thingfirst.”
“What?”
He propped up on one arm and leaned across her chest. “I lovekissingyou.”
She smiled. What was it about this man that made her as giddy as a teenager? She’d never felt like this with Ben. When they’d kissed, it had felt so perfunctory, so mechanical. But with Mack, when their lips met, it was like soft marshmallows melting into hotchocolate.
A groan escaped her lips before she could stop it. Although, why would she want to? She wanted him to know that his kisses reduced her to a puddle ofliquidheat.
“You deserve a good man,” Mack murmured between softkisses.
She leaned over, ready to take another kiss when her stomach cramped. As a rush of nausea overwhelmed her, she bolted up. “Oh, God. I’m going tobesick.”
After rushing into the bathroom, she slammed the door behind her. She dropped to her knees and bent over the toilet. The biscuit she’d snuck earlier came up with a vengeance. Her stomach clenched and churned until she’d thrown up everything. As she slid down to the floor, theroomspun.
Mack knocked once before rushing into the room. “Honey, areyouokay?”
“I don’t feelsogood.”
“Was it somethingyouate?”
She put her hand over her mouth so he wouldn’t smell her dragon breath. “I know I’m not the best cook, but I’ve never given myself foodpoisoning.”
“Did you eat anything different from what you’ve been feeding us? Did you eat anything from theforest?”
“No. I mean, I haven’t been feeling like myself lately. But I didn’t—” A sudden, horrifying thoughttookhold.
Mack must have read her mind. “You couldn’t be pregnant,couldyou?”
* * *
Madison hadn’t saida single word during the trip to and from the store. She held the plastic bag containing the pregnancy test that could change her life. As they bounced along the road to the ranch, her stomach churned. There wasn’t anything left in it, but her stomach didn’t seemtocare.
Mack looked over at her. “Are you okay? Let me know if I shouldpullover.”
“I’mfine.”
She wasn’t fine. How the hell could fate be this cruel? Now that she’d had time to think about it, she’d been feeling slightly nauseous for the last few weeks, long before arriving at the ranch. So if she was pregnant, it wasn’t Mack’s. As if that would be anybetter.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” shewhispered.
“You don’t know forsureyet.”
“Don’t worry. If I am pregnant, it’s notyours.”
“How do you know?” Mackasked.
“I didn’t recognize it until now, but I’ve been tired and nauseous the last few weeks. I just thought it wasdepression.”
“If you’re pregnant, what are you goingtodo?”
“I have totellBen.”
His jaw twitched. “That bastard has no right toyourbaby.”
“If it’s his child, he has a legalright.”
“Dammit.”
