He continued banging, even as I rinsed my mouth out. When I opened the door, he was breathing hard, hands fisted at his sides. His strong, twitching jaw accentuated his fury, his worry. He didn’t have to look so freaking sexy with the way his blue T-shirt molded around his muscles, his low-slung black jeans hugging his hips just right. Even his hair was amazing—super short on the sides, long and curly on top, dark like chocolate. His hotness only infuriated me more.
“I’m going home,” I told him before he could say anything.
He moved into the doorway, his tall frame and broad shoulders—which I knew were covered in tattoos, along with most of his chest and back—took up the whole doorframe, making the bathroom even smaller.
“You don’t have to go home.”
I wrapped my arms over my bump. “Yes I do. I don’t know why I came here. Or why I made you tell them like this. I can’t… I can’t… this can’t—” I gulped for air, nausea rolling again.
“Move out of the way, you giant brute.” It was Mia, though I couldn’t see past him. Her voice was slightly deeper than Ava’s and held a constant hint of sarcasm.
He only looked over his shoulder, snarling, “Go away.”
“Let us by, Kai.” That was Ava. “Us girls can handle this.”
He growled at them. Actually growled, the muscles in his neck straining. “You won’t be handling anything.”
“Gosh, drama queen. We aren’t going to attack her.” Mia sighed.
He glanced back at me, his stormy grays searching mine. I shrugged. It wasn’t like they would change my mind, and I was mostly sure I could handle whatever they had to say—so long as my hormones took a short break for the day.
He moved out of the way so I could get to the doorway. His sisters stood there with reassuring smiles while nodding like I was a filly learning how to walk for the first time.
“Go back down and keep our guys company.” Ava waved him away with a flick of her wrist.
“You can talk in my room if you want privacy,” he told us.
“No!” I exclaimed too quickly.
The roguish grin he threw my way told me he knew exactly why I refused. “Something wrong with my room, Kate?”
“It’s stuffy,” I quipped.
A guttural laugh that had my bones turning to Jell-O burst from him right as he turned to leave us. A frustrated snarl ripped from my throat, only making him laugh harder. This afternoon was going awesome. Talking to his sisters would be moot. They couldn’t change my mind, no matter that I didn’t mind either of them.
“We can go in my room. They furnished it when I moved,” Ava suggested with a shrug.
I held a hand out for them to lead the way. Anything was better than talking to their mom again. Maybe she would find something to busy herself with before I left so I wouldn’t have another confrontation on my way out.
I followed them to Ava’s room across the hall. A queen-sized bed covered with a gray duvet and a million pillows took up a good portion of the room. White nightstands stood next to the bed, and teal curtains hung in front of the window. It was a pretty fancy guest room.
I just stood there with my arms wrapped around my stomach when they both plopped on the bed. With the twins side by side, I could pick out the blatant differences, like Mia’s longer hair that wasn’t curly at all, or the darker tone of her skin, as opposed to Ava’s fair complexion. Mia’s resembled Mr. Hart’s skin… Kai’s skin. And then Ava stared at me with Kai’s gray eyes, while Mia’s were vibrant blue, sometimes changing between a royal shade and dark. But they both were about the same height and build as Mrs. Hart, the same soft features to their faces and lips that were nearly too wide for their faces but allowed for gorgeous smiles.
“What’s it like being pregnant?” Mia broke the silence.
“Uh, really uncomfortable?” My nose wrinkled. She nodded. “You’re not thinking of getting pregnant before your wedding, are you? I don’t think your mom would approve.”
With a chuckle, her eyes rolled back in her head. “She approves of very little when it comes to me.”
“Oh, you’re being dramatic.” Ava shoved her before meeting my gaze. “Mom just needs some time to adjust. She’ll be happy when she thinks about being a nana to that sweet little baby.”
A nana. What my mom would be. Except, if she ever found out about the baby, she would most certainly demand to be called grandmother.
But she would never meet my baby. That was one of the reasons I would never consider getting married. Amongst many others.
“Even still, I’m not too keen on being run through the mud by your family much more.” I cracked my knuckles, glancing around the room before catching Mia’s pointed glare at Ava. Funny that Ava would tell Mia how she had acted at the beginning. I should have known this would be just as big of a disaster. No matter. This whole thing was pointless. Coming to their house was pointless.
I exhaled slowly, telling them, “I’m going to get a cab and head out.”
“Look who’s being dramatic now.” Mia stood, followed by Ava. “What’s so bad about marrying Kai, anyway?”
“Marriage is not for everyone” was all I said before leaving the room. I should have realized, should have been more prepared for the topic. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t casually chat with anyone about tying my life to someone else’s. Wholly depending on someone like that was forbidden.
Panic settled deep in my bones, causing me to run down the stairs. And slam smack into a wall of muscle. My teeth sang as I stumbled backward. Perfect sturdy arms caught me around the waist before I could fall on my ass. Arms that felt amazing around me. Just as they had when he kissed me right when I
