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Chapter One

Lindsey rolled over onto her side and stuffed a pilloeen her knees to alleviate the ache in her hips and her lower back Who knew that having a baby hurt before labor even began? Who knew she’d get so little sleep that she’d be walking around like a zos? She’d had no idea in either case But that wasn’t why she couldn’t sleep The rhyth fro at it again Those tere like a couple of rabbits in the spring She didn’t want the couple’s sexy time to make her heart ache, but she couldn’t help it She wanted Owen for herself, but all he cared about was Caitlyn

Lindsey curled around her huge belly, hugging Owen’s baby with one arm “He’ll come around once he holds you, little one,” she whispered “He’ll love us both I knoill”

It wasn’t like she had anyone else And maybe once her son was in her arht nohen she was huge and destitute and so alone, she could really use someone she could depend on Owen filled that role better than anyone, even if he was fucking another woman in the room across the hall

The rhyth was now punctuated with moans and cries of passion Lindsey loved the honey oak doors and the polished hardwood floors in Owen’s cottage, but she hated the lack of thresholds Sound carried as if both her bedroom door and his ide open She pulled the pillow fro to drown out the sounds The sounds Ugh, the sounds

After a fewher back with her free hand, and strained her ears to hear if they were done Maybe now she could finally get to sleep She just hoped that sleep wasn’t plagued with that really disturbing erotic drea Joe’s face as they held her down and took turns fucking her The dreaht she’d shared with them all on Christmas Eve And Joe sure as hell hadn’t been there She hated that guy It was bad enough that she’d had to tolerate hi job with medical benefits, opportunities for advancement, and steady work hours She’d even put up with that office creeper staring at her constantly if it meant she could have her job back

Across the hall, Caitlyn giggled Owen’s low voice ruh The ain

I need to find ht And as nice as it was for Owen’s parents to rent her the aparte for pennies on the dollar, she couldn’t truly find her independence there either But where could she go? Her atte fired froood professional references because of it—and within a few le retful no’s Not that any nancy was the reason for their rejection After the baby was born, she could double her efforts to find work, and she vowed to repay everyone who had helped her there in Austin Maybe she could figure out a way to make money from home for a while At least until the baby was born Or until Owen realized he was in love with her and married her She would love to make his house a comfortable home and take care of him Caitlyn wasn’t the kind of woman ould make that kind of sacrifice for him Couldn’t he see that?

Lindsey lifted the pillow fro for her wasn’t happening anytime soon He was still lost in Caitlyn-land across the hall If that woo away, then Lindsey and Oould have the chance to get to know each other better Their one night of passion sixbut bang Lindsey could make him happy She knew she could Maybe if she tried harder, he’d notice how pleasant and easy she couldShe kept the house neat and tidy She even did his laundry When they had tiether And she already knew froy that they were sexually compatible So asn’t he interested?

Across the hall, Owen eroan that made Lindsey’s toes curl and a sheen of sweat break out all over her body

Caitlyn

I have to get rid of Caitlyn

Caitlyn’s answering cry of bliss ive Owen up without a fight She flung her pillow across the rooainst the

surface of the dresser, rolled, and then hit the floor with a shattering crash

“Daainly body out of bed

The door across the hall opened, and footsteps crossed to her door “Are you okay, Lindsey?” Owen asked “I heard so break”

“I’ dear to you”

“Can I co doors without warning after he’d caught her naked e from the shower a few days before She hadn’t meant for that to happen, but she wasn’t sorry it had

“Yes,” she said, s on the laoas semi-transparent when lit froh maybe it was better that he didn’t She wasn’t exactly in her sexiest physical shape at the moment The door creaked open, and when he flicked on the overhead light, she definitely noticed that he wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of shorts The eous sight of hiht blue eyes—made her already chaotic hormones swirl out of control

No one had warned her about how flipping horny she’d be while pregnant either, and she hadn’t had sex since so inside her

Fuck my life

Owen squatted and lifted the pillow froray and blue decorative vase lay in pieces on the floor Lindsey winced

“I’m sorry It wasn’t a family heirloom, I hope”

“Nah,” he said, offering her an encouraging so”

God, that s nice to her How could she not be coiven her a place to stay, helped her get ed her to find her ithout pushing or belittling her or expecting anything in return Especially not a man as unsure if he was the father of her baby But Lindsey was sure She knew in her heart that theup shards of pottery wasthe hell out of her bladder at that very moment All of her children

“Careful,” he said as she approached “You’re barefoot Don’t cut yourself”

“You’re barefoot too,” she pointed out And nearly naked She released an internal sigh of joyful bliss How great would it be to live with this gorgeous, talented sweetheart of a man all the time and be his love, his lover, his partner, his best friend, his cha? Caitlyn had no idea how lucky she was

“But I can actually see my feet” He chuckled at her miserable condition

She leaned over and shoved his shoulder, nearly toppling hi, “Hey, that wasn’t very nice” But she loved that he teased her It meant that he liked her, didn’t it? Maybe not roht

“Sorry,” he said, standing with the majority of the vase pieces in his hands “Never doubt that you’re beautiful”