Riptide Love ( Read Online Free Page B

she must feel at the moment. She was about to share Nathan with a stranger. Ethan might be his father but he was a stranger to both mum and son.
    “I’d better get dressed so we can get out of here.”
    “Sure. I’ll wait outside.” In the hallway, sweat coated his palms, and he wiped them on his pants. The muscles in his shoulders ached from stress and apprehension he didn’t understand.
    He had a demanding career. Tension he could cope with. But this new form confused the hell out of him. Sometime during the night as he’d watched her sleep, a lot of the anger he’d felt toward her had faded. Some anger still lingered over the lost time with Nathan. But no hate, no loathing, existed toward De.
    Truth was, in the early morning hours, he concluded he was pumped over the turn of events. From the moment she’d left his condo he’d never been able to get her out of his system. Had never been able to forget about her. Somehow she’d gotten in his blood. This fact unnerved him as much as it excited him. He wanted to be able to get to know De better.
    And now to have a son. A son was something to be proud of. To watch grow. To encourage in the decisions he made in life. Someone to carry on his name.
    He raked a hand through his hair in growing frustration. He didn’t know a thing about children. He could count the times on a single hand that he’d been around Cohen’s little girls. They’d tended to giggle a lot. That was all he remembered.
    “Ethan?”
    He turned to face De. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Eh, you all set?”
    “Ethan…” She moistened her lower lip. “You don’t have to do this…”
    “Do what exactly?” Maybe he hadn’t been clear enough.
    “I know you have a stressful job.” Her arms went around herself protectively. “A very stressful job… I don’t expect you to just jump into the role of father. You don’t owe us anything.”
    “Just what do you expect of me?” Teeth clenched, he took a step forward. “I’m a responsible man.” But of course she didn’t know that. Not really. After all, look at how he’d acted in the past. He’d have to work to show her that side of him. A side that hadn’t existed when she’d known him. Tension knotted in his abdomen at the rising tide of insecurity. Miller would never be in this position. His big brother would never have to prove himself to another.
    “I don’t know. Look, I know you are…” Again, she moistened her lip. “I’m sorry. This really isn’t the place to discuss this.”
    “No, it’s not.” He eyed a few of the passing nurses, sure the entire hospital staff would know his business. Before he had the chance to share it with his team, the men he worked with every day. And his family. “Come on. I’m parked outside.”
    As they walked out, he kept his hands to himself. He liked touching women. Had a habit of caressing them when the opportunity arose. Now was clearly a bad time to touch her.
    Instead, he stayed a step behind her. Not only had her breasts changed but he didn’t recall the flare in the hips. Her slim back, tapering to flared hips appealed to his baser need. Lust stirred his groin. Enjoying the sway of her heart-shaped arse, his prick filled up the front of his pants.
    Oh, bugger me. The lust she’d inspired in him hadn’t lessened.
    Now this was insane. Desiring a woman he hadn’t seen in years. Lusting after a woman who’d had his child… Just what had she looked like with her stomach swollen as she’d carried his baby? The skin along her belly had been so sensitive to his touch, to his tongue… His balls tightened on another surge of desire.
    Clearly, he needed to root in the worst way. It’d been too damn long since he’d had a good fuck. Too damn long. Otherwise, he’d turned into a bloody fruit loop.
     
     
    Jitters caused Denae to jerk when Ethan shut her door. It was impossible to take her gaze from him while he proceeded around the front of the truck and climbed