Jensen Monroe is a unicorn. As handsome as any model, as polite as can be, a goalie of unmatched skill, and the best friend anyone could ask for. But he longs for a particular special someone to make his life complete. He’s been in love with Wren since he was a teenager, but as his best friend’s sister, she’s always been off-limits.
Wren Lemiere has prided herself on being a love ’em and leave ’em girl her whole life. She’s all about equal opportunity in the battle of the sexes. Why should guys like her brother and his best friends get to be the only ones allowed to play the dating game? One wrong move, however, and she finds herself in violation of her own rules.
In need of a fake husband and baby daddy for her unexpected bundle of joy, Wren finally accepts Jensen is the logical one to ask for help. Except he has a counteroffer…one with so many strings attached, they may just find themselves wrapped up in ties that bind. Forever.
Wren Lemiere has prided herself on being a love ’em and leave ’em girl her whole life. She’s all about equal opportunity in the battle of the sexes. Why should guys like her brother and his best friends get to be the only ones allowed to play the dating game? One wrong move, however, and she finds herself in violation of her own rules.
In need of a fake husband and baby daddy for her unexpected bundle of joy, Wren finally accepts Jensen is the logical one to ask for help. Except he has a counteroffer…one with so many strings attached, they may just find themselves wrapped up in ties that bind. Forever.
Dr. Richards laughed as Wren giggled. “Everything is good. Come on up,” he said, helping Wren up before he patted her back. “But we need to discuss something.”
Her expression turned worried as she met his gaze. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine, but looking over your chart, you had quite the weight gain from last time. Fourteen pounds.”
Her face flushed as she held his gaze. “Baby weight?”
“Some, but not all. Healthy weight gain is about twenty pounds, and you’ve gained thirty.”
She shrugged. “Taco weight?”
He smiled, patting her back. “Are you exercising?”
She nodded. “I walk to the fridge?”
“I’ll take that as a no,” he said, marking his chart. Why did she feel like he was scolding her? “You need to get a little more active, and I’m sure your husband won’t mind doing that with you.”
Wren couldn’t look at Jensen, she was so embarrassed, but still, she said, “Of course.”
“And maybe instead of all the tacos, we have a taco salad?”
She glared. “You’re ruining my life, doctor guy.”
He smiled before he winked. “Just a suggestion.”
“Duly noted.”
“Good. So have a good trip,” he said with a grin before sliding out of the room with only a wave and “see ya next time.”
“Well, that sucked,” she muttered, scooting to the end of the table and getting off. Still unable to look at Jensen, she went to pull her shirt down, but she jumped in surprise when Jensen’s hands stopped her. When she looked up, he was staring at her, his eyes dark as he took her belly in his hands. Bending down, his very large body took up most of the room as he went to his knees before kissing her belly. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him.
“Hey, you, we need to back off the tacos, okay?”
She laughed as he kissed her once more before standing and taking her face in his hands. “And you are fucking sexy, okay? Those numbers mean nothing, except that we’re going to go for walks in the mornings this whole trip.”
Her eyes started to cloud with tears as she nodded. “Okay.”
“Don’t let that bother you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“We’re good.”
She nodded. “We are.”
“And I like the name Liam.”
“Liam?” she asked as he slowly brought her shirt down over her belly. “I don’t know about Liam.”
“I like it, but can I tell you what I don’t like?”
Her brow rose. “What?”
“That doctor.”
She laughed. “What? He’s nice!”
“He’s too hot to be touching you, and I’m man enough to say that. We need to switch.”
She laughed hard, and he took her hand in his as she reached for her purse. “I know you’re not jealous.”
He gave her a dry look. “Beyond.”
“What! No, you’re not!”
“I am,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Does he stick his hands inside of you a lot?”
She sputtered. “Many times.”
“Bullshit. I hate him.”
“You’re silly!”
“I was boiling, sitting there as he touched you. I wanted to deck him.”
“You did not!”
“I did.”
“Like that would bother you.”
He set her with a look that swirled so much desire and the dirtiest thoughts imaginable inside of her. Pulling her against him, he looked deep into her eyes, his mouth barely away from hers as he whispered, “It bothers me just knowing that men look at you.”
“Jensen,” she gasped, her lips curving. “Stop lying to me.”
“I’m not. You’re mine, woman, and that’s that.”
Her expression turned worried as she met his gaze. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine, but looking over your chart, you had quite the weight gain from last time. Fourteen pounds.”
Her face flushed as she held his gaze. “Baby weight?”
“Some, but not all. Healthy weight gain is about twenty pounds, and you’ve gained thirty.”
She shrugged. “Taco weight?”
He smiled, patting her back. “Are you exercising?”
She nodded. “I walk to the fridge?”
“I’ll take that as a no,” he said, marking his chart. Why did she feel like he was scolding her? “You need to get a little more active, and I’m sure your husband won’t mind doing that with you.”
Wren couldn’t look at Jensen, she was so embarrassed, but still, she said, “Of course.”
“And maybe instead of all the tacos, we have a taco salad?”
She glared. “You’re ruining my life, doctor guy.”
He smiled before he winked. “Just a suggestion.”
“Duly noted.”
“Good. So have a good trip,” he said with a grin before sliding out of the room with only a wave and “see ya next time.”
“Well, that sucked,” she muttered, scooting to the end of the table and getting off. Still unable to look at Jensen, she went to pull her shirt down, but she jumped in surprise when Jensen’s hands stopped her. When she looked up, he was staring at her, his eyes dark as he took her belly in his hands. Bending down, his very large body took up most of the room as he went to his knees before kissing her belly. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him.
“Hey, you, we need to back off the tacos, okay?”
She laughed as he kissed her once more before standing and taking her face in his hands. “And you are fucking sexy, okay? Those numbers mean nothing, except that we’re going to go for walks in the mornings this whole trip.”
Her eyes started to cloud with tears as she nodded. “Okay.”
“Don’t let that bother you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“We’re good.”
She nodded. “We are.”
“And I like the name Liam.”
“Liam?” she asked as he slowly brought her shirt down over her belly. “I don’t know about Liam.”
“I like it, but can I tell you what I don’t like?”
Her brow rose. “What?”
“That doctor.”
She laughed. “What? He’s nice!”
“He’s too hot to be touching you, and I’m man enough to say that. We need to switch.”
She laughed hard, and he took her hand in his as she reached for her purse. “I know you’re not jealous.”
He gave her a dry look. “Beyond.”
“What! No, you’re not!”
“I am,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Does he stick his hands inside of you a lot?”
She sputtered. “Many times.”
“Bullshit. I hate him.”
“You’re silly!”
“I was boiling, sitting there as he touched you. I wanted to deck him.”
“You did not!”
“I did.”
“Like that would bother you.”
He set her with a look that swirled so much desire and the dirtiest thoughts imaginable inside of her. Pulling her against him, he looked deep into her eyes, his mouth barely away from hers as he whispered, “It bothers me just knowing that men look at you.”
“Jensen,” she gasped, her lips curving. “Stop lying to me.”
“I’m not. You’re mine, woman, and that’s that.”
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My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?
Author Links
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of thirteen novels. With over a million books sold, her titles have placed on the New York Times Bestseller list sixteen times. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope, her husband, and kids reside in Rhode Island.
Connect with Penelope Ward
Logan St. James is a smoldering, sexy beast. Sure, he can be a little broody at times—but Ellie Hammond’s willing to overlook that. Because, have you seen him??
Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefs series. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.