Chapter 292

Judy’s POV

The words were out before I could stop them. The look he was giving me was deadly, and I couldn’t help the shiver that crept up my spine. I couldn’t look at him because if I did, I would break down and start to cry. That was not something I wanted to do in front of him.

I pushed away from him and started towards my bedroom; I needed to get away from Gavin so I could have a proper breakdown without him staring at me with pity or resentment.

Before I could get too far, he grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“My what?” He asked, his tone dark.

I closed my eyes, wishing I could take those words back because I wasn’t ready to have this conversation. I wasn’t ready to hear how much he loves her. I wasn’t ready to hear about his wedding plans. This was too much for me, and my heart ached with each breath I took. I just needed some time to get over things before I faced them again. I had so much on my plate now; I now needed to figure out a new job and a new place to stay because there was no way Sampson was going to let me remain in his pack.

“I just need space,” I told him, pulling away from him. “I need a minute to think about things. I don’t know what I’m saying right now.”

He let my arm go, and I didn’t need to look at him to know the indifferent look he was giving me. I winced at the very thought as tears pricked the corner of my eyes.

“I am pregnant with your baby, and I am keeping it whether you want to be a part of our lives or not,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil I was feeling. There was no point in lying to him about this anymore; he already knew the truth, even if I did try to deny it.

“Woah, hold on a second,” Gavin said before I could safely slip into my bedroom. I could hear the frustration and confusion in his tone, and it was killing me. “Who said I didn’t want to be part of your life. That is my baby, Judy. Are you really trying to keep my pup from me?”

His words were like a dagger in my heart. I hated feeling this way. I hated feeling this vulnerable and unstable. He was right, though, and I knew when it came down to it, Gavin deserved to know about this baby. I shouldn’t have tried to keep it from him. This wasn’t a secret I had any right to keep.

I felt him close to me now; he had stepped further, and it was intoxicating, making my knees practically weak.

“Of course not…” My voice is barely above a whisper. “I was just…”

“You were just assuming I wanted nothing to do with you or my pup,” he said. “You have this idea in your head that I am some deadbeat father—”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said, turning around to face him, my anger flaring.

“Then tell me what you mean,” he said without hesitation as he pressed me against my closed door. His body was so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating off his body. My heart was pounding against my chest so fast and hard that I was so sure he could hear it. “Why are you trying to push me away?”

“You pushed first,” I said softly, my eyes meeting his. “You didn’t want me…”

“You never asked me what I wanted,” he said in a low and deep tone; the same tone that makes me gush. “You don’t know a thing about what I want.”

His lips traced my jawline, and it took everything I had not to melt against him.

“You are so stubborn,” he murmured. “You are hot-headed… You don’t always think before you speak, you think you know what’s best, you think you know everyone else better than you do.”

My cheeks flushed at his insults. I wanted to squirm away from him, but I was frozen in place. Though my brain was telling me to move, my body wasn’t listening. My body putty was in his hands.

His lips trailed down the nape of my neck, his teeth grazing the soft flesh and making me shudder.

“And yet…” his voice trailed off as he peppered a small kiss against the soft flesh of my neck, sending heat coursing through my body.

“And yet?” I asked, my voice breathy as I let out a shuddering breath.

He trailed his lips up the nape of my neck, across my chin, and to my lips, hovering only inches away, mingling our breath together.

“I can’t seem to stay away from you,” he whispered, closing the small distance between our mouths, kissing me like his life depended on it. Our kiss was anything but soft and sweet; it was heavy and filled with so much pent-up need. I felt the warmth going straight to my core.

My mind went completely blank, and for a while, I completely forgot why I was upset in the first place. It wasn’t fair that he had this huge effect on me; that he could make me comply with a simple kiss. His hands were on my hips, pressing me against him, and I felt everything he was willing to offer me in that moment.

The worst part was… I wanted it. I wanted it so badly.

Or maybe he was showing me what I couldn’t have because he had given it to somebody else. The thought was like a slap in the face, and I pulled back; we were both breathless, and he didn’t let me go.

“Gavin I—”

“Don’t,” he said sharply, cutting me off.

I blinked at him, confused.

“What?”

“Don’t push me away,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

“You chose someone else…” I whispered.

His eyes opened, and they were dark, swirling with something I didn’t recognize. His hand reached up and he gripped my chin, keeping my gaze on his.

“Who told you that I chose someone else?” He asked.

My brows furrowed.

“Uh… your fiancé,” I told him.

He narrowed his eyes.

“My what?”

“Stop playing stupid, Gavin,” I told him, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. “I know you and Rachel are engaged. Congratulations, by the way.”

Even I could hear the sarcasm and bitterness in my voice.

“What?” He asked, the confused look in his eyes darkening. “You think I’m engaged to her?”

I froze and looked up at him, my brows dipped low as my own confusion practically consumed me.

“Aren’t you?” I asked.

“What makes you think that?” He asked. “Who told you I was engaged to her?”

“She did…”

A flash of anger went through his eyes, and I saw a glimpse of his wolf surging forward.

“And you believed her?” He asked, the hurt evident in his tone.

His emotions were all over the place, and I couldn’t get a grasp on them. I nodded, though, answering his question.

“I had no reason not to …” I whispered. “You’re having a baby with her. I thought you proposed so the baby would have a complete family.”

He let out a dark chuckle as he stepped away from me, releasing his hold on me. I suddenly felt cold without his close proximity.

“Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing the last few weeks before you left?” He asked, frustration clear on his face.

I shook my head; I assumed he was spending those last few weeks with his fiancée, getting ready for both the wedding and his upcoming baby. I had no reason to believe anything else after Rachel told me they were engaged.

“I had been working day and night trying to poke holes in Rachel’s accusation,” he told me.

I raised my brows.

“Wait, what?”

“I didn’t believe for a second that I touched her that night. I remember being with you vividly at the Grand Casino Hotel, and you lied to me about it. I didn’t argue with you about it because it was clear you weren’t going to fess up. I didn’t have sex with her that night, despite what it might have looked like. I didn’t have any desire to touch her, and regardless of how drunk I was, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. I might have been fucked up, but I know my dick went nowhere near that woman.”

I stared at him, my eyes wide.

He cupped my face in his hands, his thumb tracing my upper cheekbones, spreading warmth throughout my body.

“Judy, I never touched her. The baby she’s carrying isn’t mine, and she’s not my fiancée. I’m banishing her.”

My jaw nearly dropped.

“You’re what?” I gasped.

“I’m banishing her,” he repeated. “She’s been working for someone as a spy. She was trying to trap me into marriage so she could take ownership of my company. I’ve spent weeks gathering evidence, but I couldn’t let her think I was on to her, or she would bolt, so I played the part. I’m sorry if that hurt you, but I never thought you’d leave.”

My breathing grew shaky as realization dawned on me.

“She… she told me you proposed to her…” I whispered.

Had I been deceived?

A sad expression crossed his face.

“She lied to you…”