One Night (The Sullivan Family, #4)

by Lena Hendrix

He looked at the phone, and his frown deepened. “Daryl Hall?” I held up my phone. “Yep. And you’re John Oates.”

I lifted my shirt at the collar to drag in some air, wondering why it was suddenly so freaking hot back there.

I smiled. For years our families had been slinging insults at each other. Somewhere along the way, aloof Sylvie King had become fun.

On the drive back home, I couldn’t get Duke out of my head. The harsh reality settled over me: in a small town, royalty was everything, and I was a King.

It was finally time I admitted to myself I might be harboring a crush on Sylvie King. And she was the one woman I could never have.

I wish I could have you. I wish you were mine. In reality, I have wanted you for years and I hate that I can’t have you. I thought that taking care of my dad and giving up everything was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do, but the truth is that wanting you is by far the single hardest thing I have ever had to do.

needed to be sure. I needed facts. I needed a clear sign that I was overreacting and definitely not pregnant with Duke Sullivan’s baby.

“I didn’t really find you so much as I saw you, and your baby grabbed the steering wheel.”

Intercourse would have been approximately seven weeks ago? Give or take?”

“Perfect. You’re about nine weeks along.

This would be impossible with intercourse being about 7 weeks ago...

“Now, I would hate to disrespect a man in his family home, but that’s the mother of my child you’re speaking to. If you can’t speak to her with respect, then you speak to me.”

Duke seemed determined to co-parent with me and be an active partner throughout my pregnancy.

Which includes taking care of you.

“All finished, or should I give you a few more minutes to talk about people and pretend they can’t hear?” Their stunned eyes widened. “No?” I swiped the coffee cups in one motion. “Have the day that you deserve!”

I needed anything to distract myself from the fact that Sylvie had let it slip that she was heading upstairs for a warm soak in my bathtub.

Just go join her already!

“What are you doing?” I suppressed a smile. “I’m showing you what it means to be cared for by a man like me.”

he’d also arranged a charcuterie board with olives, cold spaghetti, and frozen grapes.

Cold spaghetti??

She was mine, despite the obstacles our families placed in front of us, and in this world where strength and grit were revered, I knew Sylvie was tougher than any bull I’d ever faced.

“I hope he will be just like you. I pray he has your laugh, the kind that carries into the next room and radiates warmth. I hope he won’t lose hope for his dreams and he’ll let his imagination grow wild. I hope he is as strong as you and that his emotions will run deep. I hope he is exactly like you and loving him will be the easiest thing I have ever done.”

That was it. The line. The moment where I knew. Nothing and no one mattered more than her. I would choose Sylvie over all others, even a Sullivan.

“Matty’s gonna need to get checked out for a concussion,” I offered. Lee straightened, a curious look on his face as he glanced toward our little cousin just as I turned and punched Matty in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

Don’t mess with Duke’s girl!

I hurried to face him and grabbed the lapels of his jacket. “Who did this to you?” His sad, dark eyes lifted to mine, and a smirk lifted his lip. “That’s supposed to be my line.”

“Because of you!” His voice rattled through the kitchen. He gestured toward me. “Because you are worth it!”

This man, this beautiful, gorgeous, brooding, hulking beast of a man had the kindest, sweetest heart I had ever known.

“Sure, love makes men do stupid shit, but it’s always helped him to have the Sinclairs in his pocket, ears open for anything he could use against us. Those twins were playing both sides, just like their daddy and his daddy before him did.”

“Sometimes my dad gives Bootsy money.” The women stared at me, urging me to continue. “Since I was little, he and Bowlegs would have these hushed, closed-door meetings with my dad, and once I was sneaking around and definitely saw an exchange of cash.”

Kate Please tell me you’re not too drunk. I sent an SOS out to the guys—YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE A DAD!

August Kingston Sullivan was born just shy of midnight.

I put my forehead to hers. “I choose you over anyone else, in any circumstance, for the rest of my life. You will always know what it means to be loved by a man like me. I promise.”

Eventually James King’s greed consumed him. Slowly the Kings made enough sly business decisions, excluding the Sinclairs, relegating them to nothing more than the eyes and ears on the ground to the King empire.

“Take a rest while Gus and I fix you dinner. I’ll get you a glass of wine so you can read a book and relax. Then I’d like to take you somewhere.”