Addy And The Smart Guy (Big Girl Panties #3) (17 page)

"Walk away, if you need to," Kellen said to Jayce.

Jayce dropped his arms to his side, lifted his chin, and took a step back. "I'm cool."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." His eyes never left Grey. "You'll take care of her, though, right?"

Grey's knuckles went white around the whiskey glass. "I think this is between her and me."

Kellen laughed. "God help us," he muttered.

"Doesn't sound to me like there's anything between you. Sounds to me like I'm more likely to be taking care of her than you," Jayce said.

Jealousy surged through Grey. But pride kept him from answering. He drank his second glass of whiskey and turned to Kellen. "Is there any way you can get in contact with her?"

"She's at her mom's. I'm not going over there. Place is a mausoleum."

Grey's anger at Jayce suddenly dissipated as alcohol robbed him of the energy and left him feeling like the lowest form of life on the planet. He laughed in frustration. "God, I've ruined her life. I don't know why I thought we could get away with it. We were so careful. This is the nail in the coffin of her destroyed reputation." He told Kellen and Jayce about Gwen's website.

"Jesus," Kellen muttered, sipping on a Jack-and-Coke.

Jayce was frowning and rubbing his chin. "She kissed you, and you almost died? I have to make fun of her for this."

Grey felt miserable. "She's got enough shit on her plate."

"I'll invent a drink in her honor," Jayce said, "and call it the Black Widow."

"Or the Praying Mantis," Kellen chimed in.

Jayce got out his phone. "I'm Googling animals that kill after mating."

Grey dropped his forehead with a thunk onto the bar.

"Holy fuck. Here's a spider that breaks off its genitals inside the female before she eats him."

Kellen laughed, and even Grey found himself fighting laughter. "Hey," Kellen said, "There's one about bees. I think their penises explode, or something, during mating, and then they die."

"No," Jayce gasped, almost in sympathy for the poor bees.

"I've heard that one," Grey said.
 

Kellen had his phone out, now. "Here's a marsupial that uses so much energy mating, it just lays down, afterwards, and dies."

The conversation only descended from there, as Grey, pleasantly buzzed and forgetting what he was supposed to be stressed out about, got out his phone and joined in. Eventually they were giggling like teenage boys looking through their first Playboy. Grey was distracted without even realizing it.

Eventually, Jayce's business picked up, so Grey went to play pool with Kellen. At six o'clock, the band started playing, and Grey looked around to see that the place had become packed.
 

Still no Addison. "Hey, you think you could give her a call?" Grey asked Kellen. "Maybe she'd take a call from you."

"It goes straight to voicemail. Either she turned it off or the battery's dead."

Grey blew out a breath. His buzz was wearing off since he'd quit drinking an hour ago. He was debating whether to drink some more or just go home, when Addy walked in the door with Zoey and Maya. Maya was dressed in uniform—she went behind the bar to kiss Jayce before picking up an order pad and going to work. Addy and Zoey made their way to the pool table. Zoey linked her arms behind Kellen's neck.
 

Addy stared at Grey in shock. He sat his pool cue on the table and approached her. He had no idea how to address the pregnancy issue. He was holding out hope that it would turn out not to be true.
 

"Grey," she breathed.

He couldn't help but smile. He leaned in to kiss her and paused. "Is it safe?"

She laughed and covered her face for a second. "Yeah. It's safe. I've sworn off peanuts for life."

He kissed her gently on the lips. Who was he kidding? Of course he would take care of her. He'd do anything she needed him to. He pulled her against him and swayed with her. "Did you know that snails are hermaphrodites?" he asked.

"Uuummm."

"When they have sex, it's really a fight to see which one has to get pregnant."

She shoved him away and broke into laughter. "What the hell, Grey?"

He grinned, pleased to see her laughing.

"Bee testicles?" Kellen asked.

"Snail sex," Grey answered.

Kellen nodded. He turned to Zoey. "There's an insect that doesn't even bother with fucking. It just strolls by, stabs the female in the stomach, inserts sperm, and walks away."

"Oh, my God, Kellen!" Zoey shrieked.
 

Addy was doubled over in laughter. "How…the hell…did you guys get on this?"

"We were talking about your kiss of death, kiddo."

She looked up at him. "Why did you go and tell them that?"

"I figured it was common knowledge."

She shoved him playfully and threw her arms around his neck. "Feels so good to be touching you," she murmured.

"Yeah. Really good." He ran his hands up and down the curve of her waist laying kisses along her jaw.
 

She pulled back and gave him a quizzical smile. "What are you doing here?"

With that, his good spirits fell. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

She bit her lip in thought. "Yeah. Let's go back to Maya's." She took his hand and led him to the bar where she asked Jayce for his house key. Jayce handed it to her without question, but Grey wasn't sure how to interpret the look he gave him.
 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Addy had ridden over with Maya, so they took Grey's car back to the house. She had so much to tell him, so much bad news. The potential pregnancy—she still wasn't convinced of the accuracy of the test—was not on the table for discussion. She was determined not to bother him with it until after she'd visited a doctor. Maybe not even then.

She would be telling him about that horrible Gwen Morris slandering his name. Her mother had gotten wind of the gossip before Addy. When she'd gone over there, Addy had found her mother sobbing in the sitting room, dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.
 

"You're ruined," her mother said.

Addy perched on the edge of an armchair. "Huh?"

"Don't say 'huh' dear, you sound like an uneducated hick. Someone is making false claims about your virtue."

"My virtue? Oh, for God's sake, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that lecherous professor of yours. I was worried about something like this happening, you spend so much time with him. I figured at your age you had more sense, but—"

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Her mother directed her to Gwen Morris's website. Addy looked it up on her phone and read the whole thing, with tears stinging her eyes, furious that she wasn't allowed one brief, discreet affair in her lifetime. Well, at least that part was still a secret. So far, all that was out was the kiss, and that could hardly be helped.

"What are you going to do?" Her mother cried, falling back on the sofa like a damsel with the vapors.

"Well I'm certainly not going to drink poison and lie down in my grave, Mother."

The vapors must have vanished because her mother sat up straight. "You will not get smart with me, young lady! If this doesn't bother you, you could at least think of your father and I. How do you think we feel having a daughter so publicly disgraced? Do you think it doesn't affect us having all our friends know you've been behaving like a little tramp?"

They were the harshest words Addy had ever received. She sat there staring at her mother, fighting back the pain.

"I think you should go on the offensive. Go to the dean and tell her that this man used his position to intimidate and coerce you."

"No," Addy said softly. "I won't do that to him."

"You will if you expect to remain a part of this family."

Addy stared at her. "What?"

"You heard me. I will not acknowledge a daughter who has slept her way through graduate school."

The worst Addy had ever gotten in trouble was being brought home by the police from a birthday party Zoey had thrown. Her mother had never made a threat like this. But then, maybe Addy just hadn't given her cause to. "You're saying if I don't slander Grey's name, you're going to, what, disown me?"

"What other choice do I have?"

Addy's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? What other choice do you have? I don't know, how about you love your daughter unconditionally? Or maybe offer some support during a tough time for me? I mean, you're making this all about you."

"This
is
about me. I'll always love you, but you will not set foot in this house nor inherit a dime of your father's money if you don't protect your good name."

"By throwing Grey under the bus? No thanks, Mom. Jesus, you'd better think long and hard about this, because I'm not turning my back on him. Are you really prepared to…to disown me?"

Her mother lifted her chin and got that martyr look about her. That was when Addy knew she was serious. Addy laughed in surprise and listened as her mother said, "You're welcome back should you choose to do the right thing."

Addy surged to her feet. "You're un-fucking-believable! Screw you, Mom." She turned and stormed out of the house, tears blurring her vision.

Addy decided not to bother Grey with that little bit of drama either. All she really needed to tell him about was the website.

They arrived at Maya's house. Addy led Grey inside, her heart heavy. "Coffee?" she asked, walking into the kitchen without looking back.
 

"Sure."

She fixed the coffee pot and went back to the living room. Grey was seated on the sofa, leaning forward, with his face in his hands. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He shoved his fingers through his hair, leaned back into the sofa, and gave her a tired smile. "Been better. How about you?"

She perched on the edge of an armchair. "I have some bad news."

Grey closed his eyes. "Shit."

"We were as careful as we could be," she said, "but sometimes circumstances just take things out of your control."

"Addison, please," he said. He opened his eyes and leaned forward. "Just say it. Say it so we can deal with it."

She breathed. "Gwen Morris created a website. She's been blasting her lies all over the internet."

He looked…relieved? "Oh, that," he said. "Yeah. I met with the dean today. I'll be stepping away as your advisor. Dr. Markham will take over. We'll get someone to replace me on your thesis review committee. I don't know, yet, whether you'll be able to keep working as my assistant for the rest of the year. The good thing is, Gwen's made you look like a victim, so as long as you keep up that impression, you should be able to get some sympathy from the review committee."

"You, too? I'm not doing that to you, Grey! I nailed my thesis, I don't need to betray you to get through the review. If they determine I behaved unethically, then I'll accept the consequences. You've got enough consequences of your own without trying to protect me, too."

He was shaking his head. "Consequences. Why don't you go ahead and give me the rest of the consequences so we can have everything out in the open."

She went cold and a little bit sick. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Addison. I'm sure you would have told me in your own time and your own way, but I know about the pregnancy, and I need this out in the open now."

Air left her lungs like a vacuum. She stiffened her spine and held her head up. "That's not going to affect you."

He let out a frustrated laugh and shoved his hands through his hair again. "Shit. I was hoping your friends were joking. Or wrong."

Of course he was. Of course this news would be a major disappointment to him. "Which one of my friends will I be murdering tomorrow?"

"That would be Kellen."

"Well, crap. I can't kill Kellen, he's the nicest guy I know."

Grey chuckled bitterly.
 

"Like I said," Addy repeated, "this won't affect you, and I'd rather not discuss it."

"You think I won't take care of you?"

"Do you think I want to be taken care of? Fuck you, Grey."

His mouth dropped open.

"Take care of me," she muttered angrily. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means that whatever you need, I'm here. You want to give the baby up? I'll stand by your side. You want to keep it? I'll…." He appeared to be on the verge of vomiting. He swallowed hard. "I'll m-marry you."

Addy dropped her head back and laughed. She collapsed into the chair and sprawled her arms over the sides. Pretenses were over. She no longer felt the need to impress him. "I'm good," she said. "I don't want you involved in this. Besides, the tests were really faint. I've got an appointment with my doctor next week to find out for sure."

"So…so this isn't for sure?"

She chafed at the hope in his voice. "Those tests are pretty reliable," she said. "It's probably for sure. But I'm getting blood tests just to confirm."

He nodded. "Listen, don't shut me out of this."

"You want to be a daddy?"
 

He went pale. "You know how I feel. You know I don't want any of this. But Addison, you're my girl. I want you. I want your happiness like I want my own. I won't walk away from you on this."

Her bitter smirk vanished. It wasn't a declaration of love. It wasn't a marriage proposal. But it was more than she'd ever thought Grey capable of. "God," she whispered, her heart slamming in her chest, an ache forming at her core.
 

She tackled him.

She knocked him to his back on the sofa, shoved her tongue deep into his mouth, shoved her hands up his t-shirt and ran them up and down the ridges of his abs. After that, his hormones kicked into gear, and they were ripping at each other's clothes. They rolled off the couch in the process, and he landed on top. He'd managed to get her shirt off. He jerked her bra down and sucked a nipple between his teeth.
 

She cried out in pleasure as she slid a hand into his jeans. He stood up on his knees, straddling her as he unfastened his jeans and shoved them with his boxers down just enough to free his erection. Addy sat up and took him in her hands.