The cocky look on his handsome face did things to my heart I tried hard to ignore. “I've always been an overachiever. You know me.”
“You can't be serious. You don't want this.”
He stared at me—hard—those gorgeous eyes of his boring into mine. “I want you to be happy.”
“How much have you had to drink tonight? Did they give you your own whiskey cask?”
He shook his head and took my hand. “Think about it, okay? I wouldn't offer if I wasn't serious.”
I couldn't let him be my donor. The plan had been to find someone anonymous, someone who wouldn't be around, who I wouldn't see when I looked at my child. Mav was my friend. My hotter than hell friend, but still.
“Let’s dance, okay? I don't like seeing you so . . .”
“So what?”
“I don't know. Not yourself. Not my Clara.”
My gut twisted. I wasn't his Clara. “Okay, Casanova, slow down. I'm thinking you have had more than your share of drinks with the way you're talking.” I slipped my hand into his blazer pocket, snagging the keys to his shiny black truck before he could stop me. “I'm driving home.”
He laughed and made a grab for the keys, so I shoved them down my cleavage and into the strapless bra I had to wear with this godforsaken dress.
“Oh, you fight dirty. Who's to say I won't go for it and dive in? I'm not afraid of a pair of tits.”
“And I'm sure you've seen your fair share.”
He looked me straight in the eye and said, “You'd be surprised.”
“Would I? You Wildes are well known for being playboys.”
His jaw tightened, a muscle in his neck tensing as he ground his teeth. “Maybe my dad was, but I don't use women and throw them away like they're nothing. Neither do my brothers.”
Now I felt like a total asshole. Reaching out, I put my palm on his forearm. “Hey, I'm sorry. I know you're not like him. I shouldn't have said that.”
Sighing, he slipped his hand over mine. “Come on, let's get out of here, huh?”
I guess that meant he was dropping the whole sperm donor thing. Part of me was glad I didn’t have to have a serious conversation with him about this, because truth be told, he would be a great donor. He was the most handsome man I'd ever met, and he was right—he had great genes. But I wouldn't get what I wanted if Mav was the guy. There was no way his brothers wouldn't want to be part of my child's life. That would complicate everything.
“Can you just take me home?” I asked as he held open the truck door.
His lips pressed tight, and those eyes of his dropped from mine to the ground for just a second. Then he nodded, and I slid into my seat. Tense silence filled the cab.
“Yeah. Sure.”
We stayed silent as he drove, the two of us not looking at each other in the darkened cab of the truck. I hated feeling like this around him. Mav was one of my best friends. He’d proven himself to be one of the few people I trusted. So why couldn’t I accept his offer?
As he pulled around to the back of my vet clinic, he sighed. “I’m sorry if I made things weird. I’m just worried for you. I want you to be taken care of.”
A soft smile tugged at my lips. “You can be real sweet when you want to be, you know that?”
“Don’t let that get around. You’ll ruin my reputation.”
I reached out and took his hand, giving a little squeeze. “I’ll think about it, okay? Your offer.”
He flashed that panty-melting grin and winked. “I’m ready and willing. Just tell me you need me.”
Why did that make my belly flip? I swallowed past the lump in my throat and got out of the truck. He’d learned long ago not to open my door for me unless my hands were full. I didn’t need help. Didn’t want it. Because relying on another person meant I could be disappointed by them.
But he still met me outside and walked me to the stairs that led up to my apartment. “Thank you, Mav. No matter what I decide, it means a lot that you would offer.”
Offering a curt nod, he surprised me by leaning in and brushing his lips over my cheek. “Goodnight, Clara.”
He watched me until I was inside my apartment, safely tucked away, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the tingle from his lips on my skin for the rest of the night.
2
Maverick
How could I have been so stupid, offering to knock Clara up? I didn't want to be a dad. I never wanted to. But here I was offering up my sperm like she should just fall all over herself and take me up on it. What did I care if she wanted a baby and wanted some other guy to give it to her? Some unknown asshole who probably donated his spunk every month just for the thrill of it.
I watched her vet truck and trailer pull up next to the stables and wanted to kick myself for being a fucking coward who wouldn't even come in from the pastures to see her because I was so damn embarrassed. Hoofbeats drew my attention to my left, where my brother Luke was riding toward me.
He assessed me, a wary expression on his face. “Something going on between you and Clara? You're usually so far up her ass, no one else can get a word in when she's here.”
Unease built in my chest. My skin itched at the fact that my brother was able to call me on my bullshit so readily. Usually, I was right next to her while she was working with any of our animals. So sue me. I liked to be involved. Our horses were the main source of our income. The amount of money people paid for one of our studs kept us in the black and beyond year after year. I liked to be there when she was working with them, not because I didn't trust her—in fact, she was the only person I trusted with our stock—but because I was a control freak. It didn’t hurt that I liked Clara more than any other woman I’d ever known.
I shrugged it off. “Wanted a ride. This girl hasn't gotten enough exercise lately, and I needed to take her out.” I ran a hand across my horse’s withers and down to her neck, patting her gently. Tabby was one of my three frequent rides. She was sweet, well-behaved, and she'd borne us a couple of prize winners over the last few years. It was important to keep these mares in tip-top shape.
Luke frowned. “That's not like you. In fact, you haven't been normal the last few weeks.”
I growled. “Get off my ass. You aren't my wife. Leave me alone.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “God, you're grumpy. You need to get laid already. In case you haven't noticed, your two younger brothers are getting it on the regular, and we're in much better moods than we usually are.”
“Yeah, well, I'm not you. So, like I said, get off my ass and go concentrate on keeping your wife happy.”
Luke smirked. “Oh, she's plenty happy. There are no complaints from my girl.”
I had to tear my focus away from the stable where I knew Clara was working hard examining a couple of our in-season mares we’d just bred. Luke came up right alongside me as I slowly walked my horse along the fence. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll race ya.”
I let myself relax into the saddle and smiled. “You know you're gonna lose.”
That low laugh of his reminded me of our dad in a good way. “Don't be too sure. You're getting old. Can't keep up.”