Ashlyn and Dante are better, kinder hosts than I ever could have hoped for. Better hosts than I deserve, considering I showed up out of the blue and dropped a bombshell on their brother.After I agree to stay, Ashlyn wants to take me shopping for clothes. I refuse to let her or Dante spend more money on me than they already have, but I finally agree to borrow some of her clothes so I don't have to wear this party dress for the next week. Fortunately, I'm not really showing yet, so I can still squeeze into her stuff without stretching it out. I'm grateful to see that even though money obviously isn't an issue for Ashlyn, most of her clothes seem normal. No designer tags or luxury fabrics. I can't imagine wearing expensive stuff all the time - I'd be so afraid of dripping something on a silk top or getting mud on a fancy pair of shoes. What's the point of clothes if you can't do anything in them?But Ashlyn's sundresses do just fine for me. She offers me some jeans and blouses, too, an

Rafe's eyes burn into me as he repeats, "Why are you still here?"Every word vibrates through me like a kiss, a delicious but dangerous touch on my skin."They asked me to stay," I tell him. "Dante and Ashlyn.""That's not what I mean." He shifts ever-so-slightly nearer. "You were different than the others. And then you lied to me. So I'm going to ask you one more time - why are you still here?"I can hardly think straight. That look in his eyes...the heat of his breath on my face...the nearness of his body, up against me... All of it makes it impossible to put more than a few words together.But I have to. So I choke out the words."I never lied to you."He moves so fast I have no time to react. One moment he's leaning over me, the next he's turned and pushed me up against the door. Not violently - in spite of his intensity, I don't fear violence from him at all. In fact, I'm not even sure he touches me. It's just one minute he's leaning over me, and the next I'm against the do

Somehow, I let Ashlyn talk me into a snug green dress that makes my breasts look three sizes larger than usual. I'm sure the pregnancy thing helps, too, but I can't remember my boobs ever looking even half this size.My hair is down around my shoulders, and I've crammed my feet into a strappy pair of Ashlyn's shoes. Ashlyn tries to convince me to wear some of her jewelry, too, but I draw the line at wearing someone else's fancy jewels - even if Ashlyn insists they're just from the mall. I'm not sure I believe her.Ashlyn seems to think that showing up at this party looking gorgeous will be enough to seduce Rafe. I have to laugh at her. If anyone is doing any seducing around here, it's definitely not going to be me. I lose my head every time I'm around Rafe. I can tell myself that my baby and I are better off without him...but that determination falls away the minute I fall into his eyes.I'm feeling oddly calm as we pull up to the party. Maybe I've just finally accepted how absurd a

The moment Rafe kisses me, I'm powerless to do anything but fall into his arms. My head tilts back, allowing him full access to my mouth, and my arms wrap around him, sliding beneath his jacket and right up against his T-shirt. The fabric is thin enough to let me feel all the muscles of his back, and they shift beneath his skin as he hauls me against his body.We're never going to get anything settled if we keep falling into each other's arms every time we see each other. For the time being, though, I can't bring myself to care. We have a long time to figure out the whole baby thing. In this moment, I just want to be near him. To feel his body against mine.He walks me backwards into the bathroom. We push the door closed behind us, and I hear him click the lock on the knob. The moment we're safely alone, he grabs my skirt and pulls it up around my hips. I should stop him, but I don't. Instead, I release his back and find the zipper of his pants. I push them down as he hooks his thumb

Someone comes up behind us. "Where'd Rafe run off to?"It's Luca, and he grins and hangs an arm around Ashlyn's shoulder, watching his brother's back disappear down the hallway. "Is he on the phone?""Weird, right?" Ashlyn says. "I was just telling Edie how strange that is. She has no idea what he's up to, either.""To be fair, I don't know him that well." Even if I'm having his baby. Admitting that around his family - who may or may not know the whole story - makes me blush harder, and I silently curse myself. I need to learn how to control myself around these people. I can't turn into a tomato every time I'm slightly embarrassed. I wish I could be more like Ashlyn - self-assured and confident, even around these celebrities. I feel like everyone here can see right through me.If Luca notices how red I am, he doesn't rub it in."Well, if you want to learn more about Rafe, you've come to the right place," he says. "Have I got some stories for you. Did he tell you about the time he