Sinful Ever After (Sinful Serenade Book 5) by Crystal Kaswell Page B

thinks Meg needs your help."
    And Drew wants our vacation together. I want that too. I want a long, pregnancy-scare-free vacation.
    His voice drops to something supportive and sweet. "What are you thinking?"
    I clear my throat. It sounds like this wedding is happening in the next few days. This can wait. "We should go. Can we fly in tonight?"
    He nods. "You sure that's it?"
    No.
    "Kara?"
    I press my lips together. "It's probably nothing."
    "Doesn't look like nothing."
    "It can wait until after their wedding."
    "Don't see why they can't set a date and send out invitations like normal people." He sits on the bed next to me. He leans in close enough to whisper. "Sweetheart, what the fuck is going on? You've got the weirdest look in your eyes."
    Do I? I force myself to make eye contact. There's all this concern in his dark eyes.
    Usually, I hate when people look at me like that. But not when Drew does it. When he does it, I know it's because he cares, because he loves me.
    This can wait until after their wedding. It's probably nothing.
    "It's romantic," I say. "Our wedding will still be nice. On the beach, with the sun shining behind us."
    Of course, if I am pregnant, I'll be ready to burst in June.
    And I'll have a newborn in September. If everything goes according to plan, I'll graduate this spring and start teaching this fall.
    But if I'm pregnant...
    Even with strict anti-discrimination laws, no one hires pregnant teachers. And nobody respects women who get a job then take maternity leave right away. Every female teacher warned us—people will give you shit about being pregnant and about taking maternity leave.
    Even elementary school teachers, the ones who devote their lives to small children, get shit about having babies during the school year. As if they can pick a delivery date like magic.
    Shit.
    Teaching jobs are hard to come by. If I don't get hired right away, it might be two or three years before I find another gig.
    Teaching may not pay as well as being a rock star, but I love it. I love middle school students. They're just starting to blossom into adults, and they're amazed by all the new ideas in books like A Separate Peace , To Kill a Mockingbird , and Romeo and Juliet.
    Drew is staring at me with all this concern in his eyes. It must be obvious I'm worried.
    I run my fingers through his short hair. "You jealous, baby?"
    "No. I just don't like them interrupting my plans."
    "Yeah?"
    He pats the bed. "I was gonna spend a lot of time right here."
    "We'll have a bed in our hotel room."
    "Not the same." He stares into my eyes. "There's something you aren't saying."
    I nod.
    "What is it?"
    "It can wait. Get the tickets to fly to Vegas. Tonight, if we can."
    "You sure?"
    "Yes."

Chapter Sixteen
    ––––––––
    D rew
    Fucking time zones.
    I'm groggy on the flight and in the cab ride to the hotel. But I'm not groggy enough to miss that something is very fucking wrong.
    Kara is tense. She tries to smile every time our eyes meet, but she's not pulling it off.
    After we check in, she mumbles something about wanting to unpack, and she practically locks herself in the bedroom—the suite has a main area and a separate bedroom.
    I give her half an hour to unpack then I take a shower. There's a chance I'm tired enough I'm reading this all wrong. The hot water feels amazing on my aching muscles. Not as amazing as her hands feel. Fuck, it's been too long apart. I need every drop of her.
    When I'm done, I wrap a towel around my waist, and I join Kara in the bedroom.
    She's sitting in the bed in the dark, covers around her waist. Her blouse hugs her more than ample chest in a way that looks hot as fuck but supremely uncomfortable.
    Her big, brown eyes are filled with frustration. Her shoulders are up to her ears. There's tension in her jaw and neck.
    Still, she licks her lips as she takes me in.
    "You should lose the towel," she mumbles, her voice thick with desire.
    My cock stirs at the thought of wiping away all her