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The Price of Passion
By Stephanie Morris
Copyright © December 2011, Stephanie Morris
Cover art by For The Muses Design © December 2011
ISBN: 978-1-936668-40-3
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are
fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Sugar and Spice Press
North Carolina, USA
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Dedication
To Zina, Cheryl, Tamara, Nathalie, Julia and Ivy. Thank you all for your
support and the wonderful feedback that you provide in the readers group.
This one is for you!
The Price of Passion Stephanie Morris
Chapter One
“Are you having my baby?”
Sierra Walker’s head snapped up and she met the fiery heat in Kaden
Stasso’s gaze. She dropped the satin material she’d been stitching as the
door banged shut behind him and six-foot-two-inches of pure masculine
virility overwhelmed her.
Kaden stormed across the clothing shop’s wooden floor, the sound of
his boots deafening, the scowl etched between his dark brows appearing
permanent.
“I believe I asked you a question,” he said, slamming his hat down on
the counter.
She looked down, her thoughts racing through her head. How in the
world was she going to deal with this? It definitely wasn’t how she
expected her day to go when she slid out of bed this morning.
Swallowing deeply, Sierra realized she had no choice but to face the
truth. After fighting to get out of her relationship with Tim, she’d sworn
never to be bullied by a man again.
She held her head up bravely. “Yes,” she said. “I’m pregnant.”
He leaned closer. Even though she didn’t want to show any weakness,
she took a small step backwards, away from the counter.
“Who is the baby’s father?” he asked, his tone sharp.
Drawing in a deep, calming breath, she met his heated, brown-eyed
gaze and softly admitted, “I haven’t been with anyone...other than you.”
Kaden’s words in his native language made her wince. She didn’t
understand Salish, but what he said couldn’t have been good.
“When were you going to let me know?” he questioned, returning to
English, his tone harsh. “When you were showing? When a birth
announcement was run in the local paper this Christmas and I added up
the months? When I spotted you in town with my child? When someone
saw the similarities between me and my child? Never? When, Sierra?”
“I...” She stumbled over several different responses, finally settling for
the truth. “I didn’t plan to ask you for help. I am more than qualified to
raise a child alone. I make enough money to support us both. I thought I
would spare you the responsibility.”
Instead of his anger dissipating, it grew. “You thought you would
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The Price of Passion Stephanie Morris
spare me the responsibility?”
“I’m the one carrying this baby,” she stated snappishly, trying to get
him to see her reasoning was logical. “I’ll take accountability for the
baby.”
“Oh, you will, will you?” The scowl on his face deepened and the
groove that seemed permanently scrawled into his forehead expanded.
“I didn’t think my pregnancy would matter to you.”
“You didn’t think it would matter that I’m going to be a father?”
He’d spoken so softly she had to strain to hear him, sending a wave of
astonishment crashing over her. After licking her lips, she said, “The
night”
“The night we made love? The night you fell apart in my arms, crying
out my name?” he interrupted callously. “The night you told me it was
impossible for you to get pregnant?”
She wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought I was unable to
conceive.”
“So how the hell does a woman who can’t conceive get pregnant?”
“I have no idea.” She shook her head, not bothering to tell him how
shocked she’d been and could barely believe the outcome of events
herself. “I’m as shocked as you are.”
“I’ll just bet you are.” His gaze traveled down her body and paused at
her midsection.
Kaden had done that before, she remembered, before he’d tugged
down on her zipper, brushing his fingers across the agonizingly sensitized
skin.
With a slow and gentle touch that melted away anxiety left from her
prior relationship, Kaden had undressed her. In spite of the reasons she’d
had not to trust any man, her body had responded quickly.
Heat raced up her cheeks and she cursed her fair-colored skin. She
didn’t want to recall anything about the level of vulnerability he’d
exposed in hernot now, not ever again. “Please, Kaden, you have to
listen to me. I struggled for years to get pregnant. I even went to the
doctor, and he ran some tests.”
Kaden remained silent in that stoic way of his. She tried not to focus
on his bronze skin. The ponytail resting at the base of his neck. Or about
how feral and passionate he looked when his hair flowed freely. His
Native American ancestry was prominent in him; she couldn’t help but
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wonder if their child would take more after him or her own African
American ancestry. Maybe a perfect combination of both.
Mentally shaking her head, she tried to refocus on the issue at hand.
This was important. Kaden’s expression hadn’t changed, nor had he
uttered a word.
After a few more seconds of silence, she exhaled softly. “You don’t
believe me.”
“Not in the least.”
“Sure, you can’t believe I tricked you?”
“What reason would I have to think otherwise? Because you snuck out
after spending one night with me? Because you were dishonest about your
ability to get pregnant even when I asked you if we should use birth
control ? Because up until now, you’ve hidden the fact that you were
pregnant with my offspring? Why is the world would I think you tried to
deceive me, Sierra?”
“You don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I thought
it would be better for you this way, since you clearly don’t want to be a
father.”
“What in the hell made you jump to that conclusion?”
“The way you tossed your family out of your life.”
A menacing tick thumped in his jaw. “What did you just say?”
Unfortunately, she realized her mistake too late. Desperately, she
wanted to retract her absent-minded words.
“I believe I asked you a question.”
Having stuck her foot in her mouth thus far, she didn’t have much of a
choice not to continue, even though everything inside her screamed for
her not to. “It’s not a secret.”
“Then tell me.”
She should have never brought up his past.
“Tell me, Sierra,” he demanded.
“I heard” She squirmed, rubbing her arms, hoping to lighten the
tension. Instead, it expanded and amplified. “I heard that you kicked Leah
and Jacob out of the house, leaving them homeless, when Leah and you
had a little argument. I figured since you threw out one child, that my
having your baby wouldn’t matter to you.”
In his passionate brown eyes, she watched the ardor of fury turn into
the chilliness of vehemence. His hands curled into fists, and she took
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