Born in Shame Read Online Free PDF Page A

Kayla.”
    â€œKayla Thane.” He tried it out, grinned again. “Kayla Margaret Thane, the first female President of the United States. We’ve already had a woman president in Ireland,” he added. “But she can choose whichever she wants. You look beautiful, Brianna.”
    He kissed her again, surprised all at once that it was absolutely true. Her eyes were glowing, her rose-gold hair tumbled around it. Her face was still a bit pale, buthe could see that the roses in them were beginning to bloom again.
    â€œAnd you must be exhausted. I should let you sleep.”
    â€œSleep.” She rolled her eyes and pulled him down for another kiss. “You must be joking. I don’t think I could sleep for days, I’ve so much energy now. What I am is starved half to death. I’d give anything and more for an enormous bookmaker’s sandwich and a pile of chips.”
    â€œYou want to eat?” He blinked at her, astonished. “What a woman. Maybe after, you’d like to go out and plow a field.”
    â€œI believe I’ll skip that,” she said dryly. “But I haven’t had a bite in more than twenty-four hours, I’ll remind you. Do you think you could see if they could bring me a little something?”
    â€œHospital food, no way. Not for the mother of my child.” What a kick that was, he realized. He’d hardly gotten used to saying “my wife”—now he was saying “my child.” My daughter. “I’m going to go get you the best bookmaker’s sandwich on the west coast of Ireland.”
    Brianna settled back with a laugh as he darted out of the room. What a year it had been, she thought. It had been hardly more than that since she’d met him, less since she’d loved him. And now they were a family.
    Despite her claims to the contrary, her eyes grew heavy and she slipped easily into sleep.
    When she awakened again, drifting hazily out of dreams, she saw Gray, sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her.
    â€œShe was sleeping, too,” he began. And since he’d already taken her hand in his, he brought it to his lips. “They let me hold her again when I harassed them—said a few interesting things about the Yank, but were pretty indulgent all in all. She looked at me, Brie, shelooked right at me. She knew who I was, and she curled her fingers—she’s got gorgeous fingers—she curled them around mine and held on—”
    He broke off, a look of sheer panic replacing the dazzled joy. “You’re crying. Why are you crying? Something hurts. I’ll get the doctor. I’ll get somebody.”
    â€œNo.” Sniffling, she leaned forward to press her face to his shoulder. “Nothing hurts. It’s only that I love you so much. Oh, you move me, Grayson. Looking at your face when you speak of her. It touches so deep.”
    â€œI didn’t know it would be like this,” he murmured, stroking her hair as he cuddled. “I didn’t know it would be so big, so incredibly big. I’m going to be a good father.”
    He said it with such fervor, and such a sweet hint of fear, that she laughed. “I know.”
    How could he fail, he wondered, when she believed in him so completely? “I brought you a sandwich, and some stuff.”
    â€œThanks.” She sat back, sniffling again and wiping at her eyes. When the tears cleared, she blinked again, then wept again. “Oh, Grayson, what a wonderful fool you are.”
    He’d crammed the room with flowers, pots and vases and baskets of them, with balloons that crowded the ceiling with vivid color and cheerful shapes. A huge purple dog stood grinning at the foot of the bed.
    â€œThe dog’s for Kayla,” he told her, pulling out tissues from a box and stuffing them into her hand. “So don’t get any ideas. Your sandwich is probably cold, and I ate some of the chips. But there’s a piece of