He was a friendly enough chap. Too bad Damien hated his guts already. But he gave him a quick handshake, putting excessive force into the pump.

“No, I’m not mistaken. I just left Mandy sleeping in the bedroom five minutes ago.”

Ben’s smile faltered. “You’re not Allison’s boyfriend?”

“No.” Damien stepped back to let him in, thinking this was a golden opportunity to square things away between them. Let Ben know he was sticking around. He hitched up the wrinkled pants he’d pulled back on, in deference to Mandy’s roommates. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt, though, and he could feel the scratchy beginnings of a beard. He knew he looked like a man who had just dragged himself out of a woman’s bed. Good. “I’m Damien Sharpton. I’m here with Mandy.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you and Mandy are…involved?”

“Yes.” Damien fought the need to cross his arms over his chest and spread out his legs like a bouncer denying admittance to a popular nightclub. Instead, he leaned against the arm of the couch and tried not to glare.

“But she’s pregnant.” Ben glanced down the hallway toward the bedroom, apparently shocked.

Damien thought that was stating the obvious. And he had just about used up his ability to be nice before his first cup of coffee. “Pregnant women like sex, too.”

Ben’s mouth fell open. “You’re saying…?”

“Yep.” He just knew he looked smug, and he wasn’t the least bit ashamed of himself. Mandy was his. He loved her and her baby.

After a second, Ben laughed—not a raucous laugh, but a chuckle of amusement. “My ex-wife never did. She was forbidden territory for nine months.”

Damien crossed his feet. “Not Mandy.”

Then he shut himself up before he started bragging like a teenager in the locker room. Ben needed to know how serious they were about each other, but anything beyond that was private. “But look, I know you’re the baby’s father, and Mandy has every intention of letting you get as involved in her life as you want to be. But you should know that Mandy and I are very serious about each other, and I’m going to be around. Permanently.”

Ben sat down and crossed his leg. He didn’t look perturbed by Damien’s announcement. “Damien Sharpton…that name is familiar. You’re Mandy’s boss, aren’t you?”

Damien nodded, wary. Ben should look angry and he didn’t. At least Damien thought he should. If it were him, and his ex was pregnant, he wouldn’t want her involved with another man.

“And you’re permanent, you say?”

He gave another jerk of his head.

Ben flashed him a smile. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that.”

Damien stared at Ben. There was something wrong with this man. “Why is that?”