Dr Chang nodded. ‘I will make the arrangements.’
‘Bom.’ Joao gave a satisfied nod without removing his gaze from hers.
Unable to withstand the raw blaze in his eyes, she fixed hers on the doctor. ‘Could there be another explanation for the nausea?’
He gave a benign smile. ‘Most likely not. According to Mr Oliviera you barely ate anything last night. I’m almost positive this is morning sickness. If you’re worried, it goes away after a few weeks. In the meantime, you can combat it with dry crackers and small, frequent meals.’
Joao frowned. ‘Crackers?’ His suddenly pronounced accent turned even that word sexy.
‘They’re biscuits, Joao,’ she muttered, then forgot that she was using his given name in company. ‘I can get them from the shop later.’
‘The only place you’ll be going is back to bed. Give me the name of the product you need and I’ll provide it for you.’
The idea of Joao browsing the shops for crackers almost made her chuckle. But the doctor was opening his bag, readying to take a blood sample. When he was done, he packed up his bag and rose.
Reality hit home harder.
She was pregnant.
A wave of dizziness rushed over her. She swayed in the chair, causing Joao to curse and leap for her. ‘Is there something you can give her?’ he demanded tersely.
The doctor hesitated. ‘I’m reluctant to prescribe anything if she’s pregnant. I recommend weak tea, and rest. No matter how strong you are, the news of a child is a little overwhelming.’ He gave a small smile. ‘I’ll be back with definitive news in a few hours.’
Joao walked him out and as she drew a shaky hand over her forehead, Saffie heard them talking in low murmurs. Five minutes later he was back.
‘Should I ask what you were talking about?’
Hawk-like eyes watched her as he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over a silk-covered chair. ‘This is new territory for us. I was merely arming myself with the relevant information.’
‘I don’t see why. This has nothing to do with you. Besides, I’m aware of what to expect so you don’t need to trouble yourself.’ She started to rise.
His face, already tightening from her words, stiffened further as he came towards her. ‘Sit back down, por favor, and explain to me why you think this has nothing to do with me?’
‘I can’t. Your meeting with the Shanghai team is in forty-five minutes.’
‘I cancelled it two minutes ago.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we have a
more pressing situation to deal with, don’t you think?’
There it was again, that peculiar note that made alarm tingle at the back of her head.
‘You heard the doctor. We... I won’t have confirmation for three or four hours. Besides, even if I am, being pregnant isn’t a debilitating condition.’
‘It is when you barely ate last night and reported that you’ve thrown up twice this morning. I’ve instructed the butler to bring you some tea. In the meantime, you will explain what you meant.’
His dark, implacable tone caused a small quake inside her. ‘You don’t want children, Joao. It doesn’t feature in your grand plan, remember. But I do.’ Her hand crept over her stomach in silent wonder, even while her heart thundered at Joao’s continued fierce expression.
He didn’t answer for a long minute. ‘There’s a vast difference between imagination and reality, querida,’ he breathed softly. ‘For instance, I imagined that my own circumstances with my father would be different than they are today. Equally, I imagined that this...fever in my blood where you’re concerned would have abated by now.’
While she sucked in a stunned breath, he continued. ‘But while I’m willing to let go of the one thing, I fully intend to claim the other. Do you understand me?’
She shook her head, almost too afraid to grasp his meaning. ‘No. I don’t.’
‘Let me be clear. I may not have wanted a child but, confronted with the reality of it, you can rest assured that there is no way I will relinquish my claim on my blood.’