As much as I hated it, platonic was the way to go for now. Especially if Delilah wanted to keep her hidden persona at the company.
“You know if we don’t tell anyone, the women at the company will keep hitting on me,” I said.
“That’s just what happens. Just because I’m going to blow up like a blimp doesn’t mean your life stops,” Delilah said.
“Now hold on a second. This is veering very far off course. I’m not dating anyone while a woman is pregnant with my children. What kind of man do you think I am?” I asked.
“The kind of man who is honestly shocked that unprotected sex put him in this position.”
“Most women I screw around with are protected,” I said.
“Yet you were pompous enough to not ask.”
“And you were too secretive to not tell me.”
I watched her recoil from the table, her chair scooting out as she stood. Shit. I’d stuck my fucking foot in my face. My eyes darted over to the waiter as Delilah made her way for the door, so I threw a few hundred dollar bills onto the table before I left. I followed her out the door, my eye
s hooked onto the swaying of her hips as her dress billowed out behind her.
Those sensual, beautiful hips would grow aching and wide with the weight of my children.
“Delilah, wait,” I said.
“I was protected,” she said with a hiss. “But the pill is still only ninety eight percent accurate. And I didn’t have it with me that night to take.”
“Is that why you left?” I asked.
Her eyes whipped up to mine as I grabbed her arm and led her over into the shadows.
“What are you doing?” she asked. “Let go of me.”
“If you didn’t know about the pregnancy when we were emailing the day you got back, then this isn’t what you wanted to talk about. This wasn’t your original reason for getting together. So what was it?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said.
“It always matters, Delilah. In the world of business or pleasure, things like this always matter,” I said.
I watched her draw in a deep breath as she folded her arms around her. Even in the summer, a breeze shooting through the shadows could chill someone’s arms. I shrugged my suit jacket off and wrapped it around her, watching her shivering die down slowly. Her eyes connected with my chest, studying how my suit tapered against my body.
At any other moment, I would’ve captured her lips within mine just for that gesture. But now was not the time.
Nowhere near it.
“I wanted to talk with you about why I left that morning,” Delilah said.
“Then we might as well. Why were you gone when I woke up?” I asked.
She shook her head as tears rose to her eyes again.
“I’m so fucking done with crying,” she said with a whisper.
“Impressive. I didn’t know you cussed,” I said.
“I didn’t know I did a lot of things until I met you. Like sleeping with a stranger on the first date. Or sleeping with my boss.”
She spat the last part. Like it was some dirty secret she was ashamed of.
“You were ashamed you had slept with me, weren’t you?” I asked.