And just like that she felt her stomach flip over, images from the night they’d spent together exploding inside her head like popping corn. Suddenly her whole body was quivering, and it was all she could do not to lean over and kiss him, to give in to that impulse to taste and touch that beautiful mouth once again—
Taking a quick breath, she dragged her eyes away from him, ignoring the sparks scattering over her skin.
‘You said you wanted to finish this, Ram, but we can’t,’ she said hoarsely. ‘Because it never started. It was just a one-night stand, remember?’
‘Oh, I remember every single moment of that night. As I’m sure you do, Nola.’
His eyes gleamed, and instantly her pulse began to accelerate.
‘But this isn’t about just one night anymore. Our one-night stand has got long-term consequences.’ He gestured towards her stomach.
‘But not for you.’ She looked up at him stubbornly, her blue eyes wide with frustration. ‘Whatever connection we had, it ended a long time ago.’
‘Given that you’re pregnant with my child, that would seem to be a little premature and counter-intuitive,’ he said softly. ‘But I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by continuing this discussion now.’ He grimaced. ‘Or here. I suggest we leave it for a day or two. I can take you back to the city—I have an apartment there you can use as a base—and I’ll talk to my lawyers, get some kind of intermediate financial settlement set up.’
Nola gazed at him blankly.
Apartment? Financial settlement?
What was he talking about?
This wasn’t about money. This was about what was best for their child, and Ram was not father material. A f
ather should be consistent, compassionate, and capable of making personal sacrifices for the sake of his child. But Ram was just not suited to making the kinds of commitment and sacrifices expected and required by parenthood.
She had no doubt that financially he would be generous, but children needed more than money. They needed to be loved. To be wanted.
Memories of her own father and his lack of interest filled her head, and suddenly she couldn’t meet Ram’s eyes. Her father had been a workaholic. For him, business had come first, and if he’d had any time and energy left after a working day he’d chosen to spend it either out entertaining clients or with one of his many mistresses. Home-life, his wife and his daughter, had been right at the bottom of his agenda—more like a footnote, in fact.
Being made to feel so unimportant had blighted her childhood. As an adult, too, she had struggled to believe in herself. It had taken a long time, her friendship with Anna, and a successful career to overcome that struggle. And it was a struggle she was determined her child would never have to face.
But what was the point of telling Ram any of that? He wouldn’t understand. How could he? It was not as if he’d ever doubted himself or felt that he wasn’t good enough.
‘No,’ she said huskily. ‘That’s not going to happen.’ She was shaking her head but her eyes were fixed on his face. ‘I don’t want your money, Ram, or your apartment. And I’m sorry if this offends your romantic sensibilities, but I don’t want you in my baby’s life just because we spent eight hours on a sofa in your office.’
Recognising his own words, Ram felt a swirling, incoherent fury surge up inside him. Wrong, he thought savagely. She had belonged to him that night, and now she was carrying his baby part of her would belong to him for ever.
Leaning back, he let his eyes roam over her face, his body responding with almost primeval force to her flushed cheeks and resentful pout even as his mind plotted his next move.
What mattered most was keeping her in Australia, and losing his temper would only make her more determined to leave. So, reining in his anger, he stretched out his legs and gazed at her calmly.
‘Sadly for you, that decision is not yours to make. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m pretty sure that it’s paternity, not romantic sensibilities, that matters to a judge. But why don’t you call your lawyer just to make sure?’
It wasn’t true but judging by the flare of fear in her eyes, Nola’s knowledge of parental rights was clearly based on law procedural dramas not legal expertise. Nola could hardly breathe. Panic was strangling her. Why was he suddenly talking about lawyers and judges?
‘Wh-Why are you doing this?’ she stammered. ‘I know you’re angry with me for not telling you about the baby, and I understand that. But you have to understand that you’re the reason I didn’t say anything.’
‘Oh, I see. So it’s my fault you didn’t tell me?’
He was speaking softly, but there was no mistaking the dangerous undertone curling through his words.
‘My fault that you deliberately chose to avoid me at the office today? And I suppose it’ll be my fault, too, when my child grows up without a father and spends the rest of his life feeling responsible—’
He broke off, his face hardening swiftly.
She bit her lip. ‘No, of course not. I just meant that from everything you said before I didn’t think you’d want to know. So I made a choice.’
Ram could hear the slight catch in her voice but he ignored it. Whatever he’d said before was irrelevant now. This baby was real. And it was his. Besides, nothing he’d said in the past could excuse her lies and deceit.