He cupped her elbow and guided her out of the locker room and through the back entrance of the hotel into the street. Her body was limp, her demeanour passive. The fight had drained out of her. He would have been more pleased if his concern for her well-being wasn’t starting to gag him. Was it normal for pregnant women to be so fragile?
Yes, it was.
Fear knifed through his gut at the thought of his mother.
He whistled for a passing cab, which skidded to a stop at the kerb. He helped her in then climbed in behind her, giving the name of his hotel to the driver. It was only a few streets away, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
She scooted to the other side of the bench seat, to stare out of the window into the night. He saw her brush a lone tear from her cheek, her face illuminated by the passing cars and the neon signs of the Strand as the cab arrived at their destination, the landmark six-star art deco hotel where he kept a suite whenever he was in town.
He stepped out of the cab and paid the driver, then took her elbow again when she climbed out. He signalled a bellboy.
The teenager shot over. ‘Yes, Mr Durand, how can I help you?’
‘I need un obstétricien to come to my suite immediately. Ask the concierge to contact the hotel doctor to find the best available at this hour. Money is no object,’ he said, giving the boy a twenty-pound tip before the kid shot off towards the concierge’s desk.
Cara’s arm tensed in his as he led her through the lobby to the lifts, but she didn’t resist him.
‘I already have a doctor, Maxim,’ she said, the exhaustion in her voice so apparent now he decided not to resist his instincts any longer. He scooped her into his arms and carried her into the lift, ignoring her efforts to protest.
‘Bien,’ he said, stabbing the button to the penthouse. ‘Now you will have two doctors.’
‘Your girlfriend is healthy but undernourished, Mr Durand, and exhausted. I’ve given he
r a supply of vitamins, but what she needs most right now is rest. And someone to make sure she eats three square meals a day. No more working on her feet for hours would also be a good idea,’ the doctor said, giving Maxim a judgemental look.
He ignored it. He didn’t care what the obstetrician thought of him, as long as she could reassure him that Cara was well.
The doctor packed the last of her instruments into her bag. ‘Your child is certainly much livelier than its mother at the moment. It has a firm, steady heartbeat and quite an impressive kick.’
‘It kicks?’ he asked, the words catching in his throat as his heart somersaulted in his chest. He’d been trying not to think too much about the baby.
The doctor smiled. ‘Your child is very active and big for dates, from what I can tell by touch. Cara says she missed her last prenatal appointment.’ The doctor sighed as she snapped the bag closed. ‘Apparently she overslept.’ The woman shot him the same judgemental look, probably wondering why a man as rich as he was had allowed the mother of his child to work long into the night for the minimum wage.
Maxim tried not to care what the doctor thought of him. Cara would no longer be risking her health working dead-end jobs. She might not have wanted him to support her, but everything had changed. He had a responsibility to her now that he had no intention of shirking, so he was going to give her no choice in the matter.
She was coming to live in Burgundy with him, as soon as he could make arrangements for them to be married. He’d considered the pros and cons of the arrangement while the doctor examined Cara and he could see no other solution that would satisfy him. He couldn’t trust her not to risk her health and well-being. And—while he doubted he would ever be capable of having a relationship with this child—he refused to allow it to be born without his name.
The doctor passed him her card. ‘If you want to bring her to the clinic tomorrow we can do a proper blood workup and an ultrasound scan to give the baby a thorough check. But, for the moment, I’d suggest leaving her alone to get a good night’s sleep.’
The implication was clear in the doctor’s stern expression—no sex tonight. Perhaps she had heard of his ‘insatiable appetites’ from the tabloid press. While he had earned that reputation in the past, the doctor’s stern look was ironic now, given that he hadn’t had the inclination to touch any other woman since he had left Cara’s bed five months ago.
‘Do not worry, I have no intention of demanding any sexual favours from Cara tonight,’ he said.
Or ever, he thought as he stuffed the doctor’s card into his back pocket, the sting of guilt unmistakable.
Having Cara in his arms earlier, as he’d carried her into the suite, had caused a string of conflicting, confusing and contradictory emotions but even he could not deny the relentless surge of desire.
How could he have become aroused so easily? When she had been so fragile. Exhausted by a pregnancy which he had failed to prevent. Perhaps he wasn’t that unlike his father after all. The thought sickened him, bringing back memories of his mother, and giving him an even more compelling reason to insist on marriage. He would not abandon the mother of his child while her health was at risk, the way his father had abandoned his mother.
‘Mr Durand, please don’t misconstrue what I said.’ To his surprise, the doctor paused at the door, her face a picture of empathy. And understanding. ‘I didn’t intend to imply sexual intercourse between you is dangerous. It’s not. As long as you’re both willing, many couples continue sexual relations well into the third trimester. And, as I said, Ms Evans is healthy. She just needs a good rest. I think it would be wise, though, for you to bring her into the Harley Street clinic tomorrow so we can do an ultrasound.’
‘You feel this is necessary?’ Maxim asked, unable to hide his anxiety.
‘Not necessary, but desirable,’ the doctor said, touching his arm. ‘To put both your minds at rest. It’s not unusual for men to experience a loss of libido when their partner becomes pregnant. But I can assure you the changes to Cara’s body are all perfectly natural.’
‘Okay,’ he said, feeling like a fraud. The doctor had misunderstood. A loss of libido was not the problem. ‘I will bring Cara to the clinic tomorrow,’ he added reluctantly.
He didn’t want to think too much about the child just yet. Only Cara. But ensuring all was completely safe with the pregnancy made sense. Especially given the answering desire he’d seen in her eyes today.