She probably wasn’t even pregnant yet, so they still had a long time together, and it was possible he’d be tired of her by the time she gave birth. He would get her out of his system by then. Although, at the moment, he couldn’t imagine that ever happening.
When he didn’t answer, she added, “You told me the baby would be mine to raise without interference from you. That is still the plan, isn’t it? I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
He cleared his throat before he shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
“I need to get back to work. I have tons to do. You weren’t kidding when you said your temps had fallen behind.”
He opened his mouth to say something, anything just to get her to stay in his office, but she was already gone.That girl is hiding something from me.
The question was, what?
Chapter Thirteen
Two weeks later, Katie pushed hair out of her face with the back of one hand while stirring a pot of chili with the other. She’d been working on it for hours, carefully following the recipe to the letter. According to Chase’s mother, it was one of his favorite dishes. Cooking wasn’t something she enjoyed doing, but she’d learned the basics before marrying Phillip. Unfortunately, illness struck too soon, and he’d lost his appetite before she could impress him with her culinary skills.
Clearing her throat to unclog the emotions threatening to choke her, she banished all thought of Phillip to the back of her mind. Today was a day of celebration, not of sadness. She planned to tell Chase about the baby after a candlelight dinner. Men were easier to deal with when they had a full stomach. Her mum had taught her that.
The front door slammed, and she jumped. “Hello?”
Chase came through the living area to the kitchen with a bouquet of red roses clutched in one hand. Another surprise. She wondered what she’d done to deserve such special treatment. Maybe he was just relieved not to have another temp sitting at her desk. The flowers came with a vase, which was good since she didn’t figure he had one in the apartment. Bachelors usually didn’t.
“Beautiful.” She set them on the counter and gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
“You’rebeautiful.”
“I wish you would have called.”
He chuckled. “I thought I was supposed to call if I’m running late, not if I’m early.”
“I was hoping to have dinner done. It’s your second favorite.”
He blinked. “How do you know what my favorites are?”
“Your mother called earlier.”
He sighed. “What did she want?”
“She was just checking in to see how I’m doing, so I asked about your favorite dinner. Steak and potatoes, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.” A slow grin stretched his mouth and showed off his stunning smile. “I know. Not very original, huh? My third favorite is lasagna, if that makes me more interesting to you.”
She dipped a spoon into the chili and blew on it as she lifted it high enough for him to taste. “Hope I got this right. Your mother gave me her recipe.”
He held her hand steady. Their gazes locked, and he ate the offered food off the spoon. His smile reached his eyes, and they crinkled in an endearing way. “It’s good, but it’s not my mother’s recipe. She doesn’t cook. This was actually my nanny’s chili.”
“Did I get it right?”
“Needs a touch more chili powder.”
She opened a cabinet to get the spice.
“Why do you avoid the bed when we have sex?”
Her head snapped around, and she bumped it on the open cabinet door. “Ow!” She glared at him. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” He folded his arms across his broad chest. “I realized the other day that you must be allergic to our bed. We never use it for its secondary purpose.”
She forced what she hoped was a disarming smile. “I had no idea you were dissatisfied with our love life.”