“Stop making fun of me.”
He wiped his mouth, tossed his napkin on the table, and stood. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“We’re going to bed.”
Heat infused her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to her half-eaten dinner. A little thrill tingled across her skin. He still wanted to have sex with her even though she was pregnant and the job was done. That gave her hope. She’d only told him part of the truth; the whole truth would scare him and possibly send him running back to the city.
On the other hand, she didn’t like it that he was determined to force the issue.
“Why is it so important to you that we do it in a bed?” she asked.
“Why is it so important to you that we don’t? Is this about Phillip? Did you and Phillip always have sex in bed so now you feel like we can’t? Been there, done that?”
She leaped to her feet. “Go to hell!”
An epiphany hit her hard. It didn’t matter they weren’t having sex in a bed because the damage was already done. The realization sent her racing from the room before he could see it on her face.
“Katie, I didn’t mean...”
She ran upstairs without giving him a moment to protest or to question her further. Somehow, she managed to keep the tears in until she locked the bedroom door and sagged against it. She caught an anguished sob with a trembling hand. Her emotions were all over the place. At once she floated on the highest cloud and plunged down to the deepest low. A single frightening thought ran through her head on instant replay.
She was in love with her boss.
But he didn’t love her.
♥♥♥
She woke with a smile on her face. Yesterday, after her argument with Chase over the bed, he had apologized and then repeatedly made it up to her on the living room sofa. Her arm bumped another arm and she froze.Chase! He hadn’t gotten up for his early morning workout. It was the first time she’d awakened with him next to her, and it was unsettling.
They were in bed together. Rolling her eyes, she had a silent chat with herself. Waking up next to her husband shouldn’t shock her to the point of heart palpitations. They were married, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. She wondered if she could wrap herself in a blanket and make it to the bathroom without waking him. The idea of her being embarrassed to have him see her naked after hours of sweet lovemaking seemed absurd, but she couldn’t shake the panicky feeling in her gut, fight or flight. She was ready to run.
As if he sensed her distress, his arm came to rest around her middle. She turned her head slowly to look at him to check if he was still asleep. Half his face was buried in the pillow next to hers. His eyes were closed, and a soft snore emerged from his parted lips. If he wasn’t sleeping, he did a great job pretending.
She tried to slip out from under his arm so she could sneak off to the bathroom, but it tightened around her.
Careful not to disturb him, she turned on her side. Being able to study his facial features without return scrutiny was a gift. In the two years spent working for Chase, she’d rarely looked directly at him for any length of time. His thick eyelashes were the envy of women everywhere, but his other features were totally masculine.
“Tell me about the baby,” he said, startling her.
“W-what?” When did he wake up? Her heart thundered in her chest. “What do you mean? What do you want to know?”
He came up on his elbow, and the sheet slipped, exposing his upper torso. Smooth skin, a golden tan, and well-defined abs, Chase had the kind of body women drooled over. Looking at him made it difficult to think, so she looked at her fingernails instead. She needed a manicure. A couple of her nails were chipped, and they hadn’t been polished since her impulsive race to the altar.
“How far along are you?” he asked.
The question caught her off guard, and her mind went blank. How long did the doctor say? She searched hard for the memory. She was sure the doctor had told her eight weeks and that was two weeks ago. “A little over two months,” she said.
The doctor had done a quick ultrasound so she could see how far along Katie was, and Chase had missed that. From what he’d said before, she didn’t think he would be interested. She decided not to mention that in case it upset him.
“Are you okay? I mean, do we need to take any precautions? Should you stop work and stay home?”
“Whoa.” She held both hands up to stop his flow of questions. “Most pregnant women work up to the delivery, and I couldn’t be healthier. The doctor says everything looks good.”
He leaped out of bed without warning, completely nude, and she averted her eyes, but not fast enough to keep from seeing everything. Her cheeks burned. The next time she looked his way, he was wearing pants. He didn’t bother with a shirt which was fine with her because she loved staring at his six-pack.
“I’ve never done this before, so I need information,” he said. “When is your next appointment? When are you having your first sonogram? Is that what it’s called? I want to be there for that.” He rubbed his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut as if he was getting a headache. “And what about prenatal vitamins? Do we need to get you some of those?”