Her eyes were blazing. “What do you mean? Do I look stupid? I saw your girlfriend. I met her. What was her name? E—”
She didn’t get a chance to finish. He grasped her by the arm, encircled her waist and pulled her to him, cutting off her next words with a kiss. There was no way he would allow that name to besmirch what he had. He was not letting her leave him with that awful impression of him.
He had to make her listen.
He kissed her hard; intensity mingled with desperation and months of longing. She struggled under his grasp, but only for a few seconds. Then she was kissing him back with equal hunger. Opening her mouth to him, welcoming him after such a long time. He placed both hands on her hips and pressed her to him, wanting her to fully understand the effect she was having on him. And by the warmth with which she molded herself to him, he knew that her need matched his.
Then she tore herself out of his arms. “No,” she gasped, struggling to steady herself. “I’m not that kind of woman.”
If he didn’t explain now, she was going to walk out of his life forever; he knew that. “Please, Sienna,” he begged. “Five minutes.Please.”
She pressed her pretty lips together and looked anywhere but at him, but he knew she was listening.
“I promise you, I swear on my life, that there is nothing between me and Éloïse—”
“But she’s having your baby! Plus, she said you’re sleeping with other women.” Sienna was skeptical, and it pained Max to see she thought she was being lied to.
“First, I haven’t slept with anyone but you this year. Second, she is carrying my baby, but not the way you think. In reality, she’s having my brother’s baby, or would have been, had he survived.”
“I’m confused.”
“Let me explain. You see, Julien and my sister-in-law had tried to conceive for the length of their marriage: almost ten years. She would get pregnant, but for some reason, they always ended in miscarriages. Then my brother had an injury while riding his horse that caused him to become infertile. Which set them back. They were heartbroken.”
Sienna’s face softened, but she was still scowling at him. Max knew she was listening. “I was traveling through Asia when he visited me. He wanted me to donate my semen so he could finally have a child. For more than a year, he persisted. His idea was to use donated eggs and my sperm, and to hire a surrogate to carry the baby to full term. I resisted because the entire situation seemed strange. But Julien is my older brother, and I loved him. I finally gave in because I would do anything for him. I had no plans of having children of my own, so it seemed like a good way to extend my lifeline but not have the responsibilities of fatherhood.”
“So, Éloïse is—”
“A surrogate, yes. Sourced and hired by a reputable agency. The procedure was successful on the first try. When Anna and Julien received the positive pregnancy test, they went on the yacht to celebrate and—”
“Died.” Sienna looked both shocked and sad.
“Yes. On the same day they learned they were to become parents.”
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Now, Éloïse is heavily pregnant, about to deliver, and my mother is so desperate to repair her family that she wants me to marry Éloïse and for us raise the baby together.” He shook his head. “But I can’t and won’t marry under those circumstances. And the baby?” He shrugged. “I don’t know if I want the responsibility. I regret donating my sperm.” He centered his attention on her. “And I regret not telling you about it.”
He felt weak, exhausted from his speech, and the anxiety about how she would respond was slicing him up inside.
Her eyes were unreadable, and her face taut with emotions he couldn’t identify. He tried to take her hand, but it was limp and cold in his. “Sienna?” He didn’t want to beg, but… “Please, say something.”
She rubbed her hand across her face. “I think I’d better go now.”
“No—”
“Only for the evening,” she reassured him. “I promised my parents I’d be back to share a meal with them.”
“And us?”
She shook her head wearily. “I don’t know, Max. It’s a lot to take in.”
“It is.” He understood that a lot had transpired between them, and maybe it would be best to let it sit overnight. So, he asked, “Will you see me tomorrow?”
She thought about it awhile and nodded slowly. Reaching into her purse, she withdrew a card and handed it to him. “Call me.” She managed to add with just the tiniest smile, “And please don’t buy any more houses between now and then.”