‘We’ll need to find out for sure,’ he snapped.
‘And I will.’Sheneeded to get away from him. She needed space and time to think. But how was she going to get that? Her anger sparked back. ‘Meanwhile, it shouldn’t stop me from working.’
She could think while working. When doing mundane, repetitive tasks, she’d be able to process this slowly and somewhat privately. She wouldn’t spiral into a full-blown panic, which frankly Roman’s presence only aggravated.
‘You’re on a moving train with movable parts. There’s a higher risk of falls and injury,’ he said coldly. ‘Besides which, it was in the contract you signed.’
The fine print she hadn’t read closely enough. ‘So you terminate the employment of any pregnant employee?’ She flared angrily.
‘Of course not. Pregnant employees are assigned to other duties for the duration of their pregnancy,’ he said. ‘No one should ever feel the need to hide their status from us. We also have a period of paid parental leave. We’re a leading employer on that issue.’
‘Oh, wow, ten points to you,’ she muttered. ‘But what about short-term contract workers?’
He hesitated.
Yeah. She wasn’t a permanent employee. She’d been hired only for this month. Temporary cover. Only because she’d met that manager and they’d got talking. ‘How do you expect them to get another steward in such a short time? They were short as it was. That’s why they hired me.’
‘I’m sure Colson is capable of working it out.’
Butshereally had nowhere else to go and not enough funds to generate options. Plus, she’dwantedto go on this journey. She’d wanted to experience—even in a back-room way—the luxury of the train and see the majestic views of this vast country...
And then there were the ramifications of the result that she couldn’t bear to think about just yet.Pregnant?That image of a cherubic infant swam before her eyes.
‘Sit down,’ Roman said sharply.
‘No.’ But the ground beneath her feet had turned to jelly.
She heard a feral mutter and next minute she wasn’t just swaying, she was being swung in the air, and then the world went black.
It took a few moments for her to realise the blackness was because her face was pressed to his broad, black-tee-shirt-covered chest. His arms were strong and he was carrying her as if she were weightless. He marched along the corridor, shoving the doors back with more force than necessary. Illicit delight surged. She tried to deny it—and him.
‘I can walk,’ she said. ‘Put me down.’
‘I don’t feel like it,’ he growled.
‘You can’t just do whatever you feel like doing.’
‘Watch me.’
He carried her all the way back to the carriage she’d entered less than half an hour ago.
‘You’re really staying in the Presidential Suite?’
‘Of course. I’m the president of the company.’ The door closed behind him.
But he still didn’t put her down. He took five more paces and sat on the sofa, keeping her in his arms, so now she was across his lap, his hold was still strong and she hadn’t the resistance to push away from him. Heaven help her, she felt safe. And she felt...
‘You can’t be the boss of this,’ she snapped, sucking back her concentration. ‘You can’t own all of this.’
‘Why not?’
‘You’re too young.’
He gazed at her intently. ‘You really didn’t recognise my name that night?’
‘Why would I?’
‘You were working in a store right next door to Fraser Holdings. You know, the really big building? You didn’t work it out?’