She regarded him sceptically. ‘But I bet you’re used to everyone saying yes to your every whim.’
‘Should I pay you, then? Treat you like one of my employees?’
‘Of course not. I can’t be bought. I won’t let this baby be bought either.’
‘What makes you think we’re going to be in opposition regarding the child’s future?’ he asked softly. ‘Maybe we’ll want the same things for her.’
Her? Was he thinking of a daughter? She’d thought of a son. A mini-Roman. Holder of her heart. Breaker of it.
Violet’s brain could move lightning-quickly sometimes and now it was fast off on a fantasy. She had visions of a toddler already, a youth...smiles and laughter. She wanted it with such sudden ferocity, she didn’t recognise herself. Equally suddenly, she was so, so afraid of losing it. This might be her one—and only—chance. She had to fight. For her freedom, for her control. She’d waited so long for both those things already.
‘We don’t even know for sure that I am pregnant,’ she said.
‘Not sure you can get false positives.’
‘It shouldn’t be possible,’ she muttered. ‘You used protection. I saw you.’
‘I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know why—’
‘And even if you hadn’t I...’ she interrupted, and then took a deep breath. ‘I’m not sure about my fertility. I don’t know if the treatment...’
He shook her gently in his arms. ‘We’ll get you seen by the best doctors. That’s one thing I won’t compromise on.’
‘You don’t need to—’
‘To what?’
Wrong move. She heard the ice in his question and glanced at him warily. She saw a glimpse of ruthlessness. She paused. She didn’t want to fight with him.
But she already knew what she wanted to do. She had no idea how she was going to make this work but she was having this baby and she didn’t want him—or anyone—taking overherlife. She could manage this.
‘It’s a miracle,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m keeping it.’ Suddenly she couldn’t look at him. ‘You don’t have to...’
‘To what?’ He said it quietly again. Too quietly.
‘I don’t want anything from you.’ She breathed. ‘I don’t expect anything from you.’
‘Too bad, you’re going to get it. Furthermore, I expect things from you too.’
She glanced back up and saw something flicker in his eyes.Not that.He didnotmean that. How could she be confronted by life-changing news yet be so easily distracted by thoughts of kissing him? But he was so close—he was literally surrounding her. His arms were like a cocoon and it would take nothing for her to tilt her chin, press her mouth to his and feel that heady pleasure again.
‘My baby too,’ he said softly, his all but magical eyes boring into hers. ‘My decisions too.’
She swallowed, thinking through her options. She could go home. Only, she didn’t even have the air fare for that and she didn’t want to ask her parents for help. To go home less than six months into her big adventure and pregnant to boot? While her parents would welcome her, they would want to take care of her, give her suchcossetingcare. Over-protectiveness would become smothering and make her feel as if she couldn’t manage on her own...
And maybe she couldn’t. Turned out she couldn’t have a one-night stand without messing that up. But Roman was over-protective too, bossy and authoritative. He was going to take over. She couldn’t let that happen. She needed to breathe. She needed her space.
‘I need to go.’ She wriggled on his lap.
‘You’re not going anywhere. Not without me.’ Roman didn’t want to release her. Now he had her in his arms again, it was the only thing that felt right. Holding her was the only thing soothing the unruly emotion flaring inside right now—and the way she was moving against him... His arms tightened all on their own. And she stilled, staring up at him with her beautiful eyes.
He’d not realised how angry he was. And now that anger was pushing at the walls of his self-control. He wanted to kiss her. Kiss her long, slowly, hard and deeply—until the only word that she could breathe wasyes. He’d been shocked to see her, and even more shocking had been how much of a turn-on that uniform was. He wanted to carry her to the bed and sate his pent-up desire like some caveman not even bothering to get consent.
Not going to happen.
She’d run about two seconds after first seeing him here on the train. Then he’d watched from the window, observing the flurry of activity outside the office. He’d had to find out what was going on, and thank goodness he had.
Pregnant.