“Whitney, are you thinking of a termination? What the fuck does “taking care of it” mean?”
I go pale and my hand unconsciously crawls to my belly, as if protecting the child within.
“No, of course not,” I say quickly. “I would never do that. I want this baby, but I don’t want you to feel trapped. No one expected this, and I don’t want you to think … I don’t know, like you have to be a dad because of this.”
His expression grows stormy.
“Do you really think that little of me?”
I sense danger.
“I’m not sure, Peter. I mean, this is not what you expected when you watched my first cam show. This isn’t what I expected either, but here we are now. Besides, I know you’re a playboy billionaire and I don’t want to cramp your style.”
He literally shakes me a bit now, my head bobbling on my shoulders.
“Cramp my style? Is that how you describe fatherhood? What the fuck is wrong with you, Whit? Seriously, what?”
I shiver a bit, and my face goes pale.
“I just want to do what’s right, Peter. The pregnancy is unexpected, but I’m prepared to be a single mom. I’ll survive. You yourself said that I’m sassy, independent and resourceful. I’ll use these skills to figure it out!”
He’s so angry now that he lets go of me and stalks out of the bathroom. But then he whirls around, and his face is a mask of frustration and anger.
“Whit, I really don’t get it. How can you think I would be anything but thrilled about this? I am totally in love with you and want you to come home. What the hell?”
I stare at him stunned.
“I’m sorry?”
He rubs his hand over his face, like he’s come to the end of his rope.
“I’m in love with you, didn’t you hear? I want you. I want this baby, and all your bullshit is just that: bullshit. Come back to the penthouse with me. Now.”
My body trembles as I stand there, staring at this handsome man. Are his words for real? But those blue eyes meet mine again, and they’re so compelling.
“Whitney, I said now.”
With that, I fall into his arms and break down. I want to go home. I want to be with him forever. He holds me tight and lets me release all the emotions that have been pent up for the last two weeks.
“Whit, I can’t believe you would think those things about me,” he says while rubbing my shoulders.
I just sob harder.
“I don’t know. The pregnancy was just so unexpected, and I didn’t find out until today, and … I just don’t know,” I sob incoherently.
He presses his lips to my forehead, and then stands back to look into my eyes.
“But Whit, what don’t you know? I love you. I’ve loved you for a while now, and I show it at every turn. Couldn’t you tell, even if I didn’t say the words?”
I look up at him, my eyes teary.
“I guess I was just too insecure. I don’t know. My parents came by and they basically called me a whore after I told them about you.”
That jolts Peter to life.
“They said what?”
Immediately, I try to explain.
“Maeve and Donald are good people. They’re not judgmental, it’s just that I’ve been sending them some of the money you gave me, and they realized it wasn’t coming from my store. They confronted me, and I admitted that we met through that cam girl site. I’m sorry! It was so unexpected and I should have lied. I should have made something up about the way we met, but the words just came out.”
He pulls me close to him fiercely, stroking my hair again.
“You are not a whore. Not even close. Your parents are completely wrong.”
I sniffle a bit against his chest.
“I know, and I’m glad you don’t think so. But don’t worry about them. They’ll be fine. They’ll come around because I’m their only child, and besides, I told them I’d fallen in love with you. That justifies everything.”
He pulls back for a moment, his blue eyes searching mine.
“I’m not here for justifications. But do you, Whitney? Do you love me?”
I laugh through my tears.
“Yes, I do. I love you Peter Coleman, and it’s been eating me up inside for the last week. I wanted to tell you, but then there were my parents, and then this pregnancy, and everything got so mixed up.”
He pulls me to his chest again, and I realize he’s breathing fast. This has been an emotional moment for both of us, and I smile through my tears.
“I love you Peter. I love you more than anything, and I want us to be together.”
This time, he doesn’t answer. He merely seizes my mouth in a passionate kiss, and my heart begins to heal. Warmth floods my body and my hands reach around him to lock around his neck.