‘You need to come back to the hotel,’ he growled.
She leaned against the door and a fresh flush covered her face. Not lust this time; it was shame. He hated it.
‘I told you it wouldn’t make any difference,’ she said.
He’d not kissed her to convince her to agree to anything monumental. He’d just wanted her. He’d needed to feel her strength and vitality.
‘I need to concentrate on work.’ She pulled her wet polo shirt away from her.
He just wanted to rip it right off her. ‘You can’t work this weekend.’
‘Don’t dictate.’ Her eyes flashed.
He clenched his jaw.
‘I’m not abandoning my team. It’s not a home race. They can’t just call up a replacement all that easily. I’mfineto keep working.’ She looked at him accusingly. ‘Until you have the results of the paternity test we’ve not even done, you can’t have any influence over me whatsoever.’
‘I know what the result will be. I know there hasn’t been anyone since me.’
‘How do you know that?’ Colour swarmed into her cheeks all over again. ‘Have you been spying on me somehow? Spent the night trying to dig up dirt?’
‘Am I wrong?’ He spread his hands around her waist, almost amused by her transparency, and knew he was not wrong. He could feel her trembling, see the embarrassment in her eyes, and the vulnerability tugged the truth from him. ‘You’re the only woman I’ve slept with in ages. Like you, I’m a workaholic and I like it that way.’
Her hazel eyes widened but her flush receded, leaving her too pale again. She was so delicately pretty.
‘What about that princess?’ she mumbled.
‘Who?’ He frowned, not comprehending.
‘That princess in Belgium.’
His brain ticked slowly. Celine. The garage tour. ‘You thought? Oh.’ He suppressed his chuckle when he saw her spark. ‘No.No.’
She stared into his face—assessing and untrusting.
‘It’s up to you whether or not you believe me,’ he added softly. ‘But I promise I’ve not slept with anyone since you. There wasn’t anyone for a while before you, either.’
Her anger—jealousy—was quite on display and helped ease the last of his tension from seeing her out there in that damned rain. They might have problems, but they definitely had chemistry, too. Maybe it would help them get through this initial upheaval.
Her teeth pressed on her lower lip. ‘When we get back to England, we have the test done. Meanwhile, we get through the weekend. No one needs to know anything different.’
She was absurdly bothered about people knowing things. Unfortunately, he’d just hauled her off the track in front of everyone. He’d not gotten to where he was by waiting around for opportunities to reveal themselves. He went after them. He made them happen. He needed to move swiftly before the troubles deepened now. ‘We need to make arrangements sooner than that.’
‘Afterthe race,’ she said. ‘I might be one of fifty mechanics and not the singular oh-so-important CEO of everything, but myworkmatters to me. Don’t stop me from it. It’s all I have.’
All?He stilled. She really knew how to make him feel like a bastard. What had happened to make work everything in her life? What had shelostfor it to have become so all consuming? Because in his very personal experience, an imbalance like this was a result of something missing.
He watched her, knowing it was going to take a while to work out, but he had the resources to restore whatever it was she now lacked. She wouldn’t suffer more because of this. Which is why they needed to take the time to talk this through. But she was never going to respond well to him railroading her.
‘Okay,’ he conceded. ‘Work this weekend but the second the race is over, we talk.’
He would make some arrangements regardless. Having her in his arms again cemented his decision. He’d never wanted a family, he’d never been worthy of a family, but this had happened and honour still mattered.
She nodded. ‘Meanwhile, we keep this quiet.’
That was going to be impossible. ‘There’s no keeping this a secret for long.’ He lightly stroked his palm over her lower belly, unable to resist touching her again. ‘You’re so tiny. It’ll be no time before you start showing.’
He could hardly bear to think of her blooming with their child. It terrified him all over again.
