AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We need to buy a proper home,” he announced, filling their water glasses.
“I heard a business associate is selling his town house down the street from me. It actually has a yard. Maybe we should take a look at it.”
Her hand paused midway to her water glass. “I’m not living in Chelsea.”
“A fifteen-million-dollar townhome isn’t good enough for you?”
“Not if I’m bumping into your castoffs in the park.”
His mouth quirked. She’d be shocked at how few of those women he’d taken to bed. Everyone would.
“My discards won’t be strolling in the park at midday.”
“I’m not living in Chelsea, Coburn.”
“And I’m not living on the East Side. Maybe we split it down the middle and go somewhere neutral? The Upper West Side perhaps?”
Lucie set their salads down in front of them. The scowl disappeared from Diana’s face long enough for her to give the cook a smile. It disappeared when she left. “I need to think about it. It needs to be somewhere central for me for work.”
“You don’t have a job. And you won’t for a few years to come.”
“You’ve decided that, have you?” She picked up her fork and pointed it at him. “I have a career, Coburn. I’ve spent fourteen years studying to become a surgeon. Maybe you should stay home and I should work.”
“And that would make sense since you just quit your job, you’re the one having the baby who’ll need the recovery time and I just took the job as CEO of a multibillion-dollar company.”
“You’re the one preaching sacrifice.”
“Not on this. Yes you will go back to work, but the early years for a child are crucial. You know that better than anyone. You can go back to work when they’re in grade school.”
“Grade school? That would kill my career. Who’s going to want to hire me after five years away from the knife?”
“What’s the alternative? Do you want our child to be raised by a nanny?”
A flush filled her cheeks. “I don’t know. I need more time to think about it.”
“I do. I was raised by a succession of nannies. My father worked every waking hour of the day and my mother spent all her time laying the charitable groundwork to be a politician’s wife. I will not have our child raised like that. We will be emotionally and physically present for him or her.”
Her hand fisted on the table. “Me working doesn’t preclude that.”
“Yes it does. Your job is all consuming and you know it.”
“I can work part-time.”
“And how does that work out for most of the surgeons you know? Then comes the phone call at two in the morning and you’re out the door. You need to be realistic here.”
“Coburn—”
“It’s not happening. You have to start acknowledging your limits, Diana. Now.”
She blinked hard and stared down at her plate. He watched her in astonishment. Were those tears? Tears of anger or real tears?
She looked up at him. The stormy expression in her ebony eyes gave him his answer. “I found out a week ago that my life as I know it is going to change irrevocably. I gave up my dream in Africa because of it and have agreed to give this marriage a shot for the sake of this baby. But if you continue to push me like this, I will walk the minute we set foot in New York and you will be talking to me through our lawyers.”
He took in the defiant angle of her chin. The fierce glitter in her eyes. She meant it. “All right,” he said, holding up a hand. “I’ll back off, I promise. But we need to make these decisions soon. Finding a house in New York is going to take time.”
“Wrapping my head around all this is going to take time. Give me some space.”
He proved he could by making small talk throughout the rest of the meal and ensuring she put food in her mouth, albeit a small amount. By the time they got to dessert, she looked as if she was going to fall asleep in her seat. When her eyelids closed for the third time in a minute, he pushed back his chair and stood up. “Bedtime.”
Her eyes flew open.
“For you,” he drawled. “Although you know I am available whenever you have the urge.”
She scowled at him and stood. Swayed slightly. He stepped to her side with a lightning-quick reflex and slid an arm around her waist. “What’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering closed in a far-too-pale face. “I just stood up too fast.”
