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‘Of course not!’ Carrie snapped. ‘I would never do something like that!’
‘Then why the pretence?’ Nik asked furiously. ‘Why did you tell me in Menorca that you were protected?’
‘I didn’t!’ Carrie gasped. Then clamped her hand over her mouth. A look of realisation flashed across her face as she suddenly recalled their conversation in the hotel room.
‘You said we didn’t have to worry about protection.’ Nik stared at her. She looked pale and fragile, but at that moment all he felt was anger.
‘I meant that it wasn’t a problem because I never planned to sleep with you,’ Carrie said, biting her lower lip and meeting his eyes with a cloudy green gaze. ‘I’m sorry you misunderstood.’
‘It’s too late now. The damage is done,’ Nik bit out, his voice uncompromisingly severe. ‘Are you pregnant or not?’
‘How would I know?’ Carrie cried. ‘It’s not entirely my fault, you know! If you hadn’t been so relentless this would never have happened.’ She paused for breath, pushing her black fringe back from her eyes. ‘I’m late—very late. But as I can’t go shopping to buy a pregnancy test I can’t say for certain.’
‘You’ll see the doctor this afternoon—as soon as possible,’ Nik said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his mobile phone. It was unbearable not knowing.
‘No!’ Carrie’s voice was firm, and she was standing with her hands on her hips in a determined posture. ‘I’m not seeing a doctor—not yet. I want the freedom and privacy to find t
his out for myself.’
Nik put his phone down and looked at her through narrowed eyes.
‘I want a home pregnancy test,’ she said with conviction.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
AN UNEXPECTED numbness crept over Carrie as she watched the blue line appear on the test strip. But it only confirmed what she already knew in her heart. She was pregnant. She stood up stiffly to go to Nik. There was no reason to delay telling him the result.
She found him in his study. She paused at the open door, watching him standing by the large picture window. He hadn’t seen her approach and was staring intently at the mountainous view.
Tension was evident in every line of his body, and in profile his face showed an expression that was as rigid as the rest of him.
Her heart started to patter, and she had the urge to back away, but at that exact moment he turned to look at her.
‘Do you have the result?’ His eyes were riveted on her and his voice was as hard as his body language
‘Yes.’ She walked into the study and closed the door. Soon the household would know, but for now she’d protect their privacy.
‘Sit down,’ he said, indicating two leather armchairs close to the window.
Carrie crossed the room and perched on the edge of one of the chairs. Nik sat down opposite. He drew his brows down so that his eyes were cast into shadow and his long fingers tightened on the arms of his leather chair.
She took a breath and, still holding his gaze, steeled herself to speak.
‘It was positive.’ She spoke clearly, but there was a slight tremor in her voice. ‘I’m pregnant.’
She watched him, waiting for his response—but he said nothing.
A second later he stood up and walked out of the room.
Carrie stared after him in shock.
She’d expected him to be angry—she’d already seen that earlier—but she hadn’t expected to glimpse the expression of pure horror that had flashed across his face as he left. He’d looked utterly appalled.
She stared at the empty doorway, feeling curiously detached from the situation. She was pregnant—her life was going to change for ever. And the man she was supposed to share it with had just walked out.
Carrie sat on a log in the shade, under a particularly large and ancient olive tree. The ground was covered with a layer of tiny white star-shaped flowers that had fallen from the gnarled branches, and Danny was picking them up and placing them in her outstretched hand.
It was a magical place for a child to play. The warm shade enclosed them and the lapping water just across the sweeping arc of pebbles glittered with the promise of even more fun still to be had. But Carrie wasn’t enjoying herself as much as Danny.
