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It was rough and dangerous and left him with one burning question that needed answering.
What on earth was Miranda doing, living in a place like this?
It seemed that the longer he spent with her, the less he knew about her life.
‘Thanks for the lift.’ She undid her seat belt but his hand closed over hers before she could open the door.
‘Not so fast.’ Her hand was slender and cold and he felt it tremble slightly under the pressure of his. Suddenly he knew she was hiding something. Something big. ‘I’ll see you to your door.’
‘There’s really no need. I can—’
‘I’ll see you to your door.’ His mouth set in a grim line, Jake released her hand, opened his own door and walked round the car to help her out. ‘Or are you afraid that your partner is going to give me a black eye?’
He was testing her reaction because he’d come to the conclusion the previous night that she didn’t have a partner, and his suspicions were proved correct as she hesitated fractionally and then her slim shoulders sagged.
‘I’m on my own.’ Her voice was so soft he could barely hear her. ‘No one is going to give you a black eye. But I still don’t need you to walk me to the door.’
‘Indulge me.’ In fact, she looked so exhausted he wondered whether he should carry her, but he managed to stand aside as she walked towards the steps and led him up two flights.
‘This is where I live.’ She took a key out of her pocket. ‘Thanks for bringing me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
She pushed open the door and he caught a brief glimpse of damp patches and threadbare carpet.
It was enough to make up his mind. There was no way he was leaving her here without at least understanding what was going on.
He followed her into the room, resisting her feeble attempts to close the door on him with a gentle push of his shoulders. Once inside, his gaze bordered on the incredulous as he glanced around the gloomy room. ‘What are you doing, living in a place like this?’ He winced suddenly, aware that his words were insulting, but then he decided that there was absolutely no way that she could possibly think that her living conditions were anything other than awful.
It explained a great deal. It explained why she’d hesitated over using the word ‘home’. No one in their right mind would refer to this flat as ‘home’.
She lifted her chin. ‘It’s fine.’
He eyed the huge damp patch on the wall. ‘Miranda, it’s miserable.’
‘I’m saving my money. And now I’d like you to leave, please, because—’
‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He pushed the door shut behind him and noticed that it made very little difference to the freezing temperature. The place bordered on the uninhabitable.
‘Jake—’
‘I can’t believe you’re living here. And I’m not leaving until you tell me why.’
She sighed. ‘It’s cheap.’
‘I can believe it.’ His expression was grim as he stared at the carpet. ‘Is that the most important factor? Why do you need to save your money? Why isn’t he supporting you?’
‘Who?’
‘The guy who made you pregnant. You might not still be with him, but at the very least he has a responsibility towards his child.’ Anger tore through him and suddenly he wanted to plant his fist through the damp, mouldy walls.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘I don’t need anyone’s support, Jake. I can look after myself.’
‘But it’s not just you, is it, Miranda?’ His eyes dropped to the smooth swell of her stomach. ‘It’s the baby, too.’
‘The baby is fine and, please, don’t judge me. You don’t know anything about me and you couldn’t possible understand.’
‘I happen to want to understand. Did he leave you?’ He knew that he probably shouldn’t be asking but he couldn’t help himself. He just knew that he couldn’t leave her here like this. ‘Is that what happened?’
She dragged off her coat and dropped it on the bed. ‘Why do you care?’
