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His gaze sharpened. “You’re not?”
Well, shoot.Now she had to tell him the truth—didn’t she? She shoved her dessert plate aside, unable to eat another bite of the rich chocolate. She was stuffed from dinner already.
This was the type of meal and the kind of place that catered to film stars and political icons. Trust fund babies and hedge fund managers.
Not for girls whose fathers couldn’t afford field trip fees and patent leather shoes at Christmas.
She used the tines of her fork to draw random patterns on the tablecloth...anything to avoid drowning in jade eyes. “When we were together...in high school...” She swallowed, her throat tight. “It’s true that I didn’t know I was pregnant. I didn’t lie about that.”
“But?” He frowned.
“I wanted to be,” she said baldly. “Sometimes when we had sex, you couldn’t afford condoms, so we took chances. Every one of those times, I hoped the statistics would catch up with us. It’s dumb, I know. Because we both wanted to see the world. But I also desperately wanted to have a baby with you.”
Wynn loosened his tie as if he couldn’t breathe. “You never told me that.”
“I know. And then when I lost the pregnancy, I thought the universe was punishing me for being so stupid. So I’m sorry, Wynn. Sorry I lied by omission. If I had been honest with you about what I wanted, maybe things could have turned out differently.”
He shook his head slowly. “You know that’s not true. You said it yourself. Women have miscarriages all the time.”
“Yes. But what I was really scared of was finding out you didn’t want a baby with me. So I never told you the truth.”
After that, Wynn fell silent. Maybe it was because the waiter brought the check, or maybe she had given Wynn a lot to think about.
When they stepped outside, the air was cold and damp, seeded with tiny pellets of ice. The car was still a block away. Wynn took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She had left her heavy coat in the back seat because it was easier than juggling it.
Wynn put his arm around her as the sleet increased. “Sorry, Fliss. He got caught in the theater crowd.”
“I’m fine.” The truth was, she could have stood there all night with Wynn’s warm body protecting hers. The cold wasn’t cold, and the dark wasn’t dark.
They didn’t speak on the way home. Perhaps because the driver could hear every word. Wynn chatted with his employee briefly, but not to Fliss. She wanted badly to know what he was thinking.
In the elevator at Wynn’s building, Felicity stared at the polished floor, but only after she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrored wall. Beside Wynn, she looked small and defenseless. The beautiful black dress accentuated their differences—Felicity pale and blond, Wynn dark-headed and brooding.
Fortunately, there was a third party to break the ice when they got upstairs. Missy was a delightful young woman. She’d been able to put Ayla down for the night without any problems.
Felicity kicked off her high heels and draped Wynn’s suit jacket over an armchair while Wynn walked Missy downstairs. The driver was waiting to take the babysitter to her home a few miles away.
It would have been easy for Felicity to hide out in her bedroom, but she had to know tomorrow’s details, so she waited for Wynn to return.
When he entered the apartment, he gave her an odd look. “I didn’t expect to see you,” he said.
“Thank you for dinner. It was amazing.”
“So polite,” he mocked. “Is that all you want to say?”
“I waited for you because I don’t know what time we’re leaving tomorrow.”
“Ah.” He removed his tie and sprawled in a chair. “We’ll need to head for the airport at noon. I’ve ordered boxed lunches for the flight. After you forwarded me the email from your uncle, I booked us rooms at a decent hotel in the general area. Would you mind packing for the baby in the morning? I need to go to the office for a short meeting, but I’ll be back in plenty of time.”
“Of course not.”
He stared at her. “We’re not going to solve all our problems in one evening. I promise you I’ll think about what you said. What if we make a pact to survive the next several days, and then we’ll talk?”
Felicity thought about it. Sitting through her father’s service was going to be hard. Wynn was probably right. “That’s fair,” she said.
“Would you like a glass of wine before you go to bed?”
Wynn’s deep voice infused the words with sensual overtones. Or maybe that was her overactive libido chiming in. She was still standing, unwilling to be drawn into an intimate late-evening interlude. “No, thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.”
