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“It’s theory but the science backs it.”
“Oh.” Again her nose wrinkled. “I guess we could try but if it doesn’t work…How often do we have to do it before we opt for in vitro?”
“I think we need to suffer through it a few times. A month at least.”
“A month? Is that once a day? Once a week?” She sounded so horrified that Harker wasn’t sure his poor dick would ever stand up to play again.
“Perhaps you’re right. This isn’t going to work.” He grabbed the contract.
“I’m sorry. You know I say whatever rolls through my head. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” She touched his hand. “I am sorry. I just…I’ve never thought of you like that.”
“Like what? A man?” Part of him was done with this but another part wanted to grab her hand and hold it. He’d been dreaming of touching her since she’d brought the pizza to his office for lunch.
He’d been fascinated by her energy and chatter from the first day he’d met her but the fact that she’d noticed he hadn’t eaten lunch had twisted his insides. No one ever thought of his comfort unless he paid them to do so.
“No. I know you’re a man, but I’ve never thought of you as a man I’d date…or have sex with. Not because of you but because you’re my boss. I don’t date men I work with. Ever. Especially my boss. As a woman in a man’s field this is something that you can’t do no matter what.”
“I can understand that.” It made sense and soothed his pride.
“I don’t think you can, not really. You’re a man. If you get a promotion or a raise no one whispers about who you slept with or what you had to do to earn it. Women have to keep everything completely professional all the time.”
“Does this mean you’re going to sign the contract?” He turned his hand so hers rested on his palm. It was the closest he’d get to holding her hand until she was his.
There were shadows in her eyes, but she nodded. “I guess it does.”
CHAPTER 17: Alison
“Alison are you sure about this?” asked Ellie.
“No.” Alison stared at herself in the mirror. She wore a white dress that hugged her hips with a scooped neckline to accentuate the little cleavage she had. Her hair was pulled up in a neat chignon with a few tendrils draping around her face. Her mother had insisted on a hat with a small veil, but she wasn’t putting that on until she had to.
“Then don’t do this.” Ellie took her hand. “Marriage is forever.”
“Where’s my mom?”
“She went to get your hat and veil.”
Alison glanced at the door to make sure her mom wasn’t standing there. The woman had some superpower that allowed her to catch someone doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. As a kid Alison had wondered if her room had been bugged. Researching that had been her first foray into technology. “Not this marriage. It should only last about a year.” Her stomach fluttered. “One year and I’ll be co-owner of my own business, a very successful one, and Angel Face will be mine, or part mine.”
“And you’ll have a child”—Ellie squeezed her hand—“with a man you don’t…What do you feel for Harker?”
“It doesn’t matter what I feel for him.” She pulled her hand away. Ellie was supposed to be on her side, but all her friend had done the entire week since Alison had told her about her pending marriage and the contract was to try and talk her out of it. “I’ve always wanted a child someday.”
“And you’ll have one with someone you love.”
“Oh, please. I’m not lucky like you.” She’d never admit it, but she’d always been a bit envious of her friend. Ellie had never spent more than a few days without a man in her life. Whereas Alison’s experience had been the opposite.
“I wouldn’t call myself lucky.” Ellie’s eyes brightened. “Until Adrian I had the worst luck.”
“At least you had hope of getting married and having a family. I never had that. I had one eighteen-month relationship in college that ended when we graduated. After that, I’ve had nothing but short term…flings. A month or two but nothing that lasted long enough for me to even dream of a family.” She swallowed. The truth was hard to accept but lying to herself was worse. “Harker is offering me that and financial security.”
“But you don’t love him.”
“So. I’ll love our baby.” She’d finally have someone to pour all her love into and that child wouldn’t care if she talked too much or said inappropriate things. It’d love her because she’d show it nothing but love from the day it was born.
“Oh honey, please don’t do this. You’ll find someone. Your perfect man is out there. You just need to stop working so much and—”
“Enough Ellie, I’m doing this.” Her eyes teared up. “I want you to be on my side but if you can’t it’s fine.” It wasn’t at all. “Please don’t try and talk me out of it.”
