AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She tried to reclaim her hand but Blake wasn’t letting go.Rather he held on more firmly and took to tracing the back of her hand with his other fingers.A stroke she knew was designed to soothe but that in reality was, oh, so tormenting—she wanted him to stroke her like that every here.She shook away the desire clouding her mind and then found herself gripping onto his large strength, holding onto the bond as she asked the doctor for guidance.
‘What can I do to make it be okay?’
The doctor smiled.‘Just try to relax, Cally.Try not to get too stressed.Ease your load off for now.You’ll probably get a burst of energy in the second trimester.But until then just listen and rest when your body tells you to.’
‘Let’s get something to eat.’
She couldn’t quite meet the look in his eyes—the sympathy, the apology and the tiny hint of uncertainty.It was the vindication she should be pleased to get.But it didn’t please her.Having him look at her like that, with that tender, protective flare, made him all the more attractive.And she couldn’t have him become any more attractive.So she wasn’t ready to accept his olive branch yet.Not when she didn’t have her own feelings under control.
‘Actually I promised Mel I’d go in this afternoon and relieve her for a few hours.’
His jaw clamped and she quickly looked away, not wanting to believe she’d just seen disappointment.
She headed back to work at the shop.She swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of soup for lunch and then looked at the ever-increasing piles of paperwork.The sooner she got the place sorted, the better.
Her door opened and Blake walked in.She stared silently as he walked across the room and round behind her desk to stand right beside her.
‘I have something for you.’
He held out the small velvet box.
Stupidly, as soon as she saw it her heart and lungs stopped functioning, meaning her reply was totally breathy.Girly.Pathetic.‘What’s that?’
‘A new plug for the kitchen sink.What do you think it is?’
His acerbic reply had her drawing a deeper breath and with a reluctant grin she took the box from him, battening down her need-to-cling instinct.She opened the lid, and her heart and lungs stopped again.Not good for brain function.‘Blake, it’s far too much.’
He bent down and took charge, taking the ring out of the box and jamming it on her finger.‘Cally.’Holding fast to her hand, he looked her in the face and talked.‘When I do something, I do it to the best of my ability.Give it all, all the time.If I take something on I’ll make the best of it.It seems you do the same.In that way we might be a good match.I think we match in other ways as well.’
She pulled her hand back while her body screamed to get closer.She wanted him.But she did not want to fall for him.And when he acted like this it was really hard not to.This mess was bad enough without her heart getting soft.
‘I’m sorry I was unsympathetic when you told me about your fertility problems.I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.’
She shrugged.‘I can understand why you reacted the way you did.But I didn’t set out to use you or to trap you.’She was the one who was trapped.
‘I know.’
‘So we don’t need this now, do we?’She looked at the ring glittering on her finger.
He looked grim.‘I’m afraid we do, Cally.The situation still stands.We marry this week.We’re having this baby together.’
She frowned, stared at the ring for a long time.
‘Do you like it?’He actually sounded hesitant.
The ring?How could she not?‘Of course I do.It’s stunning.’
‘I wanted you to choose with me but you were determined to come back to work.’
Her gaze flicked to his in surprise and she read faint condemnation there.How was she to know he’d wanted to go ring shopping?He’d just mentioned lunch.Now he made her feel like an ingrate.Oh, hell, this wasn’t a normal engagement—why was he messing with it now?They weren’t a normal couple in love and unable to wait to get married.This was a business deal because he wanted to be in on the baby and she couldn’t let her baby miss out.But his eyes seemed to promise more.Much more.
She couldn’t handle that heat so she dropped her gaze—to his mouth.Suddenly she wanted to kiss him.Wanted to thank him—give him an all-the-way-all-over-body thank-you.Silly girl.She should be handing that oversized rock right back to him and saying this marriage was totally unnecessary.But, looking the way he was, she knew initiating that argument right now would be futile.He looked as if he was right on the edge.
‘Cally...’
For her own safety she had to push him back from it.‘I’m due downstairs.’
He rose to his feet.Incredibly she realised he’d actually been on his knees in front of her.He paced round her office, full of energy, angry energy.She sat back in her chair and tried not to admire him in action, tried not to turn into malleable jelly.Suddenly he stopped his lengthy strides and gestured to her desk, at the teetering tower that masqueraded as her in-tray.
