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She put a hand on his arm. ‘I’ve already seen him.’
‘When?’
‘After our morning engagement. I’m pregnant.’
His brain froze. His mouth opened. Nothing came out.
A small smile formed on her lips. ‘Why don’t you sit down?’
Unable to tear his gaze from her, he absently ran his fingers through his hair. ‘You’re pregnant?’
The small smile still there, she nodded. ‘Dr Jessop brought a test with him and confirmed it.’
Realisation began to dawn. They were going to have a baby. He was going to be a father. Elsbeth was going to be a mother.
A spasm of pure, unadulterated joy shot through him and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her, breathing in Elsbeth’s wonderful perfume and the honey scent of her shampoo. Until that moment, he hadn’t realised how deep his own longing for a child was. ‘That is just the best news you could have given me.’ Pulling back a little so he could plant an enormous kiss to her mouth, he then cupped her cheeks and rained more kisses over every millimetre of her face.
‘Why didn’t you tell me your period was late?’ he asked when he’d finished kissing her and wrapped his arms back around her.
‘We haven’t been alone for me to tell you.’
‘You could have said you had something to tell me in private or come to my quarters.’
‘I’m not allowed in your quarters and, in any case, I was trying not to build my hopes up.’
‘What do you mean, you’re notallowedin my quarters? Of course you’re allowed.’
‘I’ve never been invited into them. Can you let me go now, please? I can’t breathe.’
He loosened his hold and swung her into his arms. ‘Let’s go to bed and celebrate.’ A nice gentle bout of lovemaking would put some colour back in her cheeks.
But instead of throwing her arms around his neck and devouring his mouth like she normally did when he carried her, she wriggled against him. ‘Please put me down.’
Immediately concerned, he placed her on the nearest sofa and sat himself beside her. ‘Are you feeling unwell? Are you suffering from sickness? Is it the pregnancy causing it?’
How Elsbeth wished he wasn’t displaying such solicitousness. She’d known he’d be pleased about the pregnancy but hadn’t imagined he’d be this delighted. It only made what she needed to say harder.
Straightening, she tugged her hand out of his then linked her fingers together and rested them on her lap. ‘No, I’m not ill and it’s too soon for pregnancy sickness.’
‘Then what is it?’
She took a deep breath and arranged her face. ‘We agreed on our wedding night that once a baby was conceived, we would no longer share a bed.’
The way his handsome head reared back and his mouth opened and closed was almost comical. She assumed his excitement about the pregnancy had made him temporarily forget about the rules. It made her glad that she was the one to remind him and enforce them. She didn’t think she’d be able to keep her composure if he’d been the one to say the closeness they’d found had to be severed with immediate effect. It would have come after he’d taken her to bed again. After he’d sated his lust.
At least this way she got to salvage a little of her dignity. Amadeo didn’t want a real marriage with her. His heart was frozen to her. He would never love her.
She doubted he could love anyone.
He bowed his head, his composure regained, and then locked his eyes on hers. ‘We both know we’re not ready to stop being intimate with each other.’
‘I am.’
‘You’re what?’
‘Ready.’
Amadeo leaned in closer, eyes narrowing as they bored deep into hers, searching, searching. ‘You’re lying.’
