CHAPTER THREE

      JAKE DROPPED HER ARMS then stepped back, away from the temptation of Avery’s mouth.

      He couldn’t believe how desperately he wanted to kiss her. He’d caught her arms to shut her up, but staring into her eyes he’d remembered her fire and wanted to taste it again. Then he’d felt the baby—his baby—and his brain had scattered in a million directions.

      “Well, that was interesting.”

      “Not really.” She shrugged. “You said yourself we both prolonged our relationship because we were so hot in bed. We’re accustomed to touching each other. And when we touch, sparks fly.”

      “That’s about the size of it.” He took another step back. Not wanting to talk about the myriad feelings racing through him when he’d felt the baby bump, he said, “It really was a coincidence that we ran into Sabrina.”

      She took a breath, then looked away as if thinking it through. Her long red hair shimmered when her head moved, and he struggled not to reach out and touch it. Not to reach out and touch her, if only in amazement that she carried his child. But that was wrong. A weakness he couldn’t afford with her.

      When she caught his gaze, the anger was gone from her eyes too.

      “We’re both just a little too edgy right now. Not sure of each other or how to handle this situation. We’re going to have to be more careful about where we meet next time.”

      “Should we meet in one of our apartments?”

      “No. We should meet in mine. We never know who’s lurking in the bushes outside yours. And—” She held his gaze with an intensity that might have scared another man but almost made him laugh. He had no doubt why Pete Waters considered her his top associate. That stare could terrify any witness and probably some judges.

      “No more touching on public streets.” She looked around then glanced back at him again. “We don’t know who could have seen that.”

      He said, “Sure,” as she turned and walked away. The way she could so easily leave, snatching control out of his hands again, sent a wave of annoyance through him. “I notice you didn’t say anything about touching on private streets. Maybe alleyways. The lobby of your building.”

      She didn’t turn around, didn’t acknowledge anything he’d said, just kept striding up the street.

      A laugh escaped. She might not have turned, but she’d heard him. He’d seen the way her spine straightened. God help him, but he’d needed the validation that he still got to her, still had a little bit of control. Even if it was only teasing her.

      When he pivoted to return to the coffee shop, he almost plowed into his sister.

      “Mom is going to have a cow.”

      All the fun of teasing Avery instantly evaporated.

      Sabrina’s face fell. “You are going to tell her, aren’t you?”

      “Eventually.”

      “Eventually? That woman has got to be at least six months pregnant! What are you going to do? Call Mom from the hospital and say, It’s a boy?”

      “I’d like a boy.” He really would. Someone to teach everything he knew. Someone to inherit everything he’d worked for. Now that he was adjusting to being a dad, the thought filled him with a pleasure that was almost indescribable. If he and Avery weren’t the worst possible match, he might think this was fate. Destiny. A sign they were meant to be together.

      Of course, though it might not be romantic fate, it still could be fate. Not a way to bring him and Avery together, but a way for him to have an heir.

      “Are you even listening to anything I said!”

      Forcing himself back to reality, he sighed. “Yes. I heard you. You think I should tell Mom.”

      “Soon.”

      “All right. Soon.”

      But the more he thought about fate and heirs, the more he realized that he’d have to see Pete Waters again—at the corporate headquarters. Not Pete’s office. Avery Novak wasn’t just smart. She was sexy and unpredictable. And he’d already slipped and almost kissed her. He had to get the facts about his parental rights before he tangled with her again.

      But he didn’t get the chance to summon Pete to his office. The first thing the next morning, his phone blew up with calls from his lawyer. There were thirteen messages that started at five, while Jake was in the shower, and kept going until Jake finally walked into his room and saw his phone blinking hysterically, as if Pete had continually hit Redial.

      When the phone rang again, he answered. Pete didn’t even bother with hello. “Are you crazy?”

      “I think we both know I’m not.”

      “Then why is there a picture of you with Avery Novak in the society pages?” Pete’s voice rose. “Are you the father of Avery’s baby?”

      Jake squeezed his eyes shut. “Yes.”

      “Hell. When she told me she was pregnant, she said she had no intention of marrying her baby’s father. And she’s returning to Pennsylvania after the baby’s born.”

      “Her leaving New York doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

      “It will be to your mother!”

      He knew that. But right now, he was more concerned with the picture of himself and pregnant Avery in the newspaper. He didn’t want his mom to see it and have a meltdown, especially when this was an easy fix.

      “Okay. I’ll fly to Paris today instead of tomorrow and tell her.” He paused for a second to consider, but only a second. Avery was responsible for most of this mess. He wasn’t flying to Paris alone. “And consider this Avery’s official call that she’s taking the rest of the week off.”

      “She can take the next month off because there’s no way in hell I can let her touch anything that even remotely relates to any of your cases. You do realize at some point you’ll be on opposite ends of a custody battle? The conflict of interest is off the charts if she even touches a file that relates to you or your family or your company.”

      “I know that. But you have to give me a minute to catch my breath, Pete. She only told me on Monday. I’m just starting to wrap my head around the ramifications of all this. What I need from you right now is a summary of my rights and choices.”

      “This is something I’d usually hand off to Avery.” He sighed deeply. “This is a mess.”

      “It doesn’t have to be. We all just have to keep our heads and handle it.”

      Pete sighed again. “I’ll assign someone to write your summary.”

      “Good.”

      “It’ll be waiting when you get back.”

      “Email it to me.”

      Jake hung up and phoned his driver then dressed quickly, but not in a suit. He pulled on casual pants and a sports shirt and covered them with a navy blue blazer. When he reached the street, the limo awaited him. Twenty minutes later, he was knocking on Avery’s door.

      Wearing black slacks and a pretty peach-colored blouse that highlighted her long red hair, she opened the door.

      When