Modern Romance May 2016 Books 1-4. Julia James
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he known even then that their marriage was unlikely to last? Much as he’d wanted to deny it, Abby Laurence—Lacey—had ruined him for anyone else.
So how the hell...?
And then he remembered the first occasion he’d come to the apartment. It had been raining and he’d been virtually soaked to his skin. Abby had been straight out of the shower, all soft and warm and fragrant, and, stupidly, he’d lost his head.
God!
He stared at her, cupping the back of his neck with both hands and trying to get a handle on his emotions.
He was shocked; who wouldn’t be shocked in the circumstances? But it was more than that. The realisation that he was going to be a father had stunned him. This girl—this girl he’d fought against caring about for so long—was going to have his child.
Abby’s cheeks were flushed now and, although she was still wearing that belligerent expression, he realised what it must have cost her to blurt out a thing like that.
Particularly to someone who had just insulted her.
‘Well?’ she said, and he could see she was nervous. ‘Aren’t you going to call me a liar? After all, you’ve just said you can’t trust me.’
Luke shook his head. ‘How long have you known?’
Abby shrugged. ‘I bought two testing kits a week ago. They were both positive.’ She was trying to sound indifferent and failing abysmally. ‘What can I say?’
‘And—and how far along are you?’
She stiffened. ‘I’m not having a termination.’
‘Did I ask you to?’ Luke spoke tersely and then lifted a hand, palm outward, to mitigate his words. ‘I just meant—do you know how many weeks—?’
‘Well, let me see.’ She was sardonic. ‘The first time we slept together was about five—six weeks ago. So I guess that sounds about right.’
Luke shook his head. ‘Unbelievable.’
‘What?’ She looked contemptuously at him. ‘I didn’t want this, you know.’ She paused. ‘But—when a friend discovered what had happened, she insisted that I ought to tell—the father.’
Luke stared at her for a moment longer and then he said flatly, ‘You know, I think I could do with that cup of tea now. Do you mind?’
Abby shrugged, but she turned back to the kettle she had been filling and set it on the ring. Then, taking down two cups from the shelf, she dropped a teabag in each.
‘Sugar?’ she asked, glancing briefly up at him, and Luke nodded.
‘Two spoons, please,’ he said, and then turned and made his way back to the sofa where he’d left his jacket.
Sitting down, he closed his eyes and raked back his hair with hands that weren’t quite steady. Dear God, he’d never expected this. Abby was having a baby. She was having his baby. He was going to be a father!
His hands dropped between his spread knees and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. A damp nose nuzzling his palms was surprisingly comforting. Harley was now gazing up at him with his warm dark eyes, and he realised the dog had sensed something was wrong.
‘Hey, boy,’ he said, trying to get his head around what had happened. He managed a rueful grin. ‘What are you going to do when there’s a baby in the house?’
‘That won’t be your concern,’ said Abby shortly, coming to set his cup on the low table in front of the sofa. ‘Drink your tea while it’s hot.’
Luke glanced up into her set face. Then he patted the sofa beside him. ‘Sit down, Abby. We need to talk.’
Abby regarded him coolly for a few moments, then she collected her tea from the breakfast bar and seated herself in the armchair at right angles to the sofa.
‘There’s not a lot more to be said,’ she declared. ‘I’ve done my duty. You know the score. And when the baby’s born, I won’t stop you from seeing him—or her—if that’s what you want.’
‘Hold up.’ Luke, who had taken a couple of mouthfuls of his tea, now set his cup back on the table. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Since when have I said that you and our child will be living apart from me?’
Abby caught her breath, trying to pull that absurdly short skirt over her knees. ‘It’s not your decision to make. And I hope you’re not implying what I think you’re implying.’
‘And that would be?’
‘That we live together.’
‘Why not?’
The words were out before Luke could stop them, but they didn’t have the anticipated effect.
She shook her head. ‘Oh, no, Morelli. You don’t get to call the shots here. You said it yourself, you don’t do commitment. And I have no intention of putting my baby—’
‘Our baby!’
‘—at the mercy of your casual liaisons with other women.’
Luke got angrily to his feet. ‘What right have you to accuse me of having casual liaisons?’
Abby rose, too, though he noticed she stepped away from him before replying. ‘Well, what was this?’ she demanded, spreading a hand to encompass the apartment. ‘You had no intention of seeing me again. You’ve just admitted as much.’
‘I didn’t say that.’ Luke’s jaw was clenched so tight, he could feel the pulse racing beneath his ear. ‘In any case, that was—before,’ he said inadequately, and Abby gave a short laugh.
‘Before I’d trapped you, is that it?’ She lifted her chin.‘Well, I’ve got news for you, Morelli—’
‘Stop calling me Morelli!’
‘—I’ve got no intention of trapping you. Or of living with you, for that matter. This is the twenty-first century, Luke. Women don’t need to rely on men to support them. Right now, I’ve got the café, and when that closes, I’ll find a job. Or other premises, who knows? Whatever, you won’t be involved.’
Luke’s frustration knew no bounds. ‘You can’t stop me from being involved.’
‘Oh, I think I can.’ She lifted her hands to release her hair from its ponytail. ‘There’s no law that says I have to do anything more than I’ve already done. You know about the baby now. And after it’s born, you’ll have your chance to share custody or not. That’s up to you.’
Luke scowled. He knew she was right, but that didn’t stop him from resenting the ultimatum she’d given him. And while he had said the things she’d accused him of, the truth was he had wanted to see her again, damn her.
‘I need to think about this,’ he muttered, aware that she had never looked more desirable than she did at that moment.
He’d always admired her legs and the short skirt showed them to perfection. Add to that the sleeveless vest that outlined the pert fullness of her breasts, and exposed the moist hollow between, and he was fascinated. A pearl of perspiration invited him to taste, and he could already feel his erection tightening his jeans painfully across his crotch.
‘Abby...’ he began roughly, but she was already walking towards the door.
‘I think you’d better go,’ she said, without a trace of expression in her voice. ‘Thank you for coming. Goodbye.’
Luke followed her across the room, but when she stepped aside to allow him to leave, his hand hit the wall beside her head, backing her up until there was scarcely a breath between them.
‘This isn’t over, Abby,’ he said harshly, his mouth hot against her neck, and he heard her catch an unsteady breath.