Читать книгу Brides, Babies And Billionaires - Мишель Смарт, Rebecca Winters - Страница 108

Seven

The meeting finished and Kirk hung back, talking to Nick, as Sally gathered her things together and stopped to give instructions to a handful of people. He liked watching her in action. Hell, he liked watching her, period. As if she sensed his perusal, she looked up and caught his eye. And, yes, there was that telltale flush of color on her cheeks. He was finding it more and more endearing each time he saw it.

Finally she was ready to leave, and he fell into step with her as she headed to the elevators.

“Feeling okay?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, seriously. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“You’re carrying my baby,” he murmured close to her ear. “I think I’m entitled to be concerned.”

She stiffened at his words. “So, what? You want to monitor me twenty-four-seven? Is that what it is?”

The idea had merit.

Sally huffed an impatient sigh. “Look, it’s still early, and I can assure you I will do whatever is in my power to stay healthy and to ensure that everything goes as it should.”

Somehow that didn’t satisfy him. For reasons even he didn’t understand, it just didn’t go far enough.

“I’m sure you will,” he agreed. “But you have to admit, sharing that responsibility has its advantages, too.”

“What do you mean?” she asked as they stepped into the empty elevator.

“I don’t know if you’ve been sick yet, but what if nausea does occur?”

“Then I’ll deal with it,” she said grimly and crossed her arms over her body. “I’m a big girl, Kirk. I’ve been looking after myself for a good many years now. I think I can cope with a pregnancy.”

“I’ve no doubt. But I’d really like to be a part of things. I know this news has come as a shock to both of us, but I’d like to think that together we can get through it. Look, can I see you home so we can talk about this in a more private setting?”

Sally rolled her eyes at him. “You’re not going to leave me alone until I agree, are you?”

He didn’t want to leave her alone at all. The thought came as a shock, but it felt right at the same time.

“I like to get my way,” he conceded. “But I’d feel happier if you conceded that this is something we should iron out sooner rather than later.”

“Oh, of course, your being happy is so very important,” she said with a touch of bitterness. “Okay, then. You can take me home. Benton will be waiting downstairs for me. I’ll have to let him know.”

It was a small victory, but Kirk was happy to take it. Benton was waiting in the elevator lobby of the parking garage, and Kirk stepped forward to introduce himself. The man looked him over as if he was a potential threat before relaxing an increment when Sally stepped forward with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you notice of this, Benton. Mr. Tanner and I need to extend our discussions, so he’ll be taking me home this evening.”

“Whatever you want, Ms. Harrison. I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kirk walked Sally over to his SUV and helped her in.

When they arrived at her apartment building a few minutes later, he pulled into the parking space she indicated. They rode the elevator to the top floor, and he followed her into an elegant and well-proportioned apartment. While it was mostly decorated in neutral tones, an occasional pop of color drew his eye—a cushion here, a throw rug there. But overall there was very little to tell him about the woman who intrigued him far more than he wanted to admit.

He moved to the large windows that looked out in the direction of Lake Washington. It was growing dark, and across the lake he could make out the twinkle of lights around its rim. A sound from behind him made him turn. Sally had pulled the band from her hair and was tousling her fingers through the mass of spun gold. He liked this more relaxed version of her more than the buttoned-down woman who headed her social engineering department. On second thought, he liked the naked, warm and willing version from just over a month ago the best, but she’d made it quite clear they weren’t going to go there again.

But it was oh so satisfying, he reminded himself. And yet look at the trouble it has put us in, he countered. Kirk slammed the door closed on his thoughts and looked at Sally more closely. Beneath her makeup he could still see the telltale signs of the stress she’d been under today. She had to be exhausted.

“Look, I won’t take up a lot of your time. I know you need to get something to eat and then probably have an early night.”

She barked a cynical laugh. “Are you my mother now?”

He gave her a half smile of apology. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m overcompensating.”

“You think?” She moved toward the kitchen. “Did you want something to drink? I have beer, water, wine.”

“A beer, thanks.”

He watched as she poured the beer into a tall glass then opened a small bottle of sparkling water for herself. Of course she wouldn’t be drinking alcohol. The realization hit him hard. She was going to have to make so many changes. So many adjustments. It was hardly fair, was it?

“Take a seat,” she said, bringing their drinks through to the small sitting room.

Kirk sat at one end of the sofa, and Sally took the other end. Awkward silence stretched between them.

“You wanted to talk, didn’t you? What about, exactly?” Sally asked.

“The baby, for a start. How do you feel about it?”

“Shocked, surprised. Scared.”

“Yeah, me too. I hadn’t planned on this at this stage of my life.”

Sally sat a little more upright. “And just when had you planned it for?”

He couldn’t tell if she was sniping at him or genuinely curious. He decided that honesty was probably the best policy right now.

“To be honest, I had hoped to start looking for a wife about five years from now and hopefully start a family a few years after that.”

“Just like that?”

“Look, I know it sounds clinical, but I grew up with a lot of instability. Being able to make a plan and stick to it kept me anchored when things were tough at home, even when my dad was still alive.” He didn’t want to admit his father’s weakness to her. He’d spent his entire adult life working hard to erase those memories, to overcome the hardships he and his mother had endured—and he’d succeeded. He wasn’t about to be made to feel ashamed of that. Not by anyone.

Sally shrugged and took a sip of her water. “That makes sense, I guess. I’m sorry things were so hard for you.”

“You know that saying about gaining strength through adversity? Well, I decided to adopt that a long time ago. And I’ve managed to achieve a lot of success by staying strong and keeping my focus on my goals. But now I need to reevaluate. This child we’re having, I very much want to be a part of its life, Sally. I don’t want to be a weekend father or an absentee parent. I want to be there, for everything.”

“That could be difficult, considering we’re not even a couple.”

“But we could be. We already know we’re compatible in the bedroom.”

“Too compatible, it seems,” she commented acerbically.

“Look, I never considered having a committed relationship or starting a family until I’d achieved my career goal targets because I never wanted a child of mine to miss out on anything—whether it be financially or emotionally. You want the same thing, right? For our child to have everything he or she needs to be happy, healthy and safe? Loving parents are part of that package. Perhaps we ought to consider being a couple.”

“What, go steady, you mean?” she said with a gurgle of laughter.

“More than that. We should get married. Think about it—it makes perfect sense. This is only a one-bedroom apartment, right? Where would you put the baby when it’s born? Have you even thought about that? And what about work? Do you plan to be a stay-at-home mom or continue with your career?”

Sally put her glass down very slowly. “Kirk, we only just found out about this pregnancy today. We have plenty of time ahead of us for decision making. Let’s not be rash.”

“Rash? I don’t think so. It’s logical.”

“I’m sorry, but it isn’t logical to me in the least. We hardly know each other, and I’m not sure that I want to be married to you. I’m certainly not going to make a decision like that on such short acquaintance.”

Kirk fought back the arguments that sprang to the tip of his tongue. It was clear she was feeling more than a little overwhelmed by his suggestion, which was entirely understandable. She needed time to think, and so did he. If he was going to campaign successfully to win Sally’s hand, he would have to go about it carefully.

“At least think about it,” he urged. “And talk to me—seriously, anything. Any questions, any problems, bring them to me and we’ll solve them together.”

“Oh, I’ll be thinking about it,” she admitted with a rueful shake of her head. “I imagine I’ll be thinking about little else. By the way, I don’t want anyone else to know about this just yet.”

He nodded. The only person he would have shared the news with would have been his mother, and with her gone he had no one else. No one else except the child now nestled inside the woman sitting opposite him. A feeling bloomed within his chest—pride tinged with a liberal dose of an emotion he’d had little enough experience with. Love. It was odd to think that he could love another being before it truly came into existence in the world, but he knew, without doubt, that he loved his child, and the intensity of the emotion shook him to his core.

* * *

Sally wasn’t sure what was going through Kirk’s mind, but if the determined look on his face was anything to go by, she was going to have some battles on her hands over the next few months. Probably over the next few years, she amended. He was a man used to having his way—it was inevitable that they were going to bump heads from time to time when it came to deciding what was best for the baby.

Her head swam. Discovering she was pregnant was shocking enough. Dealing with Kirk as her baby’s father was another matter entirely—especially now that he seemed to believe they should get married.

Over the past couple of years, life had shown her that you had to reach for the things that mattered most to you. Had to fight for them. Her best friend from college, Angel, who’d turned out to be a secret European princess, had shown her how important it was to follow and fight for your dream.

Dissatisfied with a politically arranged betrothal based only on expedience with no affection attached, Angel—or, Princess Mila, as she’d been officially known—had broken with tradition and done everything in her power to ensure she won her betrothed’s heart, even at the risk of losing him altogether.

Just weeks ago, they’d celebrated the christening of their first child, a little boy who would become crown prince of Sylvain—and to Sally’s eyes, when she’d visited to attend the ceremony, neither Angel nor King Thierry had ever looked happier or more fulfilled.

She wanted that. She wanted a man who would look at her the way King Thierry looked at Angel. There was no doubt in the world that Angel was his queen in every sense of the word. While Sally had always hoped to be a mother someday, she’d intended to start that stage of her life by finding the right man to be a husband and father first. Had planned to bring her child into a home already filled with love and trust. How could she have any of that with Kirk? She didn’t love him—she barely knew him. And trust? Not a chance. The only positive traits she could assign to him were his appearance, his bedroom skills and the fact that he seemed to be a very capable boss. Her boss, in fact. And that added another layer of complication.

Sally wanted a life that was lived with purpose. One that yielded great results for others as well as for herself. She wanted to make a difference, and she ached to fulfill her potential. It’s what she’d spent at least eight years of her life studying for and even more time interning at Harrison IT for. And yet despite her dreams, she continued to remain in the background. Knowing she was being held back by her phobia was one thing, but having a baby added a whole other layer to things.

Kirk had spoken of his career plans, but what would this do to her long-term goals? No matter what anyone said, life was very different for a woman in the workplace. That glass ceiling was still well and truly in place, and there were few women in the upper echelons of management. She’d hoped that one day, if she could overcome her phobia, she might earn a position up there. That the people she worked with would respect that she’d climbed her way up that corporate ladder, striving as hard as the rest of them.

No one would take her seriously if she was married to the vice president. Any advancement in her career would be looked upon as being won because of who she was, not what she brought to the role.

“Look,” she started. “I’ve got a lot to think about, and you’re right—I’m tired and I need an early night. Would you go, please?”

“You promise me you’ll have something to eat?”

She gave him an are-you-serious look.

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up one hand. “Don’t shoot me for caring. You have no idea what it was like to watch you crumple like that this morning.”

He made it sound like he actually cared.

“I will have something to eat.”

“I cook a mean omelet. If you have eggs, I could make it for you.”

Her mouth watered. “Fine,” she said, making a sudden decision. “I’m going to grab a shower. I’m not sure what’s in the fridge, but go knock yourself out.”

Maybe once he fed her, he’d stop hovering over her like some overprotective parent. She stopped in her tracks. But that’s exactly what he was—a parent—and so was she. She shook her head, went through to her bathroom and quickly stripped off her work clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror.

“Nothing to see here,” she murmured out loud.

But her hand settled on her lower belly, and for a moment she stopped to think about the changes that were happening inside. Changes that would force her to make monumental adjustments in her life. For a moment it all seemed too much and far too hard. But she reminded herself of what Kirk had said about wanting to be there every step of the way. She wasn’t in this alone. Not by any means.

Did she have the strength to embark on this journey with him?

By the time she stepped out of the shower and dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, she was no closer to reaching a decision. A delicious aroma wafted from her kitchen, and she followed the scent to see what Kirk was up to.

“Perfect timing,” he said, folding an omelet in the pan and sliding it onto a plate that already had a generous helping of diced fried potatoes, bacon bits and onions on one side.

“I had all these ingredients?” she asked, sliding into a chair at the breakfast bar.

“You can do a lot with just a few key things. When I was growing up, I often helped my mom in the kitchen. She taught me a lot.”

Sally felt a pang for the boy he must have been. Her own upbringing had been so vastly different. They’d always had staff, including a cook, and as far as Sally could recall, her mother had never so much as baked a cookie her entire privileged life.

Kirk reached for a jar of salsa and ladled a little across her omelet before putting her plate down in front of her with a flourish. “There, now eat up before it gets cold.”

She forked up a bit of omelet and closed her eyes in bliss as delicate flavors of herbs and cheese burst on her tongue.

“This is so good,” she said. “Thank you. I hope you made one for yourself, too.”

“I can get something later.”

“Oh, please, you’ve given me far more than I can eat. At least help me with what I have here.”

“How about I whip up another omelet and you can give me some of your potatoes.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

It felt oddly normal to watch Kirk working in her kitchen. He moved with an elegant grace and confidence that she found all too appealing. He withheld his true identity, she reminded herself. And he slept with you knowing exactly who you were.

And now they had made a baby.

She was going to have to press him for an explanation about that night, especially if they were going to move forward together and most especially if she was even going to begin to seriously consider his proposal. But not now. Not tonight. Right at this moment she was struggling to make sense of what her next step would be and how on earth she was ever going to be able to tell her father that she was expecting Kirk’s child.

Kirk took over cleanup duties when they’d finished their impromptu meal. Sally was too tired to argue the point by then. The food had given her a boost, but right now her bed was calling. Once he’d finished, she walked Kirk to the door.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said softly.

“I enjoyed it. I...” He paused a moment as if debating whether or not to say what was on the tip of his tongue. “I enjoy being with you.”

Sally didn’t quite know how to react. He was good company and she felt drawn to him in a variety of ways, but there was so much about him that she didn’t know—or trust. She reached for the door and opened it to let him out.

He was standing close, too close. The lure of his cologne mingled with the heat of his body and wrapped itself around her. She looked up at him and saw the way his pupils dilated as their gazes meshed. She wasn’t sure who moved first, but one moment she was standing there with the door open, the next it was closed and her back was pressed against the wooden surface as his lips hungrily claimed hers.