A Baby Between Them. C.J. Carmichael

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СКАЧАТЬ of the situation. “You’ve been through a lot. Maybe you’ve got reason to be upset with me. But at least you could have told me. Given me a chance.”

      “A chance to do what, Aidan? Marry me?” She took off the oven mitts. Tossed them to the counter, as if she were issuing some kind of challenge.

      “Is that what you want?” he asked quietly.

      “Jesus, Aidan!” she exploded again. “I don’t even like you anymore. Why would I want to marry you?”

      Okay, that hurt. But why? Wasn’t this exactly the real reason he’d sent her away? So that their feelings for each other might cool to a point where they’d be able to continue their professional relationship without the risk of messy emotional entanglement?

      “As the father, I have responsibilities. At the very minimum, there will be support payments.” He pictured years and years of tidy monthly bills, and the thought of this obligation—which he was certainly capable of following through on—calmed him somewhat.

      Rae crossed to the closest of the windows and opened it, allowing a fresh breeze into the room. Leaning her forehead against the frame, she fixed her attention on the ocean.

      For a moment, Aidan admired the beauty of the woman. Rae had strong, compelling features, with thick, dark hair, rosy cheeks and a lush, wide mouth. Since the day he’d met her, he’d been attracted to Rae. Then, she’d been lean and fit, with small, high breasts and a curvy bottom he couldn’t tear his gaze from. Now, he was surprised to find that her new shape held a certain fascination for him, too.

      He was so focused on the picture she made, outlined against the bright sunlight outside, that he almost missed her next words.

      “This baby won’t need your support payments, Aidan.”

      He took a moment to process that. “I know you earn a good living and you’re capable of handling everything on your own. But I can’t let you. It isn’t right. I’ll pay my share. And I want to be involved in other ways, too.”

      That last bit startled him, as much as it obviously surprised Rae. She turned to him, her dark eyes narrowing skeptically.

      When had he decided he wanted to be a father in a real sense? Aidan didn’t know. But it was true. He wasn’t going to walk away from this responsibility, no matter how much he didn’t want it.

      She glanced out the window again. “That won’t be necessary. In fact, it won’t even be possible.”

      So, he wasn’t good enough for their baby. He wasn’t surprised that she would think that. But what about financial support? Surely she didn’t mean to turn her back on that, as well. “You don’t want anything?”

      “Not from you.”

      This should have filled him with relief. Instead, Aidan was furious. With her, and with himself. He clenched his fists, and asked himself what kind of man felt like shaking a pregnant woman? Because that was certainly his urge right now. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and make her look at him. He jammed his hands back into his pockets.

      “You’re just saying that to hurt me.”

      “I’m saying it because it’s true. You won’t have any responsibilities for me or anyone else.”

      “But…”

      “Aidan, listen.” She spoke sharply, her eyes flashing. “You won’t need to look after this baby, and neither will I. I’m not keeping it.”

      FOR THE SECOND TIME that afternoon, Aidan looked utterly stunned, and Rae knew he wasn’t faking it. Even Johnny Depp couldn’t act that well. Still, it was hard to believe he hadn’t heard she was pregnant. Although they worked in different cities, there were constant phone and e-mail communications between the various branch offices and subsidiaries of Kincaid Communications. Surely someone would have told him?

      But maybe everyone had assumed he knew. That she’d told him. Because the rumor mill had figured out their night together and, from that, had worked out the most likely reason she’d been banished to Pittsburgh.

      And she had been banished, no matter how many times Aidan described it as a promotion. All acquisitions and mergers were handled out of the Seattle office, and that had been the reason Harrison had brought her into the organization in the first place. To handle those sorts of special deals.

      Frankly, the everyday business she supervised in the Pittsburgh office, even though it did amount technically to a promotion in terms of salary and title, bored her silly. Aidan had to understand that. He was the same way. He thrived on the chase, just as much as she did.

      It was one of the things she’d liked most about him, one of the reasons she’d thought maybe she’d finally met her match, in the romantic sense of the word. She’d never been attracted to men who weren’t as smart as she was, as driven and competitive.

      Aidan had been all of these things. In addition, Rae had thought he was honorable and principled, too. That was the way he did business, at least.

      But he’d slept with her, and then he’d shown her the door. Which made him a bitter disappointment…not the man she’d thought he was, at all.

      Clearly still reeling from the emotional one-two punch Rae had just delivered, Aidan opened the sliding doors that led to the patio. He walked to the railing and, after a moment’s thought, she followed him there. This view had been a solace to her over the few days she’d been here. Now she gazed over the becalmed sea and wondered what it must look like during the winter storms. This would be a bleak place in December, she suspected.

      “Why are you giving up the baby?”

      “I would have thought that was obvious.”

      In profile, Aidan’s chin was set, his mouth drawn in a long, disapproving line.

      “I’m a career woman. Not the mothering sort. The baby will be happier with a mom and a dad. Parents who really want it.”

      His gaze brushed against hers for a moment, conveying disbelief. “And you don’t? Want it?”

      “Of course not.” What was he thinking? “You can’t be suggesting I became pregnant on purpose?”

      “No.”

      “That’s good. Because I didn’t. Men aren’t the only ones who can get carried away by…lust.” She chose that word because he, like most men, believed in lust and understood lust.

      Whereas for her that night had been about magic and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, but she’d be damned before she’d admit to him that she’d ever held such idealistic notions.

      “You don’t think it will be hard? To give up the baby after it’s born?”

      “Naturally it will be hard. This whole pregnancy business has been hard! Nine months has never seemed so long.”

      Aidan reached out a hand to touch her, then withdrew it. “I’m sorry, Rae. You’ve been through so much. And coped with all of it on your own.”

      She closed her eyes, hating the fact that he sounded so sincere and caring. He wasn’t really the СКАЧАТЬ