Modern Romance May 2016 Books 1-4. Julia James

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       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      LUKE MANAGED TO calm the retriever’s exuberant welcome, and, putting the dog aside, he looked at Abby.

      She was wearing a loose shirt and shorts today, the hem of the shorts exposing surprisingly tanned legs. And she looked incredible to his hungry eyes.

      God, he wanted to touch her again.

      But he had to consider her feelings.

      ‘You’ve been to see the doctor?’ he said, his nerves tightening. ‘Why? Is something wrong?’

      She gave him a disbelieving look. ‘Hello? I’m pregnant. In case you’ve forgotten.’

      ‘Yeah, right. Like I’m going to forget something like that.’ Luke spoke tersely. ‘But you’re okay?’

      ‘I’m fine.’ He noticed she’d put the width of the breakfast bar between them as he was soothing the retriever. ‘Do you want a drink? I have some cola in the fridge.’

      ‘I’m not thirsty.’ Luke sucked in a breath. ‘What did the doctor say exactly?’

      Abby gasped. ‘I don’t remember exactly what he said.’

      She moistened her lips and then continued, ‘I’m over eight weeks pregnant. My blood pressure is good, and the nausea I suffered in the first few weeks has virtually gone.’

      ‘I didn’t know you’d suffered from nausea.’

      ‘And that surprises you?’

      Luke acknowledged the barb, raking back his hair with both hands as he started towards her. One of the buttons on his shirt popped as he lifted his arms, and he was ridiculously pleased to see the way her eyes went straight to the tuft of dark hair that could now be seen poking through the cloth.

      But he had to be practical.

      ‘Can we sit down? I want to talk to you.’

      Abby stiffened. ‘You sit down. I’m all right here.’

      ‘But don’t you think you should sit down? I guess you walked to the surgery, so you’ve probably been on your feet for quite some time.’

      Abby’s mouth turned down. ‘Being pregnant doesn’t make me an invalid, Luke.’

      ‘I know.’ He was reassured that she hadn’t used his surname as she’d done the last time he was here. ‘But—humour me. I’m only thinking of you.’

      ‘And that’s a first,’ she remarked tightly. ‘What do you want, Luke? If it’s not about the café, it must be about the baby.’

      Luke sighed. ‘Sit down. Please.’

      ‘Oh, all right.’

      With evident reluctance, she came out from behind the breakfast bar. Meanwhile Luke had deliberately positioned himself in front of the armchair she’d used on that other occasion. And when he indicated the sofa, she had no choice but to perch on one end.

      Of course, he seated himself beside her, and saw the way she pressed herself against the arm to avoid touching him. But, however she behaved, whatever she said, she wasn’t indifferent to him. He’d proved it downstairs. He just had to persuade her he wasn’t the unfeeling bastard she thought he was.

      He was sitting staring at her, when she said testily, ‘Can we get on with this? Why are you here?’ She paused. ‘I’m not going to have sex with you again.’

      ‘Well, not now, perhaps,’ remarked Luke drily, and her face suffused with colour at his words.

      ‘Not ever,’ she retorted coldly. Then, as if realising what he was thinking, she added, ‘Not willingly, anyway.’

      Luke stiffened now. ‘I hope you’re not implying that I’ve ever forced you.’

      Abby sighed. ‘N-o-o,’ she admitted, dragging the word out. ‘I was as much to blame.’

      ‘To blame?’ he echoed. ‘There was no blame, Abby. I wanted you. I still do.’ He paused. ‘But I guess you know that.’

      Abby’s eyes darted to his, then away again. ‘Then you want what you can’t have,’ she said quietly. ‘I know what you think of me, Luke. You’ve made that perfectly clear.’

      Luke blew out a breath, stretching out his hand towards her. But when he would have touched her knee, she shifted away.

      ‘Abby,’ he said cajolingly, ‘I know I’ve made some mistakes in the past. A whole lot of them. But I want you to give me a chance to make amends.’

      ‘How?’ She spoke bitterly. ‘You still think I betrayed Harry by agreeing to meet you.’

      ‘That was nearly six years ago,’ he protested. ‘Maybe I was too willing to jump to the wrong conclusion. Let’s face it, I didn’t know Laurence from Adam—’

      ‘No, you didn’t.’

      ‘—and he could have been the biggest jerk in Christendom. You might have had some justification for doing what you did.’

      ‘Might have?’ Abby gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Oh, Luke, you don’t know the half of it.’

      ‘So tell me.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Because I want to know. I want to know everything there is to know about you.’

      ‘Why?’ she demanded again, and then pushed herself up from the sofa with an angry gesture. ‘No, don’t bother answering that. I know why. This is because of the baby, isn’t it?’ Her lips twisted. ‘You’re afraid that if we’re not on speaking terms when the baby’s born, I’ll conduct the same kind of vendetta against you that you’ve conducted СКАЧАТЬ