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.That doesn’t track for me.”“It wouldn’t,” she said, fighting not to let the glow from his praise swim through her bloodstream.His approval was headier than any drug.He stepped forward and brushed her hair back from her cheek.Even that brief skim of warm fingertips elicited a shiver, and she knew from the way he moved that much closer he hadn’t missed her reaction.“If I don’t have a problem, why do you?”She had to get away from him.With every word, every touch, he wove more of his spell.The picture he painted of their cute little happy family—even for the benefit of other people—wasn’t real.This wasn’t her fairy-tale ending.Not because she didn’t deserve one, but because she needed to earn it.She’d screwed up badly by sleeping with Pete.She hadn’t thought ahead, and she’d be damned if her baby paid the price.Impetuously rushing into things again would be a horrible mistake.Sterling wasn’t like Pete in any way, but that didn’t mean she should lean on him.He was just being sweet to her, as he always was.When he came to his senses, she didn’t want to be his mistake.His Pete.Sucking in a breath, she took a determined step back and reached for her door.“You should take me home—” Jesus, his house wasn’t her home, “—I mean, to your house and head to work.I’ve disrupted enough of your day.”“Do you remember that part about me blowing off work and us spending it together?”When she didn’t say anything, he exhaled and yanked open his door.“You know what, never mind.You’re right.I belong at work.”She slipped inside the car and fastened her seat belt while he did the same, well aware that he was seething.Well, as much as Sterling ever seethed.He rarely got angry.But she’d made him mad now.She waited until he’d pulled out of the lot.“Look, don’t get me wrong.”“I haven’t gotten much right in the last twenty minutes, so I don’t see how that’s possible.”“Sterling.” She reached over and laid her hand on the wrist he’d thrown over the wheel.He cut her a glance, and damn if her nipples didn’t harden as if he’d stroked them.He did, but only with a look.He could see she was affected by him.Probably the whole world could.“Ang,” he returned, voice soft.“This isn’t about what I want.”“Says who?”“Says the blob with toes in my belly.I have to make good decisions now, for her.It’s one thing when I’m only fucking up my own life.But I can’t do that to her.”“And being with me is going to fuck her up.” He stared straight ahead, his jaw going taut.“Nice to know.”It was her turn to stare.“When did this become about you and me…being together?” He couldn’t even toss that around in theory.Her heart was already pounding much too fast, her breath coming too short.Hypotheticals were fine in any case except this one.The glance he aimed her way could’ve frozen water.“The minute you came to my bed.”She dropped her hand from his arm and used it to cover her face instead.“I’m sorry.”“Don’t be.Clearly one of us got their wires crossed, and it wasn’t you.”“You don’t understand.”“So you keep telling me, but you’re not offering me anything to clear up all of my misconceptions.”She should just put it all out there.I pretended to be someone else to get close to you, and you’re going to hate me when you find out I lied.But that’s better than you regretting one day that you got involved with the crazy wild chick with a baby in tow.I couldn’t live with it if one day I turned into the biggest mistake you ever made.But she stayed quiet, because even having him annoyed at her was better than having him hate her.She’d have to go there soon enough.Just not today, after she’d seen her Maybe Baby for the first time and soared through the thrill of having him at her side and weathered the crash of reality all at once.A few minutes later, he pulled in to his driveway behind a motorcycle.On the front porch sat Cass and who Ang assumed was her fiancé, Jax.Terrific.“You forgot to call in to work, didn’t you?” She picked up her purse off the floor.“Yeah, but I didn’t think Jax would show up here.That they both would.Guess I should’ve answered their calls.”“It’s okay.You guys can talk.I have to get ready for work anyway.” Not for a few hours yet, but he didn’t need to know that.She’d go wander around the mall or something.Maybe buy an ice cream cone.It was all she could afford after yesterday’s ill-advised shopping trip and today’s doctor bill, since she wasn’t using her parents’ health insurance.Last thing she needed was for them to get a bill about her pregnancy-related care before she’d fessed up.Yet another thing she needed to deal with soon.Sterling picked up his cell phone from where he’d set it in the console.“You really should consider getting a new position that’s more in line with your qualifications.”Despite the accuracy of his statement, she didn’t appreciate his opinion on the subject right then.“Thanks for that.”“I’m serious.Do you honestly want to be calling out bingo numbers when you’re nine months pregnant? Being on your feet all day isn’t a good idea.”“It’s a job.Besides, it’s only a few hours a day.” She’d intended to tell him about getting hired at Tech Edge, but after last night’s sexcapade, she hadn’t had a chance yet.She also hadn’t fully decided to quit the bingo hall.Maybe she could do both jobs for a few months, sock away some cash.That would be the responsible thing to do.He tucked his cell in the inside pocket of his jacket and waved at Jax and Cass through the windshield.“You’re wasting yourself.”His supercilious tone set her teeth on edge.“Am I? Perhaps I should make that decision.” She grabbed the door handle.“I don’t want you to be stressed out.If you need a job, I can—”“No.Just…no.” She got out and shut the door, proud of herself that she didn’t slam it.She didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends, and she didn’t want to cause a scene [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]