That did it. The combination of his heartfelt apology, the self-reproach reflected in his blue eyes and her unstable hormones touched something deep inside of Elena that she’d thought long dead. Her eyes flooded with tears, and she quickly turned away before he noticed.
But it was too late. He had noticed.
He immediately pulled her into his arms. “Elena, honey, please don’t cry.” Brett held her close and caressed her cheek with his hand while she sobbed. “Everything is going to be all right. You and the baby will be just fine. The doctor told me that you need more rest, and I’m going to make sure you get it.”
Her tears fell faster. Great! Not only was she crying because of her pregnancy hormones, she was also shedding tears of utter humiliation that he’d witnessed her collapse at the restaurant and her teary breakdown now.
His warm embrace, the feel of his arms tightening around her to draw her to his wide chest, almost made her believe he meant what he said. Almost. But having been married to a man just like Brett, she knew better. Men would say anything to get themselves off the hook or to manipulate a woman into doing what they wanted.
But at the moment she was too tired and emotionally drained to protest. All she wanted was to go home, crawl into bed and forget this day had ever happened.
When she finally felt in control enough to speak, she gave him the address of her apartment building. “Please, just take me home.”
Nodding, he released her, started the car and shifted it into gear. “That’s not far from here. I’ll have you home in no time.”
Brett looked around as he pulled the Jag to a stop behind a waiting cab in front of a shabby four-story building. Although it was a respectable middle-class neighborhood, it was clear to see that her landlord hadn’t seen fit to keep his property maintained.
“Thank you for the ride home, Mr. Connelly.”
Brett’s brow rose at the formal use of his name and the hand she offered for him to shake. So she was trying to turn back time and return to a business-only acquaintance.
Well, that was just too damned bad, he decided, ignoring her gesture. He’d spent a good two hours in the E.R. worrying about her, and that, in his opinion, took them well beyond a business association.
Besides, whether she admitted it or not, she was extremely fragile right now. She needed someone to be there for her, to lend her moral support. And since he was partly to blame for her problems this evening, Brett felt obligated to see that she was comfortably settled before he bade her good-night. The fact that he liked the way she felt in his arms had no bearing on his decision at all.
Getting out of the car, he opened the passenger door before she could do it herself. He’d told her that he’d make sure everything was fine for her and her baby, and he had every intention of carrying through on his promise.
“Mr. Connelly—”
“Brett.” He smiled down at her. “I think we’re well past the formalities, Elena. Now, let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”
The cold February wind whipped the falling snow into their faces, and he placed his arm around her to hold her close. He told himself that it was just to keep her warm, to shield her from the frigid wind. But her small body pressed against his felt wonderful and he couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel without the cumbersome layers of their coats.
As they reached the steps to Elena’s building, a rotund lady in her fifties carrying a gym bag and resembling Nanook of the North, opened the door. “You’ll have to find somewhere else to spend the night, Elena,” she said, through the wool scarf covering her mouth and nose. “The furnace won’t be fixed until tomorrow at the earliest and maybe not until sometime Monday. The super said it depended on when the parts he had to order got here.”
Having made her announcement, Nanook hurried to the cab waiting by the curb, threw the gym bag inside, then hurled herself in after it.
“Wonderful,” Elena muttered as they watched the cab drive away. “The perfect ending to a perfect day.”
Brett held the door for her. “No problem. You can throw some clothes in an overnight case and stay at my place. I’ve got a nice large guest room and I guarantee it’s warm.”
He surprised himself with the invitation, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Not only was it the decent thing to do, since he was partially responsible for her collapse, it was something his parents would expect of him, considering the circumstances. This woman was in charge of investigating the attempted assassination of his brother Daniel, the new king of Altaria. Brett had been assigned the task of assisting her in whatever way was needed. By having Elena stay at his place, he could follow through on his promise to see that she was all right, and if she felt like it later, they could go over the questions she intended to ask during the interviews with his family.
“No, I can’t stay at your place,” she said, entering the lobby of the building.
She turned to face him, and if the look on her pretty face was any indication, hell would freeze over before she agreed to his offer. Brett almost laughed. With the temperature hovering around zero, it wouldn’t surprise him to hear that it had already started icing up.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Elena. You and I both know you can’t stay here.”
“I’ll…I’ll stay at…”
When her voice trailed off, he nodded. “That’s what I thought. You don’t have any idea where to stay, do you?”
“I’ll check into a hotel,” she said stubbornly.
He shook his head. “That’s not acceptable.”
She treated him to an indignant look. “Oh, really? And why not?”
“Because you need someone to take care of you.”
He immediately wished he’d used a little more diplomacy and phrased his statement differently. He could tell by the sudden straightening of her slender shoulders and the sparks of anger in her wide brown eyes, that he’d made a huge blunder.
“Mr. Connelly, I have never nor will I ever need someone to take care of me. I’ve been by myself for as long as I can remember and I’ve done just fine. I see no reason why that should change now.”
He told himself he should just walk away, that she didn’t want his help. But whether she wanted it or not, it was clear she needed it. He had no idea where the man was who’d gotten her pregnant, but it appeared as if he was out of the picture and she was on her own. For some reason that bothered him more than it should.
Brett didn’t fully understand what he was about to do, or why, but he’d made her and her unborn child a promise. It was time to play his trump card. “Elena, you don’t want to lose your baby because of some misguided belief that you’ll relinquish your independence. Think of what’s best for your child. If that means staying at my place tonight, then swallow your pride and accept my offer.”
Her expression instantly changed from fiercely indignant to anxious and frightened. He felt like an absolute jerk.
Reaching out, he drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry.
