If it was his baby—and it was a big if, he acknowledged grimly—then he wanted to be there for her, by his physical presence and support, financially, or in any way she would let him be there for her.
The question was, would she want him to be there for any of those things…?
‘Are your parents okay?’ he queried evenly, returning to the bedroom to find Kenzie sitting on the side of the bed beside the telephone.
She turned to him blankly, having been lost in thought. ‘Fine,’ she dismissed quickly as she stood up.
Get a grip, Kenzie, she told herself firmly; there would be plenty of time to think of the enormity of what was happening to her once she was alone later tonight.
‘How is your father now?’ Dominick asked lightly.
‘Much better,’ she answered a little impatiently. ‘Dominick, if you want to start hurling out those accusations now, it’s okay. I’m feeling less—stunned, than I was a few minutes ago,’ she assured him wryly.
‘I don’t—’ He shook his head, his face slightly pale beneath his tan. ‘I have no idea what to say,’ he finally acknowledged.
He knew that whatever he said in the next few minutes it was sure to be wrong!
‘That has to be a first,’ Kenzie murmured ruefully.
He shrugged. ‘All of this is a first for me.’
‘But you do want to know whether or not the baby is yours?’ Kenzie questioned.
Did he?
He wasn’t sure what he wanted. If Kenzie told him the baby definitely wasn’t his, then there would be no going back from that. Carlton was sure to want his baby, as well as Kenzie, and Dominick would have lost her for ever.
Whatever else their time together five weeks ago, and seeing her this evening had shown him, it was that he could no longer stand the thought of losing her. He couldn’t bear the thought of never being able to hold her, to talk to her, to laugh with her, ever again!
‘Don’t look so worried, Dominick,’ Kenzie derided as she saw his expression. ‘Whether or not this baby is yours, it isn’t going to affect you in the slightest—’
‘Don’t be so damned stupid, Kenzie!’ he rasped impatiently, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets as he began to pace the room. ‘Of course it will affect me. It would be my son or daughter, for God’s sake!’ He frowned darkly.
She raised her dark brows. ‘And that would bother you?’
‘Of course it would bother me!’ He paused to glare at her. ‘Admittedly fatherhood isn’t something I ever thought about—’
‘Or wanted,’ Kenzie put in quietly, remembering just how badly he hadn’t wanted it—enough for it to end their marriage!
‘Or wanted,’ he accepted harshly. ‘But there is a distinct difference between talking about a mythical baby and being presented with a fait accompli!’
A fait accompli…
Was that how Dominick thought of the child she carried?
Her mouth tightened angrily. ‘Well, just put your mind completely at rest, Dominick, because this baby isn’t yours!’ In her mind it wasn’t, because knowing as she did how Dominick felt about the prospect of fatherhood, this baby was hers. Hers, and no one else’s.
Dominick felt as if all the air had been knocked out of his lungs and closed his eyes to block Kenzie out of his sight for the time it took him to regain his breath and fight down the nausea that rose up in his throat.
It wasn’t his baby!
He wanted to shout, to rage, to hit out at someone, anyone, as the disappointment and pain threatened to overwhelm him.
How he had wanted Kenzie’s baby to be his, how he had wanted Kenzie to come back to him.
And after the last five agonizing weeks of knowing he hated his life without her in it, he wouldn’t have cared if it had only been the existence of the baby that made her come back.
But now he had lost her for ever. There was no way she would ever want to come back to him when she was expecting another man’s baby.
He straightened, forcing himself back under control as he looked at her. ‘How do you think Carlton will feel about the baby?’ he asked through gritted teeth.
Kenzie gave a dismissive laugh. ‘I don’t really think that’s any of your business, Dominick.’
Maybe it wasn’t, but he wanted to know anyway!
Carlton was shallow and selfish, and at forty-two had so far managed to avoid making a long-term commitment to any woman. And if Carlton didn’t want Kenzie—
What was he thinking now?
That if Carlton didn’t want her or the baby, maybe he could persuade Kenzie into coming back to him?
Kenzie decided she had had enough for one night, and needed to get away from Dominick, as far away as possible, in order to consider what she was going to do next.
‘I think—’ She broke off as a loud knocking sounded on the outer door.
‘Masters, open the damn door!’ Jerome shouted to accompany the knock. ‘I know Kenzie is still in there and I want to talk to her!’ he added as he rapped on the door again.
‘No, don’t bother to answer,’ Kenzie told Dominick as he turned grimly to reach for the handle. ‘I’m going back downstairs, anyway,’ she announced lightly.
‘Kenzie…?’ Dominick questioned in surprise.
She stopped to give him a derisive smile. ‘I told you not to worry about it, Dominick,’ she said softly. ‘I’m a big girl now, and more than capable of looking after myself and my baby, if the need arises.’
His mouth tightened. ‘I’ll kill him if he doesn’t accept his responsibility—’
‘And what would that achieve?’ she asked.
‘It would make me feel a whole lot better!’ he snapped.
‘I have no idea why.’ Kenzie still smiled. ‘Haven’t you forgotten that you left Caroline on her own downstairs?’ she reminded him ruefully.
‘Caroline definitely is a big girl who can take care of herself!’ he dismissed without concern.
‘Kenzie, are you in there?’ Jerome was rattling the door handle now.
‘I really do have to go,’ Kenzie told Dominick firmly. ‘I—thank you for all your help earlier this evening,’ she added briskly.
‘You still haven’t had anything to eat,’ Dominick pressed impatiently.
‘I’ll
