a half smile, more bemused than angry.
“Gayle, we are going to talk this through. We can either do it at your house or we can do it here. Since you hardly know me, I would think you would prefer it in a public place.” He shrugged. “But the location is up to you. You choose.”
Something visceral told her to believe everything he said. She wasn’t used to dealing with this sort of man. Her father had been a lovable teddy bear who would shower his daughter with presents—even if it often was to make up for having left her alone so much. Her husband had been hesitant and diffident, willing to let her take the lead in most choices and judgments.
But this man, this Jack Marin, was a different breed entirely. She could see that he was tough, that he was used to making decisions swiftly and following through on threats. She searched his ebony eyes and couldn’t find any hint of uncertainty. If she didn’t let him drive her, he would follow her home. She knew that as well as if he’d told her so. He wanted to discuss this issue between them, and it was going to be discussed. Simple as that.
Slowly, she sank back down into her seat at the table. She wasn’t about to give in to anything he wanted. But for now, she was going to play along and see just exactly what his demands were going to be.
“All right,” she said evenly, lifting her chin. “Let’s talk.”
Jack slid back into his own seat and looked across the table at her, doing a quick reassessment of his situation. He knew what he wanted. He wanted his son. That was as important to him as anything had ever been. Ordinarily, he was used to making things happen the way he wanted them to. But in this instance, he didn’t have the control he would have liked. What he yearned for was inside the body of another human being. That made it tricky.
He watched her, studied her, glad that she was easy on the eyes. Then he looked away quickly when he realized what he was doing. He wondered if she’d noticed. But he couldn’t help it. This was the mother of his son. He wanted to become familiar with every detail.
He liked her lustrous auburn hair. And her wide blue eyes. And the dimple that had disappeared now that she wasn’t smiling any longer. He wanted to ask her about her family background, about illnesses, talents, foibles. What was her father like? Any insanity in her family? Curly hair? Twins? Musical ability? All the questions inside him he would have to hold back for now. If he pushed too hard, she would only retreat again. He had to play this just right.
It seemed it was going to take skill and tenacity to end up with what he wanted. This elegantly tall and graceful woman sitting across from him was no pushover. There was spirit in those azure eyes and evidence of a certain fire in the set of her lush, beautiful mouth. But he’d dealt with women before. He could handle her, too.
The advantage he figured he had was that he knew from experience women were not to be trusted. As far as he was concerned, it went right back to Adam and Eve, and it was the same story over and over again. The woman held out temptation, the gullible man reached for it and she casually cut him off at the knees. It was a pattern that had been repeated often in his own family. His mother had put his father through hell, then left him. Not having learned from example, Jack himself had married the girl of his dreams, he’d thought, only to be plummeted by the reality—a woman who promised everything and left him with less than nothing. He’d finally wised up, when it was too late. But that wouldn’t ever happen to him again. He would make sure of that.
There were relationships in this world that truly mattered to him. He even had a sister whom he adored. But they were the exceptions. He’d found that most women had to be watched every moment. They were like Siamese cats, sleek and beautiful—and ready to sell you out for a better offer at any time. You had to watch your back.
“I don’t bite,” he told Gayle after they had sat in silence for a good two or three minutes. “At least, not until I get to know a woman better.”
She glared at him, just to let him know she didn’t appreciate his jokes at a time like this, and he grinned back at her.
“Hey, we’re both in this together,” he said, his dark eyes sparkling with a brittle light. “Why are you looking at me like I’m the enemy?”
She held his gaze. Funny how his smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes any longer. “You’ve got to admit, you’re the closest thing to an enemy I’ve got,” she said evenly. “I was living my life very peacefully when you intruded.”
He studied her face. “Would you rather not have known what happened?”
She thought for a moment, considering. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She fidgeted with her fork, then looked up at him again. “Just exactly what is it that you want?” she asked bravely, though she was completely terrified of the answer she was sure he would give.
He didn’t answer directly. Instead, he began working with the cheese and crackers, and said, “I didn’t plan to have things turn out this way. This was no more in my game plan than it was in yours. I contracted for a service, nothing more.” He put down the cheese knife and looked into her eyes, his own hard as stones. “The outcome is what is important to me. I intend to end up with my son. That’s all.”
She suddenly felt short of breath. She’d known this, of course. It had been obvious from the moment he’d told her who he was. But she couldn’t accept it. The thought that he could even imagine she might consider letting him have her baby… She would never give up her child. Didn’t he know that? Couldn’t he guess? Looking toward the exit, she longed to get away.
“Bottom line,” he said almost too softly, “is that you’ve got something we both want.”
She swallowed hard and looked away again, avoiding his gaze. He was right. She did have something they both wanted. And yet, at the moment, she wasn’t sure what she really had.
This was no longer the little boy she had imagined. There was no chance now that he would have Hank’s gray eyes, or his offbeat sense of humor, or his slender build. The father of her child was entirely different now. He would have bits and pieces of the large, strong, arrogant man across from her. Would that have any effect on how she felt about the baby? She didn’t think so…but how could she know for sure at this point?
Her hands went to her belly again, fingers spread as though to sense any new vibrations. She felt a small movement, then a definite kick against one palm. And a warm wave of such overwhelming love swept through her that she almost had to smile. No, it made no difference. She would love her son no matter what he looked like, what his personality turned out to be. How could a woman carry a baby for nine months and not love it? A feeling of peace came over her. She knew what the outcome of this problem would be. Now all she had to do was find a way to get this man to accept it.
“This is really pointless,” she told him simply. “I’ll never give up my baby. I don’t care what kind of contract you have. That’s between you and the lab. It has nothing to do with me.”
He merely gave her one of those smiles that left his eyes cool and confident. “Would you like another sherbet drink?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. Plying me with fancy drinks won’t help change my mind, you know.”
She sighed. He wasn’t going to get what he wanted, but he was going to make her fight for every inch, that was clear. He wanted a son. But he hadn’t said anything about a wife, or asked what she wanted. Gayle had a sudden premonition. If there was a wife involved, he would have mentioned her by now. What if there wasn’t a wife?
“Are
