much. Was this going to be a long-term problem? Possibly. But right now it was mostly annoying. And her mind was full of so many things, she didn’t have time to worry about it.
The first order of business was to get rid of this man so she could go back and find her suitcase. Something told her that was the key to getting herself back to normal. As they came to another corner, she stopped and smiled at him quickly.
“There it is,” she said, gesturing down the block. “I can handle the rest of this on my own,” she added breezily. “Thanks again.”
She turned to hurry off, but his hand stopped that, his long fingers curling around her upper arm.
“Marisa,” he said, a smile teasing the corners of his wide mouth as he looked down into her wide eyes, “this is Embassy Row.”
She turned and looked. Sure enough, the street was lined with stately mansions, and even in the dark, she could see the placards identifying the countries.
“So?” she said, trying to remain nonchalant. “I…I’m staying with the Hungarians for now.” She looked up to see if he was buying it.
He laughed shortly. “Liar,” he said calmly. “The Hungarian embassy has been closed down for years and they haven’t sent a new delegation yet.” He shrugged. “Want to try again?”
She glared at him. He was becoming insufferable.
“Look, I don’t want to argue about this. I appreciate your concern, but you have no hold over me.” Very deliberately, she peeled away his fingers, making a graphic statement to back up her words. “And I’d like to be on my own.”
“You can’t be.”
She wrinkled her nose, frowning up at him. “What are you talking about?”
That wonderful eyebrow rose again. “You’re carrying a baby with you, no matter what you do,” he said flatly. “And that means you need to take a little extra care, don’t you think?”
Looking down, she bit her lip. He was right. She could see the slight bulge of her tummy. She was pregnant! It startled her every time she remembered. How had this happened?
Well, she supposed it was in the usual way. Still, you’d think she would remember something like that. At least, she should remember the man involved.
She wished her mind would clear. She was so confused. She knew it would be crazy to go with this man she didn’t even know. Of course, in some ways it was even crazier to go roaming the streets when she didn’t know where to go or what to ask for. What was she going to do, sleep under a bridge or in a doorway like a homeless person?
But that seemed to be what she was right now. Until she figured out who she was and where she was going, she was homeless.
“I’ll be honest with you, Marisa,” he went on. “You’re a grown woman. If you want to wander the streets of this city at all hours, ordinarily you could be my guest. But right now, things are different. You’ve got to think about that baby you’re carrying.”
She blinked at him, not sure where he was going with this.
He considered her levelly. “I think you’d better come home with me.”
That shocked her. She gasped softly, wondering if he really meant it—and how he eant it. What kind of a home was he talking about? What sort of situation?
She looked up with a wry smile. “What will your wife think?” she tried, fishing for information.
A cold shadow passed through his gaze. “I’m not married.”
She shivered, then tried to make light of the circumstances with a quip. “That’s what they all say. Right after they claim to read Playboy for the articles.”
His mouth twisted. Despite himself, he almost grinned. “Okay,” he admitted, “I’ll plead guilty to being male.”
She wondered if that meant he was acknowledging a certain attraction. She thought maybe it did, and that made her want to smile, too. Better to make a smart-aleck crack instead, she decided hurriedly.
“Wise move,” she retorted with a nod. “Next you might as well throw yourself on the mercy of the court. That’ll get you a lighter sentence.”
“If you’re the court, I’d think twice,” he shot back. “But either way, here’s the truth. I’m not married.”
He wasn’t married. Was she? No, she didn’t think so. Despite the fact that she was pregnant, she couldn’t picture herself married. It just didn’t feel like it.
She studied him with her head to the side, considering. “Do you have any children?” She only asked because he seemed so concerned about the baby she was carrying.
“No. But I care a lot about children. And I think it’s only fair to give a baby the best first nine months you possibly can.”
She nodded. Of course she agreed. Who wouldn’t? But what did that mean, exactly? If she couldn’t even remember why she was pregnant….
“Come on,” he said, starting off across the street. “You’re dead on your feet. We’ve got to have a doctor look at you before you pass out.”
“Doctor?” She found herself going along with him again. What had happened to her determined effort to peel off? It seemed to have melted into the mist. “Where are you going to find a doctor at this time of night?”
“I’ve got one where I live.”
That made her do a double take. “Really?”
“Yes.” He glanced at her sideways, a half grin just for her. “I’ve also got a sister who will take care of you. So you don’t have to worry about my intentions.”
She wanted to protest, to say she hadn’t been a bit worried, but the words stuck in her throat.
“Once we get there, I probably won’t even see you again. Carla will handle everything.”
“Will she?” He was walking quickly now and she was hurrying just to keep up.
“Yes. She’s capable of handling just about anything. The entire country, even.”
“Well, if she can handle you, I’m sold.”
They stopped at the crosswalk on a major road. Two cars sped past. Looking back, she thought she saw someone duck between two buildings. That gave her a start, then she relaxed. She was imagining things. This night was taking a toll on her sanity, wasn’t it? She felt an overwhelming need to bring things to rights as much as she could.
Nico took her arm. “We’re almost there,” he told her.
Instead of starting off across the street, she hung back, putting her own hand on his.
“Okay, listen,” she said seriously. “Before we get there, I’ve got a confession to make.”
His eyes darkened as he looked down into hers. “Really.”
