think I lost my mind that weekend.”
“Let’s talk about it during dinner.” He glanced over her shoulder. “May I see your office?”
As her mind raced for an answer, she hesitated, and he smiled. “Good.” He draped his arm across her shoulders. “Show me around and then I’ll take you to eat and we can talk.”
While her mind wrestled with what she should have said and what she could say, she walked with him, but most of her attention was on his arm across her shoulders and his side brushing against hers. She had to get rid of him. He was way too take-charge, and she didn’t want him discovering that she was pregnant. She loathed the prospect of pity. She didn’t want a dutiful proposal. Even more unwanted would be Ryan making decisions about her and her baby. Most frightening of all, she didn’t want him to use his millions to try to take her baby away from her.
From the first moment in the doctor’s office, when she had almost fainted at the news, she had wrestled with how to deal with Ryan over the matter.
He had used condoms, but the doctor had told her they weren’t a hundred percent foolproof. So on a wild weekend that was a once in a lifetime fling for her, she had gotten pregnant by a man she barely knew. As she walked beside him, she rubbed her forehead. How complicated her life had become!
Ashley hadn’t figured out yet how to break the news to her father, her brother and her grandmother, let alone Ryan.
She had considered every aspect, and finally had decided that the best possible thing that could happen would be to keep Ryan out of her life until after the baby was born.
She had no idea what his reaction to her pregnancy would be. She knew the day would come when she would have to let him know that he had fathered a child. But she wanted it far in the future, when she had her baby in her arms and her life established, with Ryan Warner far out of it and happily involved with another woman. The last part still hurt to think about, but Ashley knew it was the wisest course.
“This is nice, Ashley,” he said as they approached her front door, with its fan transom gracing the top and long, low redwood boxes of blooming flowers on either side. “I’ve forgotten what you told me. How long have you been a wedding planner?”
“Almost a year,” she answered, barely thinking about the question.
He reached out to open her door for her, letting her enter ahead of him. Carlotta was gazing at Ryan with a smile and obvious curiosity.
“Hi,” she said.
“Carlotta, this is Ryan Warner. Ryan, this is my receptionist and secretary, Carlotta Reyna,” Ashley said, while Carlotta reached out to shake his hand.
Ashley took his arm. “I’m going to show Ryan the office. I’ll close up tonight,” she told her employee, who nodded, barely able to take her eyes from Ryan.
“You do have an effect on women,” Ashley said when they’d crossed the hall, out of earshot. “I thought Carlotta was going to faint with pleasure when you shook her hand.”
He grinned and shrugged. “I’m not having the effect where it’s important,” he replied.
She inhaled. “I walked into that one. You’ll probably get the same reaction from my assistant. Both are single.”
“I have only one interest.”
Ignoring his answer, even though it made her breath catch, Ashley led him into a large room in the front and waved her hand toward the shelves of oversize books.
“This space is for clients. I have a lot of materials in here to give them choices about cakes and decorations.”
Ryan looked around the cheerful space with its tables and comfortable-looking chairs, and she wondered if he was even remotely interested in her business.
“Introduce me to your assistant and show me your office,” he said, studying Ashley with a hungry look.
As she gazed at his handsome features, she thought, If only. Immediately, she stopped that train of thought. There were no if onlys. She had to get Ryan out of her office and her life. “Come with me,” she said briskly. She knew he was right behind her as she entered the hall, and then he fell into step beside her.
She almost collided with Jenna, who saw Ryan and smiled.
“Jenna, this is Ryan Warner. Ryan, meet my assistant, Jenna Fremont.”
“You’re really Ryan Warner,” Jenna said, sounding as if she were meeting a movie star.
“I’m the one and only. And you’re really Jenna Fremont,” he said, teasing her and grinning.
She looked as if she would melt as she smiled up at him. “I’m the only Jenna around here.” She giggled. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve seen your pictures all over.”
“Not on Most Wanted posters, I hope,” he kidded, eliciting more giggles.
“I’m showing Ryan our offices. I’ll lock up, Jenna.”
“It was nice to meet you, Jenna,” he said. “I’ll see you again, I’m sure.”
“Oh, I hope so,” she cooed, and Ashley prayed that she’d never be that impressed with any man herself.
“They obviously think you’re awesome. If not Carlotta, why don’t you take Jenna to dinner?” Ashley suggested, when they were alone.
He smiled.
“She doesn’t get my heart pounding, either,” he said. “It’s interesting how you want to hand me off to someone else.”
Ignoring his comment, she motioned toward an open door. “Here’s my office.”
Like a cat in new surroundings, he circled the spacious room, looking at pictures on the wall and at a table that held a spread of wedding snapshots. At her desk, he paused and leaned over, and she wondered what he was looking at. Her calendar, she realized.
“Ah, you’re free tonight. Good.”
She shook her head, knowing she had already lost the argument.
“I promise, we’ll have a great evening,” he said, his gaze boring into her, and she could feel the sparks dancing between them. Attraction was hot and all but crackled in the air. At the same time, there was a clash of wills.
“I’ll take you to your favorite place, unless you’d rather go to mine,” he said, giving her another one of those knee-melting smiles that made her remember being in his arms. As if the issue were settled, he moved on, looking at books and pictures on her shelves, picking up an old snapshot of her on the farm with her dad.
Holding the frame in his well-shaped hand, Ryan studied the picture and then glanced at her. “Nice, Ashley. Do you miss the farm?”
“No. I don’t want to farm. My brother can do that with my dad.”
Ryan glanced at his watch. “It’s after five, so that means we can close now. I’ll drive, and bring you back later to get your car.”
