A Tricky Proposition(29)

“I didn’t ask for romance,” she protested. “I just wanted to get pregnant.”

In a clinic. Simple. Uncomplicated.

“Since when do you have something against romance? I seem to remember you liked it when Evan sent you flowers and took you out for candlelit dinners.”

“Evan and I were dating.” They’d been falling in love.

She picked up the bucket and moved to the front of the car. This time Jason stayed put.

“I thought you’d appreciate the flowers and the candlelight.”

Ming snorted. “Men do stuff like that to get women into bed. But you already knew we were going to have sex. So what was with the whole seduction scene?”

“Why are you making such an issue out of this?”

She stopped scrubbing the hood and stared at him, hoping she could make him understand without divulging too much. “You created the perfect setting to make me fall in love with you.”

“That’s not what I was doing.”

“I know you don’t plan to make women fall for you, but it’s what happens to everyone you date.” She applied the sponge to the hood in a fury. “You overwhelm them with romantic gestures until they start picturing a future with you and then you drop them because they want more than you can give them.”

The only movement in his face was the tic in his jaw. “You make it sound like I deliberately try to hurt them.”

“That’s not it at all. I don’t think you have any idea what it’s like when you turn on the Sterling charm.”

“Are you saying that’s what I did to you?”

It was the deliberate nature of what he’d done that made her feel like a prize to be won, not a friend to be helped. Another conquest. Another woman who would fall in love with him and then be dumped when she got too serious. When she wanted too much from him.

“Yes. And I don’t get why.” She dropped the sponge into the bucket and raked her fingers through her damp hair, lifting the soggy weight off her neck and back so the breeze could cool her. “All I wanted was to have a baby. I didn’t want to complicate our friendship with sex. Or make things weird between us.” Dense emotions weighed on her. Her shoulders sagged beneath the burden. She let her arms fall to her sides. “That’s why I’ve decided to let you off the hook.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going forward as originally planned. I’ll use an anonymous donor and we can pretend the last two weeks never happened.”

“I’m tired of pretending.”

Before she’d fully processed his statement, chilly water rained down on her. Ming shrieked and stepped back.

“Hey.” She wiped water from her eyes and glared at Jason. “Watch it.”

“Sorry.” But he obviously wasn’t.

“You did that on purpose.”

“I didn’t.”

“Did, too.”

And abruptly they were eight again, chasing each other around her parents’ backyard with squirt guns. She grabbed the sponge out of the bucket and tossed it at his head. He dodged it without even moving his feet, and a smattering of droplets showered down on her.

The bucket of water was at her feet. Seconds later it was in her hands. She didn’t stop to consider the consequences of what she was about to do. How long since she’d acted without thought?

“If you throw that, I’ll make sure you’ll regret it,” Jason warned, his serious tone a stark contrast to the dare in his eyes.

The emotional tug-of-war of the past two weeks had taken a toll on her. Her friendship with Jason was the foundation that she’d built her life on. But the longing for his kisses, the anticipation of his hands sliding over her naked flesh… She was on fire for him. Head and heart at war.

“Damn you, Jason,” she whispered.

Soapy water arced across the six feet separating them and landed precisely where she meant it to. Drenched from head to groin, Jason stood perfectly still for as long as it took for Ming to drop the bucket. Then he gave his head a vigorous shake, showering soapy droplets all around him.

Ming watched as if in slow motion as he raised the hose in his hand, aimed it at her and squeezed the trigger. Icy water sprayed her. Sputtering with laughter, she put up her hands and backed away. Hampered by her heels from moving fast enough to escape, she shrieked for Jason to stop. When the deluge continued, she kicked off her shoes and raced for the house.

Until she stood dripping on Jason’s kitchen floor, it hadn’t occurred to her why she hadn’t made a break for her car. The door leading to the garage slammed shut.

Shivering in the air-conditioning, Ming whirled to confront Jason.