Leverage (Part II)(6)

“She signed a contract,” Boston reminded Richard in a cold tone but Richard was immune and simply shrugged. Boston stabbed at the air between them. “I’ll make her wish she never met me if she doesn’t come back. That’s my baby in that belly and she doesn’t have the right to keep it from me!”

“You’re not thinking clearly. Go to bed. When you wake, I’ll have something for you to go on. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and sober the hell up.”

Richard didn’t wait for Boston’s answer and simply left the room, taking Boston’s ire with him. Good God, Richard was right. He was drunk and his head was spinning. Somehow, he found himself in his bedroom and fell face-first onto his bed. Immediately, Julianna’s scent enveloped him and groaned, clutching the bedding in his hands, wishing she was still there beside him instead of God knew where, doing God knew what.

“Please don’t kill my baby,” he murmured in an agonized voice to the still room. “Please, Julianna…”

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Julianna walked into her suite and let out a soft gasp of amazement at the deluxe accommodations that only wealth could provide and for a split second she forgot all about everything that had made the flight miserable and quickly let the diaphanous drapes fluttering in the soft, salty breeze, slide though her fingers. Everything gleamed with sunlight and her soul smiled with happiness and delight. The past few months, working two jobs, worrying about Tom, quitting school, and shelving her dreams and ambitions slid away, leaving her with nothing but hope that things were going to work out somehow.She left the windows and went to the bedroom and couldn’t help but stare at the bed wistfully, picturing Boston lying there naked with that hungry gaze trained on her, making her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. Her hand strayed to her still-flat stomach and wondered what Boston would think if she got fat. She couldn’t imagine that he would tolerate a woman who was suddenly ungainly and hormonal. Julianna bit her lip and her brow dipped with a sadness she couldn’t understand. What did she care what Boston would think of her burgeoning figure? Their relationship had been irrevocably changed from what it had been and there was no going back. Before, she’d found some kind of peace and acceptance knowing that at the end of the contract term, she and Boston would simply walk away from one another. At least in the beginning that’s how she’d come to terms with their odd relationship. But within the last week, she’d begun to have feelings for the jerk.

Which made the current situation so much worse.

Why had he lied to her about not being able to have kids? She couldn’t understand why he would say that to her unless he’d hoped to get her pregnant and wanted to make sure she didn’t stress about birth control.

Her head ached from the questions. And she was hungry. Always hungry. And sick. The nausea was becoming a constant companion. It was as if now that she knew she was pregnant, every symptom of pregnancy was piling up on her. She glanced at her fingers. Were they swollen? How soon did that happen? Julianna groaned and shook out her fingers, going to her bag to find some crackers to munch on. She reached for her phone and saw two more messages. Both from Boston. She deleted them both before she could change her mind and call him.

This was his fault.

He could stew in his own juices for a while.

Damn him for getting her pregnant in the first place. She crunched into the cracker and slowly chewed, her thoughts in a jumble. Pregnant…a word she never imagined she’d ever utter from her own lips. Not after what happened to Mindy King.

“You’re pregnant?” Julianna had whispered, eyes widening in shock while her best friend nodded and shooshed her, swearing her to secrecy as the memory from that winter night bloomed in Julianna’s mind. Suddenly she was no longer in the Caribbean but Mrs. Heizen’s English class, senior year. “Do your parents know?”

“Hell no. Not yet. If they found out…I’d be grounded for the rest of my life.”

“I’m no expert but something tells me they’re going to find out eventually. How far along are you?” Mindy shrugged, a small fearful motion that spoke volumes. “Have you been to the doctor yet?”

“No. How am I supposed to see a doctor without my parents finding out?” Mindy whispered back, returning to her book when Mrs. Heizen glanced up to survey the classroom. They were supposed to be reading “Pride and Prejudice” but Mindy and Julianna had bigger problems than whatever was happening in Jane Austen’s world. “What are you going to do?”#p#分页标题#e#