Pregnant by the Texan(26)

                He felt as cold as ice, chilled to the bone, while his gaze raked over her. Her sweater hid her waist, but he had seen her waist yesterday and she was as tiny as ever, her stomach as flat as when they had met.

                He took a deep breath and followed her out of the elevator.

                At her door she turned to face him. “Thank you for dinner. Can we talk tomorrow?”

                “Are you really going to go into your suite, get in bed and go to sleep right now?” he asked. His own head spun with the discovery, which explained why she had been so cool the other day when she had first seen him again. Shock hit him in waves and just wouldn’t stop. She was pregnant with his baby. He would be a father. He had no choice now in the situation. He had made his choice the night he seduced her and he couldn’t undo it now. “You’re not going in there and going to sleep.”

                She met his gaze. “No, I guess I’m not,” she replied in a whisper. “Come in.”

                There was only one thing for him to do. She carried his baby. He had gotten her pregnant. He had taken precautions and both of them thought they had been safe when in reality they had not been. It was done and could not be undone. As far as he could see there was no question about what he needed to do.

                She unlocked her door and he closed and locked it behind them, following her into a spacious living area with beige-and-white decor that was similar to the suite he had. The entire inn had a homey appearance with maple furniture, old-fashioned pictures, needlepoint-covered throw pillows, rocking chairs in the living areas and fireplaces with gas logs.

                “Have a seat, please. Do you want anything to drink?” she asked.

                “Oh, yeah. Have any whiskey?”

                “No. There’s a bottle of wine,” she replied, her voice cold and grim.

                “That’s okay. I’ll pass. Have you been to a doctor yet?”

                “Yes. That’s where I went today,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I couldn’t go to a doctor here in Royal where I know everybody and they know me. If they don’t know me, a lot of people recognize me now from seeing me on television.”

                She sat perched on the edge of a wing chair that seemed to dwarf her. He studied her in silence and she gazed back. Her hands were knotted together, her knuckles white; once again she had lost her color. He suspected if he touched her she would be ice-cold.

                He was in such shock he couldn’t even think. This was the last possible thing he thought would happen to him. Actually, he’d thought it was impossible.

                “You’re certain you’re pregnant?”

                “Yes, Aaron, I am. There isn’t really much to talk about right now. It’s probably best you think about it before you start talking to me. I know this is a shock.”

                He stared at her. She was right in that he needed to think, to adjust to what had happened. It was a huge upheaval, bigger even than the storm, where he had merely come in afterward to try to help. Now he had his own storm in his life and he wondered if he could ever pick up the pieces.

                She looked determined. Her chin was tilted up and she had a defiant gleam in her eyes. He realized he had been entirely focused on himself and the shock of discovering that he would be a father. He needed to consider Stella.

                He crossed the room and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her. She stood stiffly in his embrace and gazed up at him.