The advantage he figured he had was that he knew from experience women were not to be trusted. As far as he was concerned, it went right back to Adam and Eve, and it was the same story over and over again. The woman held out temptation, the gullible man reached for it and she casually cut him off at the knees. It was a pattern that had been repeated often in his own family. His mother had put his father through hell, then left him. Not having learned from example, Jack himself had married the girl of his dreams, he’d thought, only to be plummeted by the reality—a woman who promised everything and left him with less than nothing. He’d finally wised up, when it was too late. But that wouldn’t ever happen to him again. He would make sure of that.
There were relationships in this world that truly mattered to him. He even had a sister whom he adored. But they were the exceptions. He’d found that most women had to be watched every moment. They were like Siamese cats, sleek and beautiful—and ready to sell you out for a better offer at any time. You had to watch your back.
“I don’t bite,” he told Gayle after they had sat in silence for a good two or three minutes. “At least, not until I get to know a woman better.”
She glared at him, just to let him know she didn’t appreciate his jokes at a time like this, and he grinned back at her.
“Hey, we’re both in this together,” he said, his dark eyes sparkling with a brittle light. “Why are you looking at me like I’m the enemy?”
She held his gaze. Funny how his smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes any longer. “You’ve got to admit, you’re the closest thing to an enemy I’ve got,” she said evenly. “I was living my life very peacefully when you intruded.”
He studied her face. “Would you rather not have known what happened?”
She thought for a moment, considering. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She fidgeted with her fork, then looked up at him again. “Just exactly what is it that you want?” she asked bravely, though she was completely terrified of the answer she was sure he would give.
He didn’t answer directly. Instead, he began working with the cheese and crackers, and said, “I didn’t plan to have things turn out this way. This was no more in my game plan than it was in yours. I contracted for a service, nothing more.” He put down the cheese knife and looked into her eyes, his own hard as stones. “The outcome is what is important to me. I intend to end up with my son. That’s all.”
She suddenly felt short of breath. She’d known this, of course. It had been obvious from the moment he’d told her who he was. But she couldn’t accept it. The thought that he could even imagine she might consider letting him have her baby… She would never give up her child. Didn’t he know that? Couldn’t he guess? Looking toward the exit, she longed to get away.
“Bottom line,” he said almost too softly, “is that you’ve got something we both want.”
She swallowed hard and looked away again, avoiding his gaze. He was right. She did have something they both wanted. And yet, at the moment, she wasn’t sure what she really had.
This was no longer the little boy she had imagined. There was no chance now that he would have Hank’s gray eyes, or his offbeat sense of humor, or his slender build. The father of her child was entirely different now. He would have bits and pieces of the large, strong, arrogant man across from her. Would that have any effect on how she felt about the baby? She didn’t think so…but how could she know for sure at this point?
Her hands went to her belly again, fingers spread as though to sense any new vibrations. She felt a small movement, then a definite kick against one palm. And a warm wave of such overwhelming love swept through her that she almost had to smile. No, it made no difference. She would love her son no matter what he looked like, what his personality turned out to be. How could a woman carry a baby for nine months and not love it? A feeling of peace came over her. She knew what the outcome of this problem would be. Now all she had to do was find a way to get this man to accept it.
“This is really pointless,” she told him simply. “I’ll never give up my baby. I don’t care what kind of contract you have. That’s between you and the lab. It has nothing to do with me.”
He merely gave her one of those smiles that left his eyes cool and confident. “Would you like another sherbet drink?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. Plying me with fancy drinks won’t help change my mind, you know.”
She sighed. He wasn’t going to get what he wanted, but he was going to make her fight for every inch, that was clear. He wanted a son. But he hadn’t said anything about a wife, or asked what she wanted. Gayle had a sudden premonition. If there was a wife involved, he would have mentioned her by now. What if there wasn’t a wife?
“Are you married?” she asked abruptly.
A look of pure challenge flashed in his dark eyes. “No,” he said at last, reluctantly.
That was what she’d thought. What a mystery this man was. Still, she had to admit he was awfully good-looking. Despite the antagonism between them, she felt a strong pull of attraction. She remembered the feeling she’d had when her gaze had met his in the elevator, and she knew that electricity was simmering just below the surface even now. If she dropped her guard, she would feel it again. There was something masculine in him that she couldn’t help but respond to. But she had to remember that he was the enemy.
She studied him from under her lashes. His dark hair was cut fairly short, as though he was trying to tame a tendency toward crisp curls that she could detect along his neckline. His profile was strong, and his dark eyes were deep and gorgeous. But the feature that struck her most strongly was his mouth. He had the sexiest mouth she’d ever seen. It looked like it had been created just for kissing. The thought of kissing it sent a sudden surge of sensation through her and she dropped her gaze quickly, willing herself not to blush. That would be a sign of weakness she couldn’t risk.
She finally glanced back into his eyes and congratulated herself on how cool and calm she’d managed to be. “Why don’t you explain just exactly what you want with a child when you have no wife to help you raise him?” she demanded.
His expression was guarded. “I will explain that to you. But not yet.” He waited a moment as the waiter refilled their water glasses. “We need to get to know each other first.”
He made this sound like a long-term relationship. She had no intention of letting it go any longer than this day, this meal. “And how do you propose we go about doing that?” she asked impatiently.
He looked very sure of himself. “We’ll eat a meal. Look at each other across the table. Talk about this and that.” He let a glint of humor appear in his gaze. “Give each other a smile now and then.”
So that was it. Her mouth turned down in a cynical frown. “You’re counting on your charm to bowl me over, aren’t you?”
He laughed, and it lit up his dark face. “No, Gayle. I have a feeling it would take more than my charm to bowl you over.” His smile faded. “I’m counting on facts and logic.”
Facts and logic. Facts and logic!
“You know, this whole thing is still very unreal and very scary to me,” she said after the waiter took their order and walked away. “Just a few hours ago I was carrying my husband’s child. And now…” Her voice wavered and trailed off as a surge of emotion surprised her.
He cleared his throat. “I heard about what happened to your husband. I’m very sorry.”
“Are you?”
He frowned at the question. “Yes. Of course.”
She took a deep breath and continued. “I