Chapter Five
Ryan couldn’t remember the last time a woman had fallen asleep on him without the prelude of mind-blowing sex. The sleep part had always been his cue to slip out and avoid the postmortem. Leaving wasn’t an option now.
Waiting for the red light to change, he silently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and let his gaze skim over Nicole’s face. Her thick lashes couldn’t conceal the lavender circles beneath her eyes. According to her clinic file she was about ten weeks pregnant, in her first trimester.
Jeanette had slept a lot, too, during those early weeks. She’d missed enough classes to flunk out of college. His ex had also complained incessantly about her lack of energy, her nausea and her frequent need to pee—as if each irritation had been Ryan’s fault. She’d wanted to be waited on hand and foot and played every sympathy card in the deck. Love-struck sucker that he’d been he’d fallen for her act. His mother’s manipulative attitude should have made him immune to those kinds of tricks, but the old “Love is blind” adage had certainly applied to him.
Nicole, on the other hand, hadn’t said a word about her condition. She hadn’t even complained about being hungry. She’d simply pulled a snack and a bottle of water from her tote bag. And then twenty minutes ago in the middle of discussing the pros and cons of the house they’d toured she’d trailed off midsentence. He’d looked over and found her slumped sideway in her seat asleep.
The tilted position caused her V-neck top to gape, revealing the swell of her pale breasts. That distracting sight combined with her soft, parted lips had hit him with a grenade of hunger.
The urge to stroke a silky lock of hair from her cheek was about as welcome as a severe case of poison ivy. He shook off the feeling and focused on their earlier conversation. She was right about the water hazard. He couldn’t be sure any nanny he hired would be diligent enough to never let the kid out of sight. That was one reason he appreciated Nicole’s perspective. While he’d examined the structural integrity of the house she studied the practical aspects. Teamwork.
He checked his watch. He’d driven around for the past twenty minutes to let Nicole sleep, but now it was time to implement phase two of his plan. The light changed. He accelerated and turned toward the restaurant where he knew his father would be meeting his golf buddies later for the obligatory after-eighteen-holes cocktails.
After he snagged a parking space he killed the engine. As soon as the car fell silent Nicole’s lids fluttered open. She sat up quickly, scanned her surroundings and touched her chin as if checking for drool. He found the insecure gesture oddly endearing. His lips twitched.
Those eyes hit him like laser beams, and he felt the heat and the pull deep in his gut. He took a mental giant step backward. The need to test the softness of her lips was damned hard to resist. If she weren’t carrying his child, he’d act on this attraction, but the pregnancy was a complication. That didn’t mean he wasn’t tempted. He just had better sense. Having an affair plus sharing a child with her meant a continuing connection. He wasn’t going there. This kid would be his and his alone, not leverage between parents. Once he had custody of the child he didn’t intend to see her again.
Nicole smoothed her hair. “I’m sorry. I must have drifted off. Why are we here?”
“I made dinner reservations.”
She blinked. “You’re assuming I’ll eat with you.”
Her less than enthusiastic response took a bite out of his ego. He wasn’t used to women refusing his company.
“I’m assuming you’re hungry. Other than the squirrel food you pulled out of your purse over an hour ago, you’ve had nothing to eat all afternoon. In my experience pregnant women need to eat regularly.”
“Dried fruit is a healthy snack.”
“It wasn’t substantial enough to keep a rodent going. Did you have other plans tonight?”
She glanced at the steak house, inhaled deeply and licked her lips. No doubt the aroma of grilling beef emanating from the premises made her mouth water as it did his. That was the only reason his mouth dampened. His reaction had nothing to do with the slow glide of her pink tongue. “No.”
“Then let’s eat. You can give me a list of things the agent needs to look for in the next house.” He climbed from the vehicle and came around to her side. He reached her just in time to see her swing those long legs out the door. Her thigh and calf muscles flexed beneath the hem of her above-the-knee-length dress as she rose. She had great muscle tone, but she was lean like a distance biker or a runner.
He offered a hand which she ignored. Point taken. She didn’t want this to feel like a date any more than he did. And while part of him respected the boundaries she marked, another part of him wanted an excuse for contact. But that would be flirting with danger. Not smart.
As he escorted her to the entrance he placed his palm at the base of her spine. Her startled jump let him know his touch wasn’t welcome, and the tingle rising up his arm warned him that he danced on a hazardous edge.
Inside the darkened pub-style interior he gave the hostess his name. She led him and Nicole toward the table for two he’d requested. His gaze drifted past Nicole’s slender waist to her slim hips in the burgundy dress. No one would guess her condition if she didn’t tell them, and he was counting on her not volunteering the information in the next hour.
The waitress took their drink and appetizer orders and left them a basket of rolls. Nicole immediately selected a piece of bread, split it open and slathered butter on the steaming center. The hot yeasty smell reached across the table.
Her blissful expression as she tore off small pieces and tucked them between her lips made it look as if the bread were the most delicious thing she’d ever put in her mouth. For some reason that made him think of sex. Would she look the same when she took a man inside her?
He reached for his iced water, but clenching the cold glass didn’t distract him. The woman was getting to him—probably a combination of knowing he couldn’t have her and his recent celibacy. Since he’d begun his surrogate search he hadn’t had time for a relationship. All the energy he hadn’t devoted to his job had been expended on reaching his goal.
“You’ve shot down two houses. Do you have any suggestions for where to look next?”
“North Knoxville is nice.”
Near her sister’s suburban cookie-cutter neighborhood. Decent area, but a little too stifling for his tastes. “If I had time I’d design and build a house.”
“Why don’t you?”
He hoped the kid had her eyes. The color reminded him of the Caribbean waters off the bow of the sailing yacht he’d cruised on last summer. “Six months isn’t long enough to do it right.”
“If you used your surrogate you’d have more time.”
The statement surprised a chuckle out of him. Persistent, wasn’t she? He gave her credit for trying. “She’s been paid for her time and released from her contract.”
“I’m sure you could get her back if you wanted—”
“I don’t.”
She abandoned the last bite of bread. “Ryan, it would be easier for everyone if you let this go.”
“The easy way isn’t always the right way. And time is an issue. I want a baby before next summer.” Before his father retired.
The front door swung open. His father and his buddies walked in right on time. Dear old Dad had a habit of scanning any room to search for potential connections. Ryan always did the same, but he hoped he was more subtle. As expected, his father spotted them and broke away from his group to stride in Ryan’s direction.
He stopped by the table and, ignoring Ryan, offered his hand to Nicole with as much polish