The Magnate's Baby Promise / Having The Billionaire's Baby. Sandra Hyatt

said, swirling the dregs of coffee around in his mug.

      “Your mother mentioned Melissa…” She paused at his sharp look.

      “What did she say?”

      “Just that you were engaged but called it off.”

      “I see.” He placed his cup on the table and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His face became stony and she wondered what the other woman had done to make him so defensive. “And what about you?”

      Ava shrugged. “A boyfriend in high school, a couple more when I was working in Jillian’s coffee shop. Since I moved back home there’s been no one. Gum Tree Falls isn’t exactly teeming with eligible bachelors, not like…” She snapped off, too late.

      “Like Sydney.”

      When his eyes narrowed, she could’ve kicked herself. That’s a record for you, Ava. Undoing all that good work in two seconds flat.

      Cal did not trust her. The sooner she realized that, the easier this would be. Yet pride couldn’t let her escape without clearing this ridiculous preconception.

      “I came to Sydney for a girlfriend’s birthday,” she said stiffly. “It was my first time in the city. We had dinner at the Shangri-La then went on to their cocktail lounge. I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend or a one-night stand or anything else that night.”

      “But you found me.”

      She rose, her face warm. “You approached me.”

      “True. But you didn’t say no.”

      Cal watched the way her face flushed as she threw off the rug then folded it with swift efficiency.

      “So now it’s a crime to be flattered by a man’s attentions? I just wanted one weekend, one night to forget about the money, the pressure, the responsibility. For one night I wasn’t Will Reilly’s daughter, the disappointment, the screwup. The reason for—” She bit off the rest of that sentence, as if realizing she’d said too much. Her eyes, panicky and wide, met his for one fleeting moment, then away.

      “It’s late,” she finally mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze as she reached for the door. “I’m off to bed.”

      “Ava.”

      His command fell on deaf ears because with one small click, he was suddenly alone.

      Cal remained still for what felt like hours, although his sleek Urwerk watch indicated only minutes. When he’d caught her in that slip there’d been indignation, and hurt. Could she be that good an actress?

      Reluctantly, he cast his mind back to that night at the bar, searching through the events to shed some light on his confusion.

      At first she’d been wary, even suspicious. His smooth offer to buy her a drink had been met with reluctant acceptance. As they’d shared flirtatious but cryptic details about themselves, she’d gradually warmed to him, enough to have her willing and eager in his bed.

      For one crazy second, he let himself indulge in the remembrance of her smile that tilted her mouth into kissable curves, her husky feminine laugh.

      What the hell was he supposed to believe?

      With a low curse he sprung to his feet and slammed back inside. The cool shower didn’t bring clarity, nor did lying in bed, staring at the LED clock hands as it ticked off the minutes until sunrise.