The Pregnancy Test (NY Girlfriends #1)(25)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"Thank you." She nibbled at a nut in the center of the nugget she held. "It seems I have some self-esteem issues I was never aware of. I always thought I hadn’t got into an office job because that’s what my father did and I didn’t want to lose myself in a career the way he did. That I wanted to be free to be creative, pursue my own interests, set my hours, and live according to my own terms."

Mandy sighed, realizing something she should have a long time ago. "But I’m just a hypocrite. If I really disapproved of my parents’ lifestyle, of their focus on money, I would have cut myself off from their checkbooks. But I haven’t. I’ve been living off of them all these years while I proved that I didn’t need a high-powered job to be happy. It’s silly, really. All I’ve proved is that I do need my parents and that I was afraid to follow in Daddy’s footsteps because I was afraid to fail. I’m twenty-six years old and I’m lazy."

A snort wasn’t exactly the response she expected to that heartfelt confession. "What a bunch of bullshit, Mandy. You aren’t lazy at all. You ran your own toy store for three years. How many hours did you put into that business? Eighty hours a week, minimum, would be my guess, when you add in ordering stock, managing payroll, and scheduling and handling the taxes."

She chewed her lip. "Maybe, but I never turned a profit."

"Not for lack of effort. Maybe it was just the wrong business. But that doesn’t mean that you’re a sponge."

"But now I’m having a baby and I have to be responsible, go for security over what interests me."

"And you are."

That was true. She was. She’d given up the shop, and it didn’t even bother her. She’d do whatever was needed to ensure her baby was happy and healthy and well provided for.

"And you made the incredibly brilliant decision to work for me." He winked at her.

That pulled a laugh out of her. Damien looked wicked beautiful winking. She shifted a little in the chair; her thighs started to feel warm. "You’ll never get rid of me, you know. I like this job and I’m keeping it, and you can be as insufferable and demanding and bossy as you like and I won’t quit."

"Damn. I’ll have to cross ‘be insufferable to Mandy’ off my calendar for next week."

"Beast." She slapped at his arm and laughed. "Don’t be absurd."

"That’s one adjective no one has ever applied to me."

While he sipped his drink, she stared at him, wanting to ask, but knowing she shouldn’t. If he wanted to tell her, he would. But his tattoo was dark on his skin, and she couldn’t help but say, "So, what happened? To Jess?"

There had to be a compelling reason for a man as sensual as Damien to go three years without sex, and to bury himself in his work.

For a long moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer her. Then he turned and met her gaze. "She died."

"Oh!" Somehow that possibility had never occurred to her. She’d thought maybe Jess had been unfaithful or something, but this was far, far worse. "Oh, Damien, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pried."

But Damien patted her leg like she was a child he was comforting. "You know, it should matter. It always has before. But right here, right now, with you, it’s okay. Really. But I don’t want to talk about Jessica, if you don’t mind. She’s always in my head, my thoughts, my heart, all the time, and I don’t want her here with us."

Fine by her. Mandy really wasn’t interested in a mental menage a trois either. But she was burning with curiosity and maybe, deep inside, where she was ashamed to admit it, a seed of jealousy. This woman, Damien had loved her, with a passion so deep that he still suffered over her death three years later and had chosen not to take another woman to his bed.

But Mandy brushed the ungracious feelings aside. She wasn’t looking for love. And she was the one who had inspired Damien to break his celibacy. For now, that was enough. Though part of her was pleased to know that she had been right about Damien. No matter the rough edges, he was a good man, just a wounded one.

She nodded. "Thank you, by the way. I’ve been feeling a bit sorry for myself, you know. Ben dumped me so soundly, and I haven’t exactly been glowing with this pregnancy, and any future relationships look doubtful. I’m not the kind of woman who will be parading men through my child’s life. I don’t plan on being a nun, of course, but I’m going to be very, very cautious once this child is born with who I date. I can’t afford to make any mistakes when it will affect my baby, too."

Mandy rolled a chocolate between her thumb and forefinger and stared at him, hoping he would understand, really, truly understand. "But you’ve made me feel attractive again."

"You are attractive. Inside and out." He shook his head ruefully. "You have no idea how much…"

She thought he’d planned to say something else, but he clamped his lips shut. Stuffing the chocolate in her mouth, she glanced at the half-eaten box. "I’m going to regret eating all these, aren’t I? And come next week I’m probably going to regret sleeping with my boss, too."

Damien set her feet off of him and onto the floor. "Don’t ever regret that. I don’t plan to."

He shot her a look so hot, she glanced down to see if her clothes had burst into flames. The chocolate melted in her mouth and her nipples puckered.

Damien scooted forward in his chair. "In fact, I was thinking of leaning over and licking that chocolate off the corner of your lip. Then I’m going to take your dress off and make love to you all over again, and trust me, I don’t plan on ever regretting that."

Her breath hitched and her hands pressed into her thighs. Somehow she thought this night was going to be worth any sort of regrets she might have later.

Damien moved forward, and with unnerving accuracy, his tongue flicked out and grabbed a piece of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. "Delicious," he said.

No, she wasn’t going to regret any of this.

Chapter 11

Damien slid his tongue from one side of Mandy’s lip to the other and closed his eyes.

Unbelievable. Everything about her and this night was unbelievable.

But Mandy was his box of chocolates. He wanted her and he couldn’t resist her and he was going to eat all of her.

He should be done for the night, depleted and ready to send her on her way back to her room so he could get some work done. But he didn’t give a damn about software that didn’t work or customer demands or the training he wanted to schedule for June.