Be Mine at Christmas(42)
Author: Brenda Novak

Her chest rose. “Actually—” she offered him a smile so hopeful it made him catch his breath “—I am.”

Maxim felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut. “What’d you say?”

Concern and insecurity entered her eyes, eyes that were normally clear and decisive. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit down?”

“No. You’re pregnant. Isn’t that what you just told me?”

She seemed close to tears, but didn’t cry. She nodded.

Unsure how to respond, he considered what he’d come to say and knew he couldn’t tell her now. He was going to have a baby with this woman. And, oddly enough, he wasn’t as unhappy about it as he’d told himself he’d be. A baby gave him hope that, even with everything working against them, they might be able to create a relationship. He wanted that, wanted her. He just wanted her to love him in return—with all the passion she’d felt for Mark—and wasn’t sure that was possible.

The silence stretched out as he weighed his options.

“Are you terribly upset?” she asked.

She was watching him intently. If he cared about her as much as he was beginning to believe, the way he handled the next few minutes would be very important. “No, I’m not upset.”

Her smile grew more genuine. “Really?”

“Really.” But he wasn’t even remotely willing to let her claim the baby was Mark’s. Would she try to insist? “What would you like to do about it?” he asked.

“I want to keep the baby.”

“I realize that.” He was wondering what she wanted to do about him. “Where do I come into the picture?”

He watched her throat work as she swallowed. “I don’t want you to—to feel forced or…or trapped. I understand that this occurred because of…extenuating circumstances. If you’d prefer not to be part of the child’s life, I’ll handle it on my own. I don’t need any help.” One of her hands moved to cover her abdomen, an instinctively protective gesture.

That didn’t reveal how she felt about him. But the fact that she wanted this baby, his baby, made him inexplicably happy, although he couldn’t imagine why. He wasn’t a young man anymore; he’d turn forty-four in April. He’d thought he was beyond all this. And yet…it felt like a second chance—for both of them. “There’s no way I’d ever support you telling anyone that my baby is Mark’s,” he said.

“We could say I was artificially inseminated and I don’t know who the father is. That would provide the most protection for your career—no breaking news story that you impregnated the enemy.” She laughed but it didn’t sound as indifferent as she’d probably meant it to.

“Do you really think I’m that shallow?” he asked.

She didn’t respond.

“We’re talking about a baby, Adelaide. Our baby. My career doesn’t come before that.”

“That’s how you feel?”

Could this really be happening? With Adelaide? “That’s how I feel.”

“So what do you propose, er, suggest?” she asked.

He stepped closer to see if she’d back off, but she didn’t. “I suggest we keep our options open.”

Her eyes drifted shut as he ran a finger over the contours of one cheek. “What kind of options are we talking about?” she breathed. “Dating?”

Maxim’s pulse began to speed up. He’d never expected this, not from Adelaide, but she seemed…interested in his touch. Even here in the relative warmth of the valley with no snow or danger around them. Even in the house she’d shared with Mark. “Lovers, at least,” he said.

Her eyes opened. “What about marriage?”

He pulled her against him. “I’d want that to be a possibility. What about you?”

“It could definitely be a possibility,” she murmured.

“Good.” Now was when he should tell her. But she was so open to him. For the first time since he’d met her, the remote Adelaide Fairfax was willing to trust him and accept him—as the father of her baby, maybe more.

“I missed you this past week,” he admitted.

“I missed you, too,” she replied and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

Tell her! his mind raged. But she felt so good in his arms, he couldn’t. Instead of letting go, instead of breaking the bad news, he deepened the kiss.

“I’m glad you’re not upset about the baby,” she whispered against his lips.

He wasn’t upset as long as she wanted him, too. He knew she wouldn’t once she learned what he was responsible for digging up about Mark. But somehow he’d stop her from finding out. He’d get hold of Harvey, do whatever he had to in order to prevent it from going public—even if it meant paying the bastard off. The longer he kissed Adelaide, the more convinced he became that he’d do anything to keep her.

“Make love to me,” she whispered.

A flicker of guilt made him hesitate. That was a line he shouldn’t cross. Not until he’d contacted Harvey and made some sort of arrangement, not until he could feel reasonably secure that she wouldn’t be devastated tomorrow.

“I’d like to, but—” he searched for an acceptable excuse “—I’ll come back. I’ve got some things to do.”

She guided his hand to her breast. “Are you sure it can’t wait?”

Suddenly he couldn’t think of anything important enough to keep them apart. He’d fix the situation so she wouldn’t be hurt, which meant he could stay and make love to her as many times as she wanted him to.

“I guess I can do it later.” He could still see Mark watching them from that damn portrait so he swept her into his arms and carried her into one of the guest rooms. No way would he make love to her in Mark’s bed.

As their clothes came off, he stared down at her and realized that she was exactly the woman he wanted—the woman he’d wanted for years.

“At last,” he said and smiled when she responded so greedily to his touch.

CHAPTER TWELVE

MAXIM WATCHED ADELAIDE in those first minutes after he awoke. He wanted to have breakfast, spend the entire day with her, but he had to talk to Harvey as soon as possible.

“Hey,” she whispered sleepily when he kissed her neck.

“I’ve gotta go,” he told her.

“So soon?”

He laughed at the reluctance in her voice. He’d stayed far too long already and was afraid he’d be too late to stop Harvey. “Yeah, but I’ll see you later.” He got out of bed, then hesitated. His girls were coming home today, which meant he’d be tied up with them. “Actually, Megan and Callie are flying in for Christmas, so…”