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She glanced out the window again. “That won’t be necessary. In fact, it won’t even be possible.”
So, he wasn’t good enough for their baby. He wasn’t surprised that she would think that. But what about financial support? Surely she didn’t mean to turn her back on that, as well. “You don’t want anything?”
“Not from you.”
This should have filled him with relief. Instead, Aidan was furious. With her, and with himself. He clenched his fists, and asked himself what kind of man felt like shaking a pregnant woman? Because that was certainly his urge right now. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and make her look at him. He jammed his hands back into his pockets.
“You’re just saying that to hurt me.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true. You won’t have any responsibilities for me or anyone else.”
“But…”
“Aidan, listen.” She spoke sharply, her eyes flashing. “You won’t need to look after this baby, and neither will I. I’m not keeping it.”
FOR THE SECOND TIME that afternoon, Aidan looked utterly stunned, and Rae knew he wasn’t faking it. Even Johnny Depp couldn’t act that well. Still, it was hard to believe he hadn’t heard she was pregnant. Although they worked in different cities, there were constant phone and e-mail communications between the various branch offices and subsidiaries of Kincaid Communications. Surely someone would have told him?
But maybe everyone had assumed he knew. That she’d told him. Because the rumor mill had figured out their night together and, from that, had worked out the most likely reason she’d been banished to Pittsburgh.
And she had been banished, no matter how many times Aidan described it as a promotion. All acquisitions and mergers were handled out of the Seattle office, and that had been the reason Harrison had brought her into the organization in the first place. To handle those sorts of special deals.
Frankly, the everyday business she supervised in the Pittsburgh office, even though it did amount technically to a promotion in terms of salary and title, bored her silly. Aidan had to understand that. He was the same way. He thrived on the chase, just as much as she did.
It was one of the things she’d liked most about him, one of the reasons she’d thought maybe she’d finally met her match, in the romantic sense of the word. She’d never been attracted to men who weren’t as smart as she was, as driven and competitive.
Aidan had been all of these things. In addition, Rae had thought he was honorable and principled, too. That was the way he did business, at least.
But he’d slept with her, and then he’d shown her the door. Which made him a bitter disappointment…not the man she’d thought he was, at all.
Clearly still reeling from the emotional one-two punch Rae had just delivered, Aidan opened the sliding doors that led to the patio. He walked to the railing and, after a moment’s thought, she followed him there. This view had been a solace to her over the few days she’d been here. Now she gazed over the becalmed sea and wondered what it must look like during the winter storms. This would be a bleak place in December, she suspected.
“Why are you giving up the baby?”
“I would have thought that was obvious.”
In profile, Aidan’s chin was set, his mouth drawn in a long, disapproving line.
“I’m a career woman. Not the mothering sort. The baby will be happier with a mom and a dad. Parents who really want it.”
His gaze brushed against hers for a moment, conveying disbelief. “And you don’t? Want it?”
“Of course not.” What was he thinking? “You can’t be suggesting I became pregnant on purpose?”
“No.”
“That’s good. Because I didn’t. Men aren’t the only ones who can get carried away by…lust.” She chose that word because he, like most men, believed in lust and understood lust.
Whereas for her that night had been about magic and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, but she’d be damned before she’d admit to him that she’d ever held such idealistic notions.
“You don’t think it will be hard? To give up the baby after it’s born?”
“Naturally it will be hard. This whole pregnancy business has been hard! Nine months has never seemed so long.”
Aidan reached out a hand to touch her, then withdrew it. “I’m sorry, Rae. You’ve been through so much. And coped with all of it on your own.”
She closed her eyes, hating the fact that he sounded so sincere and caring. He wasn’t really the kind of man a woman could count on. It was just that every now and then he happened to say exactly the right thing to make her crumble.
“When did you find out?” he asked softly.
“I suspected I was pregnant soon after the move.” Her breasts had been so tender and she’d been atypically tired; a drugstore kit had confirmed the news, all too easily.
“And you never considered…termination?”
“Why? Is that what you wish I’d done?”
A light shifted in his eyes and he made a noise of reconciliation. “Sorry, I forgot. You were raised Catholic.”
She’d told him so much about herself on that one night together. Far too much. They’d talked for hours, in between their lovemaking sessions. She’d felt as if she’d found her soul mate. He’d been so easy to confide in.
Later, she’d been mortified to realize that she had been the one doing most of the talking. She’d wondered if he’d even been listening.
Apparently he had. At least to some of her ramblings.
He was right about the Catholic upbringing, at any rate. She rarely went to church anymore and her mother had been dead for years, but still those childhood teachings rang in Rae’s ears.
So, no, abortion hadn’t been the right choice for her.
“Has it been tough, Rae? Were you sick at the beginning?”
“Yes, and I still get sick now, even though all the books say the nauseous stage is supposed to end after the first few months.” She turned her back to the railing and leaned against it. The wind in her hair was refreshing. What had possessed her to try baking a loaf of bread in this heat?
“It’s no fun looking like a house, either,” she continued. “Or having to drink all that milk, which I hate, by the way. Lately, I’ve had the worst heartburn. And just this week my feet have become so swollen I can only squeeze them into one pair of sandals.”
She saw him look down at her bare feet. In the past, she’d kept her toenails painted all the time—no matter what the season. But now they looked terrible. Even clipping them was difficult.
“Basically, being pregnant is rough. Anyone who says they like it must be crazy.”
Aidan listened to all her complaints without saying a word and she wondered what he was thinking. Was he judging her—and finding her lacking? There had to be something wrong with a woman who didn’t like being pregnant and didn’t even want to keep her own baby. Maybe he’d sensed this deficiency in her all along. Perhaps that was why he’d exiled her to Pittsburgh.
“Do Justine and Harrison know you’re pregnant?”
His question surprised her, but she nodded. “Sure.” Harrison had made a trip to the Pittsburgh office a month ago and Justine and Autumn had come with him. It was shortly after that visit that Justine had called her with the offer to use this house for the month of August.
Aidan rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. “So we were set up.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You told me Justine invited you to use this house, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Harrison extended the same invitation to me.”
“He did?” She thought of the duffel bag Aidan had brought inside. It was big. Obviously, he wasn’t here for a weekend jaunt. “So…what are we going to do?”
“Under the circumstances, we can’t stay under the same roof. Since you were here first, I’ll find lodgings elsewhere.”
She stared at him, wondering why his oh-so-rational plan didn’t sound at all appealing to her. It must be the hormones scrambling her thinking.
“I’ll be out of here as soon as possible, Rae.”
“Good. The sooner, the better.”
She tried to deliver her parting line with as much scorn as she could summon. Then she hurried inside, because damned if she didn’t feel as if she was about to cry.
CHAPTER THREE
AIDAN WATCHED RAE’S rushed exit from the patio. She was clearly upset and he knew he should follow her and try to calm her down.
But he wasn’t in any shape to help anyone right now. He held up his right hand. Sure enough, it was trembling.
Rae Cordell was pregnant with his baby.
He could not believe it.
His life plans had never involved getting married or having a child. Woman were too distracting. He’d learned that lesson at age sixteen, watching his friends make fools of themselves over Simone.
He’d wanted none of it for himself. Women were great, as long as you kept the upper hand. If you found that power slipping away, the smart thing to do was to back away immediately and find someone safer.
As he had backed away from Rae. Just one night together had been too much. He’d woken in a panic, knowing he’d made a terrible mistake. It wasn’t just that they worked together. He recognized something in Rae that he’d seen in Simone, too.
Like Simone, Rae had a natural ability to command attention. Call it confidence or charisma, or whatever the hell you wanted. Rae wasn’t a performer like Simone, but she still had star quality.
He’d wanted her the first time he’d met her. That on its own had signaled trouble, and so he’d tried to convince Harrison that the company didn’t need Rae Cordell. But Harrison was concerned about Aidan’s workload. He’d insisted they hang on to Rae, and so Aidan had been trapped. He’d done his best to keep one-on-one encounters with her to a minimum.
But the Triumph merger had undone all his best intentions. Late nights, last-minute negotiations and an out-of-town meeting had all added up to an impossible situation. One he hadn’t been strong enough to resist.
The morning after, he’d panicked. He’d slipped out of the hotel room without showering and caught an early flight to Seattle. Once back at the office, he’d immediately started working on damage control.
All the while, he’d berated himself. Why had he slept with her in the first place? He’d gone against all his principles. And presuming Rae had the contraceptives covered had to be one of the dumbest moves he’d ever made. Next to the night his mother died…
No. Don’t go there now.
Aidan rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the thought of what Rae must have gone through these past months. She’d already shared some of the physical indignities of pregnancy…but what about the emotional burden?
Was she as blasé as she sounded about giving up the baby?
And what about the situation at work? He’d bet she hadn’t told anyone who the father of the baby was. But he guessed someone had figured it out. Which meant the entire company knew by now.
Everyone but him.
How was it that he hadn’t heard the rumors? Aidan thought back to a few occasions when he’d walked into an office or a meeting room and encountered a sudden, uncomfortable silence.
Well, of course no one had said anything to him. He was the boss. No one had dared.
Anyway, they must have assumed he knew. That Rae would have told him.
And she should have. Damn it, she should have told him about the baby.
TEN MINUTES LATER, Aidan went to the kitchen and found the Summer Island phone book. There weren’t any motels or hotels on the island. For the most part, the locals discouraged tourism. But there were a number of bed-and-breakfast places. He dialed Jennifer’s number first and was relieved when she answered in person and he didn’t get the standard recording.
“Hey Jenn, it’s Aidan. I’m here on the island and looking for a place to stay.”
“Aidan, you’re not kidding? You’re really here?”
“I’m on vacation.”
“You never take vacations.”
“I know. For good reason, apparently.” This one sure wasn’t going so hot.
“What do you mean?”
“Long story. I’ll fill you in later. For now, just please tell me you have room at your B and B. A single bed is all I need. I’m willing to share a bathroom.”
“Aidan, it’s August.” There was mild reproach in Jennifer’s voice.
Which meant she didn’t have room. And all the other B and B places in town would probably be booked, too. “What about a foldout couch?”
“We have one in the study. And I’d let you stay there, no problem, but that’s where we set up the crib.”
“Crib? Did someone forget to tell me something?” Was this a new trend? Had every single woman he knew gotten pregnant in the past nine months?
“I’m taking care of my brother’s baby while he and his wife are in Argentina. He’s teaching a four-week course.”
“You’re kidding.” He knew Jennifer already had to look after her father, who’d suffered a stroke many years ago, and an elderly aunt who’d moved to the island recently. Now she’d taken on her brother’s baby, as well?
“Afraid not. Look Aidan, I’m so sorry I can’t help you. Where are you now?”
“At Harrison and Justine’s.”
“They’re in Seattle for the month, aren’t they? Why don’t you just stay there?”
“Because while Harrison gave me a key to the place, Justine also gave a key to Rae Cordell. Rae works for Kincaid Communications, too.”
“Do you know each other? The house is certainly big enough for two….”
Not in this case. “I’ll figure something out. Not to worry.” Aidan heard a squawk. The baby?
