Hot Number (Hot Zone 2)

"Basically he said there're three types of testing." He reached into his pocket for the brochure the doctor had given him and scanned the paper again so he could accurately explain. "Two are invasive and could be dangerous to the fetus. The last one is a simple blood test involving just the mother and potential father's blood samples. The lab extracts fetal blood cells from the mother's sample and compares the DNA to the potential father's. That would be me." He pressed his lips together, anger at himself welling up again,

"When can it be done safely?"

He glanced at Micki, whose normally flushed skin had grown pale during this awkward conversation. "Any time after twelve weeks." Damian had already done the math. Assuming Carole had gotten pregnant their last time together in April, they were just approaching twelve weeks. "Which means we're pretty close to being able to do the test," he said, sparing Micki the details.

"I see. And how is Carole handling all this?" she asked, her voice tight as she unsuccessfully tried to withhold any emotion.

"I don't know," he said, gripping his coffee cup tighter in his hand. "I haven't been in touch with her."

"That's awful!"

He winced. "It's not as cold and callous as it seems." He glanced down, embarrassed about what Micki must think of him. "At first I needed time to digest the news. I needed time to arrange things like this test. And I needed to deal with the idea of possibly being a father"

"And have you?" she asked.

He shrugged, uncertainty still rioting through him.

"I don't know. I can accept it if the test is positive. It's hard to deal with it when it's not even a reality yet."

"I understand that."

"But thanks to you I'm taking steps in the right direction and beginning to wrap my brain around it. On the way over this morning I called my lawyer to set up an appointment to put a trust fund together if the baby is mine." He looked into her blue eyes. "I needed to do all these things before I could go to Carole and discuss things coherently."

Micki exhaled slowly. "I can't imagine what this has been like for you. I know that you're in limbo with Carole and that you're worried about your career, and I know that you're taking a beating in the press-"

"The hell with the press. This mess has taught me that the only opinions I care about are the ones held by the people I-" He'd been about to say love.

&nbs

p; A word he never used or even thought about Sitting across from Micki, knowing his feelings for her were growing beyond simple desire or gratitude, it unnerved him to do so now.

"Are you okay?" Micki placed her hand over his.

To Damian it was like touching a match to a wick. His candle was on fire, he thought, holding back a laugh. Who'd have thought his feelings for this woman could lighten his mood and make him happy at a time when he felt like his life was strangling him?

Looking at her, her soft skin and moist lips, listening to her reassure him and tell him she believed he could handle things, he started to believe.

"Actually, I'm fine." Suddenly, his beeper went off, interrupting them.

"Excuse me." He checked the number and muttered a curse. "I was supposed to be at the stadium for an early workout." He'd completely blanked on his priorities-not a good sign.

"Someone's screwed," Micki said helpfully.

"Gee, thanks." Despite himself, Damian laughed. He was on his feet and tossing money onto the table in seconds.

They headed for the street together but when he tried to give her the first cab, she waved him away.

"I'm not going to take this one now and have you hand my head to me on a platter later. You take the first one." She swept her hand in a gallant gesture that had him laughing once again.

Before he got in the car, he turned to Micki. "One question. What made you stick around this morning and not just walk away?" He needed to know what held them together on her side of things.

She shifted from foot to foot before meeting his gaze. "You need me," she said simply, then pivoted to walk away.

It wasn't a declaration of love or even lust.But it was an acknowledgment of a bond and the genuineness of those words meant more than he cared to think about.

Anyway, he had no time to linger, no time to waste. Acting on pure instinct, he pulled her close arid kissed her hard on the lips before sliding into the cab and slamming the door shut behind him.

The taxi sped away, leaving him alone with thoughts he didn't want to have. Panic over being late. Panic over Carole. Panic over losing Micki when this was all over.