"You wouldn't," she said, her voice trembling. "Do you know what that would do to him?"
"I'm not an idiot, dammit!" Cole ran his hands through his hair. "I don't want to take him from you unless there's no other way." He hesitated. "I can see that he loves you. And that you love him."
"Am I supposed to thank you for that?" she said, with a bitter laugh. "For seeing that my child and I love each other?" "I'm not pretending it's going to be easy." "I'm amazed to hear it."
"People marry for worse reasons than a child's welfare, dammit! , ,
"Has it occurred to you that lots of children don't have fathers?"
"Lots of children aren't named Cameron. They don't have someone standing by, willing to take on the responsibility of raising them."
Faith laughed. "My God, how noble you are!"
"The boy is unhappy. You said so, yourself, that kids shut him out."
"That's why I want to move away. If I can start over-" "Trailer trash is trailer trash, wherever you put it." "You insulting bastard!"
"I'm being honest." His voice hardened. "If you won't put Peter's needs first, think about yourself. You'll get a much better payoff from this arrangement than you would have if Ted hadn't gone broke." His nostrils flared. "But I'm telling you up front, Faith, I won't let you keep me from your bed."
She stared at him. His jaw was set, his eyes steely. He meant every word. Fear made her knees threaten to give out, but she knew better than to let him realize it. If he sensed the slightest weakness, he'd strike like a cobra.
"I'm not seventeen anymore, Cole. I'm not some dumb kid from the wrong side of town you can scare with empty threats."
"You need to understand something about me, baby. I never make threats. I make promises."
"There isn't a judge in this country who'd take a child from its mother and give it to a stranger."
"I'm the boy's uncle. Hell," he said gruffly, "except for a quirk of fate, I could have been his father."
Faith's breath caught. She stared at him, heard his words echoing in her ears as the floor tilted. She reached out, seeking balance, and Cole's hands closed on her arms.
"Faith?"
Let go, she wanted to say, but she couldn't speak. The room was spinning; the world was going dark. She felt Cole lift her into his arms.
"Dammit," he said, "don't pass out on me."
Why not? she thought, and tried to laugh, but she couldn't. All she could do was wind her arms around his neck and bury her face against his shoulder, let his strength flow into her.
"Faith?"
Slowly, the word began to right itself. "I'm-I'm all right now," she said in a papery whisper.
She wasn't. He could see how pale she was, feel her trembling in his arms. Trembling as she once had when he held her, but then she'd trembled with passion, not with fear of him.. .except it hadn't been passion, it had been a lie.
He let her down slowly, telling himself not to think about the pliancy of her in his arms, the feel of her soft body as it slid against his.
"Sit down," he said briskly. "I'll get you a glass of water."
She shook her head. "I don't want any water. And I don't want to sit." She took a breath, raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Cole." Her voice was rough with emotion. "Cole, I beg you. Don't do this to me."
"Ah." He let go of her and flashed a smile. "I forgot how good you are at maidenly swoons."
What was the sense in telling him she hadn't been faking? All that mattered was making him see the insanity in what he'd proposed.
"Cole, please-"
"Don't waste your time, baby. You have a choice. Marry me and remain a part of Peter's life. Say `no' and face me in court. It's up to you."
"How can you do this?" she whispered.
"Do what?" His eyebrows rose. "I'm offering to make you Mrs. Cole Cameron. I can think of half a dozen women who'd think that was a very generous offer."
"I'm not one of them."
"You were, at seventeen."
His words mocked her. He'd never believe that they were true, that she'd have married him when he was nobody, when he had no money ... when all she'd wanted from him was his love.
"You're right. I'd have been giddy with excitement." She flashed a smile that was dazzling and, she hoped, careless. "But it had nothing to do with how I felt about you, Cole. Didn't you just tell me that? It was the name I wanted, not the man."
He took a step forward. An icy tremor danced along her skin when she saw the glitter in his eyes. "Be careful," he said softly.
"Why? What more can you do to me? You've already threatened to steal my son-" Dammit, her voice was shaking. She was shaking. She knotted her hands at her sides, forced herself to meet that insolent green stare without flinching. "You know what, Cole? I've had enough. Get out!"