He’s doing as you asked, stupid. He’s agreed to meet you tomorrow, and he’s confirmed with Mandy that he will.
Kris Kaimos doing as Kimmie Lancaster said? Did that seem likely? Or was he giving her a chance to realise that she couldn’t fight him?
Stop! You’ll find out the answer at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.
If he turned up.
Of course he’ll turn up. Can you imagine Kristof Kaimos shying away from anything?
Well, he’d better, or she’d text him until her phone exploded. They must talk before he left town again, and make plans for the future of their child.
Could they do that over hot chocolate in a bustling London café?
Yes. They’d have to. Communication was key. Everything hinged on how Kris felt about becoming a parent. She could manage without him, and might have to; there were no guarantees. He might not want to have a child, and she did. For as long as she could remember, Kimmie had learned not to want, to wish, to hope, but becoming pregnant had changed everything. She wanted the world for her baby, and wanted all her child’s wishes to come true. If she could just steer their baby onto the path of happiness she’d be content, because that was the most important goal of all.
Kris called to her in other ways, Kimmie mused as she moved about the hall, chatting to one group and then the next. He had claimed her heart in a way she couldn’t explain, but with a baby to raise, a life to lead and a career to nurture if she was to support them both, she had to look out for herself and must never rely on the temptation that was Kristof Kaimos. Business would always come first for him. If they became close again, how long would it be before he left on another business trip? And would she become as commonplace and as interchangeable as a piece of his real estate? For the sake of their child, she couldn’t allow that to happen. Talking in a busy café was a great idea. They could have a drink and a chat, and sketch out some plans—if he wanted to be involved. Or would a regular bank transfer be more to his liking, if not to hers?
Of course he wanted to be involved! His eyes had lit up when he’d seen her and realised she was pregnant. No one could fake that type of response. Kris might be hard and driven in business but, just as Kimmie hid her true self beneath countless protective onion skins of reckless boho attitude, she was still learning the lessons of the past. Kris was the same; he had many more layers than he showed to the world. Kimmie understood him because their pasts were so similar in a way, but that didn’t mean she had to roll over at his every demand. Anyway, it was no use fretting about it. Her questions would be answered tomorrow.
* * *
She was even more beautiful than he remembered. And punctual. He was early. He couldn’t wait to see her again, and would have chosen his Harley to whip through the sluggish London traffic, but Kimmie was quite advanced in her pregnancy so he had chosen the slower option of an SUV. ‘Ready?’ he asked, impatient to the last.
‘I thought we were going there to talk,’ she said, pointing down the road to where a neon sign was flashing above a nearby café.
‘We can if you’d rather?’ He shrugged.
‘No,’ she said, glancing at the sleek black SUV. ‘If you promise to keep me and the bump safe I’m happy to let you drive us somewhere further away.’
‘Us,’ he said as he helped her in.
‘Us,’ she confirmed as he joined her.
Kris smiled as he gunned the engine. He had a good feeling about this, and it grew as he sensed rather than saw Kimmie rest back against the seat. She had no clue where they were going, but nothing fazed her and he was confident that the same would apply to the question he had to ask.
‘This is amazing,’ she exclaimed as they swept across Waterloo Bridge.
‘Not too fast for you?’ he asked as he brought the vehicle to a halt alongside a simple pop-up food outlet located on the bank of the Thames.
‘Perfect,’ she said, seeming delighted as she gazed around. ‘I love London, even in winter. These flawless blue skies remind me of Greece.’
‘It’s a bit colder here,’ he commented.
‘So long as the sun’s shining, I don’t care,’ she said. ‘Hmm. That food smells good, and I’m starving. Eating for two,’ she reminded him.
‘Hot dog? Hamburger?’
‘Don’t you just love the contrast of colourful food shack and Old Father Thames drifting to the sea like a dirty old rag?’
‘Stop thinking about painting and tell me what you want to eat,’ he prompted. When Kimmie was in this mood it was hard to be impatient with her.
With a smile, she looked at him. ‘I love surprise adventures. This has been fun,’ she admitted, a wistful note creeping into her voice.
‘And it isn’t over yet,’ he reminded her, unable to keep a stern note out of his tone. They had to discuss the baby. Yesterday had been fraught. She’d been too shocked to see him to say much, and the event had taken up all her time, but once they’d had something to eat he was going to drill down into the detail of what would happen next.
‘I think we should get married,’ he said bluntly after two steaming hot drinks and a belly full of food.
‘I’m sorry?’ Kimmie looked startled. ‘Seriously?’ She frowned when he produced a velvet box from the inner pocket of his jacket.
‘Of course I’m being serious,’ he said, obviously affronted. This was not the reaction he’d expected.
‘Aren’t you jumping the gun?’ she commented with a huff of surprise. ‘We haven’t even talked about the future yet.’
‘Do we need to?’
‘Of course we do,’ she insisted with an incredulous look.
‘How much discussion does this need?’ Flipping the catch, he revealed a priceless blue diamond circled by brilliant cut pure blue-whites, each the carat weight of most people’s conservatively sized engagement ring jewel.
‘Quite a lot, I’d say,’ she told him sharply.
‘Have you even looked at this magnificent jewel?’
‘I don’t need to look at it,’ she said through gritted teeth.
‘Well, if I didn’t get it right I’ll buy you something else.’
‘I don’t want anything at all. I’m not ready—maybe I never will be,’ she added, wringing her hands. ‘Look, do you want the truth,’ she demanded, ‘or shall I sugarcoat it?’
‘Just give me your answer,’ he said impatiently. ‘I can’t believe there’s a problem.’
‘Believe it,’ she said fiercely. ‘This is all wrong. It’s as wrong as it could be. You’re only doing this because of the baby.’
‘No, I’m not,’ he protested. ‘I want you to be my wife.’
‘To spend the rest of my life with you? To grow old together?’
Truthfully, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
‘When you can spare the time, that is,’ she added with an ironic look.
The sad look in her eyes held him to account.
‘You’re not being fair,’ he protested. ‘What you say isn’t true. I’ve got all the time in the world for you.’
‘So your business will suddenly run itself?’
He ground his jaw. ‘I’ll learn to delegate,’ he offered finally.
‘Really?’ she commented with a disbelieving look.
‘Why not?’
‘I’ll take more convincing than a ride in your SUV and a hot dog on the bank of the Thames.’
‘I’ll buy you anything you want,’ he offered. ‘Just name it.’
‘You just don’t get it, do you?’ she said. The sad look had returned to her face. ‘I don’t want anything from you. I don’t want hasty solutions either. I can look after myself.’
‘But you don’t have to.’
‘Don’t I?’ Her look this time was steady and penetrating.
‘It won’t be what you think,’ he assured her. ‘I kn
ow you. I know what you need—’
‘You think you do,’ she cut in, ‘but if you really knew me you wouldn’t have bought me a ring like that.’
‘I want to show you what’s possible.’