Apparently she’d wanted to remove herself from his touch. Tanner understood. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t about to say anything to make her even more skittish. He respected women, and Melanie deserved for him to be completely attentive to what she came here for. Which meant he’d have to rein in those heated hormones.
“You know, I don’t expect anything,” he assured her. “Sure, I invited you over in hopes we’d pick up where we left off six weeks ago. I’ve been busy with work or I’d have asked you over sooner. But if you’re not into—”
“I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Three
Great things never come from comfort zones.
—Mel’s Motivational Blog
Okay, maybe she should’ve given some sort of lead-in announcement before the big one, but Tanner had been rambling and she needed him to just shut up for a second or she would’ve lost her nerve.
He was certainly quiet now. In fact, he looked like he was about to pass out. She’d never seen the color leave someone’s face so fast. Considering Tanner was one of the most confident men she knew, that was saying something.
With a shaky hand, he reached up and gripped the newel post. His skin slowly regained some color, but his jaw clenched so tight, she worried he’d crack teeth.
Melanie didn’t know what reaction she’d expected, to be honest. Right now she couldn’t tell if he was shocked or angry or a healthy dose of both. The silence seemed to grow heavier, or perhaps that was just the tension that had enveloped them.
In the short time she’d known him, she’d never seen him so still, so silent. What was he thinking? Was he just as freaked out as her? Was he trying to process the full meaning of what she’d said? Had he even heard her? Because the lack of actions and words from him had her wondering if she needed to repeat herself.
Tanner’s dark eyes held her in place, pinning her by the front door. Ironic, considering this is the only room of the house she’d been in. Melanie couldn’t even turn and look at that large oak door without heating up again. Quite a different circumstance being here this time than just over a month ago.
“The baby is yours,” she added, just in case he was about to ask that question. “I just found out this morning and I didn’t think telling you when I saw you earlier was the time or the place.”
Tanner blinked. “A . . . baby.”
“I understand if you don’t want any part of—”
“I used protection.”
Melanie swallowed and folded her arms over her chest. Confrontation always terrified her. Well, not when she’d been battling cases for others. She thrived on being the voice for people who couldn’t speak for themselves. But when the confrontation spun in her direction, she started to revert back to that abused housewife who’d lost her voice and her courage.
She’d worked diligently since her divorce to get over those insecurities, but she worried she might never. That woman lived deep inside her, no matter how hard she tried to eradicate her. There was always that sliver that bobbed to the surface when she least expected.
Melanie’s heart kicked up, her stomach tingled, her palms dampened.
If Tanner got angry, she’d leave. If he accused her of lying or sleeping with someone else, she’d leave. She was only here to tell him the situation, and what he decided to do with that information was totally on him. But she would not take the brunt of harsh words or accusations. She was much better than that and he would have to deal with his own issues without pulling her into his fears. She had her own.
“We did use protection,” she agreed with a slow nod. “Obviously it didn’t work.”
Tanner’s eyes narrowed as he raked a hand through his hair. He muttered something under his breath before he dropped his hand and sighed. “You’re sure it’s mine.”
Melanie gritted her teeth and counted backwards from ten . . . twice. Hadn’t she already told him this baby was his? Her ex had accused her of cheating on him before. He’d made a fool out of her in front of her friends—the ones he’d approved of, of course—during a small lunch at her house. He’d humiliated her, claiming she’d been seeing one of his assistants behind his back. There was no way in hell she’d let another man accuse her of something she didn’t do.
“Considering you’re the only man I’ve slept with in the last two years, I’m pretty sure.”
Tanner propped his hands on his hips. “Considering I barely know you, I had to ask.”
Okay, that was a fair statement on his part. Still, she didn’t want this situation to turn ugly or blow up into an argument. She’d had enough altercations to last a lifetime.
She totally got that he was shocked. Since she’d only taken the test twelve hours ago, the full reality of the pregnancy hadn’t taken ahold of her, either. Other than a missed period, she had no symptoms.
Melanie stared at Tanner another minute before turning and heading into his living area. She hadn’t ventured this far into his home before, and now she couldn’t even appreciate the charming old house. Maybe later, once her head wasn’t spinning and her stomach about to revolt. Pregnancy or nerves, she wasn’t sure, but she felt like hell right now. Maybe morning sickness was settling in? No, that didn’t make sense. It was late in the day. Did morning sickness make other appearances?
There was so much she didn’t know. She’d been an only child, never had a friend who’d been pregnant, hadn’t been around expectant women. How in the world was she supposed to cope or even figure out what was going on when she was completely and utterly clueless?
Her world had tipped completely on its side and she was struggling to right it. But she would. At this point in her life, she knew she could bounce back from anything.