Lynne Graham's Brides of L'Amour Bundle

‘Yes…’ Hilary swallowed hard. ‘But it’s not something you could have guessed and I—’

His intent gaze flashed a sudden stormy gold. ‘Did you sleep with that guy I surprised on your doorstep in London?’

That icy demand shook her. ‘Gareth? No…no, of course not!’

‘Just checking out my worst case scenario,’ Roel told her, deadpan.

‘Will you hear me out before you say anything?’ Hilary pressed unevenly.

‘I’m not in the habit of shouting people down.’

‘Don’t be angry with me…I know that’s going to be hard but don’t be angry with me,’ she heard herself plead and she despised her own weakness. ‘In one sense, we’re both responsible.’

Hard jaw line clenching at that statement, Roel surveyed her with narrowed eyes. ‘The point being? My patience has limits…’

‘I’m…’ She fiddled with the fork in her hand and put it down, her insides hollow with fear and lack of food for she had been unable to bring herself to eat a morsel. ‘I’ve fallen pregnant…it happened the first week we were together.’

His natural colour ebbed from below his healthy olive skin, accentuating the slashing prominence of his superb bone structure.

‘I know you’ve got to be shocked. I was shocked too,’ she admitted tightly.

Shimmering golden eyes executed a search and destroy mission over her shrinking figure. In one powerfully revealing motion, Roel thrust back his chair and sprang upright. He strode over to the wall like a tiger on the prowl and stood looking out into the night. In the terrible silence, the surge of the surf on the beach sounded eerily loud.

Awkwardly she cleared her throat. ‘I never dreamt that I would end up in bed with you and, when it happened, I didn’t even think about contraception. There was so much else going on and I knew I shouldn’t have let you make love to me and I felt so guilty…all those things got in the way.’

His back was still turned to her. She longed for him to turn round. His broad shoulders were rigid with tension, corded muscle visible beneath the thin, expensive fabric of his black short-sleeved shirt.

‘I know you’re annoyed about this.’ She pleated her fingers together in a strained gesture. ‘That’s OK…that’s understandable. You weren’t expecting this situation to develop. But I wasn’t either. I couldn’t cope with a termination though, so let’s not discuss that…’

In receipt of that hoarse plea for his understanding on that score, Roel swung round and directed a bleak look at her from impassive eyes so dark they chilled her to the marrow.

‘I know…I know. Maybe you didn’t even want to discuss that option. But it’s easier if I say now that this may not be a planned baby but I-I’ll make it welcome all the same,’ she stammered. ‘Although, right now, I just feel scared and overwhelmed by all this.’

Roel helped himself to a very stiff whisky and tossed it back in one unappreciative gulp.

Her taut face stamped with apprehension, Hilary rose from behind the table and moved on stiff legs to the middle of the terrace. ‘Please say something…’

‘You’re now the future mother of my child.’ The insolent edge to his intonation somehow made the label sound like a freezingly polite term of abuse and she stiffened and paled. ‘I have to be very careful what I say to you. A pregnant wife has many rights and not the least is civilised consideration for her condition. How long have you known?’

‘Since you called in that nice doctor after I fainted.’

Roel bit out a harsh laugh. ‘That long? How did you manage to keep your promising announcement under wraps all of this week?’

‘Easily…if I could have run away from it, I would’ve,’ she confided half under her breath. ‘I didn’t…don’t want to lose you—’

Hard dark eyes assailed hers with merciless force. ‘You never had me…except in the most basic way.’

‘I know,’ she whispered jaggedly. ‘But this is still about to wreck what we have.’

‘Don’t presume to know what I think or I feel. Or what I intend to do next,’ Roel advised her grimly.

‘You’re free to tell me what you’re thinking. I won’t take offence.’ She was desperate to bridge the chasm that had opened up between them and if the truth hurt, so be it.

His lean, intelligent face hardened. ‘Bene…very well. Why should I be surprised by your achievement? The babies in the Sabatino family have always come with a very large price label attached.’

‘Not our baby…’ Hilary told him with fierce conviction.

Ruthless cynicism laced the derisive light in his keen gaze. He strode past her as if she weren’t there and went indoors. After a disconcerted pause she chased after him and caught up with him in the main hall as he was leaving the villa.