Modern Romance May 2016 Books 1-4. Julia James

weeks pregnant. My blood pressure is good, and the nausea I suffered in the first few weeks has virtually gone.’

      ‘I didn’t know you’d suffered from nausea.’

      ‘And that surprises you?’

      Luke acknowledged the barb, raking back his hair with both hands as he started towards her. One of the buttons on his shirt popped as he lifted his arms, and he was ridiculously pleased to see the way her eyes went straight to the tuft of dark hair that could now be seen poking through the cloth.

      But he had to be practical.

      ‘Can we sit down? I want to talk to you.’

      Abby stiffened. ‘You sit down. I’m all right here.’

      ‘But don’t you think you should sit down? I guess you walked to the surgery, so you’ve probably been on your feet for quite some time.’

      Abby’s mouth turned down. ‘Being pregnant doesn’t make me an invalid, Luke.’

      ‘I know.’ He was reassured that she hadn’t used his surname as she’d done the last time he was here. ‘But—humour me. I’m only thinking of you.’

      ‘And that’s a first,’ she remarked tightly. ‘What do you want, Luke? If it’s not about the café, it must be about the baby.’

      Luke sighed. ‘Sit down. Please.’

      ‘Oh, all right.’

      With evident reluctance, she came out from behind the breakfast bar. Meanwhile Luke had deliberately positioned himself in front of the armchair she’d used on that other occasion. And when he indicated the sofa, she had no choice but to perch on one end.

      Of course, he seated himself beside her, and saw the way she pressed herself against the arm to avoid touching him. But, however she behaved, whatever she said, she wasn’t indifferent to him. He’d proved it downstairs. He just had to persuade her he wasn’t the unfeeling bastard she thought he was.

      He was sitting staring at her, when she said testily, ‘Can we get on with this? Why are you here?’ She paused. ‘I’m not going to have sex with you again.’

      ‘Well, not now, perhaps,’ remarked Luke drily, and her face suffused with colour at his words.

      ‘Not ever,’ she retorted coldly. Then, as if realising what he was thinking, she added, ‘Not willingly, anyway.’

      Luke stiffened now. ‘I hope you’re not implying that I’ve ever forced you.’

      Abby sighed. ‘N-o-o,’ she admitted, dragging the word out. ‘I was as much to blame.’

      ‘To blame?’ he echoed. ‘There was no blame, Abby. I wanted you. I still do.’ He paused. ‘But I guess you know that.’

      Abby’s eyes darted to his, then away again. ‘Then you want what you can’t have,’ she said quietly. ‘I know what you think of me, Luke. You’ve made that perfectly clear.’

      Luke blew out a breath, stretching out his hand towards her. But when he would have touched her knee, she shifted away.

      ‘Abby,’ he said cajolingly, ‘I know I’ve made some mistakes in the past. A whole lot of them. But I want you to give me a chance to make amends.’

      ‘How?’ She spoke bitterly. ‘You still think I betrayed Harry by agreeing to meet you.’

      ‘That was nearly six years ago,’ he protested. ‘Maybe I was too willing to jump to the wrong conclusion. Let’s face it, I didn’t know Laurence from Adam—’

      ‘No, you didn’t.’

      ‘—and he could have been the biggest jerk in Christendom. You might have had some justification for doing what you did.’

      ‘Might have?’ Abby gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Oh, Luke, you don’t know the half of it.’

      ‘So tell me.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Because I want to know. I want to know everything there is to know about you.’

      ‘Why?’ she demanded again, and then pushed herself up from the sofa with an angry gesture. ‘No, don’t bother answering that. I know why. This is because of the baby, isn’t it?’ Her lips twisted. ‘You’re afraid that if we’re not on speaking terms when the baby’s born, I’ll conduct the same kind of vendetta against you that you’ve conducted against me.’

      Luke shot up from the sofa, startling Harley, who had been lying on the rug at his feet. ‘The hell I am,’ he muttered, his eyes dark with emotion. ‘I want you to know how I feel about you, that’s all. I’ve been a fool. I realise that. But can’t you see, I’ve learned my lesson?’

      Abby shook her head. ‘It’s too late, Luke. I don’t believe your protestations of regret, any more than you believed mine.’

      She held up her head. ‘I think you ought to go. You’ve done your duty and assured yourself that there are no complications thus far. But after this, I suggest you send Felix if you want an update on my condition.’

      Luke hooked one hand behind his neck. ‘That’s not why I came,’ he said roughly. ‘Sure, I’ve wondered how you were, but you’ve got no idea how many times I’ve picked up the phone and put it down again.’

      ‘To call your broker, no doubt,’ she said contemptuously, and this time she achieved her objective. He was furious.

      ‘No, not to call my broker,’ he snarled angrily. ‘For God’s sake, Abby, what do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg you to believe me? If I thought it would do any good, I’d do it. I love you, dammit. And I’ve never said that to any woman before.’

      Abby’s lips parted, and she backed away from him. ‘My God,’ she said disbelievingly, ‘you’ll do anything to own this baby, won’t you?’

      Luke could only stare at her. ‘Is that what you think?’ His voice broke on the words. ‘Well, yeah, if that’s what you believe, you’re right. I am wasting my time.’

      ‘I told you that,’ she said, but now she was looking and sounding a little less than self-assured.

      Or was that only wishful thinking? Certainly, when he moved towards her, she flinched away from him as if he were about to attack her.

      His eyes narrowed. Was it conceivable that that was how Laurence had treated her? Recalling the bruise he’d seen on her neck that fateful evening, it was possible.

      He felt sick suddenly. ‘Abby,’ he began in a gentler tone, but she turned away from him.

      ‘Go,’ she said, her voice thick with emotion, but Luke couldn’t just walk out.

      Catching her arm, he swung her round to face him, not surprised to find the evidence of unshed tears in her eyes.

      ‘Abby,’ he said again, and, unable to prevent himself, he bent and pressed a warm kiss to the corner of her soft mouth. ‘I do love you,’ he added huskily. And without waiting to see if she would say anything else to defend herself, he strode across the room and ran down the stairs before he could change his mind.

      But he’d be back, he assured himself as he slammed the outer door behind him. She could bet on it.

      * * *

      It was late in the evening when Abby heard someone knocking at her door.

      Of course, Harley started barking, and she sighed in frustration.

      But her pulse quickened in spite of herself. It could only be Luke, she thought tensely. It was after eleven and no one else was likely to turn up at this hour. And she knew exactly what he wanted.

      It was annoying because she’d spent the rest of the day trying to put what he’d said out of her mind. She hadn’t even had her work in the café