Australia: Bundles of Joy. Nicola Marsh

captured her hands and held them against his chest till she itched to slide her fingers between the buttons of his ivory business shirt and caress the firm skin underneath.

      ‘I thought my website was nearly finished?’

      She nodded, trying to think ‘work’ while this close to the man who had rocked her world repeatedly over the weekend. ‘It is.’

      ‘So what’s this you’re working on?’

      He peered over her shoulder, ignoring her muttered, ‘A client’s work is confidential’, his face breaking into a huge smile.

      ‘That’s one cute baby,’ he said, his eyes glowing with a tenderness she’d never seen before.

      She pulled away and swivelled her chair towards the screen, rattled by his reaction.

      ‘You like kids?’ she asked, trying to instil the right amount of casualness into her voice while hanging on his answer.

      ‘What’s not to like? They’re amazing, taking over your life and wreaking more devastation than a cyclone. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I helped raise my younger brothers and sisters and, though challenging, it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.’

      His words drove tiny daggers of pain into her heart, opening up wounds she’d thought healed. She had to ask the next question, knowing his answer would seal the fate of their relationship, one way or the other.

      ‘Do you want kids of your own?’

      ‘Absolutely. If the right woman came along, I reckon I’d like at least half a dozen of the little tykes.’

      And, just like that, reality crashed in, leaving Keely struggling for air.

      She’d known that dating Lachlan could prove disastrous but she’d gone ahead and done it anyway. Despite her feeble protestations, he was business; she’d fallen for him, and labelling their relationship ‘dating’ had been a lie on her part.

      She loved him, had probably loved him before she knew what had hit her, and therefore had ignored every warning that she shouldn’t get in too deep. When relationships went too far, certain expectations came into play, and now she’d heard it for herself.

      He wanted the one thing she could never give him.

      And it would ruin them in the end.

      Struggling to keep her voice steady, she said, ‘Why settle for half a dozen?’ She managed a brittle laugh before shuffling the paperwork on her desk. ‘Now, it’s nice of you to drop by, but I really have to get back to this.’

      He frowned and stood up. ‘Is something wrong?’

      She shook her head and tried not to blurt out Everything is wrong.

      ‘No, just the usual jitters that deadlines bring.’ She looked away, only to be confronted by the computer screen and the evidence of what she couldn’t give him, the pain ravaging her anew. ‘Raquel wants this done ASAP.’

      He didn’t budge. ‘Are you sure this is about work?’

      She had to meet his gaze, if only to convince him that she needed to be left alone before she burst into tears. ‘Of course.’

      His direct gaze bored into hers, as if trying to see into the windows of her soul and read the secrets there. For now, she sure hoped the shutters were down.

      ‘I’ll leave you to it, then. Call me when you have a minute?’

      She nodded and faked a breezy wave as she focused on the screen again, hoping he’d been fooled.

      By the dubious look he cast her on the way out, she doubted it.

      Lachlan slipped the headphones off and leaned back, grateful for the four-minute break a song from some boy band offered. He needed time to think and hadn’t had much opportunity lately, what with the new TV show, the publicity demands and continuing with his radio talkback show, which had reached the number one ratings spot over the last few weeks.

      Professionally, he had the world at his feet. Then why did he feel like a tightrope walker teetering on the brink of a big fall?

      He rubbed his eyes and took a sip of the disgusting brew the station labelled coffee, knowing exactly why he felt so out of control these days.

      Keely.

      He’d thought he’d been dating the woman of his dreams. So how had their relationship turned into a nightmare?

      Ever since their weekend in Hepburn Springs, which had been incredible, she’d withdrawn from him slowly but surely. Back then, she’d reciprocated his passion and they’d connected on many levels, so what had gone wrong?

      She’d cited work pressures as being the cause of their sporadic contact, but he knew better. The secrets Keely harboured seemed to grow bigger with every passing day. He’d glimpsed sadness tinged with something more akin to despondency in her eyes on the few occasions they’d caught up, and despite gentle prodding she hadn’t opened up.

      Either that or she was snapping his head off for the smallest thing, and he’d had a gutful. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she had some self-esteem issues and he’d been careful not to make any references to her body since the first few outbursts which had put him on the outer. He’d been patient with her, yet she’d pushed him away at every opportunity anyway.

      And it annoyed him. Hell, it had him so riled he could hardly think straight. Here he was, a psychologist at the top of his profession, offering help to thousands over the airwaves, yet he couldn’t breach the emotional walls of the one person he wanted to.

      He’d reached out to her repeatedly over the last ten weeks, persisting when he could’ve given up. He’d grown to like her a lot, and she made him happy like no woman ever had. However, she’d eroded his patience. Being stuck in a one-way relationship when the other person’s interest had cooled wasn’t his style. He’d seen what that did to a man firsthand with his dad and, dammit, he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy, let alone himself.

      Unfortunately, as hard as he tried not to compare Keely to his erratic mother, her behaviour drew frightening parallels that had him ready to call it quits.

      Just yesterday she’d flared up over an innocent question he’d asked about how her websites for other clients were coming along, mentioning the cute work she’d done for that baby site. He’d been trying to show his interest in her career, she’d taken offence, and when he’d retaliated with a rather abrupt ‘Calm down’, she’d stormed out of the café, leaving him gobsmacked.

      Another nasty similarity to his mother; she had run at the first sign of trouble. If an inconsequential spat that hinted at the rumbling volcano about to blow their relationship sky-high could make her walk, imagine what would happen if things got really serious between them. She’d flee quicker than he could say, ‘It’s over.’

      When she’d run out of the café, he’d been ready to chase after her and end it right there and then, before an incoming call on his mobile from the producers of his new TV show had distracted him long enough to cool off.

      ‘Lachlan, twenty seconds.’

      He looked up at the station manager and nodded, reaching for the headphones.

      He needed to focus on work for now, but come Friday night at her friend’s party Keely owed him some answers. He’d tired of her games and was more than ready to pick up his bat and ball and head home. Alone.

      Keely clutched her belly and groaned. ‘This bout of food poisoning is lingering too long. That’s the second time in the last few days I’ve been sick.’

      Emma handed her a glass of water. ‘Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.’

      Keely took several sips before her stomach rolled again and nausea washed over her in sickening waves.

      ‘Oh-oh, here we go again.’ She made a mad dash for the toilet,