CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘I SHOULD GO downstairs and start unpacking,’ Charley managed as she stared at San Francisco’s bustling waterfront—the historic splendour of the old Ferry Building and the majesty of the Bay Bridge stretching towards Oakland.

Cade’s penthouse apartment towered over the city’s financial district and the Embarcadero and was even more magnificent in the daylight. But it also looked just how she remembered it—luxurious, expertly designed, more than a little impersonal and almost as intimidating as the man himself.

Funny to think she’d run out of here about a month ago now, sure she would never see Cade again, and here she was looking at the same spectacular view with the baby they’d made together that night growing inside her.

Okay, stop thinking about the prawn for two seconds, or you’ll freak out again.

‘Your luggage is here,’ he said. ‘I told them to put the downstairs condo back on the rental market.’

She swung round. ‘Um...when exactly did I agree to move in with you?’ she managed, annoyed by the he-who-shall-be-obeyed tone she was becoming far too familiar with.

She’d had a solid sleep on the plane. While she still felt off-kilter, she wasn’t the fragile, over-emotional pushover she had been when they’d boarded his jet.

From the way he frowned—as if he couldn’t quite believe she would contradict him—she knew it was way past time she started standing her ground. She might be pregnant with his baby, but that did not make her his property.

‘When you spent a good ten minutes throwing up this morning,’ he replied flatly.

Her cheeks burned. Trust him to bring that up. ‘How is that relevant?’

Before she could follow up with all the reasons why it so wasn’t, he had crossed the room and placed his palm on her cheek.

‘Calm down, Charlotte,’ he said softly, the concerned tone as disturbing as the sudden urge to lean into his hand. ‘I don’t want you on your own if you’re sick again. That’s all.’

She pulled away from his touch. But she couldn’t deny the wave of emotion threatening to sweep away her perfectly valid objections to his high-handed behaviour. ‘I still don’t think I should move in with you,’ she managed, far too aware of the needy feeling pressing down on her chest. ‘This isn’t even a real relationship,’ she added. ‘I’m just here as your stunt date for the summer.’

He tucked his hand into his pocket, but his gaze remained fixed on her. ‘I think we’ve gone beyond that now, don’t you?’

She stepped back, the tantalising aroma of woodsy cologne and soap playing havoc with her resolve now, too.

Surely this was just another example of her wacky hormones? Or was it the biology of pregnancy which seemed to make her body obsessed with the father of her child?

‘I don’t want to sleep with you again,’ she said, although even she could hear the hesitation.

Could he see the yearning? Sense the arousal which was making her sex ache?

But he didn’t call her out on the lie. ‘The apartment has several guest rooms. Take your pick.’

‘I... I still don’t think it’s a good idea.’

She would be living with him even if they weren’t sleeping together. Wasn’t that too intimate? What if she got suckered into thinking they were a real couple?

But then he disarmed her again. ‘I want to be close by if you need me,’ he said, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

‘It’s just morning sickness, Cade. It’s perfectly normal. Most pregnant women get it,’ she said, far too aware of the hole forming in her belly.

She recognised that hole, and the urge to fill it, which had made her do stupid things once.

She didn’t want to be that reckless girl again, looking for approval from a guy like Cade—who she had discovered today had the unique ability to seize on her weakness and exploit it.

‘I still want to keep an eye on you,’ he said, the placid, persuasive tone contradicted by the fierce determination in his eyes. ‘And FYI, I don’t give a damn about other women. The only woman I give a damn about is you. Because you’re the only one having my kid.’

She drew in a careful breath. The curt statement struck at the heart of her insecurities...but also made her aware of something important.

This is about his baby. It’s not about you.

She took a moment to control the wayward emotions which were way too close to the surface. Again.

What if this feeling of vulnerability, this urge to accept the support he was offering, was nothing to do with that needy, unloved girl—and everything to do with the strange situation they found themselves in? If that were the case, would it be so terrible to let him carry some of the burden? To let go of a little of her independence? As long as he understood that accepting his support did not mean he could dictate her life?

‘I’m pregnant, Cade. I’m not an invalid,’ she said. ‘I still plan to set up a workshop while I’m here to work on my commissions. My business is important to me. Especially as I’m going to be a single parent in eight months’ time.’

His gaze darkened. ‘You won’t need to support yourself. I’ve asked my legal team to draw up a financial agreement which will ensure my child will never want for anything. I also intend to compensate you generously for your role as its mother. I would never abandon that responsibility.’

She sighed, her panic and confusion downgrading considerably in the face of his rigid expression—and the shadow in his eyes. She’d triggered something she hadn’t intended to, but she was glad she had.

From the little he had let slip about his past, she knew Cade had some trust issues. She understood what that was like—because she had several trust issues of her own.

Living with him scared her on a lot of levels. She couldn’t allow herself to need his care or his attention too much. But maybe she should do the mature thing and start dealing with how scared that made her feel before she tried to deal with his insecurities too.

‘I don’t want your money, Cade,’ she began.

‘Well, tough,’ he interrupted her. ‘Because there is no way in hell I’m not supporting my own child.’

She put up her palm. ‘ Whoa... That’s not what I said. I said I don’t want your money. We can certainly agree on a financial arrangement between us as parents for the upkeep of our baby. When it’s born.’ She placed her palm on her stomach and waited for the stupid wave of emotion to level out. It was good he was so determined to support this baby. His protective instincts and sense of responsibility didn’t have to be a bad thing, as long as they established some boundaries—such as that her life and autonomy, and their baby’s well-being, were two separate issues.

‘But it’s not a baby yet. It’s barely an embryo,’ she continued. ‘My financial independence is important to me. I love my business. I want to make a success of Trouble Maker. You said you’d give my business your financial support while I’m here—as a trade-off for posing as your date. And I plan to hold you to that. But that’s the only financial support I want from you.’

She could see the enormity of the mountain she had to climb though when his frown deepened.

Good grief, what on earth had he expected her to do while she was here? Sit around and twiddle her thumbs while he took charge of everything? Simply because she was pregnant?

She wanted to be angry with him, but had she created this rod for her own back by being so flaky over the last twelve hours?

Lesson to self: no more wimping out around Cade, no matter how crap you feel.

The thought was strangely motivating. She was bound to be tired from time to time—but she could remedy that by sleeping as much and as often as she needed to.

She had no idea how long the nausea was supposed to last—or what other symptoms she might be dealing with in future, other than a hyperactive libido every time she was within ten feet of her child’s father. Because she had completely zoned out when Dr Ramirez had given them both the lowdown on the first trimester of pregnancy that morning.

No wonder Cade thought she couldn’t hold up her end of this when she’d allowed him to take the lead on everything so far. Well, that ended now.

‘I don’t want you working if you’re sick,’ he said, his voice tight with irritation.

Well, that’s not your decision.

It was what she wanted to say, but she swallowed the provocative reply.

He had to be struggling, too, with the enormity of what they were dealing with. Not just logistically, but also emotionally. But she suspected from his closed expression and what she knew of him already that he would rather cut off his tongue than admit it.

Cade was a guy who she doubted ever admitted a weakness. And who always wanted to be in charge, hence his desire to wrap her in cotton wool, rather than treat her as an equal... But what if that was a lay-over from his childhood, too, a way to avoid dealing with any messy emotions?

Well, he’d have to deal with them eventually. And her. And living in his apartment with him would give her ample opportunity to find out a lot more about his fears and insecurities too.

Until then, though, she could cut him some slack. Up to a point.

‘How about we compromise. I can live here with you...’ She puffed out a breath. ‘In the guest room,’ she added hastily, when his eyes darkened with something which only made her more aware of the heat pulsing insistently in her abdomen. ‘But I continue to work on my commissions during the day, and I set up my workspace in the Embarcadero as planned.’

His piercing blue eyes narrowed. She could see he didn’t want to give an inch.

‘Or...’ she continued, determined to make him see reason. ‘I get a flight back to the UK tomorrow morning...’ Two can play the carrot and stick game. ‘And we forget all about the stunt dating. And you lose the Helberg bet. Your choice.’

His frown became catastrophic. She wondered if she’d pushed him too far. But she refused to back down. Surely he couldn’t still carry out his threat of suing her over those photos? Not when he was so adamant about protecting the mother of his child? So she had him, and he knew it, but it might take him a while to figure it out...

Luckily, she was more than willing to wait.

Cade was so furious he felt as if steam was about to explode out of his ears. But far worse was the heat in his groin. And that unsteady, unsettled feeling in his gut.

The same damn feeling he’d always had when he’d been yanked out of one home to be dumped in another. He had always hated the loss of control, more than the not knowing where he would wind up next. Some of the foster homes had been great, some just okay, some not even that, but in each new place he’d learned to add another layer of I-don’t-give-a-damn until it hadn’t mattered to him any more how good or bad the homes were, because he knew he would survive regardless. And he had promised himself that as soon as he was old enough, he would get out of the system—and finally be able to live his life on his own terms.

But as he glared at Charlotte, it occurred to him that having a baby with her was going to mean losing some of that precious control...unless he could find a way to make her play ball.

The fact that winning the bet, even acquiring Helberg, didn’t mean as much to him as keeping her and the baby safe only made the whole situation more infuriating. He couldn’t afford to care too much, because he didn’t trust her not to use that weakness against him.

He couldn’t deny, though, as she stood in front of him, her arms folded, her stance stubborn and determined, that being bested by her was also kind of...well, hot.

How had she managed to turn the tables on him so neatly? Because no one did that. Not any more...

Then again, everything about her was a turn-on.

Of course, he wasn’t about to tell her that, because she had too much power already.

He wasn’t sure how she had sneaked under his guard. But this fierce need would pass, once they’d finally got the chemical reaction they shared out of their systems. So the no sex rule was a problem. Then again, no way would they be able to keep their hands off each other for a whole five weeks while they were living in the same apartment.

‘You’re damn sneaky, too, when you want to be,’ he said, unable to keep the admiration out of his voice.

He hated to be beaten, ever . But who would have guessed this poor little rich girl would have the backbone of a Trojan and the tactical smarts of a five-star general...or that he would find the challenge she represented not just infuriating, but also compelling?

She sent him a quick grin, full of relief and no small amount of triumph. The pleasure she derived from her victory turned her green eyes to a rich emerald.

‘I’m going to take that as a compliment,’ she said.

He hadn’t intended it as one. But even so, he found himself smiling back.

‘Do we have a deal?’ she asked.

‘I guess,’ he said, forced to concede she had won this round. Mostly.

But as she walked by him, he yanked his hand out of his pants pocket. ‘How about we shake on it?’

Her gaze darted to his. But she took his hand—because she was way too overconfident.

Big mistake.

He felt her tremble of reaction as his fingers closed around hers and his thumb caressed the rabbiting pulse in her wrist.

She yanked her hand free—sent him a quelling look, telling him she knew exactly what he had been up to with that wrist stroke. Then marched off to check out the guest rooms.

But his smile spread as he watched her go.

Yeah, you can run again, sugar, but you can’t hide—not from me and sure as heck not from this chemistry. Not for long anyhow.