The Baby Bonus by Metsy Hingle

Author:Metsy Hingle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2000-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Six

Regan snatched her hands from Cole’s shoulders where her fingers had been clutched in his shirt. “I…I can’t do this,” she told him, scrambling back to the corner of the couch and trying to straighten her clothes.

“Can’t, or won’t?” he countered, a sharp edge in his voice.

Regan met the cold steel gaze, knowing she deserved his contempt for reneging on what she’d been promising him with her lips only a moment ago. “It doesn’t matter. Either way, the answer is still no.”

Another rap of knuckles sounded at the door, followed by the barked, “room service.” Swearing, Cole shoved off the couch and headed for the door.

The moment he was gone, Regan fled to the bathroom. Mortified by how close she’d come to making love with him. She leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on her face and wrists.

How on earth was she going to marry Cole and keep the fact that she was still in love with him a secret?

She wasn’t going to be able to keep it a secret. Not if a simple kiss had her melting in his arms and longing to tell him she didn’t want a temporary or pretend marriage but a real one. Which meant she either had to call off the wedding or postpone it for as long as possible. Blotting her face dry, she paused with the towel against her cheek as she recalled the pained look in Cole’s eyes the other night when he’d spoken of the stigma of his illegitimacy. While she didn’t hold to his belief that society would be so cruel to an innocent child because of the parents’ choices, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Cole’s own experiences had caused him a wealth of pain. She had to go through with the wedding for his sake. That meant her only option was to delay the nuptials as long as she could. Determined to do just that, Regan applied fresh lipstick and tried to bring some order to her hair. Less than satisfied with the results, she accepted the fact that it would have to do. Squaring her shoulders, she left the bathroom and went in search of Cole.

She found him in front of the suite’s picture window. He stood with his feet apart, his hands clasped behind his back, staring down at the sprawling Mississippi River across from the hotel. The sky was clear and bright sunshine kissed the water and the riverboats that strutted lazily toward Canal Street. But it wasn’t the picturesque scene and activity that claimed Regan’s attention now. It was the man who viewed it. He looked so…alone…lonely. Struck by the thought, Regan realized Cole appeared alone and lonely because he was. He always had been. Even now with all his success. Her chest tightened. Cole needed to be loved. The temptation to go to him, to wrap her arms around him, to press her head against his back and tell him that she loved him, that he would never be alone again was so strong, Regan nearly went to him.

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