Page 38

William

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

I don’t want to pull out of her yet, but I slowly lower her and force myself to back away, fastening my pants.

I’m not the type to avoid meeting someone’s eyes. In any situation, I hold my conversation partner’s gaze. But right now, I can’t.

Taylor, on the other hand, makes no attempt to cover herself, and I know she’s looking at me. Only when I think I’m regaining control of my body—numbing the effect this red-haired sorceress has on me—do I notice it.

Between her thighs, my seed is dripping out of her.

I didn’t use protection.

My eyes freeze on that trickle of semen—not just because of the possible consequences, but because it’s, without a doubt, the most erotic thing I’ve ever witnessed. Part of me wants to stride back over to her, gather up my spend, and push it inside her, forcing her to take more. Another part wants to tell her to leave and forget I ever knew her. Yet another part can’t deny that the thought of possibly putting a child in her makes me feel like some damned superman. And I also want to punch a wall for having been so stupid as to create a permanent bond with this devious traitor.

“You need to get cleaned up,” I say and glance casually at the time. “Dinner will be served in half an hour. We don’t have much time. I’ll show you to the bathroom, since you’ve lost your memory and probably don’t recall where it is.”

At once, she notices the sarcasm in my tone and seems to snap out of her daze. But when she looks down at the spot between her thighs, she covers her mouth in horror.

“It was a careless mistake,” I say.

“ A mistake? I don’t even know who you are, or rather, I do now—that you hate me . . .How could I be so stupid?”

“If there are any consequences, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Consequences, as in if I’m pregnant?”

“What do you want me to say? Both parties share responsibility for birth control. Still, I’m sorry.”

She studies my face, searching for something . . .I’m not sure what. Post-sex affection? Words of comfort? I’ve never been able to keep my hands off her, and I still can’t. But I won’t let a good orgasm make me forget the last two years. So instead of drawing her into my arms, I maintain my distance.

“Yes, we both messed up,” she says. “I . . .made a mistake. I don’t want you touching me again. It’ll never happen again.”

We both know she’s lying.

“It’ll happen whenever we’re in the same room, because you’re like a disease to me, Taylor.”

“A disease ? So I don’t do you any good? Let me guess...because I’m a traitor. The woman who sleeps with father and son. Someone who flits between the two. Maybe to prove your point, I should just go back to Asia now? Keep doing my shifts?”

This finally sets me off. I stride over, pinning her against the wall. “You’re not going anywhere. You might be carrying my child.”

She shoves me away. “Don’t act like you’d want that. If I get pregnant, it’ll be a nightmare for both of us.”

“A child is never a mistake.”

“Then how do you describe getting the woman you despise pregnant?”

I step back again. “Destiny, Taylor. It’d be a cruel twist of fate.”

She swallows hard, smoothing her dress back into place. “Take me to the bathroom, please.”

That polite request doesn’t resemble the fiery Taylor of a moment ago, but I chalk it up to the shock and fear over a possible pregnancy.

“Taylor.”

“Take me to the bathroom, Mr. Marshall. I just want to do my ‘duty’ and leave.”

“You know perfectly well that if you’re pregnant, that’s not an option. You’ll never leave.”

“Show me the bathroom, William.”

* * *

She took nearly twenty minutes before coming back. After sitting at the table with me, she barely touched her food or the champagne she’d requested. Her eyes are glued to her plate, and though I usually welcome silence, right now it irritates me.

“We need to talk.”

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“Are you seriously asking if I came inside you on purpose? You’d be the last woman I’d choose to bear my child.”

I watch her hand tremble as she lifts her glass to her lips. The Taylor of the past might have thrown it at me, and seeing how she’s changed confuses me.

Am I the only one still stuck in the past?

“Then let’s pray it’s just a scare, Mr. Marshall.”

“Either way, until we know for sure, I’ll treat you as if you were mine.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll have a driver for work.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’re carrying my heir, I’m not taking any chances. Do you have to fight me on everything I say?”

“No. Only when you try to make decisions about my life without consulting me. But since this ordeal can last at most a month, I agree—under one condition.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I promise I’ll tell you the moment I know whether I’m pregnant or not, but until then, I don’t want to see you again.”

Nothing is going how I expected. I should seize the chance to stay away from her. But she’s already run off once, and who’s to say she won’t do it again—and possibly with my most precious treasure in tow?

“That’s a tempting offer, but it won’t be possible.”

“What? You can’t force me to see you.”

I can’t, but my mind works fast, and it doesn’t take me long to find a way to keep her within reach.

“You’re being overly defensive, Taylor. Who said anything about force? I have a job offer for you.”