The Pregnancy Plot

by Paula Roe

  * * *

  By nine the next morning they were miles above the earth, on their way back to Sydney. Matt glanced over at AJ, nose-deep in a book, then to Decker, stretched out and asleep behind his dark sunglasses, then to Carly, who was single-mindedly tapping away on her laptop.

  He sighed and returned to the schedule laid out on his iPad, but moments later he gave up.

  AJ had opened up, stunning him with that little truth from her past.

  She’d been planning to stay. How could he have not seen that? But he’d been blind to anything but his own problems and gotten in first, shot her down, and she’d left.

  He rubbed the bridge of his nose and scowled.

  Now here they were again, treading familiar ground, coming together and getting lost in that crazy desire just like before. No, not like before. His eyes darted to her bright red hair, the gentle curve of her cheek. He knew what he wanted now. And AJ...well, she wanted something, too. And apparently that didn’t include him.

  He’d felt her withdrawal this morning, the way she didn’t meet his eyes, the subtle wall she put between them. He’d reassured her that their lovemaking hadn’t stuffed anything up but wasn’t entirely sure she believed him.

  He cast his mind back to the previous night, and suddenly everything flooded in: AJ writhing beneath him, calling his name as he drove deep inside, loving her until they finally collapsed, sated and spent. And later, in bed, she’d driven him crazy with her hands and body, her shock of hair as it teased his sensitive nipples, brushed over his belly, then lower when she took him in her mouth with bold delight.

  Damn. He shifted in his seat, trying to relieve the sudden tightness in his groin. Despite that incredible chemistry, he still had no idea what was going on in her head. Oh, she’d let down her guard a little, allowing a brief glimpse inside, but it still wounded him, the way she’d so grudgingly shared that snippet.

  Yeah, and you’re an open book, right?

  AJ glanced up then, meeting his eyes, and he realized he’d been staring.

  She blinked, her bright eyes assessing, searching, a hesitant smile hovering on her lips. That tiny uncertainty—from a woman so very sure of everything else in her life—tore at his heart.

  He’d put that uncertainty there and he had a lot to make up for. So he held her gaze and put everything he had into his smile, every remembered kiss, every touch, every breath they’d shared.

  Her eyes widened...and then there it was, the lush curve of her mouth, the seductive crease of her cat’s eyes before she ducked her head and returned to her book.

  There was his Angel.

  And just like that, he fell. Totally, completely.

  He loved her. Loved everything about her—all those doubts, all those tiny scars on her heart, her fractured past that had shaped her into the strong, independent woman she was now.

  But would it be enough? Would he be enough?

  There was only one way to find out. He had to keep going forward.

  * * *

  AJ refused to let disappointment show when Matt dropped her off at Zac’s apartment. Instead, she pasted on a smile and accepted his kiss on the cheek.

  “I have to go to work,” he murmured, his lips lingering, giving her goose bumps. “I have a meeting tonight.”

  “On a Sunday?”

  “Conference call. I’ll call you, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  She watched him go, her gaze drinking in his long stride, the way the expensive suit sat on his lean frame, the shaggy hairline that brushed his collar.

  She whirled to the elevator, forcing back inexplicable tears. Lust had never gripped her so surely before, trapping her in tight claws until he was all she could think about.

  She furiously pressed the up button over and over, determined to ignore the way her breath hitched. And what of last night? How would that affect her chances of getting pregnant? Surely it had consequences, despite his reassurances.

  The elevator doors slid open and she strode in, dumping her bag on the floor before digging out her phone and dialing Dr. Adams’s number.

  As much as she wanted Matt, burned for him like a bushfire had taken up residence under her skin, she couldn’t jeopardize her chances. She had to know the facts. And if that meant complete abstinence, then so be it.

  Ten minutes later, after Dr. Adams had eased her mind, she ran a bath, cranked up her iPod and turned her attention to the novel she’d been trying to read since the flight. But she only managed a few pages before restlessness got the better of her.

  “Damn you, Matthew Cooper,” she muttered, rising from the water and grabbing a towel. After making herself a cup of tea, she pulled out her sketch pad and pencils and began to work.

  Fourteen

  It was the night of the hospital benefit and AJ was, quite frankly, scared.

  Matt’s compliments had briefly warmed her—she’d chosen a red below-the-knee ruffled dress with a tight corset bodice—but trepidation had set in as they drove to the Pullman Quay Grand at Sydney Harbour.

  If Matt noticed, he didn’t say anything. They parked, then made their way into the fancy foyer, all massive windows and panoramic views of the harbor. AJ barely had time to take it all in before he was guiding her toward the restaurant where a bunch of perfectly dressed people were milling about.

  This was it. She was actually doing this. With a deep breath, she straightened, pulling her shoulders back.

  “You okay?”

  She glanced up at him, at the concern creasing his brow. “Yes, I just...” She paused then said carefully, “I don’t like crowds.”

  “Really?”

  “They make me nervous, all those people watching,” she lied. Truth was, she’d been assessed, dissected and judged before and it had stopped worrying her a long time ago. No, it was the parent thing that freaked her out. She didn’t do parents. They made her nervous.

  He eyed the packed gathering inside the restaurant, wall-to-wall people in their designer dresses and suits, the loud murmur of voices, clinking glasses and occasional laughter spilling out, then he turned to her with a reassuring smile.

  “Honestly, I don’t think they’ll notice us.”

  “Matthew! You’re late!”

  A woman emerged from the crowd and made her way toward them. She was tall, regal and flawlessly done up in a black shift dress and kitten heels. The family resemblance was obvious.

  AJ swallowed as she watched Matt’s mother kiss his cheek, then slowly turn to her.

  “Hello, I’m Dr. Alicia Cooper.” The hand she offered was cool and smooth and AJ shook it with a vague feeling of inadequacy, well aware of every mark and freckle on her own.

  Still, she managed a polite smile and greeting.

  “Matthew, you know Mason Palmer, chief of oncology?” She swept her hand to the man who had stepped up beside her, a tall, good-looking guy in an impeccable suit. They ran through the mandatory introductions before Alicia turned back to AJ. “So, how do you know Matthew?”

  “We’re...ah...” She glanced at Matt, then back to Alicia’s sharp scrutiny. “Old friends. We go back a long way.”

  “Really. And what do you do?” Alicia efficiently looked AJ up and down before giving her a polite smile. She was being judged—and probably found lacking—behind that cool, elegant charm.

  AJ tipped her chin and stared right back at her. “I’m an artist.”

  “How interesting. What medium do you use?”

  “Watercolor mostly.” She glanced over at Alicia’s companion, who was looking exceedingly bored with the whole interaction.

  “I see. Well, don’t monopolize each other all night,” she said with a smile. A perfectly fine smile except for the irritation behind it, AJ thought. “Lots of people are here—influential people,”
she added with a pointed look at Matt. “Make sure you mingle. Have a lovely time.”

  “We will.” AJ returned her smile and, for added effect, looped her arm through Matt’s. With another icy smile, Alicia Cooper moved on.

  After a moment, AJ slowly slipped her arm from Matt’s and stared into the crowd in silence.

  “Sorry.”

  “What for?”

  “My mother can be somewhat...abrasive.”

  “She was perfectly fine.”

  “Right.” He scanned the crowd and muttered something under his breath.

  AJ leaned in. “Sorry?”

  “I said, I’d rather be at home than at this excruciating party, making small talk and being judged.”

  Oh. She stared at him. Was it wrong that she was thinking exactly the same thing? And should she even admit that? What would it mean if she did? And—

  “Angel.” He leaned in, his lips close to her ear. “You creep me out when you’re so silent. Just say what’s on your mind.”

  But all she could do was shake her head. It would benefit no one to give voice to the strange longing she’d felt ever since they’d returned from Portugal. Their time together had an expiration date. He had an insanely busy career; that had been painfully clear these past few weeks. They’d even signed an agreement, for heaven’s sake. It would do absolutely no good to start wishing for something different.

  She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

  “I’m going to the bathroom,” she muttered, turning from his loaded gaze before she said something completely stupid and ruined all her careful plans.

  * * *

  She was leaning against her closed stall door, giving herself a little pep talk, when she heard two women come in.

  “Did you see Matt’s date?”

  AJ froze.

  “Oh, yes, I’ve met her.” That was Katrina. “Pleasant enough. A bit too...brassy, though.”

  AJ’s mouth dropped into an outraged O. Brassy?

  “Do you think it’s natural?” the other woman went on.

  “Looks like it. God knows why you’d want to keep that color, though.”

  “She’s got an arse on her, too.”

  They both laughed as AJ scowled at the stall door, her anger practically burning a hole in the wood.

  “She’s obviously punching above her weight,” the other woman added. “I mean, look at Matt—rich, gorgeous, talented. It won’t last.”

  Then she heard the door swing open and a new voice declare, “Hi, Katrina. Who are we talking about?”

  “Matthew’s redhead.”

  “AJ?” AJ held her breath. The new arrival was Matt’s sister, Paige. “Oh, we met her at her sister’s wedding—Zac and Emily Prescott? She’s perfectly lovely.”

  “Really.”

  “Yes.” There was a pause, then a hushed whisper. Then, suddenly, thundering silence.

  AJ had been in the stall long enough. And the others had obviously worked that out, too. With a sigh, she flushed, pulled her shoulders back, then swung the door open.

  Her eyes met Paige’s first in the mirror, and the woman gave her a genuine smile as she smoothed back her sleek dark hair. As the ominous silence lengthened, AJ offered a nod and a slightly dimmer smile to Katrina and her cohort, then proceeded to wash and dry her hands.

  “I love your hairstyle, AJ,” Paige said, flicking a deliberate glance at Katrina. “Very Rita Hayworth.”

  “Thanks.” AJ smoothed the curls around her fingers and let them spring back.

  She turned to go, then very slowly glanced back to Katrina. “Oh, by the way, Katrina—if you are going to talk about someone, make sure the stalls are empty before you do. Otherwise you’ll come across as a gossipy bitch. Not a good look for the hospital, I should think.” She speared her companion with a look. “And for the record—Matt and I are just using each other for sex.”

  With that hanging in the air, AJ pushed the bathroom door open and made a dignified exit.

  This was temporary. So why was she so upset? Face burning, she stalked down the tiled corridor back to the party. Matt was in her bed—albeit briefly—not in her life.

  Stupid. He’s been your entire life only for the past... She mentally calculated. Three weeks. They’d shared a bed, numerous meals. And yes, she’d gradually revealed tiny pieces of her life, stuff no one besides Emily knew. And sometimes, even stuff her sister didn’t know.

  This was ridiculous. She was comfortable in her skin and all too aware of the world around her. She normally shrugged off negative comments and rude attitudes when she encountered them. So why had that bitch session back there gotten under her skin?

  She had no idea. But damn, it hurt.

  “AJ! Wait!”

  She turned and spotted Paige. Matt’s sister snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, then caught up with her.

  “I don’t drink.” AJ gently shook her head at the proffered glass.

  “Oh, well.” Paige shrugged, then downed half a glass in a few gulps. She grinned at AJ, finished it off, then shoved the empty glass on another passing waiter’s tray.

  AJ said nothing, just studied Matt’s sister in silence. She was tall and lean, with big brown eyes and dark hair pinned back with a diamante Kylie band. Paige was a female version of Matt, dressed in a seventies-style tunic dress tied with a thin belt and accessorized by a heap of silver chains with dangly charms.

  “So you’re seeing my brother,” she began, tipping the second glass to her lips.

  “Not really.”

  Paige’s eyes creased in thoughtful scrutiny. “That’s not what I hear.”

  AJ shrugged. “I don’t listen to gossip.”

  “Oh, everyone listens.” Paige tapped her be-ringed finger against the glass. “Doesn’t mean you have to pay attention to it. For instance, I also heard Matt took you to Portugal on a job.”

  When AJ remained silent, Paige smiled. “Diplomatic silence—that’s good. I like you already.” Then she shocked AJ by linking her arm through hers with a bright smile. “And anyone who can ruffle Katrina’s feathers is okay by me. Let’s have a chat.”

  * * *

  From his vantage point near the bar, Matt had a perfect view of the restaurant. He glanced past the pristine tables, the mingling guests working out their seating arrangements, to the rest of the crowd milling around the bar and the glorious view of the harbor sunset. Still no sign of her shock of red hair or her fire engine–red dress.

  He waved off a passing waiter as he continued his search. When he finally found AJ at the far end of the room, deep in conversation with Paige, he frowned. His sister was incredibly nosy, incredibly determined and a hopeless romantic. She also had a tendency to grill his dates and weed out at least one flaw, no matter how deeply it was buried.

  What would she find with AJ?

  As he contemplated going over there, he felt someone come up behind him.

  “So you brought your date from Maxfield with you?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at Katrina. She wore a sleek, sleeveless green gown, her eyebrows raised.

  “Yes.”

  “That was weeks ago.”

  “Yep.”

  She followed his gaze, eyes narrowed as she studied AJ more closely. “Pretty enough, I suppose. In a brassy, wild kind of way.”

  “Careful, Katrina. Your inner bitch is showing.”

  Her brows ratcheted higher. “And you are acting oddly devoted to one woman.”

  He said nothing.

  “So, I heard some interesting gossip about you visiting Sandi the other week.”

  He schooled his expression into casual blankness. He didn’t have to explain himself to anyone, especially not Katrina. Yet behind the intrusive question and her cool study, h
e detected a genuine interest. He’d been married to the woman for eight years and no matter how it had ended, they’d still been through a lot. He let a small breath go. “We’re trying for a baby, yes.”

  For one second Matt thought he detected something flash behind Katrina’s cool green eyes before she said drily, “Well, good for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  They both glanced back to AJ, still in conversation with Paige.

  “Your sister seems to like her.”

  “Looks like,” Matt said neutrally. Paige had hated Katrina and they both knew it.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Enjoy the night, Matt.” Then she leaned in, deposited a kiss on his cheek and said softly, “Be happy.”

  In stunned silence he watched her go, her long, tanned frame cutting a striking figure as she confidently made her way through the crowd.

  Wow. That was odd. Totally out of character.

  When a waiter offered him a drink, he took it, taking a swig without tasting it.

  Be happy.

  He was trying.

  * * *

  Paige had moved off to get another drink, leaving AJ temporarily alone. With a glass of ice water in her hands, she casually scanned the room, noting everything and everyone with a keen eye before moving on.

  Ahh. Right there. Her insides did a little dance. He was so tall and lean, whatever he wore always looked good. But Matt in a suit was truly devastating. The charcoal suit, white shirt and tie were a perfect foil to his shaggy hair and stubble. An intriguing mix of bohemian and professional, a look she knew was entirely accidental on his part.

  He was watching someone or something and she followed his gaze across the room to where a familiar figure stood in conversation with a handful of people.

  Katrina.

  She looked away, but the damage was already done. Bitter and unwanted jealousy rattled her composure, leaving her angry and frustrated.

  Sure, Matt had a past, but so did she. It was stupid to be angry.

  She took a chug of water then palmed the damp base of the glass. Yeah, if you looked at it logically. But when she was around Matt, logic just flew out the window.