‘Zack, you can’t—’
‘Don’t try and run my life, Ben,’ he warned, dangerously soft. ‘Julie knows damn well I have no intention of letting her leave London, not now or in the future.’
‘Zack, please,’ she looked down at her hands. ‘Let’s not spoil Connie and Ben’s anniversary.’
‘You knew I wouldn’t accept your leaving London—’
‘And I just told you you can’t stop me!’ her eyes blazed.
‘Can’t I?’
She flushed at the threat in his voice. The expression in his eyes told her the threat was a physical one, but it certainly wasn’t violently so. ‘Could we leave?’ she said agitatedly. ‘We can talk about this some other time, Zack,’ she told him firmly.
‘I agree,’ he nodded grimly. ‘We can.’
That time came soon enough, as soon as they got back to her flat. Julie’s effort to get out of the car and go inside was foiled by Zack’s hold on her arm.
‘I’m coming with you,’ he said stubbornly.
She held her head high as they went inside the building, unlocking her door with a slightly unsteady hand. Once inside she looked at Zack unflinchingly, determined not to be unnerved by the deep anger in his icy grey eyes.
‘Running away isn’t going to solve anything,’ he said suddenly.
‘I’m not running away—’
‘What else would you call it?’ he rasped.
‘You love living in London, you alway have that excuse about needing a change of environment doesn’t hold water. You’re running away, Julie. From me.’
Her head went back. ‘And if I am?’
‘I won’t let you go!’ His fingers bit into her shoulders as he shook her. ‘I won’t let you go, Julie,’ he repeated with a groan. ‘You can’t tell me that night we spent together meant nothing to you.’
‘No,’ she acknowledged huskily. How could she, when that single night together had produced a child?
‘And that you wouldn’t like it to happen again?’ he prompted, his face only inches away from her own, his warm breath ruffling her hair.
She closed her eyes to shut out the sight of him, instantly more aware of the smell and feel of him. Her eyes opened in alarm as she felt herself sway towards him.
‘It won’t happen again, Zack,’ she told him firmly.
‘Won’t it?’ His eyes held hers mesmerised as he slowly lowered his head, his mouth taking fierce possession of hers.
She could take this last time with him, would make it a present to herself, a time to cherish to her during the lonely years without him.
Her mouth opened invitingly beneath his, her arms going up about his neck as she pressed herself against him, instantly feeling the hardening of his thighs.
Zack gave a groan as he felt her capitulation, and his mouth instantly softened against hers, coaxing rather than demanding. His hands moved tentatively over her body, almost as if he were afraid he might break the spell of her at last being a willing recipient to his kisses.
His lips moved to caress her throat, one hand cupping her breast through the thin material of her dress, finding the nipple with unnerving accuracy, his touch bringing the nub to full pulsating life.
‘I want you, Julie,’ he told her throatily.
‘Yes.’
‘Yes?’ He raised his head, his eyes almost black with desire. ‘You mean—yes?’
Her laugh caught in her throat. ‘That’s what yes usually means,’ she glowed up at him.
‘But-‘
Her fingertips over his lips prevented further words. ‘No questions, Zack,’ she pleaded huskily. ‘Just make love to me.’
‘God, yes!’ he moaned. ‘Where’s your bedroom?’
‘This way.’ She took his hand to lead the way.
Zack followed as if in a daze, kicking over her handbag on the way. ‘Hell!’ he looked down irritably at the scattered contents. ‘I’ve done it again.’
‘Leave it,’ Julie encouraged impatiently.
‘Yes. Damn!’ he swore as he stepped on something, a loud crunching noise telling of the damage, the pills fell on to the carpet as he took his foot off the plastic container.
Julie watched in horror as he bent to pick them up, putting the pills on the coffee-table before picking up the crushed container, frowning as he looked at the label.
‘Iron,’ he muttered. ‘But what—You aren’t ill, are you?’ he frowned.
‘No-‘
His hand slowly moved out to pick up a white card that had also fallen out of the handbag. He read what was written on it before slowly looking up at Julie. ‘What’s this?’ he asked slowly.
‘I—An appointment card,’ she answered hollowly, feeling frozen to the spot. If she weren’t she would run out of the flat, away from the accusation in Zack’s eyes.
He stood up, towering over her ominously. ‘Iron pills, and this,’ he held up the card.
‘It’s nothing—’
‘Nothing!’ he repeated savagely, his face contorted with rage. ‘I’ve seen tablets like this before, Julie. And this,’ he held up the appointment card. ‘This I can work out for myself. It’s an ante-natal card, Julie. And only pregnant women attend ante-natal clinics, as Connie did.’
‘I-‘
‘How pregnant are you?’ he demanded to know, his expression cold.
‘Very,’ she answered almost hysterically, wondering if all this was a bad dream—a very bad dream. Zack wasn’t supposed to find out, and he wouldn’t have done if she hadn’t craved this one last night in his arms.
His eyes glazed, his mouth twisting angrily. ‘I meant how many months, damn you!’ he stormed.
She wet her suddenly dry lips, wondering if she dared he about this. If Zack thought the child was Steve’s he would leave her alone. He would probably never want to come near her again!
‘I can always contact the doctor,’ he told her with narrowed eyes. ‘His name is on this card.’
‘He wouldn’t tell you—’
‘I’m your husband, Julie, he would tell me,’ Zack said grimly. ‘Well?’
There was no point in lying now—if there ever had been. ‘I’m ten weeks pregnant, Zack,’ she told him dully. ‘Ten weeks.’
‘Then the child is mine?’
‘You can do your arithmetic as well as I can.’
He grasped her arms, forcing her to look at him. ‘Is it mine?’ he demanded.
‘You know it is!’ she flashed rebelliously.
He shook his head, deep lines etched into his face. ‘Carter was still in your life ten weeks ago.’
She turned away from him, the curve of her cheek very vulnerable. ‘Steve was never my lover,’ she mumbled.
‘Never?’
‘No, never!’ She looked up at him resentfully. ‘You can please yourself whether or not you believe that. Or ask Steve.’
Zack’s mouth twisted. ‘I doubt he would be willing to admit to a thing like that.’
‘Not all men like to boast about their conquests,’ she snapped contemptuously.
‘You were never a conquest, Julie, more like a battle well fought,’ he rasped. ‘So the baby isn’t Carter’s?’
‘You know it’s yours, Zack,’ she choked, her face buried in her hands. ‘Now would you please go?’
‘Go?’ he repeated harshly. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
Her hands were slowly lowered as she looked at him with shock. ‘You have to go. I don’t want you here!’ she added shrilly, her expression one of panic.
‘Too bad,’ he taunted. ‘That baby is mine, and I’m not letting it out of my sight.’
‘You can’t stay here,’ she gasped.
‘What else would you suggest I do?’
‘That you go home! You can’t stay here,’ she repeated desperately, very pale.
‘No, maybe I can’t,’ he agreed slowly. ‘Your bedroom is through there, you said.’ He strode through to the bedroom, opening her wardrobe and drawers to begin throwing her clothes down on the b
ed, uncaring of the mess he was making.
Julie watched him for several stunned minutes, suddenly clutching his arm as he pulled the case out of the bottom of the wardrobe. ‘What are you doing?’ she gasped.
‘Packing your clothes,’ he said grimly. ‘You said I can’t stay here—well, now that I know you’re having my baby, neither can you.’
‘It’s my home,’ she protested.
‘Not any more.’ He threw the clothes into the suitcase. ‘You’re coming to live with me.’
She shook her head, tears not far from the surface. ‘I’m going away.’
‘No, you aren’t. I’m going to make sure you’re watched every minute of the day. You aren’t going to some private clinic and getting rid of my baby,’ he told her coldly.
Her hands dropped to her sides, her face very pale as she slowly took in what he had said. He couldn’t really mean that, she must have heard him wrong. ‘Getting rid of the baby…?’ she repeated dazedly.
‘I know you, Julie,’ he rasped. ‘You don’t like children, you never wanted them. God knows you told me often enough!’
‘And you think I would kill our baby?’ she choked.
‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised,’ he said grimly. ‘Why else would you leave London?’ He closed the case with a snap of the locks. ‘Okay, let’s go. You can pick up the rest of your things tomorrow.’
‘Alone?’ she scorned numbly.
‘No,’ his eyes were cold. ‘I’ll be with you.’
Julie didn’t even attempt to protest any more, too numbed by the thought that Zack actually believed she was capable of killing their baby, was callous enough to rid herself of the baby now growing inside her.
CHAPTER 8
Zack didn’t speak to her on the drive to his home; his expression was grim, his thoughts turning inwards.
Julie didn’t talk either. She had no idea what Zack’s reaction was to the thought of being a father, she only knew he believed her to be incapable of being a mother. His surprise she would have expected, his anger too, but not his mistrust. The idea of aborting their baby hadn’t even occurred to her.
And it didn’t now. She wanted this baby, wanted it badly, and no matter what Zack thought, what his plans were, she intended being its mother.
‘Zack-‘
‘Not now, Julie,’ he snapped curtly, his jaw rigid. ‘I’m likely to get violent.’
‘I don’t see why—’
‘You were going to get rid of my baby!’ His hands gripped the steering-wheel so tightly his knuckles showed white. ‘I’ll never forgive you for that, Julie. Never!’
‘I wasn’t—’
‘You were going away!’
‘To have the baby, not get rid of it,’ she told him angrily.
‘Adopted?’ His eyes blazed as he briefly turned to look at her, their colour a light grey in his icy anger.
‘Certainly not!’ She stiffened. ‘This baby is mine, Zack. Not yours, not for adoption, bin mine. And I intend loving it and keeping it. II you want to be its father then you’d better accept that.’
‘I’m going to be its father,’ he said arrogantly. ‘You had better get used to that idea.’
She licked her lips nervously. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It means that our marriage will now go on, that there will be no divorce.’
‘There may not be any divorce.’ She knew that now Zack knew about his child he would never agree to that. ‘But the marriage will not go on, not as before anyway,’ she said firmly, her tone adamant.
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning that I’ll live with you, let you take care of the baby, but everything else between us is finished.’
His mouth tightened, a pulse beating erratically in his jaw. ‘There will be no other men—’
‘No, there won’t,’ she agreed angrily. ‘But not because you said there won’t, but because I don’t want them. You can make your own arrangements.’ His mouth twisted. ‘You won’t object?’
‘As long as you stay away from me I couldn’t give a damn what you do!’
And she meant it. The things Zack had said to her, the accusations he had made, were unforgivable. She had forgiven this man so much, this she just couldn’t forgive—or forget.
The flat Zack now occupied wasn’t the same one they had had when they had lived together last time, although of a similar style, luxuriously so.
A housekeeper came out to greet them, eyeing the suitcase in Zack’s hand rather cautiously, although obviously she was too well trained to ask questions.
‘Miss Barr called from New York, sir,’ the housekeeper informed him.
He nodded, his expression still grim. ‘Did she leave a message?’
‘Just a telephone number where she could be reached. I left it on your desk, sir.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Humphries. Is the blue room made up?’
‘Of course, sir,’ the woman answered almost indignantly.
‘Then show Mrs Reedman where it is,’ In instructed curtly. ‘And perhaps she’d like some coffee,’ he added as an afterthought.
‘Mrs Reedman…?’ the housekeeper repeated dazedly.
‘My wife,’ he said tersely. ‘I’ll be in my study if you need me for anything,’ and he strode oil a door slamming shut seconds later.
Julie smiled ruefully at the other woman ‘The blue room?’ she prompted, deciding that it was up to Zack to make any explanations he felt necessary. If she didn’t soon sit down she was going to fall down!
Seconds later she was alone. The blue room was beautifully feminine, a white fluffy carpet on the floor, her feet sinking into it, the quilt on the double bed a deep turquoise, as were the curtains.
Yes, it was a beautiful prison. For that was how she thought of it. She was trapped in a loveless, sterile marriage with a man who despised her. But her baby would have the best of everything, and a father and mother who loved it—even if they couldn’t love each other!
Zack was probably talking to Teresa right now, explaining the necessity of taking back his wife. Would Teresa forgive him, tell him that it didn’t matter, that she loved him anyway? Somehow Julie didn’t think so. There had been a basic honesty about the other woman that she couldn’t fail to like. But Zack need never fear a lack of female companionship, there would always be women available to a man of his looks and wealth.
She looked up expectantly as a knock sounded on the door, only it wasn’t Mrs Humphries with the coffee who came into the room, it was Zack—a Zack who was a cold, chilling stranger.
He left the door open. ‘Is the room to your liking?’
Julie nodded stiffly. ‘Thank you.’
‘Did you ask Mrs Humphries for some coffee?’
‘Yes.’
‘Is there anything—any foods,’ he added pointedly, ‘that upset you?’
She frowned. ‘Upset me?’
Zack nodded. ‘I remember that Connie couldn’t stand anything with tomato in when she was expecting both Nicholas and Suzanne.’ • ‘I see,’ she swallowed hard. ‘No, I don’t have any pet hates yet.’
‘Any preferences?’
‘Cravings, you mean?’
‘Yes.’
- He was acting like the head waiter in some expensive hotel! ‘I have a definite craving for chocolate,’ she told him stiffly. ‘Although the doctor told me I shouldn’t indulge that craving too often.’
Zack’s mouth twisted bitterly. ‘It wouldn’t do for you to lose your figure, would it?’ he taunted.
She looked down at her hands. ‘No. What did Miss Barr think of the news? I’m sure she thought, as you no doubt did, that when the time came for you to be a father she would be the mother.’
‘Perhaps,’ he nodded distantly. ‘And she was naturally—upset.’
‘I should think that was the least she was! You’ve treated her very badly, Zack.’
Anger blazed in his icy grey eyes. ‘I’m well aware of how I’ve treated Teresa,’ he snapped. ‘I don’t need your reminder. H
er name will not be mentioned between us again.’
‘In other words I’m to mind my own business?’ Julie mocked.
‘Exactly! Ah, Mrs Humphries,’ he turned as the housekeeper appeared with the tray of coffee. ‘Perhaps you could come to my study for a few moments once you’ve delivered that? Goodnight, Julie.’ His voice instantly chilled.
‘Coffee, Mrs Reedman,’ the housekeeper smiled at her shyly. ‘Would you like breakfast in bed in the morning?’ she offered kindly.
The forgotten luxuries of being a rich man’s wife started to come back to her. It was years since anyone had offered her breakfast in bed. ‘No, I don’t think so, thank you,’ she refused ruefully. ‘I don’t want to get into bad habits.’
‘Tea, then?’
‘Well…’
‘And a few dry biscuits?’ the woman encouraged as she sensed her weakening.
Julie’s eyes opened wide with surprise. ‘How did you guess, Mrs Humphries?’
The elderly lady smiled. ‘I’ve had three of my own. You have the glow, Mrs Reedman—if you don’t mind my saying so.’
She instantly sensed she had a friend in the housekeeper, and returned her smile warmly. ‘No, I don’t mind at all. And I would prefer coffee and dry toast, if you don’t mind.’ After a series of trial and error she discovered this combination helped combat the dreaded morning sickness. ‘About seven-thirty, if that’s all right?’
‘Of course. I—’
‘Mrs Humphries?’ Zack appeared in the corridor behind her. ‘Are you going to be all night delivering a tray of coffee?’ he snapped angrily.
Julie could see the woman’s startled surprise at his aggression, and remembering Zack’s unfailing politeness in the past to the people who worked for him she thought Mrs Humphries had probably never realised what a foul temper he had when thwarted. The poor woman was almost curtseying by the time she left the room under his eagle-eyed stare.
‘I’ll see you in the morning,’ he told Julie curtly.
She didn’t even bother to answer him, but concentrated on pouring her coffee, and the door soon slammed with controlled violence as he left the room.
To her surprise Julie actually slept. She had expected to lie awake all night, and instead slept quite dreamlessly, feeling refreshed and alert by the time Mrs Humphries came in with the coffee and toast the next morning.
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