by Anne Mather
* * *
Abby had had her first trip to see her doctor that morning.
She’d decided to close the café for the day, as Lori couldn’t cope with the morning rush and attend to the bookstore at the same time.
Still, as she walked back to South Road she was feeling pretty good, and she was wondering whether she should open up that afternoon. It would mean contacting Lori, but, as it was a pretty miserable day, she didn’t think her friend would mind.
Everything changed when she saw the car, parked illegally, across the road from the café.
She didn’t recognise it, but it was an expensive vehicle.
An Aston Martin, if she wasn’t mistaken. The type of car Luke had driven years ago. And although she wanted to remain calm and collected, her pulse started racing madly.
If it was Luke, what was he doing here? Had he come to give her and the other shopkeepers their notices to quit? If so, she might have less than six months to find another home and another job. And not just for her, she acknowledged anxiously. In less than seven months, she would need a home for her baby, as well.
Almost instinctively, she ran a hand over her stomach.
Was it only her imagination, or could she feel a slight mound beneath her shirt?
She was over eight weeks now and the doctor had said that in another two weeks, she should have her first ultrasound scan. The idea of being able to see the baby inside her was tantalising. To have living proof her son or daughter was real.
Ought she to ask Luke if he wanted to go with her to the hospital? She didn’t want to, but it was his baby, too. He was just as responsible for its existence as she was. And she had the feeling that he wouldn’t refuse such an invitation if he could fit it into his busy life.
As she neared the car a door was thrust open and, as on that other occasion, a long jean-clad leg emerged. It was Luke, lean and dark, and endlessly appealing, in a black button-down shirt, and deck shoes.
To her surprise, he looked relieved to see her. And she guessed he’d already read the notice on the café door. Where did he think she’d been? she wondered. She was tempted to say she’d been looking for a new place to live. But she didn’t want to start lying to him now.
He came across the road as she neared the café. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, regarding her closely. ‘When I saw the café was closed, I thought you must be ill.’
‘Did you try the side door?’ she asked, without answering his question. She could imagine the uproar Harley would have caused if he’d heard someone hammering on the door.
‘I knocked,’ agreed Luke, ‘but when Harley started barking, I guessed you couldn’t be there.’
‘Or I’d have come rushing down to greet you?’ suggested Abby drily, and Luke pulled a face.
‘Uh, no,’ he said defensively. ‘But he wouldn’t have continued barking if you’d been there to shut him up.’
Abby inclined her head, conceding the point. Then, glancing across at his car, she said, ‘You’ll get a parking ticket. The wardens are pretty active around here.’
‘So I’ll pay the fine,’ said Luke indifferently. ‘Or rather, Felix will. He handles all that sort of thing for me.’
Abby shook her head. ‘So why are you here? Have you come to tell us when we have to leave? If so, I’ll ask the other tenants—’
‘I’m not here to ask anyone to leave,’ retorted Luke between his teeth. He paused. ‘I wanted to see you.’
‘Why?’
‘Do I have to have a reason?’ He sighed. ‘Let’s go inside and we can talk.’
Abby looked up at him, despising herself for the way her stomach clenched at the sight of him. Why was he really here? It could only be about the baby. She tensed at the thought that he might be considering trying to take over the child’s life as soon as it was born.
Surely even Luke would not be that cruel. Though his careless comments about parking his car proved that abiding by the rules meant little to him.
But she had to find out, one way or the other, and, with a shrug, she walked past him into the alley beside the café.
She was conscious of him following her, of his powerful body behind hers as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. But, before she could even close the door, he backed her up against the wall in the hall and gripped the back of her neck, tipping her face up to his.
His mouth was hot and demanding, and she was incapable of resisting him. Desire shivered through her, and, although he was supporting himself with his free hand so he wouldn’t crush her, Abby felt the unmistakeable thrust of his powerful arousal against her abdomen.
‘I’ve been worried sick about you,’ he muttered, cupping her face with his hands, his thumbs brushing her parted lips. ‘Where the hell have you been?’
Abby was breathless. ‘Why do you care?’
‘Because I do, all right?’ He kissed her again, this time giving in to the urge to push himself against her. ‘I’ve been waiting for the better part of an hour. I’ve even had to pacify a few of your customers, who turned up expecting their morning fix.’
His hands curved down her spine to her hips, lifting her until his sex fitted neatly into the hollow between her legs. ‘I want you, Abby. I don’t know how I’ve stayed away.’
‘Because I asked you to.’
Somehow, Abby managed to slide out from between him and the wall and slam the open door. She could imagine Greg Hughes’ reaction if he’d passed by as Luke was kissing her.
Turning back to her visitor, who was now unwillingly leaning back against the wall, she said quietly, ‘I’ve been to see the doctor. Why didn’t you ring before you left London? I could have told you not to come.’
Then she hurried away upstairs. Harley had started barking again, and she didn’t want him to attract any more attention, not with Luke’s car parked significantly across the street.
Or that was her excuse.
The truth was, she was too vulnerable at the moment. Whether it was her hormones, or simply the knowledge that she loved this man, whatever his faults, she didn’t trust herself not to say or do something she would later regret.
In consequence, she had to keep him at arm’s length, however impossible that might prove to be.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LUKE MANAGED TO calm the retriever’s exuberant welcome, and, putting the dog aside, he looked at Abby.
She was wearing a loose shirt and shorts today, the hem of the shorts exposing surprisingly tanned legs. And she looked incredible to his hungry eyes.
God, he wanted to touch her again.
But he had to consider her feelings.
‘You’ve been to see the doctor?’ he said, his nerves tightening. ‘Why? Is something wrong?’
She gave him a disbelieving look. ‘Hello? I’m pregnant. In case you’ve forgotten.’
‘Yeah, right. Like I’m going to forget something like that.’ Luke spoke tersely. ‘But you’re okay?’
‘I’m fine.’ He noticed she’d put the width of the breakfast bar between them as he was soothing the retriever. ‘Do you want a drink? I have some cola in the fridge.’
‘I’m not thirsty.’ Luke sucked in a breath. ‘What did the doctor say exactly?’
Abby gasped. ‘I don’t remember exactly what he said.’
She moistened her lips and then continued, ‘I’m over eight weeks pregnant. My blood pressure is good, and the nausea I suffered in the first few weeks has virtually gone.’
‘I didn’t know you’d suffered from nausea.’
‘And that surprises you?’
Luke acknowledged the barb, raking back his hair with both hands as he started towards her. One of the buttons on his shirt popped as he lifted his arms, and he was ridiculously pleased to see the way her eyes went straight to the tuft
of dark hair that could now be seen poking through the cloth.
But he had to be practical.
‘Can we sit down? I want to talk to you.’
Abby stiffened. ‘You sit down. I’m all right here.’
‘But don’t you think you should sit down? I guess you walked to the surgery, so you’ve probably been on your feet for quite some time.’
Abby’s mouth turned down. ‘Being pregnant doesn’t make me an invalid, Luke.’
‘I know.’ He was reassured that she hadn’t used his surname as she’d done the last time he was here. ‘But—humour me. I’m only thinking of you.’
‘And that’s a first,’ she remarked tightly. ‘What do you want, Luke? If it’s not about the café, it must be about the baby.’
Luke sighed. ‘Sit down. Please.’
‘Oh, all right.’
With evident reluctance, she came out from behind the breakfast bar. Meanwhile Luke had deliberately positioned himself in front of the armchair she’d used on that other occasion. And when he indicated the sofa, she had no choice but to perch on one end.
Of course, he seated himself beside her, and saw the way she pressed herself against the arm to avoid touching him. But, however she behaved, whatever she said, she wasn’t indifferent to him. He’d proved it downstairs. He just had to persuade her he wasn’t the unfeeling bastard she thought he was.
He was sitting staring at her, when she said testily, ‘Can we get on with this? Why are you here?’ She paused. ‘I’m not going to have sex with you again.’
‘Well, not now, perhaps,’ remarked Luke drily, and her face suffused with colour at his words.
‘Not ever,’ she retorted coldly. Then, as if realising what he was thinking, she added, ‘Not willingly, anyway.’
Luke stiffened now. ‘I hope you’re not implying that I’ve ever forced you.’
Abby sighed. ‘N-o-o,’ she admitted, dragging the word out. ‘I was as much to blame.’
‘To blame?’ he echoed. ‘There was no blame, Abby. I wanted you. I still do.’ He paused. ‘But I guess you know that.’
Abby’s eyes darted to his, then away again. ‘Then you want what you can’t have,’ she said quietly. ‘I know what you think of me, Luke. You’ve made that perfectly clear.’
Luke blew out a breath, stretching out his hand towards her. But when he would have touched her knee, she shifted away.
‘Abby,’ he said cajolingly, ‘I know I’ve made some mistakes in the past. A whole lot of them. But I want you to give me a chance to make amends.’
‘How?’ She spoke bitterly. ‘You still think I betrayed Harry by agreeing to meet you.’
‘That was nearly six years ago,’ he protested. ‘Maybe I was too willing to jump to the wrong conclusion. Let’s face it, I didn’t know Laurence from Adam—’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘—and he could have been the biggest jerk in Christendom. You might have had some justification for doing what you did.’
‘Might have?’ Abby gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Oh, Luke, you don’t know the half of it.’
‘So tell me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I want to know. I want to know everything there is to know about you.’
‘Why?’ she demanded again, and then pushed herself up from the sofa with an angry gesture. ‘No, don’t bother answering that. I know why. This is because of the baby, isn’t it?’ Her lips twisted. ‘You’re afraid that if we’re not on speaking terms when the baby’s born, I’ll conduct the same kind of vendetta against you that you’ve conducted against me.’
Luke shot up from the sofa, startling Harley, who had been lying on the rug at his feet. ‘The hell I am,’ he muttered, his eyes dark with emotion. ‘I want you to know how I feel about you, that’s all. I’ve been a fool. I realise that. But can’t you see, I’ve learned my lesson?’
Abby shook her head. ‘It’s too late, Luke. I don’t believe your protestations of regret, any more than you believed mine.’
She held up her head. ‘I think you ought to go. You’ve done your duty and assured yourself that there are no complications thus far. But after this, I suggest you send Felix if you want an update on my condition.’
Luke hooked one hand behind his neck. ‘That’s not why I came,’ he said roughly. ‘Sure, I’ve wondered how you were, but you’ve got no idea how many times I’ve picked up the phone and put it down again.’
‘To call your broker, no doubt,’ she said contemptuously, and this time she achieved her objective. He was furious.
‘No, not to call my broker,’ he snarled angrily. ‘For God’s sake, Abby, what do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg you to believe me? If I thought it would do any good, I’d do it. I love you, dammit. And I’ve never said that to any woman before.’
Abby’s lips parted, and she backed away from him. ‘My God,’ she said disbelievingly, ‘you’ll do anything to own this baby, won’t you?’
Luke could only stare at her. ‘Is that what you think?’ His voice broke on the words. ‘Well, yeah, if that’s what you believe, you’re right. I am wasting my time.’
‘I told you that,’ she said, but now she was looking and sounding a little less than self-assured.
Or was that only wishful thinking? Certainly, when he moved towards her, she flinched away from him as if he were about to attack her.
His eyes narrowed. Was it conceivable that that was how Laurence had treated her? Recalling the bruise he’d seen on her neck that fateful evening, it was possible.
He felt sick suddenly. ‘Abby,’ he began in a gentler tone, but she turned away from him.
‘Go,’ she said, her voice thick with emotion, but Luke couldn’t just walk out.
Catching her arm, he swung her round to face him, not surprised to find the evidence of unshed tears in her eyes.
‘Abby,’ he said again, and, unable to prevent himself, he bent and pressed a warm kiss to the corner of her soft mouth. ‘I do love you,’ he added huskily. And without waiting to see if she would say anything else to defend herself, he strode across the room and ran down the stairs before he could change his mind.
But he’d be back, he assured himself as he slammed the outer door behind him. She could bet on it.
* * *
It was late in the evening when Abby heard someone knocking at her door.
Of course, Harley started barking, and she sighed in frustration.
But her pulse quickened in spite of herself. It could only be Luke, she thought tensely. It was after eleven and no one else was likely to turn up at this hour. And she knew exactly what he wanted.
It was annoying because she’d spent the rest of the day trying to put what he’d said out of her mind. She hadn’t even had her work in the café to distract her. There’d been no point in opening in the middle of the afternoon, and by the time Luke had gone, she’d been in no state to face her customers, anyway.
She’d suspected he’d come back, of course, only not so precipitately. Certainly not just a few hours after he’d left. It was as she’d said: he wanted to maintain a connection with her so that when the baby was born, she wouldn’t be able to deny him access to the child.
There was no doubt that finding out he was going to be a father had shocked him. For heaven’s sake, it had shocked her, and she’d at least had some warning of what was happening to her body.
She bit her lip. He probably thought at this time of the evening, she’d be more responsive to his persuasion; more willing to believe his protestations of love.
Love? Her lips twisted. No way.
Harley was growling now, pacing back and forth before the door that led onto the stairs, and she felt a moment’s apprehension.
What if it wasn’t Luke? The dog wasn’t usuall
y suspicious of Luke, but surely even the retriever couldn’t detect a person’s scent from so far away.
She hesitated, glancing down at the silk kimono she was wearing over her nightshirt. She certainly wasn’t dressed for company, but then who else would turn up without even a word of warning?
It had to be Luke, and she had to send him away before Harley woke the whole street.
Opening the door, she switched on the light, and allowed the retriever to precede her down the stairs. He was still growling when he reached the bottom and she took a deep breath before calling stiffly, ‘I’m not going to let you in, Luke. I’m sorry if you’ve had a wasted journey, but—’
‘It’s not Luke, Ms Lacey.’ The man interrupted her, his voice oddly choked, but familiar. ‘It’s Felix. Felix Laidlaw. I work for Luke.’ He paused. ‘There’s been an accident, Ms Lacey. Luke’s been hurt and he’s asking for you.’ Another pause. ‘Will you open the door?’
Abby’s lips parted in dismay.
Her hands went automatically to the lock, but then she drew back, pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. How did she know he was telling the truth?
There was no way of knowing, and the door was old, so it didn’t have a spyhole.
‘Ms Lacey? Abby?’ Felix—if it was Felix—spoke again. ‘Please, I know you must be suspicious. But I’m not lying. Luke’s in hospital. In Bath.’
‘In Bath!’ Abby swallowed. ‘I don’t understand. What’s Luke doing in Bath? I understood he was going back to London.’
‘He was, but he was going to see his father first.’ He sighed. ‘Couldn’t I tell you what happened when we’re on our way? I need to get back.’
Abby bit her lip. ‘I’m not even dressed.’
‘I’ll wait.’
Abby hesitated. ‘How do I know you’re telling the truth?’
‘You don’t.’ Felix’s tone was flat now. ‘But are you prepared to let a man die, without even trying to save him?’
Abby gasped, and, without any more hesitation, she had the door open in seconds. As she’d expected, Felix was outside, his face pale in the light from the hall behind her.