She forced a light shrug. “I really shouldn’t have expected anything less.” Not with Andrés. Spain’s elusive bachelor billionaire, the tabloid’s had dubbed him. Women were probably as common to him as breathing.
“Well he’s a fool to let you go,” Martha muttered. “Two months pregnant and already glowing. You’re so pretty.”
“Thank you.” Chloe gave a small smile. Though pretty was stretching it with her hair in two braids and the blue calico dress she had on that was the uniform at Dixie’s Diner.
A commotion outside had Chloe’s attention jerking away. All the kids in the restaurant had their noses pressed to the window and were chattering in excitement.
“What’s going on outside?” Martha asked.
Chloe frowned slightly and stepped forward. “I haven’t a clue. But I’ll go check it out.”
She was almost to the window when the front door dinged and someone stepped inside. No. The blood drained from her face and she took a quick step backward.
No, it couldn’t possibly be him.
Tall, dark and daunting, Andrés strode into the restaurant, waving and smiling at the children, who stared at him as if he were Santa Claus. Outside the front door, which was still open, she spotted the source of the children’s fascination. A black stretch limo.
Andrés’ head lifted then to sweep around the restaurant. His gaze connected with hers.
All sounds around Chloe dimmed to nothing. Her world shrunk to just the two of them. Her heart pounded in her throat and her body began to tremble. All the fear, excitement, and uncertainty of the past couple of days caught up with her. She remembered how it had felt to be in his arms in Spain after the attack on the beach, the comfort she’d found there.
It hit her now, the same need for the comfort of Andrés’ embrace again, for him to tell her that everything would be okay while he held her. The compulsion was so strong that she bit her lip to keep from rushing to him and burying her face against his chest. Though more than anything, she wanted to feel his heart beat beneath her cheek.
But she knew the impulse was foolish. Andrés wasn’t here to offer comfort or help ease her fear. No, if anything, he would soon become the source of it.
Chapter 5
With agonizing slowness, he looked her over in a visual caress from head to toe, lingering on her stomach. His eyes glittered with anger and his mouth tightened into a grim slash. He moved toward her, his stride resolute and terrifying.
Chloe’s pulse jerked, bouncing into double time. The room shifted around her. She had the strongest urge to run, to turn and flee like the devil was on her heels, but her legs refused to cooperate. And like hell would she give him that satisfaction anyway.
How could he possibly be here? She hadn’t even called him twenty-four hours ago and he lived half a world away.
Stay strong. She lifted her chin, folded her arms across her chest, and waited to meet him head on.
“Good evening, Chloe.”
He arrived in front of her, his expression once again unreadable and his demeanor relaxed. But she wasn’t fooled; she could sense the furor beneath. Her stomach did a series of flips and another harsh shudder ran through her body.
“I’m working,” she finally blurted, hoping to hold off whatever confrontation he had in mind.
“Yes, I see,” he murmured. “When are you off? I will wait.”
Her breath caught. “You can’t—”
“She’s free to leave early.” All of a sudden Martha was at their side, smiling at Andrés. “I’m supervising this shift and since we’re slow, I see no problem with her leaving.”
“Ah, you’re not only lovely, but also a compassionate woman. Thank you,” Andrés murmured, and Martha giggled in reply.
Chloe bit back a groan. Of course he would charm her friend. He could charm a snake from its skin with a smile.
“Shall we then?” Strong fingers curled around her arm, and though Andrés’s words were spoken calmly, she knew he wasn’t giving her a choice.
“I need to grab my jacket,” she said, almost numb now. She pulled away from his grip and walked into the back.
After she removed her jacket off the wall hook, she spun around and found him right behind her. She stumbled away from him, her heart slamming into her chest, until she was literally against the wall.
“You are even more beautiful than I remembered, Chloe.” He gave a half smile and reached out to caress the strands of hair on one of her braids.
Beautiful? Hardly. They were from two different worlds. How had she ever thought she stood a chance with this man? She looked like she’d just come off a farm, and Andrés would’ve fit in at a political dinner. Still as overwhelmingly handsome as ever, he was dressed impeccably in a tuxedo that probably cost more than her month’s pay.
“Just stop, Andrés. If you came all this way for me, then you can just turn around and go home,” she said vehemently.
“What makes you think I came for you?” he asked silkily and arched a brow. “You’re carrying my child, cariño. Or have you forgotten?”
Chloe blanched and let out a ragged breath. For a few minutes she’d been so overwhelmed with seeing him again, had been caught up in the familiar passion and turbulent emotions that she’d been foolish enough to think she was the motivation for him being here. Once again, she took home the prize for being a top-class fool.
“Though I certainly wouldn’t protest you in my bed, Chloe,” he murmured and moved his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her forward. “In fact, I believe we have unfinished business.”
“No.” She pressed her hands against his chest to halt his advance. He couldn’t touch her. If he touched her, she would be as lost now as she was in Valencia.
But he ignored the objection, swooping his head down and capturing her mouth in a thorough kiss that claimed.
Her mind screamed to stop him. She struggled furtively in his hold, but her traitorous body responded and welcomed his touch again. She was the desert and he the water she’d been denied. In the end her lips parted helplessly beneath the experienced pressure of his mouth.
Pleasure warmed her body, sizzling through her blood and searing her soul. It was a reminder of just exactly how much this man could affect her. His tongue found hers, teasing a response from her.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Chloe froze in Andrés’ embrace. The rushed footsteps indicated Martha had already left again after her intrusion.
“Let go.” Chloe pushed him away, unable to believe she’d lost her head again so easily.
Andrés released her, but she knew it was only because he’d chosen to. For a moment she thought she saw compassion and longing in his gaze. It quickly disappeared and once again flickered with an arrogance that made her stomach roil.
“I think that should help,” he said calmly.
Chloe scurried past him to the front of the restaurant, trying to regain her senses. “Help with what?”
He didn’t reply, but a moment later his arm slid around her waist. She tried to jerk away, but his fingers tightened on her hip in warning. “Be still,” his words lashed quietly at her. “If you make a scene, I will see that you regret it.”
Chloe froze unconsciously, his tone sending chills down her spine. They moved toward the entrance, where Martha stood behind the cash register.
“Try to get her to rest a little,” her friend called out, almost beaming. “She’s been on her feet all day and is exhausted.”
“Of course. I’ll see her to bed as soon as possible,” he agreed and brushed a kiss across Chloe’s forehead.
Chloe blushed from her roots to her toes. So that’s what he’d meant by ‘help’. He’d just convinced Martha they’d made up and she was now completely besotted with him again. How dare he? How dare Andrés come in here and act like a doting lover? He was a jerk. A quick-to-judge, arrogant, womanizing jerk.
Somebody opened the door to the restaurant, and Andrés stepped outside, urging her into the drizzly Seattle nigh
t. Dismay rushed through her when the limo driver climbed out and opened the door for them.
Despite her reluctance, Andrés maneuvered her into the back of the limo and then climbed in next. The door was swiftly shut after them, leaving them alone in the back of the opulent vehicle.
Chloe slid all the way over to the far side of the bench seat, placing as much distance between herself and Andrés as possible. His mouth curved slightly he pressed the button to have the window between them and the driver slide up, increasing the intimacy of the moment.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, Chloe tried to calm her nerves. The limo pulled away and she turned her focus out the tinted window. The kids in the restaurant still had their noses pressed up against the window, watching the limo leave.
They probably thought it was like something out of a fairytale. The tired waitress being whisked off by a handsome man into a waiting limousine.
Her heart twisted and she squeezed her eyes closed. But Chloe knew better now. Fairytales were a far stretch from reality, and the sooner a girl stopped believing in them, the better.
Andrés sat across from Chloe in the limo, stretching out his long legs while he watched her squirm. She was nervous, and rightfully so. His gut tightened with something akin to disappointment.
But what had he hoped for? That she would be happy to see him or that she would eagerly throw herself into his arms?
There was a part of him that had craved just that. Wanted Chloe to need him. To desire to be with him. He flexed his jaw and drew in a slow breath. No, the only thing Chloe had ever needed from him were the details of his life to splash in a trashy magazine.
From the moment he’d walked into the diner he’d been on edge. His emotions raw, jagged. He’d felt caged. Ready to fight. And then he’d seen her and his lungs had locked. Chloe had been gorgeous in Spain, but now, pregnant with his child, she was stunningly beautiful. Almost ethereal. Her skin seemed to glow from within and there was a new softness to her body.
He hadn’t intended to touch her, but once close to her it had been as inevitable as breathing.
As if she sensed his attention on her, she finally turned to glare at him, her eyes sparking with frustration. “How did you get here so fast? I only called you yesterday.”
“It does not take twenty-four hours to fly to Seattle.” He offered a slight shrug, but her reminder of why he’d flown halfway around the world had his gaze hardening. “Besides, what would you have me do when you threatened the life of my child?”
Chloe blinked and her mouth fell open. She looked entirely too innocent, with her little country girl dress and her hair in braids, but he knew her better. It was all an act. After all, she was skilled at the art of deception.
“Wait…I don’t understand. Threatened the baby? How?”
“You referred to our child as it, Chloe. And then in the same breath announced that it wasn’t my problem and you would deal with it.”
The color drained from her face; her stare, loaded with self-doubt, finally skittered away.
“Did I? I was still in shock. I only meant…surely you know what I meant.” She closed her palm over her stomach. “This isn’t easy for me.”
“No. How could it be? You are facing becoming a single mother,” he mocked. “Raising a child on a waitress’s salary. So—”
“I had another job. Until you—”
“You decided that you had no option other than to terminate the pregnancy,” he continued, ignoring her protests.
Her mouth fell open and her gaze returned to his, flashing fire. “That’s absolutely not true. I never planned to end this pregnancy, and how dare you accuse me of it.”
Strong words, but then, that’s all they were. Words. And after her deception in Spain, he knew they carried no weight. He intended to see that she had no way to prove him otherwise. He intended to see his child born and under his care.
His jaw hardened; the muscles in his body coiled with tension. “You can barely afford your apartment, Chloe. Or do you forget how you were almost evicted? How will you possibly afford to raise a child?”
“I…how on earth did you know that?” Her eyes went round with realization. With shock. “You paid my rent? But why? You made it clear in Valencia how much you despised me.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he turned to glance out the window of the limo, staring blindly at the nighttime Seattle skyline and the lighted Space Needle in the distance.
Understanding his motivation for not being able to let Chloe go wasn’t something even he could comprehend. He should’ve been able to wash his hands from her the moment she’d walked out of his resort that day. But he hadn’t been able to forget her. To stop the memories and dreams of her. And he hadn’t been able to erase the guilt that he’d almost singlehandedly crushed her financially.
The fact that he had been her benefactor of rent money had never been something he’d intended for Chloe to become aware of. Nor that he’d had Pablo follow up on her wellbeing when she’d return to the States. It was how he’d discovered her near eviction. And, had she not called him, would’ve been how he’d discovered she carried his child.
When Chloe had told him about the baby and then hung up on him, his entire world had gone into a tailspin. Children were never supposed to be a part of his life. Never.
The memories assailed him then, the stinging slap of the leather belts against his back. Celebrating Dio de los Reyes—Three Kings Day—where he’d watched his cousin unwrap present after present, while he’d been lucky to get a hand-me-down toy.
Andrés blinked and looked away, ridding himself of the poisonous reminders. He’d always vowed not to bring a child into such a harsh world, and up until Valencia, until Chloe, he’d been especially careful with his lovers. And now here he was.
“In Valencia,” he ground out, anger burning in his gut, “you told me you would have difficulty conceiving. Was that another of your lies?”
“No.” She gave a high-pitched laugh and shook her head. “That’s what I was told by my physician—what I myself believed.”
Staring at her, Andrés had difficulty believing she hadn’t considered the possibility of getting pregnant that night. If she’d intended seduction all along, wouldn’t she have been more prepared?
“This isn’t fair,” she said suddenly, her eyes suspiciously bright. She seemed to be holding back tears. “You have no right to judge me. Perhaps it wasn’t a planned pregnancy and no, I’m not certain how I’ll raise this baby alone, but let me make one thing clear. I want my child, Andrés.”
He arched a brow and then announced softly, “Well, cariño, that makes two of us.”
Chloe had the sudden realization that she might get sick. Dizziness assailed her and she closed her eyes, clutching the leather of the seat beneath her.
Andrés wanted her baby. He’d stated it casually, as if he’d mentioned he wanted to purchase a new car. But this wasn’t a car, this was her child. What could Andrés, a ruthless businessman who seemed intent on never settling down, possibly want with a baby?
She opened her eyes again and met his gaze full on, deciding to call his bluff. “Do you want partial custody? Visitation rights? A damned handmade Christmas card from preschool?”
“No, Chloe. If you are indeed carrying my child—”
“If?” She sputtered, fury rising within her. “You think I would lie about being pregnant?”
Condescension flickered in his eyes. “You wouldn’t be the first woman to try and force my hand at marriage by playing the pregnancy card.”
“I would never do something so horrible, you jerk.”
“But I am more inclined to believe you,” he continued softly, ignoring her denial. “Because you, being a talented little seductress, are the only woman who’s made me lose my mind long enough to forget to use protection.”
The vision of him with other women had her stomach curdling, and she lowered her lashes so he wouldn’t see her reaction.
“I’d rather
not hear about your list of conquests,” she attempted with sarcasm.
He laughed, sounding pleased. “Are you jealous, cariño?”
Yes. But she could barely make the admission to herself and would rather die than make it to him. “Hardly.” .
Andrés made a noise in the back of his throat, a sound of amusement that had her blood pressure skyrocketing. “I don’t want partial custody,” he finally continued, his words dripping with derision. “This child will grow up knowing who I am and that I am his father. I will not have him be raised by the next man you decide to take to your bed. I want full custody of our child.”
Full custody. Fear slammed into her with a force that left her quaking. Her stomach revolted and she let out a strangled groan. Then the anger seeped in. Without thinking she lunged across the space between them.
He caught her wrist before she could hit him, deftly maneuvering her until she was pinned against the long seat of the limo beneath him. “I warned you to never hit me again.”
“I’ll fight you on this,” she vowed raggedly, tears blurring her vision now. Her baby. He wanted to take her baby from her. “You controlling, spiteful bastard. You can’t have my child.”
“I can and I will. Try to fight me, Chloe. Let us see who can afford the better legal team,” he challenged mercilessly.
Her heart clenched and she bit back a sob, closing her eyes. “Why would you do this? You know I can’t win in court against you.”
“It is simple. Because the child you carry is heir to my fortune.”
His words and implications made her head spin. She finally opened her eyes and found his angry stare upon her. But there was also the same controlled heat in his stare that she’d seen in Valencia. It was the look that could reduce her to a quivering puddle, and it drove fear into her heart to see it in his eyes again.
He couldn’t still want her.
“You can’t fight me,” he repeated with deceptive softness. “But you can marry me.”
Chloe’s heart stuttered, and then started pounding again furiously. Her body was acutely aware of the length of his body pinning hers to the soft leather of the limo, but fortunately his words were enough of a distraction.
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