Once in his car, Blake sank back into the seat, closing his eyes for a few seconds, letting his breath out. How he had kept his hands to himself he did not know. The man should be in jail, not living the high life on his proceeds from a crooked business. But at least he had got him off Kara and her mother’s back. That was the main thing. They could live safely now, without any fear of some rogue money-lender knocking on their door.
Except he did not want them to leave—at least he didn’t want Kara to leave. He had done the unthinkable and fallen in love with her. Despite the vows he had made to himself, he had fallen in love!
The discovery rocked him.
Blake knew that Kara was loyal, trustworthy, kind—and she was carrying his baby! Not that that was the key factor. He would have loved her even if she wasn’t pregnant. He had never met anyone like her, and he doubted he ever would again. The thing was, did he stand a chance with her? Or had he ruined everything when he had turned down her plea for help when she needed it most?
The house felt empty without Blake. Kara knew that she ought to feel relieved he had gone out, but instead she wandered from room to room, not knowing what to do with herself. Her mother was content to sit in her bedroom and watch television. She was used to smaller spaces, she said, and the size of the house overwhelmed her.
But Kara could not sit still. She paced up and down like a caged animal, and when Blake finally returned she wanted to run to him, wrap her arms around him and feel his strength flow into her. But she did none of this. She simply looked at him and smiled weakly.
He had such gorgeous eyes, but she thought they looked tired at this moment and she wondered where he had been. Not that she dared ask. It was, after all, none of her business. It wasn’t work-related, she knew that—because she always kept his diary up to date.
‘Have you eaten?’ she asked.
Blake shook his head. ‘I’m not hungry, Kara. Come and sit with me. Are you happy here?’
Kara frowned, wondering why the odd question. ‘I’d obviously be happier at home,’ she told him quietly, ‘but not under our present circumstances.’
Her answer seemed to disappoint him, but it was the truth. Living with him but not being with him, not making love with him, was sheer hell. She wanted to cry because what they had once had was gone. She could not understand why he had changed from an attentive lover to someone who was almost a stranger. He was polite and correct, and this wasn’t the Blake she knew—the Blake she had fallen in love with.
Unhappily, the next few days followed the same pattern. At the office it was pure business, and at home he was kind and courteous—but nothing more. Her mother still stayed in her room, believing she was doing the right thing leaving them together, and Kara did not tell her what was really going on.
So she was not entirely surprised by his question one evening over dinner. ‘Would you prefer to go home, Kara?’
‘Is this a trick question?’ she asked with a frown. ‘You know I would. But how can I?’
He drew in a long breath and said quietly, ‘You have nothing to fear any more.’
Her frown deepened. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘The whole issue of the loan has been sorted. Mr Draydon, your loan shark, won’t bother you any more.’
Kara felt her mouth fall open. ‘He won’t?’ It was a stupid question, but what was she supposed to say? ‘How do you know?’
He smiled grimly. ‘I went to see him. He’s written off your loan.’
Kara knew the money-lender wouldn’t have agreed as easily as Blake was suggesting, but hope began to rise in her heart. ‘How did you find him?’ In all these years she had never known where he lived.
‘Ways and means,’ he said dismissively. ‘The point is that you and your mother are free of any debt. You have nothing more to fear.’
‘Oh, Blake.’ Instinctively Kara rose and rushed around the table, throwing her arms around him. ‘Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a wonderful man, Blake. Thank you again.’ And before she could stop herself she was kissing him.
But it was a short-lived kiss. He gently put her from him. ‘I think you ought to tell your mother.’
‘I will—I will in a minute. She’ll be as relieved as I am. I can’t thank you enough, Blake. This is a dream come true. We can go home now and get out of your hair. Of course, once the baby’s born I’ll always let you see him.’ She missed the pain that crossed his face. ‘And you can come with me for the scans. I don’t want to deny you any part of our child’s life.’
Realising that she had been talking too quickly and not taking any notice of Blake’s reaction, Kara pulled up short when she saw the hurt in his eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I’m getting carried away, aren’t I?’
‘I don’t want to just come for the scans, Kara. I want to be with you every step of the way. I have to confess that being a father scares the hell out of me, but what scares me more is the thought of losing you. I love you. I love both you and our unborn child.’
Kara could hear the words, but she wondered whether she was imagining them. Whether she was hearing what she wanted to hear and not what he was actually saying. ‘You love me?’ she asked, knowing that she must sound stupid—but this had come like a bolt from the blue.
‘With every breath in my body.’
‘But—But—’
‘But nothing, Kara. It’s true. You’ve bewitched me. You’ve changed me. I doubted myself for a while, but now more than anything I want you by my side for always. I want this child and I want more children with you. I know I’m jumping the gun here, but …’
Kara closed her eyes, hardly listening to him now, letting her breath out in a slow, steady stream. She found it hard to believe that this was happening. Blake loved her. He loved her unconditionally. How magical was that?
And then he kissed her. And the magic continued unabated. And when they went upstairs to tell her mother that a wedding was in the offing Lynne said that she had known all along that it would happen.
‘It was just a matter of time,’ she said.
Two years later Kara and Blake were out walking in Hyde Park, pushing their twins’ pushchair alongside the Serpentine, discussing what name they should give to the baby she was expecting in three months’ time. It was going to be a girl—a little sister to Ben and Mark. The twins, who had come as a shock to both of them, had been named after Blake’s father.
‘I think,’ he said now, ‘that it’s only fair she should be named after your mother.’
Her mother would be over the moon, thought Kara. She had moved back into her little house, finding Blake’s mansion far too intimidating, and she was truly happy for the first time in her life. Even her health seemed to have improved.
‘Her middle name’s Rosemary,’ said Kara. ‘We could call her Rose. I think I’d like that.’
‘Then Rose it will be,’ he said. ‘She’ll be like a beautiful flower—the same as her mother. I love you, Kara, so very, very much. I never thought I’d be this happy.’
‘I love you too, Blake Benedict. You’re my hero—do you know that? You rescued me from my miserable life when I thought there was never going to be any escape. I shall love you to the end of my days.’
‘And I shall love you, my adorable Kara—to the end of my days.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
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First published in Great Britain 2011
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Margaret Mayo 2011
ISBN: 978-1-408-92568-3
Table of Contents
Cover
Excerpt
About the Author
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Copyright
A Night With Consequences Page 15