Bittersweet Love - Cathy Williams [69]
‘That sounds a novel idea.’ But her eyes when she looked at him were still serious.
‘We love each other, my darling. What more could there possibly be?’
Natalie thought about what she was going to say. A man who happily contemplated marriage didn’t automatically contemplate fatherhood with the same enthusiasm. What if he was not ready for that final step?
She tried to think back to everything he had ever said about family life, about wanting a family, but her mind went blank, and all she could think of was the fact that he loved her.
‘I didn’t mean for it to happen,’ she said huskily, and he frowned, looking at her as if trying to fathom out what she was telling him, and already suspecting the worst.
‘Mean for what to happen?’ he said slowly.
Natalie rested her hand on her stomach and he followed her movement. She could see recognition dawning in his eyes, though when he raised his head to stare at her there was enough of a question there to make her nod her head in confirmation.
‘I’m pregnant.’
‘And you didn’t tell me?’ he said roughly, but his eyes were hot and possessive, making her skin burn.
‘I didn’t want to…to make you feel that you had any responsibilities towards me. As far as I was concerned, you didn’t love me, and I thought that my pregnancy would only force you into a corner.’ She laughed drily. ‘In all the time I’ve known you, the one thing you’ve always made clear is the fact that you hate a woman who tries to force you into a corner.’
‘You little fool,’ he broke out, but he was trembling slightly as his mouth covered hers in a tender kiss. He stroked her breasts, then her stomach, and she could feel the wonder in his touch.
‘You don’t mind?’ she asked stupidly and he raised dazed eyes to hers.
‘Mind? I would have killed you if you had run away from me with my baby inside you. I should be as angry as hell, but I can understand how you must have felt.’ Under her skirt, his hand found the bare flesh of her stomach, and he caressed her gently. ‘Fatherhood and marriage. If anyone had told me a year ago that that would have been my destiny, and that I would have wanted it more than I’ve wanted anything in my life, I would have laughed in their face. No, I would have run to the opposite end of the earth.’ His fingers found the swell of her breast and he caressed it with soft movements that made her want to cry out in desire.
‘I’ll never stop you if that’s want you want to do.’
‘I hope you don’t mean that, because I would damn well lock you up if you ever tried to get away from me.’ He laughed, and buried his face in her neck.
Natalie sighed and lay back on the sofa, her fingers curling in his hair.
‘Can we do this?’ he asked uncertainly.
‘Do what?’ she asked innocently. ‘I didn’t realise that we were doing anything.’
‘Didn’t you?’ he growled, possessing her mouth fiercely. ‘You little witch.’
She laughed contentedly. ‘I may be pregnant, but I’m not a piece of china. And I want you, Kane Marshall. I’ll never stop wanting you.’
‘Good,’ he murmured with satisfaction. ‘Because now that you’ve got me you’ll never be able to let me go.’
eISBN 978-14592-6266-9
BITTERSWEET LOVE
First North American Publication 1998.
Copyright © 1993 by Cathy Williams.
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All 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 incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin