One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [10]
Colby rose from the sofa to face him, her expression pleading for understanding. “But you’re asking me to give up a baby, something that will be a part of me, my own flesh and blood.”
Sterling stood. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m asking you.”
“But a baby needs its mother.”
His jaw hardened. “You can’t convince me of that. I didn’t need mine.”
Colby lifted a brow. From his remark she could only assume his mother was not around while he was growing up, and for whatever reason, it had left him bitter. “You may not have had a mother around, Sterling, but you can’t convince me you didn’t need one.”
She watched him move to the window and gaze out. After a few brief minutes he slowly turned back to her, giving her a long, hard look. “It’s important you understand that if you decide to go along with me on this, once I get custody of my child, you’ll never be a part of its life again. I will be its only parent.”
“But you constantly travel all over the world. You’ll never get an award for being a stay-at-home family man. What kind of life can you offer a child? When will you have the time to spend with it?”
“My child will be the most important thing in my life, and it’s the quality of time and not the quantity of time that makes a difference. I will be both father and mother to my child.”
Colby swallowed. What could she say? He was convinced a mother’s love wasn’t necessary. “What if the woman decides after the baby is born that she wants to keep it?”
“I’ll have the contract to back me up,” Sterling answered. “I’ve taken extra precautions to make sure it’s not contestable.”
Colby then asked the question that had nagged her since leaving Edward Stewart’s office. Sterling Hamilton was known to be a man whose name was constantly linked to some of the most beautiful women in the world. He was the man both People and Entertainment magazines referred to as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, as well as an extraordinarily gifted actor. The media thoroughly enjoyed keeping the public informed of his bad-boy lifestyle. It was often rumored nothing in a skirt was safe from him, especially if that skirt-wearing female caught his eye. From everything she’d read about him, he preferred a certain type of woman—tall women with long legs and pencil-thin bodies. She had none of those faculties.
“Why me, Sterling? Why was I the one chosen?”
He stared at her a few minutes before speaking. “I found the information on you very interesting. Foremost were the facts that according to the medical information I obtained, I don’t have to worry about you giving me anything other than a baby, and you don’t have any gynecological problems, so there shouldn’t be any difficulty with you getting pregnant.”
“And what about you?” Colby snapped, angry that he had invaded her privacy by obtaining information about her. “Maybe you should be concerned about just what you might give me. You’re the one with the widely acclaimed global sex life. And what if there’s a problem with you?” Colby asked, lifting her chin belligerently. “What makes you so sure you can get someone pregnant?”
An amused look glinted in Sterling’s eyes. “The tabloids like to sell those sleazy papers, and the media likes to keep America’s ears buzzing. You’re too intelligent for me to stand here and deny every intimate detail you’ve heard about me, so I won’t. But I will say most of what you’ve read is not true. Although I do date a number of women, I don’t believe in taking unnecessary risks. I love life too much not to be selective and cautious. It’s plain suicidal these days not to. And at the risk of sounding boastful, getting you pregnant won’t be a problem. However, to address your concerns, according to a recent physical I had, my sperm count was more than adequate to accomplish what I need to do.”
Colby blushed furiously. Then she asked her next question. “What about you and Diamond Swain? At one time the two of you acted like you were joined at the hip. Why can’t she give birth to