One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [20]
She looked at him in surprise. “Why not?”
“I’ve heard too many horror stories about the mistakes being made at those sort of labs. I don’t want to take the chance of a possible mix-up or something. I want my child conceived the usual way, during the heat of passion. Ours.”
Colby took a moment to collect her thoughts after sensuous images of naked bodies and silken sheets flashed across her mind. “Once,” she said in a somewhat quivering voice.
Sterling lifted a brow. “Once?”
“Yes, once. Intercourse at the time of ovulation,” she said, nervously twisting her fingers together. She was not at all enjoying this topic of conversation but felt these things needed to be discussed between them up front.
“There’s a method where a woman can determine the best time of the month to conceive, due to her body’s temperature,” she continued. “Therefore, intercourse is only required once for her to conceive. I understand the method is rather simple and easy and—”
“Forget it. I don’t plan on getting scientific with this. I’ll have some time between filming, which I’ll spend on my honeymoon. I won’t take a chance on doing it just once. I have more to do with my time than waiting for the day your body reaches its hottest peak.”
She glared at him. “So in other words, you’ll be using my body whenever you feel like it, just for the heck of it.”
His eyes held a faint glint of humor when he spoke.
“It won’t be just for the heck of it. It will be for the sole purpose of conceiving my child. And I won’t be exactly using your body, Colby.” His gaze became full of promises. “You’ll enjoy it as much as I will. I’ll make sure of it.”
He exhaled a deep breath and continued. “In the end, we’ll both have what we want. I’ll have my child and you’ll save your brother’s company. I see it as a very satisfying conclusion for the both of us. Now, unless you have any further questions, I’d like to know your decision.”
Colby said nothing for a long moment. This is it, she thought, dazed. My actions will change my life forever. And as he pointed out, the terms of the contract would give her the means to save her brother’s company, but she still had other concerns. They were concerns for the child she would agree to give to him. She wanted to make a counterproposal and it was one she had a feeling wouldn’t go over well with him. But still she knew she had to at least try.
“I need to discuss something else with you first. It’s an idea I’ve had about all of this.”
Sterling studied Colby. “What sort of idea?”
“I know you want to raise this child alone but…”
“But what?”
Colby took a moment to collect her words. “But I think it would be better for the child if I were there, too. I don’t think I should leave until the child is much older.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over Sterling’s suite. He had wondered where all this was leading. Now he knew. But he had no intention of going along with what she was suggesting. However, merely out of curiosity, he asked, “And just how much older are we talking about?”
Colby shrugged under his direct gaze. “Twenty-one.”
“Twenty-one! That’s ridiculous. Why on earth would I want to keep you around for twenty-one years?”
In all actuality, Sterling thought, he could think of a number of reasons, but she would be the last to know of them. He was attracted to her. That in itself was a fact he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, deny. However, he would not let emotions enter into his relationship with her. The contract between them would rule their lives during the short time they would be together. He was determined not to let his emotions come into play.
His outburst, he now noticed, had been followed by dead silence. He looked into Colby’s face and saw her hurt expression. Especially in her eyes—those same dark eyes he found so compelling. It bothered him that he had put that look there, but he knew it was for the best. She would not be in his life any longer than necessary.
“One reason to let me stay is because my child will need me,” Colby finally answered in a soft voice.
Her words, spoken with the confidence she evidently