Wanted by Her Lost Love (Pregnancy & Passion #2)(16)

She opened her mouth to ask him just that, but again, he silenced her with his finger.

“Let me take care of you, Kelly. Let’s forget for the time being all the problems in the past and just concentrate on the present.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious. I’ve never been more serious in my life. We have a lot to work out. We can’t do that if we aren’t willing to spend the time together and talk.”

She’d never wanted to break down and cry more in her entire life. If only he’d been willing to listen before. If only he’d been willing to talk, to understand then. The one person she should have been able to count on above all others had coldly looked through her and called her a liar. And now he wanted to kiss and make up?

He touched her face with his fingers, and she was surprised that they trembled against her skin. His eyes were imploring her and she wavered on the edge of indecision. God, was she actually contemplating this farce? Even as she posed the question to herself she was shaking her head in automatic refusal.

He stopped the negative sway of her head by cupping her cheek and stroking his thumb lightly over her lips.

“No pressure, no promises, no obligations. Just you and me and a restful week on the beach. It’s a start. It’s all I’m asking for. I’ll only ask for what you’re willing to give.”

“But the baby—”

“I would never do anything to endanger the baby,” he said quietly. “Or you. You’ll have to see the doctor here and get his okay to travel. It’s the only way I would consider taking you on this trip.”

Her eyes dropped to her hands knotted in her lap. It was tempting, so very tempting. He was asking, not demanding, and for a moment she was transported back to their time together—to the wonderfully tender and caring Ryan she had been engaged to. Could she leave him again after spending a week with him? Because she had no future with a man who could so coldly discard their relationship over the word of another.

The silence stretched out between them as she grappled with the decision. Yes, she would do it. She wasn’t sure why. Nothing could come of it, but she wanted this time with him before she left to get on with her life. She nodded her assent and relief was stark in Ryan’s eyes. It was so easy to pretend he cared when he put on such a good act. But clearly he didn’t. If he had, they would still be together, married, awaiting the birth of their first child.

“We have to get you to the doctor this afternoon for a checkup. If he gives the thumbs-up we’ll fly out tomorrow, so it’s important you get plenty of rest today and tonight. Once we get there, the most strenuous thing you’ll have to do is walk from the hotel room to the beach.”

“I want separate rooms,” she said.

“I’ve reserved us a suite.”

She frowned but didn’t argue.

“You won’t regret this, Kell,” he said, reverting to his pet name for her. She had the strangest urge to weep. How had they gotten so far away from the plans they had made just months earlier?

“We can do this. We can work it out.”

She closed her eyes. The thing was, it was easy to be seduced by the intensity in those words. But going forward would be impossible until they’d addressed their past. And she never ever wanted to go back to that horrible day when her world had been so brutally upended.

The doctor was very approving of a week of rest and relaxation for Kelly and cautioned her to seek medical attention if the swelling got worse or she developed other symptoms.

Ryan had hung on to every word the doctor said and had acted just like a concerned husband and father. Instead of making her feel good, it depressed the hell out of her because it drew attention to the fact that their situation was hopeless.

When they arrived back at the apartment there were several department store bags stacked just inside the door. She eyed them curiously because they were decidedly feminine-looking, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was even a bag from a well-known lingerie store.

She glanced at Ryan, one eyebrow arched in question.

“Oh good, Jansen’s been by,” Ryan said as he walked over to the assortment of bags. “They’re for you. For our trip.” He gathered the handles and brought everything over to the couch, gesturing for her to have a look.

A little befuddled, she opened the packages, finding several maternity sundresses and sleek designer outfits, as well as beach attire all the way to a pair of sandals. As suspected, there were even all the girlie accoutrements in the lingerie bag.

“You shouldn’t have done this,” she murmured. How quickly they had fallen back into their old routine, and her discomfort level was off the charts. “I didn’t,” he replied. “Jansen went shopping for me.”

Despite herself, she smiled at the image of Ryan’s hunky assistant traipsing through the maternity department in search of clothes and—even more hilarious—going into the lingerie store to buy panties and bras.

“How is Jansen?”

“Fine,” Ryan replied. “Same as ever.”

“Thank you for this,” she added, swallowing her all-important pride for the moment.

His smile was genuine. “You’re quite welcome. Why don’t you go lie down for a while and I’ll pack our suitcases. Then we can have dinner. We’ll call it an early night since we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”