Wanted by Her Lost Love (Pregnancy & Passion #2)(18)

“This is a lot more restful than being on my feet twelve hours a day,” she said lightly.

He frowned and his hand tightened around her waist. “That won’t happen again.”

She didn’t respond, but turned back toward their suite. Ryan’s hand slipped from her waist as she walked ahead of him. When they walked back inside the patio doors, Kelly sank onto the plush couch.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

“Juice, if you have it.”

He rummaged in the well-stocked fridge and came back with a glass of orange juice a moment later.

“You should go on to bed,” he said gently. “There’ll be plenty of time to explore the beach after you’ve had a good night’s rest.”

Even though she was tired, the day had been so…perfect…that she hated to bring it to an end. Spending the time with Ryan had been bittersweet, a throwback to happier times when things had been…

She sighed. She had to stop with the endless string of memories. She had a week with Ryan. One week when the past wasn’t supposed to matter. If he could forget then she would try to as well. And when it came to an end, maybe her memories of him wouldn’t be quite so bitter.

She struggled to get out of the ultrasoft couch and laughed when she realized she was well and truly stuck. Ryan reached down to help her to her feet and she finally managed to stand.

For a long moment she stood in front of him, her gaze stroking softly over the chiseled lines of his face. It was the first time she’d allowed herself to stare unguardedly at him.

“Good night, Ryan,” she whispered softly.

He looked as though he wanted to kiss her and for a moment she wondered how she would react if he did. But finally he said, “Good night, Kelly. Sleep well.”

She turned to go into her bedroom, little twinges of regret nagging her the entire way.

Six

Kelly didn’t sleep that night. Not that it should have come as any surprise to her. She lay awake in her bed, reliving the past. The first time she met Ryan. How he’d swept her off her feet and into a passionate and all-consuming relation ship.

From the day he first asked her out, they hadn’t spent a single day apart for several weeks. By the end of the first month, she’d moved into his apartment, and by the end of the second month of their whirlwind courtship, his ring was on her finger.

She had never been quite sure why he’d chosen her. It wasn’t as if she thought she was inferior, but Ryan Beardsley was an extremely wealthy man. He could have his pick of women. Why Kelly?

She didn’t have family connections. She didn’t have money or prestige. She was a simple college student eking out a living on a waitress’s salary.

Until Ryan.

Everything had changed for her, and maybe she’d been too caught up in the fairy tale that was her relationship with Ryan to ever question the important things. Like whether he loved and trusted her.

How would he react now if once again she tried to tell him what had really happened the day he’d tossed her out of his life? He hadn’t believed her then. Why would now be any different?

Tears blurred her vision as her thoughts drifted back to that day.

Kelly stared at the pregnancy test, a mixture of joy and worry bubbling through her chest. She quickly hid the stick and then smiled as she imagined telling Ryan the news. She didn’t think he’d be upset. They were planning to marry soon and they’d often talked of their desire to start a family.

She couldn’t wait to tell him. She searched her memory for what he had going on at the office today. He didn’t have any important meetings and he was supposed to be in his office for the entirety of the afternoon. That meant she could pop in and surprise him.

She hugged herself in excitement, nearly dancing across the floor of their bedroom as she imagined his reaction.

A noise from the living room halted her. Then she smiled. Oh, this would be perfect. Ryan was home. He sometimes surprised her by dropping in for lunch. Today his timing was impeccable.

She started to call out to him when Jarrod, appeared in the doorway to the bedroom.

She was momentarily speechless. While Jarrod popped in frequently, he always did so when Ryan was at home. He had to know Ryan was working today.

“Jarrod, what are you doing here? Ryan’s at work. I don’t expect him home until later.”

“I came to talk to you,” Jarrod said.

She cocked her head to the side. “Okay. What’s up? Let’s go into the living room.”

He ignored her and took another step into the bedroom. Unease prickled down her spine. Something was definitely off with him.

“How much would it take for you to walk away from Ryan?”

Her eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb. You’re a smart girl. How much would it take for you to dump Ryan and take off?”

“You’re offering me money? Did your mother put you up to this? You’re both out of your minds. I love Ryan. He loves me. We’re getting married.”

Something that looked like genuine regret flickered across Jarrod’s face. He fidgeted nervously and then pinned her with his stare. “I’d hoped you’d make this easy. It’s not a small amount of money we’re offering.”

The “we” in that statement confirmed Kelly’s suspicions that Ryan’s mother was indeed the mastermind of this operation. She was about to tell Jarrod exactly where he and his mother could get off when he took another step toward her. The look in his eyes had her hastily backing away.