plate. A glass of red wine punctuated the cool black and white picture he made in the gold room.
Next to him, two chic thirty-something women were eyeing him like he was lunch and they were starving. He ignored them.
Amanda clutched her mom's purse as if it were a lifeline. She didn't know if she had the courage to approach him. What if he sensed that she was as attracted to him today as she'd been the first time she set eyes on him?
She couldn't let him suspect. Her entire focus now had to be on the baby. She knew that Logan would never be a part of the baby's life, and therefore, he couldn't be part of her life either.
The maitre d' was standing there, waiting for her attention. She had to move.
"Logan Winter," she said, proud of her cool tone.
"Right this way, ma'am." He didn't even have to look around the room.
Before she'd taken two steps, Logan looked up, as if he'd sensed her. He rose to his feet, placing the report he'd been reading by the side of his plate. He watched her through hooded eyes, his expression revealing nothing.
"Thank you for joining me," he said, as the maitre d' pulled out her chair. "Am I correct in assuming you don't want wine?"
She nodded, suddenly unable to speak, as her throat filled with emotion. Logan sat down again and now that she was closer, she noticed that his face was thinner and faint lines bracketed his mouth. Was it the failure of his public offering that had caused so much stress? Or something else?
She would never know now. Something pinched her heart as a shattering realization burst over her. It didn’t matter what he did, what he said, or how badly he treated her. Her feelings were trapped within her heart, never to be set free. She would always love him.
Regardless of the fact that he couldn't love her back.
Logan nodded at the maitre d', who withdrew silently.
Amanda unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. It took all the courage she had to raise her head and meet his gaze. She feared what he might see there, whether her eyes would give her away.
His gaze was calm, and expressionless, but she saw the pulse beating in his throat. Almost desperately, she wanted to feel his heart beating against her cheek, but she knew those days had passed. Her time with him had ended.
The sooner she moved on, the better off she would be.
Logan took a sip of his wine, and then placed the crystal goblet carefully on the table, as if he were measuring every movement. "I owe you an apology," he said.
What? The simple words in his deep voice confounded her. She frowned in confusion.
His long fingers curled around the wine glass. "Shock caused me to say some damn stupid things on Saturday," he said. "Can we start over?"
She stared at him. What did that mean? She was having a baby. He didn't want children. There was no form of 'starting over' that would work for them.
She clutched the linen napkin on her lap as if it were a lifeline. "I don't mean to hold you responsible," she managed. "You don't need to worry about that."
"I hold myself responsible," he said quietly. "I intend to provide for you and the child."
A waitress appeared, cocking her head and smiling at Logan. Amanda hadn't had a chance to look at the menu, but she didn't have an appetite. Nevertheless, she ordered a Caesar salad with chicken. The doctor had emphasized the importance of good nutrition.
Logan ordered swordfish and appetizers.
Amanda could scarcely wait for the server to leave so she could say, "I have no intention of being dependent on you."
"I owe it to you." He raised his wine to his lips.
Amanda tried hard not to look at his mouth, or his hands…
"You don't owe me." She broke off a piece of a plain roll. "You were very clear on the subject of relationships, never mind children. I always understood that we didn't have a future together. This—this accident doesn't change anything."
"It’s not in me to love someone." He swallowed a large gulp of wine. "I—"
"I know that." She cut him off, not wanting to hear excuses and explanations. "You must have been hurt badly in the past, Logan," she added. "You’ll never take a chance on love again. I accept that."
His gray eyes flickered, just once, but she knew she'd touched a nerve. Still, she hadn't breached