make everything he’d ever said about her motives true.
“You came all the way to New York to say that?”
“No. I came to meet with Layton International’s board.”
Ah, yes. He was here for business, not for her. It seemed strange to hear something about her company from him. A board meeting that she wasn’t a part of. Hadn’t known about. It made her feel her loneliness more keenly. She’d had a purpose at Layton International. Now she had no purpose but to protect her baby.
“Just tell me what you want and get out,” she said wearily. Her brain had gone numb. She couldn’t deal with him, couldn’t begin to imagine telling him about the baby she carried. When she got to London and got settled in, she’d give him the news. He’d be angry, but this was her body and her pregnancy and she’d do things her way.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. When he tossed it onto the coffee table, she eyed it warily. “If that’s another severance check, you can keep it. I don’t want your money.”
Perhaps if Roger hadn’t hired her, she would have been forced to cash it. But he had and she had no intention of taking a dime from Alejandro. He’d once called her greedy. Let him wonder why she wouldn’t accept money from him now.
“It’s not a severance check.”
Rebecca heaved a sigh and leaned forward to grasp the envelope. Maybe if she opened it, he would leave. Sadness washed over her, but she pushed it away and ripped the packet open to stare at the contents.
Dashing a hand over her cheeks to wipe away her tears, she tried to sound flippant. “I should refuse, but I won’t.” She clutched the deed, more touched than she wanted to be. She wasn’t going to take his money, but she would take this. One day she would give it to their child.
“No, La Belle Amelie is yours.”
“I’ll pay you for it. Just give me time to put together the financing.”
“No.”
Rebecca sucked back tears, forced a laugh. She didn’t know how to respond, so she resorted to flippancy. “Honestly, Alejandro, the sex was pretty good, but I doubt it was worth quite this much.”
His mouth opened, then closed as his gaze fixed on something lying on the table.
When Rebecca realized what it was, she scrambled for the bag she’d knocked over while reaching for the envelope and shoved the books that had spilled out back inside. Before she could stash the bag beneath the table, Alejandro ripped it from her grasp.
His expression was a mixture of horror and rage as he yanked a book out and stared at the title. Eyes hot with emotion pinned her like a bug. “What is the meaning of this?”
She considered for about half a second telling him the books were for a friend. But she couldn’t do it. This baby was his too. And God help her, but she still loved him. She wanted him to know, to be happy about it. And she was terrified at the same time. Terrified he would be angry, that he wouldn’t believe her, that he might try to take the baby away.
She would never allow that. Never.
He’d already taken the one thing that had meant the most to her. He would not do so ever again. She’d fight him if he tried. She didn’t have his money, but she had contacts and resources.
He was staring at her expectantly, anger flashing over his handsome features. And something else too, but she didn’t know what it was. Concern?
Doubtful.
Rebecca took a deep breath and tried to smile. “Surprise,” she said softly.
26
Soul deep fear riveted Alejandro in place. “How did it happen?”
His voice was very cold, very controlled. He was almost proud of how emotionless he was—until her face crumpled.
Before he could say anything, her expression hardened as if she were determined not to show any weakness. “The usual way, I imagine. We certainly had enough sex, don’t you think?”
“You are telling me you’re pregnant.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes, Alejandro. I’m pregnant.”
“How do you know the baby is mine?”
Her face whitened. She shielded her abdomen with a hand. She’d left him five weeks ago. Plenty of time to dupe some other man into believing she cared for him. Roger Cahill, perhaps? The man was only about twenty years her senior and still perfectly capable of being her lover.
“How could you ask such a thing? Of course, it’s yours! The doctor estimates seven