His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,32

told anyone where she was. The doorman was the only person who had seen her enter the building.

A shiver went down her back. Considering what Kai had already done to trick others and try and manipulate her, where did his boundaries lie? If pushed far enough, was it conceivable that he might try to hurt her?

“I need to go,” she said in a hushed voice.

She took one step back. He took one step forward.

“Diane.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Behind him, the half-finished mural stood as a testament to everything that had happened. Their relationship, so full of potential, had been cut short.

It was all his doing, but she couldn’t say that. Not unless she wanted to get involved in a new mess.

“I need to go.” Spinning on her heel, she walked fast for the front door.

“Diane!” All of a sudden, he was in front of her, blocking her exit.

She drew a shaky breath, her pulse racing. She wasn’t above clawing her way out of the apartment.

“I’m sorry. Please believe me.” He licked his lips, eyes desperately searching her face. “I thought the flowers would be a nice gesture.”

“Well, they weren’t.” She paused, checking herself. No more losing her cool. She’d done enough of that already and wanted to leave the conversation with at least some self-respect intact.

“It was my way of saying…” He blinked and tensed.

“What?”

“Of saying that you’re still special to me, even if we can’t be together.”

Diane’s mouth fell open. “Oh.”

He cocked his head. “Did you think it meant something else?”

Her face burned. She almost wanted to lie and say no, but that would make her look even worse. And it wasn’t the truth. She’d been living so many lies, lately; she couldn’t stand to take on another one.

“Actually,” she said, “yes. I thought you were trying to win me back.”

His face softened. “Really?”

“Yes.” She turned her face down.

“Full disclosure?”

She peeked at him through lowered eyelashes. “Please.”

“I’ve been an idiot. I should have backed off the moment you first asked me to.” He leaned back and stared at the ceiling a moment before shaking his head and looking back at her.

“I can come up with excuses,” he said. “I’ve already told them all to myself. But they don’t matter. What matters is that I’ve been disrespectful. It shouldn’t matter why you don’t want to be with me. You don’t, and I need to accept that. So I do. Fully. Just not…comfortably.”

Diane stayed silent a while, mulling over his words. His saying it shouldn’t matter why she didn’t want to be with him made her think he suspected she’d lied about not having time for a relationship.

That lie, truly, was what didn’t matter. She’d fibbed to protect herself and her unborn child. There was nothing to apologize about there.

“Okay,” she said, only because the silence had gone on for too long.

Kai stepped to the side, away from the door. “I’ll make sure that I’m not here anymore when you’re working. Text me your schedule and I will make myself scarce. I promise.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Her insides tied into knots, she took a step for the door. “In that case, thank you for the flowers. It was a nice gesture.”

He smiled, but there was the sadness of a lifetime in it. “Goodbye, Diane.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but a gasping noise was all that came out. Damn this. Damn him.

Maybe he would make a good boyfriend. Maybe even a good father. But if he was a shady businessman, how much did those other things matter?

They could have been so happy together, and he’d gone and ruined that after they had barely gotten started.

“Goodbye, Kai,” she whispered.

She tried to keep the tears back, but they came fast, hot and heavy. It seemed the more she tried to blink them away, the more she cried.

“No,” Kai whispered.

Suddenly, he was in front of her, one hand on the back of her head and the other wiping away tears.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “You don’t have to cry.”

She gazed at him through the veil of tears. “Things are complicated.”

“Okay.” He ducked his head so that they were eye to eye. “Then tell me about them. Whatever it is, it can be worked through.”

She bit her lip. She didn’t want to tell him anything. Right then, she didn’t want to say anything at all. All she wanted was to feel his lips and hands all over her. To lose herself in his embrace until everything outside of their touches no