Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billi - By Addison Fox Page 0,21
the other to trace the hard, corded lines of his throat, before grazing the rim of his jaw. Stubble abraded her fingers and she marveled at the sheer differences in their bodies, evidenced in the decidedly male growth of beard.
Those strong arms that held her tightened as he shifted on the rock next to her. With questing fingers, she felt his hand move from where it rested on her thigh, stroking up to the sensitive skin of her stomach. He rubbed a small area above the waistband of her shorts before running a small circle around the rim of her bellybutton with the pad of his thumb. Sensation filled her at the light touch, the muscles beneath her skin clenching in need. And then reality came crashing back in as she realized where his hands rested.
“Mayson?” Confusion clouded his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something I have to tell you.”
The news had eaten away at her since she’d finally admitted her concerns that she was pregnant to Camryn the night before, but now that she was faced with telling Holt, the words stuck in her throat. All of the same emotions from earlier—happiness, joy, fear—seemed to lodge in the center of her chest. It was only when she dug down deep and focused on the one that was clamoring the loudest that Mayson acknowledged the depth of her problem.
She was filled with joy at becoming a mother. And she had to acknowledge the very real possibility Holt would feel the exact opposite.
“What is it?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Shock painted his features in stark lines before he stood and began to pace. “You’re what?”
Mayson fought the urge to rub her arms at the loss of warmth and stood, unwilling to stare up at him from her perch on the rock. “I took a test this morning.”
“How is this possible?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten, Holt?”
The joke fell flat and he swept an arm wide. “We used protection. Is the baby even mine?”
Hurt—raw and deep—struck at his words. “I’ve been with no one else.”
“But we used protection.”
“You can keep saying it, but it’s not going to change the outcome. What we used didn’t work.”
“And you’re positive?”
“I’ll go to the doctor this week, but I took two tests. They’re pretty accurate, from what my friends have told me and from the articles we’ve done in our magazines.”
“I don’t believe this.”
The shock on his face was rapidly fading toward anger, and Mayson simply stood still and watched. With each step he took, he trampled on another layer of her happiness.
And what did you expect, McBride? You blindside a guy you had a one-night stand with. Did you really expect him to start turning cartwheels down the beach?
The real problem was, she knew, somewhere deep inside, she had hoped he’d do cartwheels. That he’d be excited they were bringing a life into the world. Instead, she had to accept that her fling had produced consequences.
Consequences Holt Turner didn’t want.
Chapter Five
The drive back to Nathan and Keira’s house was a short one, but it seemed endless. Holt kept his hands firmly gripped on the wheel, even as the urge to pull over and beg Mayson for her forgiveness kept whispering in his ear.
He’d acted like an asshole at the news of the baby. Getting angry was low. Asking if the baby was his was even lower. Especially when he’d spent the morning thinking about how much she fascinated him and how he wanted to spend time with her. Find out more about her. Be with her.
But a baby?
He glanced over, surprised to see she hadn’t moved an inch since she’d buckled into her seat. Her hands were clasped in her lap and a bleak expression on her features, her eyes huge brown orbs that dominated her face.
He turned into the driveway. “I didn’t handle that very well.”
“And I should take some responsibility for that?”
“I’m not excusing my behavior, but maybe you could at least give me the benefit of the doubt. One minute I’m kissing you and the next I’m being told I’m going to be a father. It’s a lot to absorb.”
“And you think it wasn’t a shock to me?”
“Of course not.”
“I’ve got commitments, Holt. A busy job and an active life. Despite all that, I’m excited. Happy.”
“You don’t have to do it alone.”
“That wasn’t my point.”
“Well, maybe it’s mine.” The words were out before he could stop them, and as he turned off the ignition and turned to stare at Mayson, Holt knew he didn’t want to stop them. Was