shivered and pressed her body against his…
He shoved his hands into his suit pockets and focused on the floor indicator. Now was not the time for a trip down memory lane.
She stepped into the foyer when they arrived at the ground floor, shooting him an uncertain look over her shoulder. He took the lead, directing her outside and diagonally across the road to the no-frills coffee shop where he usually grabbed lunch.
Jenna and Carl both looked up from behind the counter as he entered, Carl lifting a hand in greeting. Rhys gave them a tight smile before heading for the corner table. Charlie pulled out her own chair before he could do it for her. Her hands were shaking, a fact she tried to disguise by hiding them beneath the table. The edgy feeling that had been creeping up on him intensified as he looked at her.
Charlie shifted in her chair. “Um, how have you been?”
“What’s going on, Charlie?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment. Then she opened them and looked him dead in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” He sat back in his chair as though he’d been pushed. “That’s not possible. We used condoms. Lots of them.”
“I know. I’m still pregnant. Eight weeks and two days, to be exact.”
He stared at her. His brain was an empty echoing space. He couldn’t think.
“I’ve done two tests, and I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon to confirm it. But I haven’t had my period for two months so I don’t think there’s much doubt.” She offered a weak smile.
“But we used condoms,” he said, leaning forward, as though he could drive home the truth of his words with the force of his body language.
“Condoms are only ninety-five to ninety-eight percent effective,” she said. “I looked it up.”
Rhys shook his head. “No. This can’t be right. No one has sex three times and gets pregnant.”
She sat a little straighter. The tendons showed in her neck and, when she swallowed, the sound was audible. He studied her small, neat features, some distant part of him surprised anew by how different the reality of Charlie was from his memory of her. But maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. It had been a long time, after all. And they’d known each other only a few hours. In effect, the woman sitting across the table was a complete stranger, despite the fact that he’d been incredibly intimate with her.
Despite the fact that, according to her, she was pregnant with his child.
He couldn’t process it, it was so huge. So life changing.
“Are you sure?” he asked, thinking out loud. “I mean, are you sure it’s mine?”
She blinked a couple of times. “Yes. I’m sure.” She was blushing, the rush of blood turning her pale skin an unattractive red.
“I take it you’re planning on keeping it?” he asked.
Because she wouldn’t be here otherwise, would she? There was no point telling him if she’d already made the decision to terminate.
“Yes. It’s not something I was exactly planning for… But there it is.”
“And what do you want from me? I mean apart from money, obviously. I assume you have it all worked out.”
This was not part of his plan. Not even close. A baby with a woman whose last name he didn’t even know. A child who would be a part of him forever.
“I don’t want your money.” Her expression remained neutral—polite—but there was a steely edge to her voice. “I thought you deserved the courtesy of knowing you were going to be a father. I thought it might be something you’d be interested in.”
“Right. Because it’s something I’ve thought about a lot.”
She gave him a long, steady look. “I understand that you’re shocked. But this is not my fault. It’s not yours, either. It’s an accident.”
“It’s a freaking nightmare, that’s what it is. I signed up for one night of fun, not a baby.”
She flinched. Her movements jerky, she reached for her handbag and pulled a business card from the inside pocket.
“If you need to contact me for anything, you can reach me on either of those numbers. I’ll let you know when I’m due once I have confirmation from the doctor.”
She was standing before she’d finished speaking, sliding her handbag over her shoulder.
“Charlie. Wait.” He shot to his feet.
She paused, her posture stiff as she waited for him to say more. He knew he’d been rude, that he hadn’t said any of the things a better man would have said under the circumstances—that he’d be there for her,