at Blake, his face had twisted into a painful expression. "What are you thinking?"
He shook his head. "I'm trying to find a way to ask you something."
"Just ask."
"But what if you give me an answer I don't want to hear?"
Wow, his honesty humbled her. For a brief moment, Blake appeared to her a man vulnerable to hurt and pain just like anyone else. Instead of that thought making him a lesser person, it made him all the more loveable.
She swallowed with the thought of love swimming in her head. Where had that come from? Damn, this pregnancy thing was already seeping into her emotions and making her a little crazy.
"If you want an answer, you'll have to risk the question. One thing you can count on with me is honesty."
The grey of his eyes met hers. "Do you want to keep the baby?"
Her heart kicked in her chest. "Do you want me to give it up? An abortion?" Her insides started to coil on themselves but she couldn't read Blake's expression and didn't know what he was thinking? Was he just asking to find out where her mind was, or did he want to remove the pregnancy and go on as they were?
"I'll answer your questions after you answer mine."
That was fair. "I never considered anything other than having the baby."
Blake's shoulders slumped in. Was that relief, or resolve? "Blake?"
He smiled. "I'm happy to hear that."
"Are you?"
"I am. I know this is all happening fast. It isn't anything like either of us thought it would be, but..."
"But?"
Blake pushed himself off the chaise and started to pace. "This is the way I see it. We're not kids. Ten years ago my thoughts would have been different, yours too, I think." He waited for her nod to continue. "When two people, who are not kids, find themselves pregnant they go ahead and have the baby. The bonus here is that we're already married."
Oh my God. He's jumping really far ahead. "We didn't plan on staying married."
He stopped pacing and moved to sit on the edge of her chair. "I know. And maybe we won't. I think a baby changes things. No... I know a baby changes things. But until we both know exactly what we want I say we move forward slowly."
"How does that look?"
"I like where we're at, Samantha. I like coming home to you, having you here. Until one of us wants to change that, I say we just continue on like we've been doing." His gaze searched hers.
"And after the year is up? After the baby is born?"
"The year doesn't have to change."
She knew that, but hearing him say it aloud tossed cold water on her face.
"You didn't want to hear that," he said, seeing her reaction.
"No. It's what we agreed on."
His hand slid up her calf and rested on her knee. "Do you want more than a year?"
"Right now, I don't know what I want. I just found out I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mother forever. That's the only solid thing I know is going to happen. Everything else is a big, fat question mark."
"Let me give you one more solid thing then." He patted her knee. "I'm going to be this child's father. I won't abandon you, or our baby. You have my word."
She knew that. Deadbeat duke daddy didn't sound like Blake.
"Can I ask you something?" She knew she was about to open him wide with her question, but she needed to know his thoughts.
"Of course."
"Do you want more than a year?"
He paused, took a breath. "I think we owe it to our child to give each other the option for more time."
"Stay married for the baby?" Didn't that sound like a bad soap opera?
He didn't answer, instead he asked. "Do you like it here with me?"
What a silly question. Of course she did. "It doesn't suck."
He laughed. "So we push aside deadlines and contracts unless it does suck."
"Can we do that?"
"Honey, we can do whatever the hell we want."
She laughed then. A real laugh that hadn't come since she'd learned of the pregnancy. "Until it sucks then. I think morning sickness sucks."
He laughed now, inching closer to her. "That doesn't count. I'm told delivery sucks too."
"Yeah, well... that won't count either. I'll get fat. That sucks."
Blake's hand inched up her thigh, past her hip, and lay on her now flat tummy. "I'll bet you'll be adorable with a baby bump."
"Ha, you say that now. You'll think it sucks later, I'm sure."
His warm hand