Page 20 of Her Forever Billionaire

She looked blankly at him.

‘To get a pregnancy test.’

Supermarkets stocked pregnancy tests? And he knew this how?

‘They have everything. If they don’t we’ll try the pharmacy.’

But the supermarket did have pregnancy tests—next to the lubricant and the ribbed condoms and other things she’d never bought.

‘I can’t do this.’ She dropped her gaze down to the plasters—brightly coloured ones with cartoon characters on them. She looked to another shelf—kids’ toothpaste, kids’ shampoo, kids’ talc. Everywhere she looked there were kid things. Only a little farther along were nappies—nappies!

No, no, no and no again.

Jack didn’t answer, just reached up and grabbed two boxes—different brands. Then he took her by the arm again and stalked to another aisle, picked up a bottle of juice.

‘I prefer apple,’ she said, just to retain some element of control.

‘There must be a bathroom somewhere round here.’ He looked around the building.

‘I am not doing this in a public loo.’ She shook her head, appalled. ‘I’m going home.’

He frowned but nodded. ‘I’m coming with you.’

She saw the look in his eyes and decided not to argue. She went ahead so she wouldn’t have to see the checkout operator’s eyebrows lift when she scanned those few specific items.

He got in the car and handed her the bottle. She held it in a death grip but she couldn’t drink. She didn’t want to move—not even an inch, not ever again. The bottle was taken from her and he took a gulp from it. She’d laugh if she wasn’t so scared. He was on her heels as she walked up the path to her building. She could feel his breath on her shoulder as she unlocked the door. But when he walked with her up to the bathroom door she drew the line.

‘I’m having privacy for this.’

‘Of course. I’ll be right here.’ He handed her the plastic shopping bag, then took up position leaning against the wall right outside.

This just couldn’t be happening. Just couldn’t.

She’d never done a pregnancy test in her life, but it wasn’t as if it was hard. Hideous, yes, as her stomach swirled with sickened nerves. She held the little stick thing in front of her and watched as she waited to see if her life really was ruined. She’d opened the most expensive one first, hoping it meant greatest accuracy, but all it meant was that it was the one that flashed the result in a bright neon light—pregnant!

As if it were the best news in all the world.

For some women it would be. For some women it would be the result they’d been praying for after months of trying or treatment. But for Kelsi?

She slumped. An unplanned pregnancy was bad enough. But from a one-night stand? Not even a relationship? They had no basis, nothing to try to make the best of, nothing between them but animal, sexual attraction—that was as everyday to him as breathing. And utterly overwhelming for her.

Wincing, she closed her eyes. But still she saw the light flashing with that single, life-changing word.

It had to be wrong. Had to be.

She ripped open the second box.

FIVE

Jack banged on the door, never so impatient in all his life. ‘Kelsi? Are you okay? Open up.’

Silence. Just as there’d been silence for the last ten interminable minutes.

‘If you don’t open up now I’m breaking the door.’

It wouldn’t take much. He seemed to have more adrenaline running in him than he’d had even on the most difficult jumps. He made himself uncurl his fingers from the fists they’d bunched into and tried to relax. Half a second later he banged again.

There was a muffled reply. Not good.

---