Page 16 of Taming a Heartbreaker

How had one woman obliterated his desire for others? He hadn’t known such a thing was possible. Especially for him. But four weeks later, he had to admit a night spent with Carmen had been a mind-blowing experience. What had knocked the hell out of him more than anything was discovering she’d been a virgin. That meant her experience level hadn’t had a thing to do with her ability to infiltrate his mind and body the way she’d done. Other women with a lot more skill hadn’t affected him this way. Even now, just thinking about her made sexual need curl in his stomach.

How could she still evoke such a strong sexual reaction from him a month later? What kind of passion had they shared that propelled him to break all his rules? Hell, he’d even slept through the night with her cradled in his arms. Something he’d never done with anyone else.

Dammit. What was even stranger was that he’d rushed back to Anchorage to reclaim his senses, but that hadn’t helped one iota. Memories of their one night together were so strong they were damn unforgettable.

Never had a night with a woman left such a profound mark on him. He’d tried everything. Not even throwing himself into his work had helped. Her hold on him had him unsettled, agitated and downright troubled.

Why was he torturing himself this way? The sex with Carmen had been good. It had been great, off the charts, the best he ever had...but it was time to move on to the next conquest. So why couldn’t he? He was certain whatever he was going through was just a phase he would eventually get over. Dammit, he had to.

After bidding Maurice goodnight, Redford walked to his car. It was windy tonight with a bit of chill in the air. That bite of cold reminded him that regardless of the fact it was July, he was in Alaska. Chilly summers were normal here. In the distance, he heard the sound of jazz music and knew an outdoor summer musical festival was happening somewhere beneath a late-night sunset.

When he’d arrived in Anchorage for college, he’d known he would make this city his home. Having the largest population of college students in the entire state of Alaska, there were always things to do, places to go and festivals to attend. Energy and adventure always seemed to flow in the air. He loved everything about Anchorage, and it was here that he’d built an empire he was proud of.

Less than an hour later, he arrived home with Carmen still on his mind. He had no regrets about that night. Even though he’d been tempted to break his own rule of not doing the same woman twice by calling Leslie for Carmen’s phone number. At least that had been his thoughts before his conversation with Sloan a few days ago. Sloan had informed Redford that Leslie was royally pissed with him and had warned him not to call her about anything concerning Carmen.

From what Sloan had said, apparently Carmen had assumed that night had been a game-changer for them. A kickoff to what she thought would be their great love affair. Instead, she’d discovered she had been nothing more than a “one-and-done” like all the others.

He had racked his brain to recall what he might have said for her to make her think such a thing. Granted, he had told her he wanted to make her his...he’d meant just for that night.

Now more than ever he wished he would have clearly reiterated just how things were between them. Especially after discovering she was a virgin. However, by then, he was too much of a goner. It had to have been the novelty of making out with a virgin that had gotten to him. And regardless of Candy’s claims, he’d never had sex with a virgin before.

Redford tossed his keys on the table before heading to his bedroom. He would take a shower and go to sleep. Tonight, the memories would not siege his mind like they had all those other nights.

He hoped.

“You’re in the hospital?”

Carmen heard alarm in her best friend’s voice. She had waited until now to call Leslie for that very reason. “Yes, but I’m okay,” she said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice.

“What happened?”

Carmen swallowed to fight back her tears and hoped Leslie didn’t hear the sadness in her voice. “I’ve been sick for the past week and couldn’t hold down any food. Things got worse and I got dehydrated. My doctor sent me straight from her office to the hospital.”

“Was it food poisoning? A virus? Covid? An allergic reaction to something?”

“It wasn’t any of those things, Leslie.”

“Then what was it?”

Carmen paused and then said, “The doctor believes it might be a severe case of morning sickness that she’s hoping won’t turn into hyperemesis gravidarum.”

“Morning sickness? Hyperemesis gravidarum?”

“Yes.”

Of course, it didn’t take long for Leslie to know what that meant. “You’re pregnant?”

“You don’t have to scream in my ear,” Carmen said, holding the phone away from her face. “And to answer your question, yes, I’m pregnant. When I began suffering from bouts of nausea, I assumed it was a virus because I was throwing up all day and not just in the mornings. When I was late, I just assumed the virus had thrown my body off schedule. After my lab work, the doctor told me otherwise.” Carmen paused again and then said, “I guess I don’t have to tell you who’s my baby’s father.”

It seemed to take a while for Leslie to recover. “Of course, you don’t. When are you going to tell Redford?”

Carmen drew in a deep breath. “I’m not. At least not yet. Dr. Richardson has explained that at present my pregnancy is considered high risk,” she said, still fighting back tears. “I’m at risk of losing the baby.”

“Oh no, Carmen.”

Wiping tears from her eyes that she was glad Leslie wasn’t there to see, Carmen added, “Taking care of myself and my baby is more important than telling a man who doesn’t want kids that he’s going to be a father.”

“I hear you, Carmen, but regardless of whether Redford wants kids or not, he has a right to know about your condition.”

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