Page 49 of Prognosis Baby Daddy

CHAPTER NINE

A WEEK later Katyastopped midway up the clinic’s grand stone staircase for a breather. It had been long day in the operating theatre and everything ached. Ben’s offer to move her into the administration side with Carmella was looking more and more attractive as standing for long periods of times was becoming very wearying.

She looked down at her belly and wondered how it could possibly get any bigger. And she still had eight weeks to go! The baby seemed to have had a growth spurt and she felt uncomfortable and was sure she was waddling. Ben reassured her that she wasn’t, which was sweet, but she knew he was lying.

Katya had never known it was possible to be this tired. The baby’s size was even making it uncomfortable to sleep so she was back to being an insomniac again.

‘You OK?’ Ben asked, from behind. One hand automatically reached for the muscles at her neck and started to knead them. The other automatically caressed the bulge of her tummy as he dropped a kiss against her neck.

A few months ago I could take these stairs two at a time.’ She grimaced, closing her eyes as his fingers worked their magic.

Ben could see Katya was looking more and more exhausted each day. ‘Cara,’ he said softly, ‘I think it’s time to give up work.’

Katya’s eyes flew open and she stepped away from him. ‘I’m fine,’ she said testily.

‘Cara,’ he said, looking at her reprovingly. ‘I think it’s becoming obvious that you need to put your feet up and rest.’

And sit around thinking about him all day?

She shook her head. ‘No. I like working. I like working here particularly. Don’t you understand? I didn’t expect to but I do. If I sat around doing nothing all day, I’d go mad.’

God, she could be exasperating. ‘Katya, think of the baby.’

She heard the reproach in his voice and wanted to kick him in the shins. Well, as long as the baby’s OK. ‘The baby is fine,’ she said, and turned on her heel.

Except somewhere in the execution of her about-face she tripped herself up and before she knew it she’d slipped and fallen and was bumping down the stairs, flailing around like a beached whale, trying to stop, trying to protect the baby from the fall.

‘Katya!’ Ben lunged for her but couldn’t grab her in time and he rushed down the stairs, reaching her as she came to a stop in a crumpled heap at the bottom. ‘Katya. Katya!’ His heart was galloping in his chest. ‘Are you all right?’

She was lying very still and he turned her over, a dozen dreadful scenarios marching through his brain. God, please, let her be all right!

Katya’s eyes fluttered open. She moaned. Now she really did ache everywhere. Her arms and legs felt battered and she lifted her hand to the back of her head and gingerly prodded a rapidly growing lump.

Ben gently investigated the bump. ‘I think you need an X-ray.’

Like hell. She wasn’t exposing her baby to any unnecessary radiation. ‘I’m fine, Ben,’ she protested weakly, pushing herself up.

‘You need to get checked out,’ he said, supporting her into a sitting position.

Katya looked into his eyes. She could see the concern in his brown gaze. Was it for her or for the baby? ‘Don’t worry. Ben, the baby’s fine.’ She stood up, shaking his hands off her.

‘The bump on your head needs looking at. You took a big tumble.’

‘I feel fine,’ she reiterated, pushing away from him irritated by his concern.

Ben watched her go and raised his eyes heavenward. Give me strength! If she thought he was just going to let her walk away and not get checked out then she didn’t know him at all.

Katya hurried away, knowing she was being unreasonable, but loving him and knowing that his only interest in her was the baby and some latent sexual chemistry was harder than she’d thought.

She felt a sudden warmth between her legs and stopped abruptly, looking down, her pulse spiking. ‘Ben!’

He was at her side in seconds as she stood stock-still in the corridor, her hand clutching her stomach. ‘I’m bleeding,’ she said, staring at the growing red stain on her scrub pants.

The baby.Had she hurt the baby?

Ben’s heart climbed into his mouth when he saw her bloodstained clothes. Swearing, he swept her up into his arms.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked, clinging to him, trembling all over, biting her lip to stop the tears that were building in her eyes.

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