Page 27 of The Boss's Baby Affair

Nick made a choking sound. “Apologize?”

“You’ve been treating me like I was some lowlife liar instead of the Good Samaritan who agreed to help you and your wife.”

“Hang on a mo—”

“Jilly told me you were both undyingly grateful for a chance to have a baby.” Candace flinched as the word undyingly hovered between them.

Before she could say sorry for her tactless word choice, he’d settled himself on the other end of the sofa she was on, and Candace reminded herself that Nick Valentine’s own behavior in this mess was certainly less than laudable.

“Jilly was—”

“—delightful.” Candace glared sideways at him. “You should’ve taken a leaf out your wife’s book. In all the months I was pregnant you never once came to visit.”

His face went blank. “Why the hell should I have come to visit you?”

“To say thank you for the enormous gift I gave you both.” Her throat thickened and she felt like she was about to cry. Damned if she would. “But no, your work was too damn important.”

“Wait, I didn’t know—”

“How long were you married?” She wasn’t interested in what he thought, didn’t want to hear his justifications. When he didn’t answer she repeated, “How long?”

“Seven years.” Nick muttered, clearly reluctant to admit it.

“Did you love your wife?”

“That’s none of your business!”

Candace held his gaze bravely. “Of course it’s my business. I gave you both my baby on the assumption that Jennie was going to a loving family.” Her naïveté made her want to cry. She should’ve taken more care…

Rather than accept Jilly’s logical explanation that Nick wanted to pretend the baby was his wife’s, Candace should have insisted on meeting him. Instead, she’d been satisfied by a pile of newspaper and magazine cuttings—all of which had deified him as an eco-friendly tycoon. She’d let her worries be soothed.

Dumb.

Nick rose restlessly to his feet. “I did receive a call confirming that you’re Jennie’s birth mother. But you must be aware by now that I didn’t even know about your decision to give your baby up—you made that all by yourself.”

Pain stabbed at her. Then anger flared and she gave a snort of disgust. “You’re going to heap all the blame on me?”

“Don’t expect me to believe you did it out of the kindness of your heart. What was in it for you?” he badgered.

Candace bent her head and studied the rich colors of the Persian rug. Why was nothing ever simple? “In terms of New Zealand law, all I was entitled to recover were the expenses I incurred.”

Nick waved a dismissive hand. “I’m aware of that, but there are any number of ways around the legalities.”

At the cynical note in his voice Candace glanced sharply up at him. How could he suspect? She couldn’t read his expression, but his lips were curled into an unpleasant sneer.

“So what did my wife offer you for the gift of Jennie?” There was an icy inflection on the word gift. “What price did you put on your baby?”

It hadn’t been like that. “Nothing!”

Although that wasn’t strictly true. But the financial assistance had come later—once she and Jilly had become friends. That had made the arrangement acceptable, one of friendship.

It had been an unlikely friendship, but during her pregnancy Candace had grown to feel an incredible sympathy for Nick Valentine’s wife. Jilly had appeared to have everything most women dreamed of. A husband she adored. Plenty of friends. Yet she had seemed lonely, her life empty. The baby she’d wanted more than anything in the world had been an impossible dream…until Candace had come to her rescue.

“You’re sure?”

“Why do you think your wife would’ve had to pay me for a baby?” Candace countered desperately. “Are you so devoid of human kindness that you can’t believe it’s possible for anyone to be selfless?”

A strange expression crossed his face.

He came closer. Candace’s pulse picked up speed as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the sofa back, trapping her inside the curve of his arms. “Are you telling me you’re the real deal? A true angel?”

Her breath quickened. She couldn’t look away. “I’m no angel. I’m all too human.”

“Are you?” His gaze dropped to her mouth.

Candace’s heart thundered in her chest. She felt dazed, disoriented. “I’m just like a million other women out there,” she managed breathlessly.

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