Page 8 of 2 Books in One Bundle

‘I’ll admit the night we spent together was good,’ he said, blocking the hot, distracting memories that were trying to barge their way into his head. ‘Very good, in fact.’ The best he’d ever had, even. ‘But it was still just one night.’

‘Well, that was certainly theintention.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘We need to talk.’

On the contrary, they did not need to talk. He’d already spent far too long on this unexpected conversation, and he didn’t appreciate the effect she was having on him, even after all this time. He should never have indulged his curiosity in the first place by talking to her. What on earth had he been thinking?

‘No, we don’t,’ he said, beginning to regret that he hadn’t left her to Security after all.

‘It won’t take long,’ she said, with irritating disregard for his objection. ‘Can we go somewhere a bit more private?’

Absolutely not. He didn’t want to be alone with her when she put him so on edge. He didn’t want to be anywhere with her full stop, and if he had to be brutal to reinforce that point, then so be it.

‘I’m not after a relationship, Mia,’ he said, his voice low so as not to be overheard through the bamboo. ‘I never have been. I thought that was clear.’

‘It was,’ she replied, leaning towards him, equally discreet. ‘It was crystal clear. And neither am I. At least, not with you. That’snotwhy I’m here.’

Good. That was a relief. So why was he suddenly wondering, why not him? What was wrong withhim? It was an absurd and unnecessary thought—he knew exactly what was wrong with him—so he shoved it aside and focused.

‘Then whyareyou here?’ he said, ignoring her dizzying proximity and the scent he apparently hadn’t forgotten. ‘Is there a problem with the payment of your invoice?’

‘No.’

‘Do you have some other business involving my company?’

‘No.’

‘Are you in trouble?’

‘Not exactly.’

‘I don’t have time for riddles,’ he said, his surging frustration at the way she was addling his brainfinallyigniting some strength of character. ‘And I fail to see anything else we might have to discuss, so if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere else to be.’

Wrenching himself away from her compelling gaze before he drowned in it, Zander turned on his heel, intending to round the screen and head for the exit, practically tasting fresh air and freedom, only to come to an abrupt stop when she spoke, the words flying through the space and landing on him like darts.

‘I’m pregnant.’

CHAPTER FOUR

ATMIA’SANNOUNCEMENT, every cell of Zander’s body froze. His head emptied and he went numb. Beyond the bamboo, people moved. Outside on the street, traffic flowed. The world continued turning, even if here, behind the plants, it had shuddered to a halt.

Slowly, warily, his pulse thudding so loudly he could hear it in his ears, he turned back to face her. ‘What did you say?’

‘I’m pregnant,’ she repeated, chin up, shoulders squared as if ready for battle. ‘And the baby’s yours.’

He gave his head one sharp shake of denial. That couldn’t be right. ‘No.’

‘Yes, as a matter of fact. I did a test a week ago. Well, four, actually. Just in case. All were positive and it was later confirmed by my doctor. You’re the father, Zander. You’re the only person I’ve slept with in two years.’

White noise. That was all he could hear beyond her words. A loud rushing nothingness that obliterated everything in its path. ‘How is that possible?’

She flushed. ‘I’ve been focusing on my career,’ she said defensively. ‘And not everyone has a different person in their bed each week.’

Her barb bounced straight off him. As if his sex life, or lack of it, was of any significance right now. ‘I was talking about protection,’ he said, struggling to claw back some of the trademark languor that was rapidly deserting him. ‘Which we used.’

‘No contraception is one hundred percent foolproof,’ she said, wrapping her coat around herself more tightly, as if warding off a chill. ‘And we put it to the test a lot.’

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