A Night With Consequences (13 page)

He nodded. ‘She does. She talks about him often. She has never found anyone else to love. I’ll take you to meet her one day.’

Faint alarm filled Kara. Should she be flattered or worried? ‘Won’t she get the wrong impression? Won’t she think there’s something serious going on between us?’

‘My mother knows I will never get married again.’

It was a clear statement of fact which put her firmly in her place, thought Kara. He had unmistakably confirmed what she had known all along. And even though her heart sank like a lead weight in a pond she tried to
keep her tone light. It was all very well her surmising things, but to have them so clearly defined was not a happy feeling.

‘She might think you’ve changed your mind,’ she said, surprising herself with the lightness of her tone. ‘Or do you take all your girlfriends to see her?’

‘Certainly not! I’ve taken no one,’ he declared—more forcefully, Kara thought, than was needed. ‘There’s no one I’ve wanted my mother to meet. However, you, my lovely Kara, are different. You may not believe this, but you might even be changing my mind about women! I’m beginning to believe that there are perhaps still one or two who are trustworthy.’

‘I’m glad if I’ve restored your faith,’ she said demurely. ‘At least I’ve been of some service.’

‘Some?’

The gleam of light in his eyes should have warned her. Despite his affirmation that he wished to remain single to the end of his days, she was still living on a high from their earlier lovemaking. It had taken on a whole new dimension. Felt different in the log cabin. She had given herself freely to him before, but there, in the woods, it had been as though they had taken a step back in time. As though they were the only man and woman on earth, and in their safe little place they could let go of everything. She would never have believed herself capable of being a temptress, of the things she had invited Blake to do, what
she
had done. Even thinking about it sent a fierce heat through every corner of her body.

‘My beautiful Kara,
some
does not even begin to describe what you have done to me. Not only are you
a sensational lover, but you do not have a bad bone in your body.’

‘I do my best,’ she said demurely, fluttering her eyelashes, fully aware that it would send his temperature soaring again. She was becoming a
femme fatale,
and actually quite liked the feeling of power it gave her.

His voice got slower and deeper and his eyes grew darker. ‘I don’t want this night to end—stay with me.’

‘You know that’s impossible.’ She glanced at her watch and was horrified to see how late it was. ‘I’m sorry, Blake. I must go,’ she said, jumping to her feet. ‘I didn’t intend to stay this long.’ She hated to admit it even to herself, but once again she had forgotten all about her poor mother.

‘Of course. I’ll drive you.’ Blake had only drunk a small amount with their meal. Kara had wanted to keep a clear head too—especially as she was not used to drinking. Not that it had stopped her losing her head when Blake made love to her. His lovemaking was far more intoxicating than any amount of alcohol.

She knew that when she went to bed later she would relive every single action in minute detail. It was doubtful she would get any sleep. And yet he would expect her bright-eyed at the office first thing in the morning. Where she would have to act like she had never acted before. It was going to be hard hiding her emotions from the rest of the staff.

When they reached her house she turned to give Blake a quick peck on the cheek, but he was out of the car before her. ‘I think it’s about time I met this mother of yours, don’t you?’

Swift alarm shot through her. ‘She’s probably in bed,’
she lied, knowing full well that her mother would be waiting up and wanting a full report on the evening.

‘In which case I shall kiss you goodnight and leave. But it would be ungentlemanly not to see you safely indoors.’ Even as he spoke his hand was on her elbow and he was walking her up the garden path.

Luck was not on her side. As soon as Kara opened the door her mother called out to her. ‘Kara? Come and tell me all about your evening! I hope you didn’t let that man—’

‘Would “that man” be me, by any chance?’ asked Blake, popping his head round the door that led straight off the tiny hall.

Kara wished the floor would open and swallow her up, but Blake simply looked amused and walked further into the room.

‘Mrs Redman, I can assure you that I have taken very good care of your daughter. Let me introduce myself. I’m Blake Benedict, your extremely beautiful and extremely capable daughter’s employer. She is worth her weight in gold to me. I would never jeopardise her future.’

Kara felt hot colour stealing over her neck and cheeks. He was going way over the top. But already Lynne was in his thrall, smiling up at him, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in her nightie. ‘That is very reassuring to hear, Mr Benedict. I confess I was a little worried, but—’

‘But now that you have met me your fears are allayed? It is good to hear. And, please—call me Blake. You are as charming as your daughter. I hope I shall see more of you in the future. But for now let me bid you goodnight.’

He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, and when Kara walked with him to the front door she said, ‘Thank you for being so kind to my mother.’

‘I imagine she has had little attention paid to her over the years, so the pleasure is all mine.’ He tilted her chin with his fingers and kissed her gently. ‘Thank you for this evening. And if you’re late in the morning I shall understand why.’

‘I shall not be late,’ she told him quietly. Whatever was happening between them, she still intended to do her job properly.

As Blake drove home he found himself humming an old love song, and alarm bells rang in his head. Surely he wasn’t falling in love with Kara? Surely not? She was beautiful and exciting, and he enjoyed being with her, making love to her. She was refreshingly different. But that was all it was—wasn’t it? Enjoyment? He was not looking for a long-term relationship. Commitment. Hell, no! Once was enough. He was done with that sort of thing. Love and marriage was definitely off his agenda. He intended remaining single to the end of his days.

He had meant what he said when he’d told her that she was helping him to change his mind about women, but it still did not mean that he wanted to get serious.

Happy now that he had convinced himself he was in no danger, Blake did not even notice that he had begun humming the love song again—and in the weeks that followed he did not question his actions. As far as he was concerned they were indulging in an affair which would one day end with no regrets on either side.

It stunned him, therefore, when he turned the corner to her road one day, ready to pick her up because he had
planned a lavish dinner with a show to follow, to see her in the arms of another man.

At first he could not believe his eyes. Something harsh and sharp ripped through him and his first instinct was to confront them. But even as he watched the man let her go and turned and disappeared, while Kara hurried into the house.

Blake sat there for a few minutes, trying to reconcile himself to what he had seen.

When he finally picked her up she said nothing. She did not even look guilty. He began to wonder whether he had read the scene correctly.

He needed to ask. He knew that if he didn’t it would fester in his mind. ‘Who was that man I saw you with?’

Kara frowned. ‘What man?’

‘Outside just now, when I turned the corner.’

‘Oh, you saw him?’ The words popped out before she could stop herself, and she felt the blood drain from her face. ‘He was no one.’ But her heart did a painful drumbeat. How she wished that he was no one. How she wished that he wasn’t their worst nightmare.

‘No one? When he had his arms about you?’

Kara shivered. Blake looked so cold and condemning that she was suddenly afraid. ‘He came to see my mother. He was saying goodbye, that’s all.’

She wished that she could tell him about the loan shark, but it was such a deep stigma—so horribly embarrassing and shameful. It was something she and her mother had to deal with themselves. And now the unpleasant man had unfortunately seen her with Blake,
realised she had a wealthy boyfriend, and was upping the interest on the loan again.

Blake’s brows lifted. ‘It was a funny goodbye. It looked as though he was kissing you.’

Spitting fury into her face was more like it. He had shoved his nose right up to hers and she had been scared to death. He had never been quite this aggressive before. ‘It was just a peck on the cheek,’ she said, mentally crossing her fingers that he would believe her.

Finally he relaxed. ‘You had me worried, Kara. I thought I had competition.’

‘There is no one else I’d rather be with,’ she said, smiling gently and touching the tips of her fingers to his face. She actually felt as guilty, as if she
had
been two-timing him, and it was hard to control a tremor.

He took her hand and pressed a kiss into its palm before giving it back to her. ‘Let’s enjoy our evening out.’

Kara did enjoy her evening, but she could not forget the close shave she’d had and wondered whether she ought to stop Blake coming to pick her up. She had no idea how it had started, because he had always used to send his driver. But lately he had come for her himself, and he always made it his business to have a few words with her mother.

Lynne thought he was amazing. She thought him a good man, and good for her daughter, and had expressed the opinion that they might have a future together.

‘You’re being silly, Mum. Blake’s not the settling down type. One marriage was enough for him.’

‘Then why are you wasting your time with him if there is no future in it?’

‘It’s not a waste,’ answered Kara. ‘I’m experiencing life.’ She wasn’t going to tell her mother—not yet, at least—that she thought the signs were hopeful. Blake had only the other day begun to talk about something they might do in the future. And if that didn’t mean he was serious then she did not know what did.

But life had a way of kicking her in the face when she was least expecting it, and of making niggling fear become reality.

K
ARA
stared at the tiny window, refusing to believe her eyes. This was not right. It could not be a true reading. But it was. She was deluding herself. It did not lie. She had known without the test. It had merely confirmed her fears. She slumped down on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling icy cold. She was pregnant.

How it had happened she had no idea; Blake had always been so careful. Her out-of-control heartbeat echoed so loud in her ears that it was deafening. A baby! A baby who would take time and money. How could she clothe and feed a baby when already almost every penny of what she earned went towards paying off their debts?

Please, God, don’t let this be real, she prayed. Don’t let this be happening. But the truth was there in front of her. Nothing could be more real.

Blake would not want to be lumbered with a child—hadn’t he told her he had no intention of playing happy families? She could imagine his disbelief when she did confess. He might even blame her. Wasn’t that what men did? Some men anyway, at least.

He might even suggest paying for a termination, although she really had no idea what his thoughts on
the matter were. Even thinking about it was enough to fill her with horror. Then she shook her head. No, he wouldn’t want that—and neither would she, no matter how hard things got.

What she really ought to be thinking about was how she was going to cope. Once she had to leave work she could see no way out of their financial difficulties except to move away—somewhere the loan shark wouldn’t find them. Otherwise how could she provide for a baby when he was sucking all their money from them?

Tears raced down her cheeks as she sat there looking at the evidence, willing it to change. But no power on earth could do that. She had to face the fact that she was to become a mother, with all the complications that involved.

How could she tell her own mother, even? How could she admit that she had got them into deeper trouble? The future looked bleak. Even if they moved and escaped the claws of the money-lender they had no savings to fall back on. It didn’t look well for the future.

She waited until that Friday to tell Blake the news. It had become a habit for her to go to his house for dinner. He invariably tried to persuade her to stay the weekend but she never did, insisting that she could not leave her parent. Always, but always, they ended up in bed, and it would be very late when she got home.

This evening Kara felt nervous, and began toying with her food. Blake was not going to be happy; that was a certain fact. She felt sure that he did not see her as a permanent fixture in his life. Ought she to get out of here now and say nothing? Except that a few months
down the line he would notice anyway. There would be no hiding the fact that she was pregnant.

‘Is something wrong?’ A faint frown grooved Blake’s brow and his eyes were full of concern. ‘You’ve been chasing that piece of chicken around your plate for the last five minutes. Are you not feeling well?’ He reached his hand across the table to touch hers. ‘You’ve looked a little pale all week. Do you think you’re coming down with something?’

Finally Kara looked at him and made herself smile, ignoring the butterflies that were creating havoc in her stomach, trying to look as natural and joyful as possible. Perhaps if she looked happy he would be happy. ‘I have some news for you.’

His brows rose. ‘Go ahead.’ He smiled expectantly.

It was now or never. ‘I’m—pregnant, Blake.’ There was no other way she could say it. No way to cushion the blow. ‘I’m having your baby.’

But he didn’t look happy. She had been hoping for too much. His expression was one of total disbelief and his eyes fixed firmly on her face, making her shiver inside. ‘You cannot be.’

‘I think I should know whether I’m pregnant or not,’ she said, trying her hardest to ignore his reaction. It was a shock for him, the same as it had been for her. He needed a few minutes to let it sink in. She prayed this was the case. ‘I’m definitely having your child, Blake.’