Winning Wyatt (The Billionaire Brotherhood Book 1) (7 page)

“I’ve
been thinking about that night of passion.” He spoke in a detached, measured
tone, in marked contrast to Kara’s distress. Distrusting his studied air, she
willed her pulse to slow down. “The way you just happened to forget your birth
control pills. Right before you brought up the subject of parenthood.” Resting
his elbows on the chair arms and steepling his long aristocratic fingers, he
speculated aloud. “Wasn’t that a bit coincidental?”

“Not
really.” She refused to let him put her on the defensive. If he had questions,
she’d answer them like a mature adult, not like some needy unwed mother without
hope, or help, or her own resources. “We hadn’t been together for a few months.
I’d been considering the idea of having another child ever since I returned to
New York.”

“Are
you admitting that you planned to come to Atlanta to get pregnant?” His steely
glance seemed to bore into her, into the deepest, darkest recess of her heart
where all her guilty secrets burned.

“I
didn’t plan it, no. Not in the way you describe it.”

“Then
you describe it.”

“When
I came back from California and realized how much I wanted another child, I
knew that if wanted to go through some type of pregnancy, the sooner I got off
the pill, the better.” She shrugged. It seemed like a sensible decision at the
time.

“Some
type of pregnancy?” he repeated. “What the hell does that mean? How many types
of pregnancy are there?”

She
ran through the list.“Artificial insemination. In vitro fertilization. In utero
fertilization. All of them require a sperm donor of some sort.”

“A
sperm donor?” His amber eyes flashed fire at the clinical term. “And I was the
lucky choice? Should I be grateful I got to make the donation in person instead
of in a cup?”

She
cringed. The passion of that night couldn’t be reduced to the kind of clinical
procedure under discussion. “You know it wasn’t like that.”

“Then
how was it?” He used a sharper tone than she’d ever heard from him before.

“When
I was investigating pregnancy—” she hesitated over the correct word “—options,
you called and asked me to come to Atlanta. It was after you contacted me that
I realized you were everything I was looking for in a father for my child. I
intended to ask you if you were interested in the—” again she searched for an
inoffensive term “—project. But you know what happened when I got there.”

“Yes,
I do.” He smiled briefly and a sensual light flared in his eyes. “We have a
history of making love first, asking questions later. That night was no
different.”

Her
throat that had gone dry from the heated memory. “I tried to bring up the
subject without making you suspicious as soon as I became aware of the possible
consequences.”

“And
I told you I didn’t want children. Didn’t that give you pause?” He was turning
the whole conversation into an inquisition, for crying out loud.

“Of
course it did. That’s why I told you I’d forgotten my pills. So you’d know we
needed to use protection for the rest of the week. Naively, I hoped the one time—two
times—” she corrected herself with a blush “—wouldn’t matter. When the first
pregnancy test showed positive, I knew your Maitland sense of responsibility
would make you feel obligated to us whether you wanted a child or not. Like it
has.” That explanation was as close to the truth as she planned to get.

“Or
were you afraid I’d realize you didn’t have the guts to ask me for what you
really wanted?”

He
deserved answers, but enough was enough. She refused to let him bully her to
get them. “If you think siring a child is all about somebody wanting or taking
something from you and not about receiving anything in return, you’re more of a
self-centered egotist than I imagined. And it’s absolutely no wonder you have
trouble maintaining inter-personal relationships.”

He
reared back in his seat, as if Kara had fired a blowtorch at him. “I don’t have
trouble with inter-personal relationships.”

“Hah!”
She sprang to her feet and emphasized each point with a wag of her finger.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why you live two thousand miles away from all the
people you care about?” Her growing irritation urged her a step closer to him.
“Why you try to keep order in everyone’s lives without sharing any part of
yours? And why you invite strange women to live with you with the understanding
they can leave anytime they want, as long as they leave with no regrets or
recriminations? Talk about convenient!”

By
this time she stood directly in front of him, leaning forward until they were
nose to nose. “I may have been wrong not to tell you the truth, but I did not
get pregnant as the result of any diabolical scheme to produce the secret love
child of the great and powerful Wyatt Connor Maitland.”

Tension
danced in the air around them, and she expected Wyatt to blast her with a tirade
of his own. Instead, he seemed to purposely relax his shoulders and wrap his
hand around the finger that jabbed him in the chest. He pulled it to his mouth,
pressed a kiss to her palm, and gave her a crooked smile. “I guess you told
me.”

Sheepish
after her long-winded assault, a blush crept up her cheeks. But she was more
embarrassed at the way her pulse raced beneath his touch than anything else.
She forced herself to stare him down until he released her hand. “I’m sorry. I
shouldn’t have said most of that.”

“We’re
always so careful about what and how much we say to one another, it’s probably
good to clear the air. It’s easy to agree to the concept of ‘no
recriminations’, but after three years of misunderstandings on both sides, it’s
hard not to have any.”

“Maybe
so.”

“And
I’m sorry if I was wrong about your motives.” Before Kara could decide whether
or not to accept his apology, Sean’s voice boomed at them from the baby-com.
Wyatt stood and headed for the stairs. “Oh, boy! He’s awake. Let’s go get him.”

After
Sean had been played with, fed, bathed, and put to bed for the night, Kara
handed Wyatt a thumb drive.

“The
date and his age are noted on each photo.”

“Thanks,
I appreciate this.”

“Well...”Maybe
airing their differences had been good for them, but an unfamiliar awkwardness
they’d never experienced before held them in its grip.

Reaching
for his coat, Wyatt stilled, and their eyes connected with a long look. “Kara...”

In
the name of self-preservation, she stepped back.

He
cleared his throat. “There’s something else we need to talk about.”

“Not
now.” She held up her hands in protest. “Please, not anything else today. I
don’t think I can take anymore.”

“Fine.”
The muscles of his jaw twitched. “If you don’t want to hear about it tonight,
I’ll forward you the article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.”

She
studied him. He looked uncomfortable, almost embarrassed. Unpleasant suspicions
trickled down her back.

“All
right. Tell me.”

“Wyatt
Enterprises is making an announcement that might be of special interest to
you.”

Her
hand went to her throat. “You’re not making a public announcement about Sean,
are you?”
         

“No.
That’s strictly personal. This is about the company. I’d like to explain it to
you before the press release, but I can’t put off the announcement any longer.”

“And
it concerns me?”

“The
family set up a charitable foundation in the name of your son, Adam Enderley.
Its sole purpose is to benefit children and families in situations similar to
Adam’s and yours.”

Kara
couldn’t form a coherent thought. Slowly, she sank onto the bottom step of the
stairs. “What? Why? How? Does your company think this makes amends for their
part in my son’s death?”

“No.
You saw the company report. Neither National Package Delivery nor my family
feel we’re to blame for the accident. But in the tragedy, two lives were lost.
Several others were destroyed.”

As
he spoke with assurance and sensitivity, Kara saw a rare glimpse into the
business and compassionate sides of Wyatt’s complicated personality.

“I
intend for it to be directed toward helping children whose lives are
unexpectedly in jeopardy due to automobile accidents. We can help either
through financial assistance or with special medical needs like long-term care
or rehabilitation. We can help with funeral expenses if needed. We’re also
offering you the opportunity to be part of the decision-making team.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Wyatt
Enterprises would like you to be a trustee or sit on the board of directors.”

“Wyatt
Enterprises would like it? In this case, Wyatt Enterprises is you, isn’t it?”

“As
a member of the board, I have the authority to make this offer.”

She
tilted her head to study him as the full weight of the news sank in. “Was this
your idea?”

“Which
part?”

“Naming
it for Adam.” She bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. “And
involving me.”

Wyatt
sat beside her and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. “When
you wouldn’t continue seeing me, it was primarily because of my connection to
the company. And one thing that stood out in my mind was something you said
about their deaths being so pointless. Adam’s especially. So much promise in
his young life wiped out in a single moment, and for what?”

He
ran his free hand through his hair, and Kara suddenly longed to touch him in
the same way. “Nothing will ever make up for the loss. But it might help if
something good and positive, even this late, could come from his death. What do
you think? If you don’t want to be involved, or you don’t want Adam’s name
attached to the foundation, tell me now before the plan is released to the
press.”

She
had wasted years of her life wallowing in pointless isolation and
self-destructive grief because she felt the best part of her life had been
taken from her. And someone who didn’t even know her son, someone she had
blamed for his death, someone who had never experienced the joy of his hug or
witnessed the pleasure of his smile, that thoughtful caring someone had now
created a living legacy dedicated to his sweet life and spirit.

Kara
put her arm around Wyatt’s shoulders. Overwhelmed by her emotions and fighting
back the tears in her eyes, she pressed her face into his neck.

It
felt so natural being close to him again. A long moment passed before she could
break away. “Wyatt, this is wonderful. Thank you, yes, I’d love to be involved,
and I want to be the first person to make a donation. I’ve always felt guilty
about the money NPD settled on me. I’ve touched very little of it, so now I’ll
put it to good use. Helping other children. Thank you.”

It
would be safer for her and Sean if she could keep her distance from Wyatt. But
with this magnanimous gesture, he slipped inside her defenses. Something she’d
have to guard against in the future.

The
next morning Kara invited Regina to the house for lunch during Sean’s naptime.
Her friend was not that comfortable with children, and Kara had a confession to
make.

“Three
years ago, I lied to you about Wyatt Maitland,” she began over Cobb salad.