Surrogate and Wife Read Online Free Page B

right?”
    She smiled lamely and hoped it didn’t look too much like a grimace. “Right. Lucky me.”
    By the time Kevin left for court, Kate’s head was reeling. All she could do was stare numbly at her desk, asking herself over and over again, Could he be right?
    Unfortunately, the only answer she could come up with was Yes . Very soon she was going to appear to be an unmarried mother-to-be. That seemed like exactly the kind of morally questionable behavior Hatcher would use against her.

Three
    S tanding outside Jake’s apartment, waiting for him to answer the door, Kate was practically shaking in her boots. Or she would have been if she’d been wearing boots. As it was, she was merely shaking in her sensible, size-nine black pumps.
    â€œCan we talk?” she blurted out when the door finally opened.
    Jake stared at her blankly for a long moment.
    Long enough for her to be reminded how handsome he was. How purely masculine. Of course, it didn’t help matters that he was bare-chested.
    But the thing that really got to her, that actually made her heart stop beating for a second, was how the sheer size of him made her feel feminine. Delicate. Almost frail, even.
    She was a solid five-nine, barefoot. No one made her feel delicate.
    No one except Jake.
    She didn’t like the feeling one bit. And she couldn’t help wishing that Beth and Stewart had picked some other man to be the donor. Someone who didn’t make her feel so distinctly at a disadvantage. Preferably someone who didn’t make her feel anything.
    Someone who didn’t look as if he’d just tumbled out of bed.
    â€œOh, God,” she muttered, finally breaking the silence. “You’re not alone.” The naked chest, the disheveled hair, the sleepy stupor. She’d have put it all together sooner if she hadn’t been so distracted by the…well, the naked chest and disheveled hair. Mortification spread through her and she spun on her heel to leave. “I’ll come back another time. Or better yet, just forget I ever came here.”
    But before she could make it even a few steps, he grabbed her by the arm.
    â€œOh, no, you don’t. You got me out of bed. You might as well say whatever it is you came here to say.”
    â€œI…”
    He pulled her into the apartment, not roughly, but with enough force to remind her—again—how much stronger he was. Toeing the door shut, he wheeled her around to face him.
    â€œI, um…” she began again, only to have all thoughts evaporate the instant she realized how close she was to his bare chest.
    â€œWhat’s wrong? You look…sick, or something.”
    Or something, indeed. “I’m a little faint,” she lied, pulling her arm from his grasp. “I’ve been having dizzy spells lately.” Which wasn’t entirely untrue. He did make her head spin.
    He reached for her arm again, carefully steering her to the nearby leather sofa. “You should sit. Can I get yousomething to drink? Water? No, wait, milk. Can I get you a glass of milk?”
    Great. Here she was wrestling with this unexpected attraction to him, and he wanted to make sure she was properly hydrated. Just great.
    â€œNo, nothing. Look, I’m sorry I interrupted your…evening. I should have called first.”
    â€œYou didn’t interrupt anything. I was asleep.” He smiled wryly as he grabbed a flannel shirt that had been left dangling over the back of a chair. He slipped into the shirt, buttoning enough for modesty, but not enough to block the occasional glimpse of his muscles. “Alone.”
    â€œOh. I see.” Except she wasn’t sure she did. It was Friday night. And it was only nine-thirty.
    He must have noticed her looking at her watch because he explained, “I have to be at the firehouse pretty early in the morning.”
    â€œOh. Then I’m sorry I—”
    â€œWhy don’t you stop