He let himself into the apartment and tossed his keys on the hall table. Leaving his bags by the door to be unpacked later, he sifted through the piles of mail his assistant had picked up from the post office for him. Keary’s eyes widened when he came to a letter from Zacari. Wondering what she had to say, he stared at the envelope rather than open it.

  “You’ll never know if you don’t do it,” he muttered.

  Using a letter opener he ripped into the missive and pulled out a single hand-written sheet. He paused long enough to admire how neat her writing was. Rather than slanted like most people were taught, she wrote straight up and down. Even without guides, her lines were level rows. Having put off reading the letter long enough, Keary began at the beginning:

  Dear Keary,

  I want to keep this letter short and to the point. I hope you don’t mind that I used my resources at work to get your address. I guess if you do, I’ll find myself fired. Okay, I don’t want to focus on that. I’m stalling.

  Listen, that night you rescued me was…amazing. I’ve never had it so good. I don’t know if I’m puffing up your head (lol) or telling you anything you don’t already know, but it worked, didn’t it?

  Anyway, I think you have the right to know we had a small…um…consequence to that night. Keary, oh goodness, how do I say this? I’m pregnant.

  Keary sank down on the arm of the couch, staring at the letter unblinking until his eyes ached. His vision must be deceiving him. She couldn’t have written what he thought, but then of course she did. Now that he thought back, he’d never used a condom. Never in his span of sexual exploits had he failed to use a condom. He didn’t know her that well. Sure she had those big, pain-filled brown eyes that had drawn him in and made him not want to escape. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t done what they did countless times before.

  Thinking that way brought up new considerations. What if this was a trap? Maybe she’d planned it all along, to get pregnant by her boyfriend and seduce him. Fuck, he’d been an idiot anyway. Keary was used to having the upper hand, but if he remembered correctly, Zacari hadn’t taken no for an answer. She’d all but thrown herself on him naked. No red-blooded man could have turned that down.

  Keary flung the letter aside and paced his living room while running his fingers through his hair. What was he going to do? Did she want money? How much? He guessed several thousand dollars. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it, and after all, his dick landed him in this place. He just ought to pay.

  He sighed and strode back to the letter. Despite how angry he was, the feeling couldn’t erase what happened that night. He was a fool and deserved this mess. After rubbing his burning eyes, he focused again on the letter.

  …I’m pregnant. I can only imagine how angry you must be, but let me say right away that I don’t expect anything from you…

  Keary growled. They always said that, and then a knock sounded on the door.

  You had the right to know about the baby, but that’s as far as it will go. I got a sort of promotion at work with a little more money. I’m moving to the Chicago office with Jeb, so everything will be fine.

  “Chicago!” he shouted. Of all places the one office where Debbie worked ended up being where Zacari was now. No one had seen fit to inform him over the last six months that Zacari was there, but then why would they? No one knew about that night. As if Zacari sensed the direction of his thoughts, she said:

  Nobody has to know that you are my baby’s father. You don’t have to worry. I know this looks bad, like I set a trap for you, but I couldn’t know you’d be at that bar. Then again, I guess I could have been tracking you. I’m sure there are skanks who do it. I’m not the one. In time, you’ll see that’s not me, when I don’t come begging for money. Thank you for that night. I will remember it.

  Zacari

  Keary wandered around his apartment avoiding calls and texts. When a hot shower didn’t give him the solution he sought, he stepped out with pruned skin and made himself a drink. Zacari, his thoughts echoed over and over. She carried his baby. His baby. Keary hadn’t planned on having kids for a while yet, and definitely with a woman he wanted to keep in his life long term.

  “No use crying over it,” he reminded himself. He had to face the facts, own up to his responsibility. Whether Zacari was honest or not didn’t matter. Keary could not in good conscious walk away from his child. Besides, some small excitement built in him wondering what he or she would look like and how the baby’s personality would develop.

  At last able to think with common sense, Keary picked up the phone and made arrangements for a flight to Chicago. Whether Zacari wanted money and nothing else, Keary didn’t care. She was about to get a lot more than she bargained for. Keary had every intention of being involved in his child’s life one hundred percent of the time or as close as he could get to it.

  He unpacked and repacked his suitcase. Within forty-five minutes, he sped toward the airport, wondering what he would find in Chicago.

  * * * *

  To Keary’s annoyance, he couldn’t arrive at the office unnoticed. He’d accessed the company’s directory on the way over in order learn where Zacari sat. With that info, he’d hoped to find her and invite her to lunch so they could talk. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he planned.

  “Keary! When did you get back?” Jeb pounded him on the back. “It’s been a while, man. Let me take you to lunch. I’d love to hear how you single-handedly restored the Cairo branch.”

  Keary tightened his jaw. “Hardly.”

  “Don’t be modest. Jack is singing your praises all over the country. At the meeting this morning, a good half of it was spent talking about all you accomplished over there.”

  Jeb’s words held a note of bitterness. Others with more skill had tried schmoozing Keary in the past. Jeb was fooling no one. “Well if you heard it all this morning, there’s nothing for me to add,” he told the man, and Jeb reddened.

  Keary pulled away and continued on to find Zacari. He felt he drew near to where she sat when two others called his name. Just when Keary realized it was Debbie and another manager trying to get his attention, Zacari rounded a corner with a swollen belly. Keary’s eyes widened. He didn’t know what he had expected, but the impact of seeing her this way did something to him he wasn’t sure he should acknowledge.

  The papers in Zacari’s hands fluttered to the floor when she spotted him. Her full dark lips parted in a soft gasp. He found himself wanting to taste those lips.

  “Keary,” she murmured. He was pretty sure no one had heard her say his name.

  Before he could respond to her, Debbie swooped in and hooked her arm with his. She lifted her chin almost as if she expected him to kiss her, but then she smiled. The smile said everything. “Finally, you’re back,” she cooed. “So we can continue our conversations in person.”

  Keary blinked at her. Where had the level-headed, yet sexy, professional woman he’d been talking to gone? After considering it, Keary figured out why Debbie approached him with such open affection. If Keary was willing to date a woman from the office, then he could choose someone else as easily as he chose her. By her possessive grip on his arm, she let the entire office know he was hers.

  Keary caught the knowing looks from the other men, the slaps on the back, and a whistle. He’d always enjoyed the relaxed culture in his father’s company, but with this mess, he wished it was a whole lot more formal. A place where no one would dare let on that they knew what went on in his personal life. Of course if that were true, he wouldn’t have considered dating a coworker in the first place.

  By the time, he’d extricated himself from the crowd, Zacari was nowhere in sight. He looked like a bastard knocking her up and then pretending she didn’t exist. Frustrated and inpatient to get out of there, Keary headed to an empty office with apologies to all that he had a report to get done for his father. Everyone respected Jack, so they didn’t push. Keary managed to avoid saying yes to invitations and shut the office door.

  This wasn’t the place to have the conversation with Zacari anyway. He accessed the company’s employee records and located her address. After sifting through emails the next hour, he finished up a little work. The next time he raised his head from the screen it was after five. Now was as good a time as any to face Zacari at her place. If she wasn’t there, he’d wait. To his surprise, he was a lot more eager to see her than he had been to see Debbie. Who knew what would come of this meeting.

  Chapter Four

  Zacari tugged open the refrigerator to see what she’d have for dinner. The healthy choice would be lean meat and veggies, maybe some fruit, but what she craved was another taco with heaps of sour cream. She’d only eaten them every day for the last week.

  “And my hips are carrying the evidence,” she complained.

  Her hips were doing more than carrying extra weight. They’d shifted making room for when the baby would be born. The movement had caused her to ache, and sleeping at night was a joke. Zacari more often tossed and turned, punched her body pillow as if it was the cause of her discomfort, and then finally fell asleep at somewhere around four a.m. All that and she still had to work full days and save as much money as possible.

  She pulled out the ingredients for salad and sat down at the table with a large wooden bowl. Tearing romaine from the stalk, she paused and sighed. She wasn’t hungry. Not after seeing Keary today and being ignored. He hadn’t even said hi. No, he was too busy letting Debbie hang onto him. Zacari had heard what the woman said, that they’d been talking all this time, and they were going to pick up in person what they’d left off from online. So that meant they were dating.

  Zacari couldn’t regret telling him the truth, but by him not saying a word, she wondered if he didn’t believe her. Maybe he thought she seduced men all the time and when she got pregnant tried to pin it on him because he was rich. She’d seen the movies where that junk went on. Even if it wasn’t real, plenty of women could have gotten the idea from that and tried it.

  She didn’t blame him…much. “Who am I kidding?” She was about to pick up the bowl and throw it across the room when the doorbell rang. Zacari stopped. No one visited her. She hadn’t yet made any friends being tired so much and wanting nothing more than to take a nap after work.

  At the door, she looked through the peephole and froze. She took a few steps back. The baby kicked, and she rubbed her belly while still not moving. The bell rang again. “Zacari?” he called.

  Longing hit her, hearing his voice. This was absurd. There’d been nothing but sex between them, and lately she couldn’t even think of a cock without getting pissed off.

  She opened the door. “What do you want, Keary?” Her tone had been harsher than she meant. She’d preferred to appear indifferent to him. “I thought I made it clear you have no obligation to me or the baby.”

  He eyed her in silence, his aqua gaze sweeping her from head to toe. When he paused at her belly, and his expression softened, she didn’t know what to think. Did he want to be involved in their child’s life? Was that why he’d come? Either way, she needed to calm down and hear him out. Then she’d make it clear he could walk away. She would not hold it against him.

  Zacari stepped back. “Come in.”

  He stepped past her, and she locked the door before leading him into the living room. Zacari felt like her movements were jerky and goofy because she was nervous. Her ass had widened considerably since the last time he’d seen her, and she could only hope he wasn’t staring at it while she walked.

  After offering him a seat, she perched on the edge of one herself—or she would have, but perching seemed to require a lap. The baby had absorbed most of that. While she struggled to get comfortable and not look like the awkward fat cow she was, Keary leaped to his feet and rushed over to help. “Here, I’ve read that this helps.” He tucked a throw pillow under each arm and rearranged the one she bought just for her lower back.

  Her eyes widened. “Seriously? You read it?”

  For a moment, he looked less like the sexy tycoon she’d ridden in his limo and more like a boy with red cheeks. Keary cleared his throat. The embarrassment was gone in an instant. “I picked up a couple of books in the airport bookstore and skimmed them on the plane. Later, when I have more time, I’ll take my time and read through them.”

  Dumbfounded, she said, “Books on pregnant women?”

  He nodded while taking his seat. “And one on caring for a newborn.”

  Zacari couldn’t think of a word to say.

  Keary leaned forward, steepling his strong hands. Zacari couldn’t help thinking of those same fingers brushing over her skin, but his words brought her back to the subject at hand. “Zacari, is it too early to know what the sex of the baby is?”

  “Y-You can’t be interested. I said—”

  “I know what you said. Now I’m saying I will be involved with my baby’s life. One hundred percent involved.”

  One hundred percent? Against her better judgment, she began thinking about him helping her to bathe the baby, the two of them taking him for a stroll in the park, and later balling like idiots on his first day of kindergarten. Zacari shook her head and closed her eyes. No, Keary wasn’t asking her to marry him, and even if he was, it was for the baby’s sake. Not hers. In this day and age, parents spent time with their children even when the mother and father weren’t together. They just did it separately. No big deal.

  Despite how she told herself Keary being involved wasn’t a problem, Zacari couldn’t explain the feelings that overwhelmed her, knowing he was near. Then she thought of Debbie. “What about Debbie? It looked like you two were dating or about to start.”

  Zacari couldn’t identify the emotions that flitted over his face. Regret? Annoyance?

  “My being a part of my…”

  “Son,” she supplied.

  His face lit up. She could almost see him passing out cigars and buying sports related clothing, and rolled her eyes.

  “Being a part of my son’s life has nothing to do with Debbie. However, I think neither she nor I could have expected this. I think for right now, it’s best we not start up a relationship.”

  Zacari frowned. “You think I expected it? I promise you, I did not set some kind of trap, and I made it crystal clear that I don’t expect a dime from you. I can take care of myself and the baby. So long as Jack doesn’t think I…and I lose my job and…”

  “That’s not going to happen,” he ground out. He ran a hand through his hair and stood. “I admit I haven’t thought that far ahead about letting my father know. I don’t want to make it uncomfortable for you at work.” He scratched the back of his neck, his beautiful eyes glazing over as he thought. “I could foot all your bills so you don’t have to work.”

  “Oh hell no!” she shouted and struggled to her feet. Keary put out a hand, but she slapped it away. “See, that’s what I knew this would lead to when you showed up at my door. No way you’re taking care of me. Not now, not ever.”

  “Zacari, calm down,” he coaxed her.

  She glared at him. “I’m not some skank you made the mistake of getting pregnant and now you want to hide me away so no one knows. I don’t need your money, and I don’t need you.” She turned to march back to the door, so she could slam it behind him on his way out, but he grabbed her hand.

  With gentleness that shocked her, he pulled her back to him and rested his hand on her belly. People always thought they could touch a pregnant woman’s stomach without asking. If a person couldn’t put their hands on a woman any other time, pregnancy wasn’t permission. Zacari might rant and rage mentally, but she liked his touch. It calmed her and made her feel safe. Since she’d learned of her pregnancy, fears of all kinds assailed her—from whether she’d remember her little one’s age to whether she would be a good mother and not be the cause of him getting therapy later in life. On top of that, she was terrified of what people would say if they knew who her son’s father was, what they would think of her. Keary made all the noise in her head ease, even if for a few seconds.

  “What I suggest to you,” he began, “is just that—suggestions. You are free to say no and work if you like. Two things are nonnegotiable. Jack will know, and I will not walk away from my son. He will have my support financially, emotionally, and every other way a father can be there. Period.”

  Tremors passed through Zacari. She should move out of Keary’s embrace, but she didn’t want to. His warmth heated up her body, making her want so much more. Of course no man could be as wonderful as he seemed to be. Didn’t he want to accuse her of lying or trapping him? She’d waited for his tirade, but instead, she got this…this gentle, considerate person that any woman would kill for, to be the father of her children. Well, she’d reserve her judgment. Everyone had flaws. Keary was just acting all sweet and wonderful. Wait until the morning when she was bitchy and everything ached but she couldn’t soothe herself with a huge dose of caffeine. Then the truth would come out.

  Almost chuckling, she pulled away from him. “Fine, but if Jack fires me, you are going to help me find another job, not support me.”

  “Deal.”

  “And you are not going to be overbearing acting like I can’t eat tacos or something.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Tacos?”

  “I’m just sayin’.”

  He grinned, making her weak all over again. “Okay, fine. But you have to eat healthy along with whatever cravings you have. And most importantly, Zacari, you must let me help you in some ways. I know you’re an independent woman, and you don’t want me to think you tricked me. I get that. But going so far in the opposite direction might not be the best for our son.”