Brides, Babies And Billionaires. Rebecca Winters
Was it?
The silence in the car grew heavy and she didn’t want to think about what would come next. Oh, she knew Seth wouldn’t hurt her. Funny, how she trusted him with that. She simply didn’t want the awkwardness. They’d laughed and joked and had an otherwise really lovely day together and she didn’t want to ruin that.
“Then we won’t. No harm, no foul.” He didn’t even sound upset by her refusal.
She peeked at him through her lashes. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but that look bordering on concern wasn’t it. Shouldn’t he be mad? Insulted? Frustrated, at the very least?
Not concerned. Not for her. “And you’re okay with it?”
He gave her a look as if she’d asked if he didn’t like to kick puppies in his free time. “Why wouldn’t I be? Besides...” he went on, leaning ever so slightly toward her. The tension between them tightened and she felt her own body move in his direction. “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.”
And with that parting shot, he was gone before she could blink, out of the car and around to the driver’s side and opening her door and—again—holding out a hand to her like he’d be honored if she joined him. “Otherwise,” he said when she put her hand in his, his strong fingers closing around her own, “I’ll see you at eleven next Saturday. We’ll take more breaks and I’ll buy you dinner again—no arguments, Kate,” he scolded, cutting her off before she could protest. “I’m not going to run you into the ground.”
And maybe it was the hormones or the exhaustion or the way he’d growled at his friend—or maybe it was the offer of something fun and easy—but whatever the reason, Kate didn’t let go of his hand when she had her feet underneath her, nor did she step away from him.
She’d never known anyone like Seth Bolton, and she might not be able to make sense of what was going on in his head—because, again, he was attracted to her? But she was flattered and touched and interested all the same.
She shouldn’t be, but she was.
Instead of putting distance between them, she held his hand and maybe even pulled on it a little, drawing him in closer. Not close enough to kiss, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his chest, warming her on the chilly fall night.
“I’ll...” She shouldn’t say this but damn it, what the hell. “I’ll think about it.”
Seth’s fingers tightened around hers and he favored her with a smile so dazzling she almost had to sit down again. “Do that,” he said, his voice a caress on the wind. And just when she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her, he instead took a step back. “Until next week, Kate.”
He waited until she’d gotten the office door unlocked before firing up his motorcycle and riding off into the dim light.
Oh, sweet merciful heavens—she really was going to think about this. About Seth and all those dream fantasies that had kept her company for the last several weeks. About how she might not get another chance for a lover for years because once the baby came, she’d devote herself to her child.
Would she really let this golden opportunity pass her by? And if she did, would she spend the rest of her life kicking herself for letting Seth Bolton slip through her fingers?
Was she out of her mind?
So that was a no, then.
Seth took one look at Kate and sighed. She was wearing a black pantsuit with a white blouse that was buttoned up almost to her chin. Her glorious hair had been scraped back into a severe ponytail and there wasn’t a smile to be seen anywhere despite the fact that it was another lovely late-October Saturday. She looked more like she was on her way to a funeral than a house tour.
And if that didn’t make her position clear enough, there was no missing the way Kate’s pretty mouth twisted into a scowl when Seth walked into Zanger Realty at ten fifty-eight in the morning.
Definitely a no.
He shouldn’t be disappointed. This had been the most likely outcome, after all. There was no getting around the reality of the situation, and that reality was that Kate was expecting and she didn’t want to get involved with anyone.
He should be relieved. Her personal life was a mess and only an idiot would put himself in the middle of that. Her rejection was going to save him a lot of trouble and not a little heartache.
And yet—relief was not the feeling that had his stomach plummeting. No, he was not disappointed. And if he were, it was about the fact that he was going to be missing out on some great casual sex. After all, he didn’t have to worry about getting her pregnant, right?
But that didn’t explain the weight of sadness that settled around his shoulders. He and Kate could’ve been great together, but now? They’d never know.
Still, he was a gentleman and a man of his word. He was not going to make this awkward, nor was he going to try to change her mind. He would not badger, nag or wheedle. He had no interest in being with a woman he had to wear down. He’d seen those kinds of guys in action in college and “pathetic desperation” didn’t make anyone attractive. Good sex became great when everyone involved was equally enthusiastic about it.
So he straightened his shoulders and put on a friendly grin, even if it took effort to do so. “Good morning, Kate. What will we be looking at today?” Because the answer obviously wasn’t each other.
Her scowl deepened as she stared at something on her desk. She looked positively insulted by his presence, which didn’t make any sense. She hadn’t even been insulted when he propositioned her. Shocked, maybe. Curious? Definitely. But not insulted. What the hell was going on?
“I have nine houses in your new price range on the schedule. We should get going.”
The no couldn’t have been louder if she’d shouted it. What a shame. “Nine sounds good,” he said, striving his hardest for friendly. “Thirteen was too much last weekend.” She still wasn’t meeting his gaze, so he charged ahead. “I made dinner reservations at the Main Course for six thirty, but if you don’t think we’ll be done before then, I can change the time.” She hadn’t been comfortable at the diner—or at least, she’d been okay until Jack showed up.
Tonight would be different. They’d have a quiet dinner, just the two of them and a bunch of house listings. No interfering family friends, no distractions.
Although, given the body language she was putting off, maybe they could use a few distractions. Because even closed down, she still called to him on a fundamental level that had nothing to do with reason or logic.
He’d made his offer last week because he’d convinced himself that he could show her a good time, no strings attached. But today? When the answer was no?
He should be able to let it go. He’d asked, she’d said no, end of discussion.
But looking at her now, he wasn’t sure his offer had been only about her. Because he still wanted her. Desperately.
She hadn’t answered yet. “Kate? We’re still on for dinner, right?” He expected any number of polite excuses—she’d had a long night, she had other plans, she would be too tired. She had an actual funeral, thereby justifying the outfit. Something.
So when she looked at him through her lashes and said, “That sounds nice,” in a tone that stroked over his ears like a lover’s kiss, he didn’t know what to make of it. And when she shot him a nervous smile before dropping her gaze again, he had even less of an idea.
Because that wasn’t a no. It sure as hell wasn’t a yes, either.
What if he was looking at a maybe?
* * *
Five