His Pregnancy Ultimatum

Mia schooled her features as she deliberately met Nikolos’ dark gaze. ‘Can we get this over with?’

Was that her voice? She sounded so calm, when inside her nerves were shredding into a tangled mess.

‘Why did you leave?’

Her eyes widened slightly, then became shadowed. Twelve weeks had passed since that fateful night, yet every detail was etched in her mind. The magic of his touch, the unleashing of emotions she hadn’t known she possessed…

Dear God, how could she have stayed and faced him in the morning? Calmly risen from the bed, showered, dressed, shared breakfast, then walked away as if the night had meant nothing more than the sharing of good sex?

Instead of an earth-shattering experience that had changed her perspective, her life?

‘There was no reason to stay.’

‘No name, no contact number,’ Nikolos pursued silkily. ‘No means by which I could get in touch with you. Why?’

‘I was unaware there was any protocol involved. What would you have had me write on a note? “You were great?”’ She was on a roll. “‘Call me some time and we’ll do it again?” Would that have fed your ego? Salved your conscience?’

He didn’t move, but she had the sensation his body coiled like a tightly wound spring.

‘You gifted me your virginity. That had to mean something.’

His words were silky smooth and dangerous, and Mia barely repressed a shiver as sensation unfurled deep within at the memory…his disbelief, the husky curse, and his gentleness as he’d led her through the threshold of pain to pleasure beyond her wildest imagination.

And afterwards…dear heaven, afterwards he’d held her all night long as she’d become a willing wanton eager for his touch. Again and again.

‘It wasn’t such a big deal.’ And knew she lied…big time.

‘No?’ His gaze didn’t shift.

‘The prophylactic broke, remember?’

One of them.

The waiter arrived and laid out their tea, then took his leave.

‘If you weren’t taking precautions prior to intimacy,’ Nikolos continued, ‘I imagine you covered any possibility of pregnancy with a prescription for the morning-after pill?’

‘I considered it unnecessary.’ Foolishly, she accorded in silent self-castigation. What on earth had she been thinking of? Yet when she had thought, she’d rationalised her cycle hadn’t been in the fertile zone.

So much for the norm, the majority!

She became aware of Nikolos’ intent gaze, and held it with difficulty.

‘And was it unnecessary?’ he pursued quietly.

Oh, dear Lord, how did she answer that?

His eyes darkened and assumed a ruthless intensity as her silence stretched too long. ‘Mia?’

‘My body, my responsibility,’ she managed quietly, aware she was just barely holding it together.

‘Dammit, you weren’t alone in that bed.’

‘What do you want me to say? “Was it as good for you as it was for me?” Or are you afraid I’ll slap you with a paternity suit, demand a large financial settlement, or run to the media and besmirch the Karedes name?’ She was like a runaway train that couldn’t stop. ‘Or maybe all three?’

‘The truth will do for a start.’

She held his gaze fearlessly. The truth? ‘I took a pregnancy test three weeks ago, and had the positive result confirmed by a doctor the following day.’

He waited a beat as he attempted some measure of control. ‘Tell me, was I never to know?’

Her hand shook a little as she took time out to add milk to her cup. ‘Reality check, Nikolos. Just as you didn’t know my name, you hadn’t given me yours.’

The breath hissed from his mouth. ‘Have you had—?’

‘An abortion? No.’ The foetus inside her was a living entity. The thought of having it forcibly removed from her body made her feel ill. ‘This child is my responsibility.’

‘Mine, also. I’ll ensure you have specialist obstetrical care, and take care of all medical expenses.’

‘I don’t want anything from you.’

‘If you think I’ll walk away from this, you’re mistaken.’

‘You have no rights—’

‘Yes, I do.’

The thought of sharing the child hadn’t entered her head. Now that it did, it began to assume gigantic proportion.

‘I intend bringing up the child alone.’

‘No.’

‘What do you mean…no? The decision isn’t yours to make.’

‘The child will bear the Karedes name.’

Mia replaced the cup carefully down onto its saucer, then sank back in her chair. ‘Fredrickson,’ she corrected.

‘Karedes,’ Nikolos declared with chilling softness.

‘As I don’t intend changing my surname, Fredrickson will appear on the birth certificate.’ She rose to her feet and caught up her bag. ‘It’s been some evening. Your grandmother suspects I’ve snatched Cris for a toy boy and showed no mercy in her interrogation.’ She glared at him, and barely restrained herself from picking up the ashtray and throwing it at him. ‘As if that’s not enough, you shanghai me and take up where they left off.’

‘Sit down.’

‘Go to hell.’

‘Sit down—please.’