by Wynn, Renee
“You’re twisting everything around. There’s no need to get upset. Brent is my—”
“I don’t give a damn what Brent is. You’ll not and I repeat, will not discuss our relationship with him. You carry my baby not his. I won’t have it!”
“Excuse me?” she sputtered in shock. “You won’t have it—”
“Nicole,” he said in biting tones. “In the past, every time you had a problem you ran to Brent. When you were in your senior year in high school and having trouble with a geometry class, it was Brent you turned to for help. When you went away to college and would call Brent every damn day and night because you missed him. It was always been Brent to the rescue. It’ll no longer be him.”
“What were you doing, listening in on his phone calls?” she sneered.
“I didn’t need to. Brent took pride in relaying every detail. It made him feel important.”
She glared at him. “I won’t let you belittle him.”
Ashton uttered harshly. “I don’t give a damn. Brent is a married man. I’ll not have my wife talk personal issues with another man, brother or not. If you have a problem you come to me. Our marriage will have only two adults in it not three.”
“Marriage? Wife?” She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “What are you talking about?” She must’ve been mistaken about what he’d just said. He couldn’t just have asked her to marry to him. Hell, he didn’t ask but commanded. “We are not getting married. Besides this is something that would need to be discussed,” she said.
“Isn’t that what we have been doing, talking?”
“No. All you’ve been doing is shouting and issuing commands.” Nicole looked at him as if he was a stranger. This wasn’t the man she knew. He didn’t make rash statements or decisions. “I can’t marry you, Ashton. Look, we’ve had sex. That’s not a basis for marriage. Hell, we don’t even know each other.
He raised a brow at her. “We’ve known each other for seven years. Length of time doesn’t matter. You’re carrying my baby. That is the only thing that is important.”
“I’m not marrying you because I’m pregnant,” she stated, again.
“My child will carry my name, ” he said stubbornly.
wasn’t surprised. Ashton was a traditionalist.
“The baby can still carry your name. We don’t need to be married.”
“I won’t compromise on this. My child will not be a bastard.”
This is the 21st Century. No one thinks like that anyone.”
“I won’t back down on this.”
She breathed deeply, wondering how in the hell could they move from this topic and talk sensibility without anger. Nicole tried to speak calmly. “Okay, let’s say, hypothetically, that we get married, how long do you think it would last? You have a temper and I certainly do. We would end up divorced or killing each other.”
“That won’t happen,” he said with confidence. There was a seriousness in his tone, causing her to create space between them. She needed to regroup. But Ashton wouldn’t allow it and closed the distance.
“I have made up my mind and nothing, or no one, will deter me. Once we’re married, there’ll be no divorce. Our first priority is the baby. When it comes to us everything will fall into place.” Ashton took a long, deep breath. “We need to be civil to each other. I apologize for losing my temper.”
Nicole lifted a brow. “My goodness. I need to write down that the great Ashton Campbell Sinclair III actually apologized.”
“Don’t get it twisted.”
She liked the fact she could irk him.
A somber look shrouded his face. “I’m sorry I accused you of wanting to abort our baby. I was an ass. It was uncalled for.”
“I agree. You’re an ass and you should be sorry. To think I would do something like that is…” She shook her head, sad at the thought. “The concept of abortion never entered my mind.”
“Will you forgive me?”
“I’ll think about it. We both said things in anger. Is this the beginning of how a relationship would be between us?”
“No.” he said and wrapped his arms around her.
One minute he was angry but now he acted as if no harsh words were ever spoken. The man was an enigma.
“Let’s start again. I don’t want our baby hearing his parents arguing. It’s not healthy.”
“I think it’s a little too late for that.” Nicole gently rubbed her stomach, thinking about the life growing inside. “You make me angrier that anyone I know.”
He leaned back and frowned. “I know. We have to work on that,” he uttered.
She was going to be a mother. The prospect scared her. It was happening a whole lot sooner in her life than she imagined, but all the same the baby was welcome and wanted. She looked at the man she loved. Now wasn’t the time to tell him that she was in love with him. He wouldn’t believe her.
“I agree. But I need time to adjust to the changes. Ashton, you need time also.”
He frowned. “No, I don’t.”
She snorted. “You’ve been a bachelor all your life. Now to have a child thrust upon you will take some getting used to. I know we did this backwards but we need to hold off on marriage.”
“No.”
Exasperated, Nicole rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. “You’re being stubborn and pigheaded.”
He stared hard at her. “I’m not budging on this.” We have our child to think about. Nothing matters more. I want us to marry soon…very soon.”
“Ashton, it may take longer for us to get comfortable with each other.”
“I’m already comfortable.”
“Let’s wait.”
“At least you didn’t say no.”
She tried to reason with him. “What if we can’t stand to be together for long periods of times? Besides doing mergers and acquisitions for the Sinclair Group and running Sinclair Software and Engineering, I don’t know all your likes and dislikes and you don’t know mine. The only thing I do know for sure is that you love your family. But you can be aloof. You’re known to destroy competitors, which sometimes leave the playing field wide open because they hate going up against you alone. For sure, you love women. I have seen enough of them filter through your life since I’ve known you.”
He grunted. “You’re exaggerating, again.”
“No, I’m not. It’s a known fact you’ve visited, but didn’t stay long, many beds of actresses, socialites, and models. I even heard there were a few of royals thrown in the bunch. When you attend a social or charity event, women devour you with their eyes and whisper your name on their lips. I don’t want my child to be subjected to that.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers. I don’t have any control over what they print. I could sue every paper in the land but it would only bring attention. You’ll never have reason to doubt my fidelity. Not ever. I’ll always be faithful to you. I’ll protect the both of you with my life. I need for you to believe it. What’s really holding you back?
She was silent for a moment. “I’m scared.”
His hooded eyes darkened. “Of me?
“Of the unknown. I never planned on a baby and now you want marriage. It’s too much.”
Pain was itched across his face. But she didn’t know what to say or do to erase it. Time stood still but truth was the factor tonight.
“I know the baby and I aren’t what you envisioned for your life, but I promise you’ll never regret it. I don’t make spontaneous or rash decisions. I know that marriage between us will work. I need for you to give it a chance. I’ll take good care of you.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me, Ashton. I can do that myself.”
“Why can’t you trust me, Nicole?”
“How do you know you’ll remain faithful? What if you come to realize I’m not what you want?”
“That would never happen.” He stared directly into her eyes. “You’re everything I want in a woman. Never doubt that.”
“Ashton…”
“I’ll not change my mind. I want to be involved with the pregnancy. Go to all the doctor appointments and see my child growth on that belly monitor thing.”
She smiled. “It called an ultrasound.”
“Yeah, that too. I’m not letting up on this.”
“You need to stop being territorial and a bully.”
“Do you want me to apologize?”
“No, because I know it won’t change who you are…an egotistical, stubborn and a conservative jer—”
Color flushed his face. “Whoa. I know what I am but do you have to be brutal about it?”
Nicole laughed. She’d hit a nerve. It was good. It made Ashton seem more normal—human like the rest of his species. Finally, a small chink pierced his armor, not much, but a tiny dent. That was all she needed to help her make a decision. Knowing that underneath that rough exterior was a man with a heart was good.
“Did I hurt something?” she said, still laughing.
He drew her closer. “Only you could. Give us a chance.” His words surprised her. What did they really have between them? She didn’t deny their sexual compatibility. It was combustible and sometimes frightening. She believed he may even care about her a little. But it would take baby steps to build the relationship. Right now it didn’t matter if he loved her because she loved him enough for the both of them.
Ashton’s tongue ran across her lips. “Open your mouth, sweetheart. I want to enter.”
On demand her mouth opened and he entered, kissing her thoroughly. She moaned. He licked and sucked until she thought she would pass out from the emotions he was afflicting. Finally, he let go and she stumbled within his arms. Luckily, he held fast to her, smiling at what had just happened.
“You did that on purpose.”
“We are good together.”
She cleared her throat. “We need to…”
He stroked her. “To what?”
“Slow down. No sex. It seems to be the only way we communicate. It confuses everything.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” His sexy smile caused her breath to catch in her throat. “If so you’re going to have to enlighten me because I don’t get it.”
“Even though I’ve been around you for years, you never really talked to me. Usually if I said something to you, you answered back with a grunt.”
“Did you ever wonder why?”
“No. It’s just who you are.”
“One day you’ll understand how we got to this place in our relationship.”
“Really? I doubt it.”
“We see. Anyway, you were always a worthy opponent.”
“All we did was argue…debated about politics, women’s issues and your archaic, ultra-conservative views on domestic topics.”
“Are you calling me a stuffed shirt?”
“If the shirt fits, wear it.”
He threw back his head and laughed. Again she was amazed at the freedom he exuded with the sound.
“It’s if the shoe fits, wear it.”
“Whatever. You know what I meant.”
With laugh lines at the corner of his eyes, he placed his hand over his heart. “You’ve wounded me.”
“Will you be serious?”
“Okay. So ask me anything. Let’s open up the line of communication.”
Frustrated, she retorted. “It’s shouldn’t be forced, but natural. We need to find mutual interests. First, we should try… and…date.”
“Date? Really?”
She felt her face burning. She’d never asked a man on a date before, not even Brent. She was definitely out of her element.
He grinned and kissed her. “I like the sound of that. “What else?”
She watched with suspicious eyes. “You agreed too fast to that.”
Ashton’s expression softened. “I’ll say yes to us dating before and after we marry, but I won’t agree to not making love to you.” His lips curled. “It’s hard to break an addiction by going cold turkey.”
“Ashton, please…”
He whispered in her ear. “Meet me halfway, sweetheart. You’re in my blood. But we’ll not make love until we are married or unless you initiate it. How’s that?”
Nicole leaned back and squinted at him. “What’s the catch?”
“I plan for us to be married before we leave San Francisco.”
She glared at him. “Really? And just how do you propose to achieve that feat? Because where I’m standing, it looks like you’ll be in San Francisco for a very long time.”
“Here’s the deal. If I can be around you for one week and not attempt to make love to you, you’ll marry me.”
“You abstain?” Nicole snickered. “You’ll not last twenty-four hours.”
“I haven’t touched another woman since you and I made love.”
“That’s hard to believe,” she stuttered.
“Believe it. This is too important for me not to take the time to show you how good we are and that we belong together.”
“You’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Free time isn’t a factor,” she said stubbornly.
Ashton’s arms tightened around her, bringing her closer. “You said it, love, I’m the CEO. I can create as much time as I want or need. Do we have a deal?”
“This is ridiculous.”
“How about I follow your lead. You make the first move.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t initiate it and we sleep in separate beds.”
“Not happening.”
She laughed and clapped her hands. “Then I know I’m going to win.”
“Don’t bet on it.
She squinted. “You’re going to lie beside me each night and not make love. That defeats the purpose.”
He grinned. “I know.”
###
Just like every morning, Ashton’s human clock told him it was five-thirty in the morning. He could hear faint sounds of the seagulls on the beach. He lay there looking through the open window. The early sun was struggling to break through the sky but a thin shroud of darkness still held it back.
His turned to the beautiful woman lying beside him. His gaze ran over Nicole with unabashed adoration. All guards were down and it felt good. The baby must’ve taken all of her energy because she hadn’t moved when he softly kissed the side of her face or when his fingers grazed her pouty lips. A breath caught in his chest, when her tongue slipped out her mouth and casually licked his finger.
Seven days had passed and no lovemaking. The ice cold showers hadn’t quenched his desire. The little minx was testing him. The freedom she exhibited when she crawled over him as he laid unmoving by her side left him hard and irritable.
The lady was trying to break him and win the bet. But he was made of stronger stuff. He’d never let sex rule his head but he was close. If she knew she held his heart in the palm of her hand, he would be putty right now. When she planted her butt against his groin last night, he’d become instantly hard. It had taken two cold showers in the middle of the night to get his erection to go down. Damn. He would make it and for good measure, he needed to go one more day. So there would be no doubt that the he won and that she belonged to him. She would be his wife…his mate for life. Now all he needed to do was to make sure that fate and destiny remained on his side.
He gritted his teeth when she threw her leg across his. Damn. This shit was getting difficult with each passing minute.
This little slip of a girl had more power over him than she could ever imagine. He loved her. Words of love resonated through his brain. It came as natural as breathing to him now.
Granted it took some time for him to grasp what was happening to him. Some might even call him a control freak but it didn’t matter when it came to Nicole. His control was practically non-existent and he didn’t care. He was determined to be everything she needed and wanted.
He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. Sighing with contentment, he kissed her hair, rested his chin upon h
er head and whispered, “I love you.”
He slipped back into sleep.
A few hours later, his eyes opened to the bright sun shining through the window. He reached for Nicole but only found her pillow, which was cool to the touch. She must’ve been up for a while.
The smell of bacon waffling through the house tantalized his nose. His stomach growled. Hunger had come to visit. He threw back the sheet and headed to the bathroom.
###
Nicole was at the stove placing eggs on the place when she heard Ashton entered the kitchen. Although there was no sound on the hardwood floor, which only indicated that he was barefooted, her nostrils picked up his clean scent mixed with soap and his aftershave.
He walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist— causing the spaghetti strap mini nightgown to rise— and bestowed a heavy kiss on her neck.
She threw him a slow smile. “Why don’t you sit? Breakfast is ready,” she said. “The coffee pot is on the table.”
“Hmm. Thanks. Everything smells good.”
A serving tray of bacon, toast, and a carafe of orange juice were already on the table. She brought the plates with the eggs over and sat across from him.
He’d practically come to the kitchen half dressed. She tried not to acknowledge his state of dress, but she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking peeks at his naked, muscular and sexy chest or his smoldering eyes that were too sexy for this time of morning. The man was a walking magnet. He had thrown on the black jeans from the night before but left the top button open.
It had taken all of her willpower not to make the first move on him last night but she would be damned if she would let him win. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the plate aside.. She was instantly mad at herself for letting him unnerve her this way. Frustrated, she stood quickly and moved to the sink. She scrapped the remainder of her breakfast into the garbage disposal before rinsing the plate and putting it in the dishwater. Without a word, he came and did the same.
“Why don’t you go and put a shirt on?”
He touched her gently until she faced him. He was smiling and Nicole held back the urge to say something to wipe the smirk off his face. She silently countered to ten.
