“If that doesn’t inspire trust, I don’t know what would.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You sure you want to talk about trust?”
“What does that mean?”
“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant, Eva. For God’s sake. If you didn’t need my help, I don’t think I ever would have found out.”
The cheeks that had been flushed with desire now burned with anger and embarrassment. “You didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address. The way I remember it, you high-tailed it out of that hotel room as fast as you could when I said I wanted to see you again.”
“That wasn’t about you.”
She laughed without humor. “Yeah, right.”
“It wasn’t.”
Eva held up a hand. “Just stop with the bullshit, will you please? We’re stuck together for the time being, but I’d rather if we keep things on the up-and-up.”
He moved closer to her, his jaw set and his nostrils flaring. He dwarfed her, his massive chest barely at eye level, heat coming off him in waves along with that damn familiar scent of his. “It wasn’t about you,” he ground out.
Tears threatened again. She rolled her eyes, determined not to put on a grotesquely emotional, sobbing display. Biting her tongue to stop the twinge from escalating, shemarveled at the emotional roller coaster she’d been on for nearly a year.
Joy at meeting this man had turned to devastation in the wake of his departure. Then the hormonal tsunami of pregnancy had imbedded itself into her life and she’d desperately needed to feel like the level-headed woman she’d been before she’d unwisely decided to make love to this man.
Before she knew what he was about, he had pivoted on his heel and was clearly headed for the bedroom door. “Take the baby with you while you shower, then,” he called. “Do whatever you want.”
The door closed behind him, Eva’s bones seeming to rattle with the wood slab as it vibrated in its frame. Angry now, she followed him out of the room and down the steps.
Turning around halfway down the staircase, he scowled at her. “What are you doing?”
“Getting Abby. She can’t walk yet, you know.” Brushing past him, she continued down the stairs. The desire to scream was so intense, she might have done it if she weren’t concerned it would scare the baby.
She’d spent so much time thinking about this man, dreaming of him, yet he couldn’t care less what became of her and their child. And she no longer felt like crying. She wanted to scratch his eyes out, hurt him physically the way he’d hurt her emotionally. She wanted to rewind time and change the choices that had brought her here.
But how could she wish he’d never been in her life, without also wishing away her baby girl? No matter what else happened, she had Abby. And she couldn’t be sorry for that, no matter the asshole Gavin had turned out to be. Bending at the waist, she picked up the car seat by its handle and turned around, heading for the stairs.
He was standing on the steps right where she’d passed him.
With a huff, she stomped up the first several treads, aware she was getting closer to him and wishing she had the strength and courage to hurl his sorry ass down the stairs. Pitching her shoulder forward, she attempted to scoot past him when he held out an arm, blocking her way.
“Wait.”
Keeping her head averted, she swiped at his offending arm. “Leave me alone.”
He let his hand fall to his side, but as she tried to push past him, he said, “Please, Eva. Wait.”
Her legs stilled beneath her, betraying her desperate need for forward motion. “What?” she snapped, finally meeting his gaze as she climbed to eye level.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Can we start over?”
“It’s a little late.”
“Only if you want it to be.” He lifted his hand and lightly touched her cheek, his finger grazing her skin for an instant before she swatted it away. He straightened to his full height. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again.”
His touch unnerved her, putting her on the defensive. “Yeah? Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you again, either. And I certainly wasn’t expecting to show up barefoot and asking for money.”
Those inscrutable eyes of his seemed to soften, revealing a depth she could fall into, tumbling, out of control. Being near him was a roller coaster of emotion and confusion, a chess game against an opponent whose moves she didn’t understand. She set her mouth.
“I wasn’t expecting to find out I’m a father.” His gaze moved slowly to the baby in the car seat, then back to Eva.He scratched the scruff at his cheek. “Hell, I wasn’t expecting toeverbe a father.”
