He gave her a crooked grin. “You may just do that. I didn’t exactly run over here with a rubber in my sock. Unless—”
“I’m not.”
“How’s our timing?”
She tilted her head from side to side in a could-be-better, could-be-worse gesture.
“You don’t look worried,” he said.
She didn’t feel worried, either. “I wouldn’t mind a baby.”
“A career lady like you?”
She shrugged.
Jared felt a sudden tightness in his throat. He coughed to relieve it. “DeBarr would love that.”
“Paul wouldn’t have a say in it.”
“He’s your boss.”
“What I do with my body,” she said with surprising force, “is none of his business.”
Looking down at her, Jared felt a swell of gentleness. She was a fighter. He rather liked her cause at that moment. Recalling Anthony Alt’s snide innuendo, he said, “You’ve never been with Paul.”
“No. I work with him. It would be dumb to confuse the issues.”
“If he turned you on, it wouldn’t seem so dumb.”
“Maybe not. But he doesn’t.”
“Do other guys in the office?” When she gave him a what-is-this look, he said, “It’s intimidating for me to think of you there in an office full of men.”
“I don’t date them, and I certainly don’t sleep with them. I thought we’d established the fact that I’ve been chaste for some time.”
“That doesn’t mean you haven’t been tempted. AIDS has wreaked havoc with temptation.”
“I haven’t been tempted. Trust me. Besides,” she sighed and returned her cheek to his chest, “I’ve been too busy to get involved.”
“If that’s so, how could you manage a baby?”
“I’d do things differently if I had a baby.”
“How?”
“I’d go into private practice and work part-time. I’d move into a bigger place, hire an au pair, and have her stay with the baby while I was gone.”
“You’ve mapped it out.”
She was silent for a time before admitting softly, “I’ve dreamed.”
Jared thought the dream was just fine, except that it was missing one major element. “What about the baby’s father?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wouldn’t you like a husband along with your baby?”
“Not for the baby’s sake alone. If the father and I were in love, we’d marry anyway. But I don’t need marriage. I’m loaded.”
