"This 'little' brother happens to be thirty years old. I'll talk to you later."
Andreas waited until he had cleared the door before making the call.
*****
He wanted to kiss her. He knew the second she opened the door that he had kidded himself. He wasn't over her, not by a bloody long shot.
Even the fact that she was wearing faded blue sweats and a thick white sweater that reached past her knees didn't alter it. Her face, with the pointed chin, the nose with the slightly flared nostrils and lips so full and seductively sweet brought back the memories full on.
Steeling against the punch of lust, he nodded curtly and stepped inside her small foyer.
The scent of raspberry from her recent bath filled his nostrils. Her hair, the thickness of it was piled in a loose knot on top of her head with tendrils escaping around the narrow face. Leanne Wilcox didn't need makeup to seduce, never had.
She wanted to kiss him. Tamping down the pure animal desire, she led the way into the cozy living room where the fire was blazing in the hearth.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"No." He walked to the window and stood with his back to her, eyes on her.
"How's everyone?"
"Fine. What is it?"
Okay, no small talk, she thought as she took a deep breath.
"I've not been feeling well lately."
His cool expression fled immediately to be replaced by concern.
"Have you been to the doctor? What's wrong?" He should have noticed that she looked thin. "Oh Christ, is it serious?"
"Yes."
Abandoning his stance at the window, he crossed the room and knelt in front of her. "What is it? Please tell me."
"I'm pregnant." She decided the best way to say it was outright. "And before you piss me off by asking, yes, it's yours. And no, I haven't been to the doctors."
Pushing away from him, she rose and dug into her pocket for the four pregnancy sticks. "All positive." She shot him an accusing look before slamming them down on the center table.
He rose slowly and a little unsteadily.
"I... we..." He swallowed the lump that had lodged in his throat and stared at her. "That's..." He searched her face. "You're not pleased."
She simply gaped at him. "Pleased! The last thing I want is a pregnancy. I've been sick the entire time and I..." Taking a deep breath, she spun around and marched to the fireplace.
His expression was dazed as he continued to stare at her back. Pregnant. He had come here in despair and anger and was now faced with the possibility that there could be a relationship between them.
"Have you made a doctor's appointment?" His tone was calm, belying the jumble of emotions going on inside him.
"Yes." She clipped without turning around. "Tomorrow."
"I'm going with you."
"There's no need..."
"That wasn't a question."
She turned then. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet."
