Peyton seemed to rally at his words. ‘Yes.’ Her nod this time was much more enthusiastic. ‘We’ve agreed to be friends, so we should stick to that because neither of us does this.’ She gestured back and forth between them. ‘I can’t and you… don’t.’
Valentino opened his mouth to protest but he couldn’t. It was true, he didn’t dothis. By which he presumed she meant a relationship. Not since Daniella. He dated – casually. He did one-night stands. He did no-strings flings. That was it.
‘Friends, then?’
‘And colleagues,’ she added.
‘Yes.’ How could he forget that in a few weeks they’d be working together again?
She didn’t offer to shake on it; neither did he. Considering how long the previous handshake deal lasted he thought it was best to avoid any formal acceptance. But with the decision made, it was time to go.
‘Okay… I guess…’
He pointed in the direction of the door and kicked his legs into action, aware that Peyton was following a few paces behind. When he was within reaching distance, he turned the knob.
‘I might see you around the clinic,’ she said as she came to a halt beside him.
Valentino’s hand faltered for a moment. Peyton and McKenzie would be regulars at the clinic for the next year or so as she transitioned to the speech pathology department. He hoped the friends thing worked out because between Peyton working for him and McKenzie’s needs, they’d be seeing a lot of each other.
‘Yep,’ he agreed, his gaze running over her one last time as he turned the knob, noticing fine wisps of her hair already drying.
Which was when it occurred to him. A most unwelcome thought. His hand slid from the knob as he half turned, his gaze locking with hers. ‘What if there are consequences?’
She frowned. ‘Consequences?’
Dio… was he going to have to spell out the fact they’d had unprotected sex? Thankfully, realisation hit and she shook her head vehemently.
‘No.’ Another firm headshake followed.
Which was a good sign and he was relieved. Wasn’t he? ‘It’s safe?’ he pressed.
As a doctor, Valentino knew there was never truly a safe time in a woman’s cycle, but he also knew women whose cycles were so predictable they put Greenwich mean time to shame.
‘One hundred per cent,’ she reiterated.
Valentino nodded. ‘Okay.’ That was good enough for him.
‘I haven’t had a proper period since the twins were born,’ she said, more to herself than him. ‘And with my weight…’ She hugged herself as if she was trying to shield her slenderness from his gaze. ‘I doubt I’ve ovulated the last two years. I probably have the fertility of a panda.’
Weight could affect ovulation and therefore fertility – that was a known fact. Butdoubtandprobablywere hardly definitive.
She shook her head again as if she was trying to convince herself. ‘No. It’s safe,’ she declared again, her gaze landing somewhere between his eye and his temple.
A prickle lodged at the base of Valentino’s nape. Peyton was sounding less and less sure. Ordinarily that would have terrified him, but strangely the thought of a baby– a baby with Peyton– wasn’t such an awful thought.
He wasn’t hoping for it but… would it be so bad?
Dio.What was the matter with him? A quickie on the couch with a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about and suddenly he wasPapa?Still… he wanted her to know he was serious about any consequences.
Valentino slid his hand onto Peyton’s face, cradling her jaw as he gently directed her gaze so she was looking him square in the eye. ‘I want to know, Peyton. If…’
She jerked back from his hold, and Valentino’s hand slid away. ‘Itwillbe fine,’ she repeated, the hallway light reflecting off the sudden icy glints in the grey of her eyes. Reaching for the door, she yanked it open.
‘Goodnight,’ she said, staring at him pointedly.
Valentino regarded her for a moment or two, not wanting to go but figuring as he exited that it was better to part like this –with some animosity cancelling out the memory of their perfect fit.
Much, much better.
