Emma Darcy: The Marriage Decider

“’Snot,” she sobbed, her hands clenched against his chest.

“Not true?” His bewilderment echoed in her ears.

She couldn’t bear him thinking she was barren, making her even less of a woman than Steve had left her feeling. She scooped in a deep breath and the necessary words shuddered out. “He didn’t want a baby with me.”

“Didn’t?” He picked up sharply on the past tense.

The betrayal was so fresh and painful, it spilled out. “Having one with her.”

“He knocked up some other woman?”

Jake’s shock on her behalf soothed her wounded pride. “A bwonde,” she explained, her quivering mouth not quite getting around the word.

“Well, I hope you’ve sent him packing.” A fierce admonition, giving Amy the crazy sense he would have done it for her, given the opportunity, probably cracking a bullwhip to effect a very prompt exit.

“Yes,” she lied. It was too humiliating to confess she’d sat like a disembowelled dummy while Steve had gone about dismantling and removing his half of their life together.

“Good riddance,” Jake heartily approved. “You wouldn’t want to have a baby with him, Amy. Couldn’t trust a man like that to stick around.”

“’Sright.” She nodded mournfully, too water-logged to make any cynical parallel to Jake’s attitude to women.

“Still feeling raw about it,” he murmured sympathetically.

“Yes.”

“Guess you only found out this weekend.”

“Tol’ me Sat’day.”

“And I had to slap you in the face with Joshua.”

The self-recrimination stirred her to meet him halfway. “Not your fault.” There, she’d finally got it out. “Sorry,” she added for good measure.

“Don’t worry about it, Amy. Bad timing, that’s all.”

He was being so kind and understanding, patting her on the back, making her feel secure with him, cared for and valued. His warmth seeped into her bones. Her hands relaxed, fingers spreading out across the comforting heat of his chest. She nestled closer to him and he stroked her hair.

Like a wilted sponge, she soaked in his tender compassion, needing it, wanting it. She’d felt so terribly alone these past two days, so bereft of anyone to care about her...

A baby cry pierced the pleasant fuzziness swimming around in her mind. Joshua! Left alone in the other office! Amy lifted her heavy head, reluctant to push out of Jake’s embrace but she couldn’t really stay there. Kind understanding only went so far. This was a place of business. A line had to be drawn.

Jake might start thinking she liked being this close to him. In fact, weren’t his arms tightening around her, subtly shifting their body contact, stirring a consciousness of how very male he was? To Amy’s increasing confusion, she found she wasn’t immune to the virility she’d always privately scorned. For several electrifying moments she was mesmerised by its effect on her.

Another baby cry escalated into a wail, demanding attention.

“Responsibility calls, I’m afraid,” Jake said wryly, confusing Amy further as he gently loosened his hold on her.

Had she imagined the slight sexual pressure?

He retained one supporting hand at her waist as he lifted his other to tilt her face up. His eyes were a warm, caressing gold. “Got your feet back?” he softly teased.

It drew a wobbly smile. “Firm on the floor again.”

“Good!” He nodded approval. The warm molten gold hardened to a glitter. “Better go and wash that guy off your face, as well as out of your mind.”

In short, she was a mess and he wanted his personal assistant back in good form. Of course that was all he wanted. Jake Carter was too smart to muddy up his business with pleasures he could get so easily elsewhere.

Then his fingertips brushed her cheek. “Okay?”

Her skin tingled, most probably from the flush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks. “Yes,” she asserted as strongly as she could.

He gave her a lopsided grin as he dropped his hand and stepped away. “The godfather is on duty. Got to see to Joshua.”

He was already at the door before she summoned breath enough to say, “Thanks, Jake.”

“Any time. My shoulders are broad,” he tossed at her good-humouredly. heading into his office to tend to his nephew.

Amy took several deep breaths to re-stabilise herself, then forced her legs into action. She picked up her handbag and strode off to the washroom, determined on being what she was supposed to be for Jake. She wouldn’t forget his forebearance and kindness, either. Nor the moral support he’d given her. He almost counted as a friend, a solidly loyal friend.

On second thought, she shouldn’t go overboard with that sentiment. Jake Carter was her boss. It was more efficient to get his personal assistant back in good working order than to train someone else to meet his needs. She was well aware of Jake’s strong dash of pragmatism. Whatever it took to get the end he wanted was meticulously mapped and carried through.

All the same, she deeply appreciated his...well, his sensitivity...to her distress just now. He was also right. She was well rid of a man who cheated on her. She should stop grieving and start getting on with the rest of her life.

Though that was easier said than done.

At least she still had her job.

The black hole had closed up before she’d fallen right to the bottom of it, thank God!

Proving she was back in control again, her hand remained absolutely steady as she once more cleaned off her face and re-applied some masterly make-up. Then feeling more in command of herself, she hurried to Jake’s office, determined to offer any assistance he required. After all, Joshua was not Steve’s baby. She could handle looking after him.

As for Jake...well, she’d been handling him for the past two years. Nothing was going to change there. She just had to keep her head and not let him close to her body again. Business as usual.

CHAPTER FOUR

JAKE had left the door to his office ajar and Amy paused there before entering, amused by the crooning voice he was using for the baby.

“We’re on a winning streak now, Josh. Oh, yes, we are, my boyo! We’ve got Amy Taylor right where we want her.”

The smile was jolted off her face by those last words. Though hadn’t she known not to trust his benevolence? Jake Carter always took advantage of what was handed to him. Always. If it suited him. One way or another he was going to capitilise on her lapse in professionalism.

“Well, not precisely where we want her,” he went on.

Good! She’d show him she wasn’t putty in his hands. One breakdown didn’t mean she was a pushover. She knew where the line was drawn when it came to working with Jake Carter.

“Bit of patience needed, Josh. Bit of manoeuvring. That’s a good chap. Hold it right there.”

Unsure of how much of this speech applied to her, Amy stepped into the office to take in the scene. The capsule was on the floor and the baby laid out on the bunny rug which had been spread across the desk. Little legs and arms waved haphazardly as Jake triumphantly shoved a used disposable nappy into a plastic bag.

“Clean one coming up,” he assured his nephew.

Deciding it was safe to interrupt without giving away the fact she’d been eavesdropping, Amy moved forward to offer the assistance she’d resolved to offer. “Would you like me to take over?”

Jake glanced up and shot her a grin. “Nope. I’ve got this all figured out.” He grabbed Joshua’s ankles, raised his bottom off the bunny rug and whipped a clean nappy into place. “Just a matter of getting the plastic tabs the right way around,” he informed her.

Since Amy had never changed a nappy in her life, she was grateful Jake had acquired some expertise. It was quite fascinating, seeing the deft way he handled fastening the absorbent pad on the squirming little body.