away. She dropped her hand back to her side and asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering her question, he held up a slip of paper and snarled, “Who is Seth?”
Beth drew a complete blank. “Um, Seth who?”
Nick tossed the piece of paper down in disgust and jumped to his feet. “Beth, don’t you have anything a little more original than that?”
Had he lost his mind? Maybe he was drunk. Where was the happy-go-lucky Nick that she was used to? This Nick was cold, angry, and, damn him, a complete turn-on. She wanted nothing more than for him to slam his mouth down onto hers and take her hard and fast. Talking slowly as she might to a child, she said, “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. You aren’t making any sense.”
Never breaking eye contact with her, he pushed a button behind him and played the messages on her answering machine. When the second message finished, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. A giggle escaped her and then another until she was doubled over laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. Instead of looking at her in anger now, Nick was just looking at her as if she were insane.
He didn’t say a word as she mopped up the tears that had been running down her cheeks. “Sor— Sorry, give me a minute.” Beth chuckled once more and took another breath to steady herself. Grinning at him standing there with his arms crossed and frowning at her, she asked, “So that message brought this whole he-man routine out?”
“I’m glad you think it’s so funny, Beth, because I’m still not amused. Who is Seth?”
Shrugging her shoulders, she walked to the kitchen for a drink of water. “He’s just a guy I went out with before, no big deal.”
“How do you know him and when did you go out with him?”
Still unable to figure out why he would be upset, she replied, “I, um, met him through a dating service and we went out a few weeks ago.”
Nick turned to face her, his face thunderous. “You’re using a dating service and you’ve been seeing this guy while we’ve been together?”
Suddenly it hit her how bad this whole thing must look to him. True, they hadn’t made any promises, but they had, for all intents, been spending most nights together.
Well you wanted to put some distance between you, here’s your chance. If you really want to lose him, you can do it right now.
Faking a carefree manner that she was far from feeling, she said, “I never said I wasn’t seeing other people, Nick. I assumed you were as well. I signed up for the dating service months ago. Before you even ask though: Yes, I do know for sure that I am carrying your child.”
“I wasn’t going to ask that, Beth. I know you wouldn’t lie to me about something like that. Tell Seth and anyone else you’re seeing that it’s over. You’re pregnant and getting married. There seems to have been some confusion about seeing other people while we are dating, but let me clear it up for you. I’m not sharing my girlfriend, and I’m sure as hell not sharing my wife and the mother of my child. Send the memo, princess, you’re off the market.”
“You’re crazy! I’m not marrying you and you can’t tell me what to do. I’m an adult, Nick. You don’t own me. In fact, I plan to go out with Seth tomorrow night.”
Nick stared at her, clearly mystified over her refusal to make their relationship exclusive. Someone perfect like Nick could never understand the insecurities that someone like Beth harbored. He was too perfect for her. She would constantly find herself flawed against his perfection. She was pregnant and, God help her, about to start gaining some of her hard-lost pounds back. How would he feel when he could no longer span her waist with his hands? Would he enjoy her breasts as much when they were too large and far more than the current handful? Would he want to kiss and caress her lips as much when there was a double chin below them?
Nick prowled toward her and
Instead of answering her question, he held up a slip of paper and snarled, “Who is Seth?”
Beth drew a complete blank. “Um, Seth who?”
Nick tossed the piece of paper down in disgust and jumped to his feet. “Beth, don’t you have anything a little more original than that?”
Had he lost his mind? Maybe he was drunk. Where was the happy-go-lucky Nick that she was used to? This Nick was cold, angry, and, damn him, a complete turn-on. She wanted nothing more than for him to slam his mouth down onto hers and take her hard and fast. Talking slowly as she might to a child, she said, “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. You aren’t making any sense.”
Never breaking eye contact with her, he pushed a button behind him and played the messages on her answering machine. When the second message finished, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. A giggle escaped her and then another until she was doubled over laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. Instead of looking at her in anger now, Nick was just looking at her as if she were insane.
He didn’t say a word as she mopped up the tears that had been running down her cheeks. “Sor— Sorry, give me a minute.” Beth chuckled once more and took another breath to steady herself. Grinning at him standing there with his arms crossed and frowning at her, she asked, “So that message brought this whole he-man routine out?”
“I’m glad you think it’s so funny, Beth, because I’m still not amused. Who is Seth?”
Shrugging her shoulders, she walked to the kitchen for a drink of water. “He’s just a guy I went out with before, no big deal.”
“How do you know him and when did you go out with him?”
Still unable to figure out why he would be upset, she replied, “I, um, met him through a dating service and we went out a few weeks ago.”
Nick turned to face her, his face thunderous. “You’re using a dating service and you’ve been seeing this guy while we’ve been together?”
Suddenly it hit her how bad this whole thing must look to him. True, they hadn’t made any promises, but they had, for all intents, been spending most nights together.
Well you wanted to put some distance between you, here’s your chance. If you really want to lose him, you can do it right now.
Faking a carefree manner that she was far from feeling, she said, “I never said I wasn’t seeing other people, Nick. I assumed you were as well. I signed up for the dating service months ago. Before you even ask though: Yes, I do know for sure that I am carrying your child.”
“I wasn’t going to ask that, Beth. I know you wouldn’t lie to me about something like that. Tell Seth and anyone else you’re seeing that it’s over. You’re pregnant and getting married. There seems to have been some confusion about seeing other people while we are dating, but let me clear it up for you. I’m not sharing my girlfriend, and I’m sure as hell not sharing my wife and the mother of my child. Send the memo, princess, you’re off the market.”
“You’re crazy! I’m not marrying you and you can’t tell me what to do. I’m an adult, Nick. You don’t own me. In fact, I plan to go out with Seth tomorrow night.”
Nick stared at her, clearly mystified over her refusal to make their relationship exclusive. Someone perfect like Nick could never understand the insecurities that someone like Beth harbored. He was too perfect for her. She would constantly find herself flawed against his perfection. She was pregnant and, God help her, about to start gaining some of her hard-lost pounds back. How would he feel when he could no longer span her waist with his hands? Would he enjoy her breasts as much when they were too large and far more than the current handful? Would he want to kiss and caress her lips as much when there was a double chin below them?
Nick prowled toward her and
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