Read Online One-Night Pregnancy by Lindsay Armstrong - Free Book Online
Authors: Lindsay Armstrong
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Look—’ he turned back to the open door ‘—we can continue this in public if you prefer, or…?’
‘Oh. Close it,’ Bridget said, distraught, and when he did, she went on, ‘We had a crisis in the newsroom last night. Megan fainted. That’s how I came to do it. And reading the news doesn’t mean I had anything to do with compiling it!’
‘Is that so?’ He came back to stand in front of her, and she could see the suspicion in his eyes. ‘Are you sure you didn’t mention it, even in passing, to someone who may have been able to use it?’
‘No. I mean, yes, I’m sure!’ she cried, her eyes wide and shocked. ‘Anyway, it was common knowledge before I found out who you were.’ And she told him about Julia’s reaction to the first newspaper article, althoughshe didn’t mention her name. ‘She, my colleague, even used the same word you did—a lever,’ she went on. ‘But up until that moment I had no idea who you were.’ She closed her eyes and swayed suddenly.
‘Bridget?’ he said, on a different note as he scanned her now ashen face. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I—I’m, yes,’ she murmured, but sank down on the settee. She rubbed her face and commanded herself to think clearly.
He hesitated, then sat down opposite her. ‘Have you any idea how destabilising these kind of rumours can be? How shareholders can be affected—and share prices?’ he added significantly.
‘Of course.’ She gestured. ‘I mean, if I stop to think about it, of course. But I didn’t. I haven’t.’ She grimaced as she thought that she’d had more than enough of an entirely different nature to think about recently. She lifted her lashes. ‘Have you taken shareholders and share prices into consideration? You did tell me it was only a matter of time before you found the right lever to unseat your brother.’
He sat back. ‘So I did. It so happens I haven’t found it. It’s a little complicated. But that’s why I need to know exactly how these rumours started.’
He paused and studied her. She was wearing a white voile blouse and khaki cargo pants. Her feet were bare and her coppery hair was tousled. Her eyes were darker, and there was something about her that was different.
He removed his gaze from her as he pondered this, and looked around. It was pleasant, her flat, but verymuch exhibiting the simple pleasures of a home decorator. And rather reminiscent, for some curious reason, he thought suddenly, of the simple pleasure of making love to her.
In fact he had to confess that memories of that lovemaking had come back and taken him by surprise at some inappropriate moments…
Such as right now, he thought dryly. He could picture that slim, sleek little body moving in his arms, unfettered by any clothes. He could almost feel the lovely peachy curves of her hips beneath his hands, and he could feel his own body stirring in response. He suddenly realised she was staring at him with widening eyes, almost as if she could read his mind, and there was a tinge of colour mounting in her cheeks.
He looked away abruptly, but it crossed his mind to wonder about the power of the connection they’d made that night over four weeks ago. Of course circumstances had contributed to make it a unique occasion, but…
He deliberately stilled his thoughts there. It would never have worked then, and it certainly couldn’t work now. If she had nothing to hide, why had she tried to evade him?
He sat forward. ‘If I’m to get to the bottom of this, I need to know the absolute truth from you, Bridget,’ he said. ‘I’m prepared to wipe the slate clean if you had any involvement, if you agree to drop the matter.’
She took a deep breath. ‘I had none,’ she said simply.
He frowned. ‘Why were you running away, then?’
Bridget stared at him. How could she tell this harsh stranger who believed the worst of her that she wascarrying his baby? It had been hard enough to contemplate telling the Adam she’d known and made
‘Oh. Close it,’ Bridget said, distraught, and when he did, she went on, ‘We had a crisis in the newsroom last night. Megan fainted. That’s how I came to do it. And reading the news doesn’t mean I had anything to do with compiling it!’
‘Is that so?’ He came back to stand in front of her, and she could see the suspicion in his eyes. ‘Are you sure you didn’t mention it, even in passing, to someone who may have been able to use it?’
‘No. I mean, yes, I’m sure!’ she cried, her eyes wide and shocked. ‘Anyway, it was common knowledge before I found out who you were.’ And she told him about Julia’s reaction to the first newspaper article, althoughshe didn’t mention her name. ‘She, my colleague, even used the same word you did—a lever,’ she went on. ‘But up until that moment I had no idea who you were.’ She closed her eyes and swayed suddenly.
‘Bridget?’ he said, on a different note as he scanned her now ashen face. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I—I’m, yes,’ she murmured, but sank down on the settee. She rubbed her face and commanded herself to think clearly.
He hesitated, then sat down opposite her. ‘Have you any idea how destabilising these kind of rumours can be? How shareholders can be affected—and share prices?’ he added significantly.
‘Of course.’ She gestured. ‘I mean, if I stop to think about it, of course. But I didn’t. I haven’t.’ She grimaced as she thought that she’d had more than enough of an entirely different nature to think about recently. She lifted her lashes. ‘Have you taken shareholders and share prices into consideration? You did tell me it was only a matter of time before you found the right lever to unseat your brother.’
He sat back. ‘So I did. It so happens I haven’t found it. It’s a little complicated. But that’s why I need to know exactly how these rumours started.’
He paused and studied her. She was wearing a white voile blouse and khaki cargo pants. Her feet were bare and her coppery hair was tousled. Her eyes were darker, and there was something about her that was different.
He removed his gaze from her as he pondered this, and looked around. It was pleasant, her flat, but verymuch exhibiting the simple pleasures of a home decorator. And rather reminiscent, for some curious reason, he thought suddenly, of the simple pleasure of making love to her.
In fact he had to confess that memories of that lovemaking had come back and taken him by surprise at some inappropriate moments…
Such as right now, he thought dryly. He could picture that slim, sleek little body moving in his arms, unfettered by any clothes. He could almost feel the lovely peachy curves of her hips beneath his hands, and he could feel his own body stirring in response. He suddenly realised she was staring at him with widening eyes, almost as if she could read his mind, and there was a tinge of colour mounting in her cheeks.
He looked away abruptly, but it crossed his mind to wonder about the power of the connection they’d made that night over four weeks ago. Of course circumstances had contributed to make it a unique occasion, but…
He deliberately stilled his thoughts there. It would never have worked then, and it certainly couldn’t work now. If she had nothing to hide, why had she tried to evade him?
He sat forward. ‘If I’m to get to the bottom of this, I need to know the absolute truth from you, Bridget,’ he said. ‘I’m prepared to wipe the slate clean if you had any involvement, if you agree to drop the matter.’
She took a deep breath. ‘I had none,’ she said simply.
He frowned. ‘Why were you running away, then?’
Bridget stared at him. How could she tell this harsh stranger who believed the worst of her that she wascarrying his baby? It had been hard enough to contemplate telling the Adam she’d known and made
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