Read Online The Pregnancy Contract by Yvonne Lindsay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Yvonne Lindsay
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and would accommodate her more slender figure without looking too big on her.
If anything, she thought as she examined herself in the mirror a few minutes later, the dress looked even better on her now than it had the last time sheâd worn it. The three-quarter sleeves showed off the tan she still bore on her arms, while the soft flowing lines of the skirt lent her a femininity she hadnât indulged in for far too long. She slid her feet into a pair of dangerously high-heeled silver pumps that picked out the threads of silver in the fabric of her gown and tied her dreadlocks back with a silver scarf.
She had no makeup with her, hadnât even worn any for several years now, so she was pretty much ready to join Wade downstairs. She hesitated at her bedroom door, her hand on the old-fashioned brass knob, her teeth worrying at her lower lip. What would she say to him? She couldnât simply capitulate to his wishes, no matter what. She certainly wasnât about to turn into a baby factory to salve his need to be a father. There had to be some ground rules. Some guidelines. What about custody? Heâd said he would be reasonable about access but what was his idea of reasonable? And where would she and the baby live?
She tightened her fingers around the doorknob. She wouldnât be a pushover, even though he had her back against the wall over the money. There was no way sheâd set up a child of hers to be a bargaining chip for the rest of its life. If he wanted them to have a baby together, there would be some conditions heâd have to agree to. Ultimately she had the power to say no. She could walk out that door tonight and find shelter somewhere until she could get back on her feet. Sure, things would be tough, but if he wasnât prepared to acquiesce on certain points then this plan of his was not happening. At least not with her.
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Wade stared out over the subtly lit expansive emerald green lawn and tried to convince himself he wasnât nervous. He knew Piper was still upstairs, heâd heard her moving about in her room when heâd arrived home. Sheâd had ample time to come to her decision. But what would it be? Sheâd always been such a mercurial creature and heâd seen nothing in her that changed his mind on that score since her arrival home yesterday.
He took a sip of the sauvignon blanc in his glass. Had it really only been yesterday that sheâd come back? She still had the capacity to turn his world upside down and inside out. He felt as if theyâd gone several rounds against one another in the past twenty-four hours. In fact, as heâd clutched at sleep toward dawn this morning, heâd had to acknowledge a hard truth. Despite everything, she still had the ability to inveigle her way past his defenses. Heâd thought he was completely over her, over what she had done to himâbut heâd been so very wrong. She still had the capacity to hurt him and there was no way on this earth he was going to hand that back to her on a platter. He doubted his mentor would have approved of his tough love attitude. The older man would have been only too happy to see her arrive on the doorstep, and would have bent over backward to make things easy for her. Time had softened Rexâs irritation with her for what heâd seen as nothing more than a temperamental spat.
âLook after her for meâ had been Rexâs dying words and, fool that Wade was, heâd promised. But Rex had said nothing about Wade putting in a few conditions of his own when it came to providing for Rexâs prodigal daughter. She owed him far more than some trifling sum of money, and he would be repaid.
He wasnât oblivious to the fact that she might flat out say no to him and leave him to his own devices in attempting to recover the financial debt. But he was counting on the factthat she was enough of Rexâs daughter to find an outstanding loan an anathema to her.
If anything, she thought as she examined herself in the mirror a few minutes later, the dress looked even better on her now than it had the last time sheâd worn it. The three-quarter sleeves showed off the tan she still bore on her arms, while the soft flowing lines of the skirt lent her a femininity she hadnât indulged in for far too long. She slid her feet into a pair of dangerously high-heeled silver pumps that picked out the threads of silver in the fabric of her gown and tied her dreadlocks back with a silver scarf.
She had no makeup with her, hadnât even worn any for several years now, so she was pretty much ready to join Wade downstairs. She hesitated at her bedroom door, her hand on the old-fashioned brass knob, her teeth worrying at her lower lip. What would she say to him? She couldnât simply capitulate to his wishes, no matter what. She certainly wasnât about to turn into a baby factory to salve his need to be a father. There had to be some ground rules. Some guidelines. What about custody? Heâd said he would be reasonable about access but what was his idea of reasonable? And where would she and the baby live?
She tightened her fingers around the doorknob. She wouldnât be a pushover, even though he had her back against the wall over the money. There was no way sheâd set up a child of hers to be a bargaining chip for the rest of its life. If he wanted them to have a baby together, there would be some conditions heâd have to agree to. Ultimately she had the power to say no. She could walk out that door tonight and find shelter somewhere until she could get back on her feet. Sure, things would be tough, but if he wasnât prepared to acquiesce on certain points then this plan of his was not happening. At least not with her.
Â
Wade stared out over the subtly lit expansive emerald green lawn and tried to convince himself he wasnât nervous. He knew Piper was still upstairs, heâd heard her moving about in her room when heâd arrived home. Sheâd had ample time to come to her decision. But what would it be? Sheâd always been such a mercurial creature and heâd seen nothing in her that changed his mind on that score since her arrival home yesterday.
He took a sip of the sauvignon blanc in his glass. Had it really only been yesterday that sheâd come back? She still had the capacity to turn his world upside down and inside out. He felt as if theyâd gone several rounds against one another in the past twenty-four hours. In fact, as heâd clutched at sleep toward dawn this morning, heâd had to acknowledge a hard truth. Despite everything, she still had the ability to inveigle her way past his defenses. Heâd thought he was completely over her, over what she had done to himâbut heâd been so very wrong. She still had the capacity to hurt him and there was no way on this earth he was going to hand that back to her on a platter. He doubted his mentor would have approved of his tough love attitude. The older man would have been only too happy to see her arrive on the doorstep, and would have bent over backward to make things easy for her. Time had softened Rexâs irritation with her for what heâd seen as nothing more than a temperamental spat.
âLook after her for meâ had been Rexâs dying words and, fool that Wade was, heâd promised. But Rex had said nothing about Wade putting in a few conditions of his own when it came to providing for Rexâs prodigal daughter. She owed him far more than some trifling sum of money, and he would be repaid.
He wasnât oblivious to the fact that she might flat out say no to him and leave him to his own devices in attempting to recover the financial debt. But he was counting on the factthat she was enough of Rexâs daughter to find an outstanding loan an anathema to her.
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