Nine Months Part 2

Paige stood in the middle of her living room and watched Jared open the door and walk out. He didn’t look back or even say goodbye. When he disappeared from sight, she rushed over and slammed the door closed, then locked it.

She shook from head to toe. Why did she let him get to her that way? Because you’re probably in love with him and you don’t want to be.

Paige held out her hand. Jared’s big diamond twinkled brightly, as if it were winking at her. She dragged the ring to the tip of her finger, then stopped and slid it back into place. She’d wear it, just for tonight. It was beautiful. And it fit her finger perfectly. If only it were a symbol of Jared’s love, instead of an emblem of his victory. If only he had chosen it specifically for her and not for the future Mrs. L. J. Montgomery.

Tomorrow, she promised herself, she’d give the ring back to him.

Chapter Five

Paige arrived at work early, put on a fresh pot of coffee in the employees’ lounge and began her daily routine. She had gone over what she wanted to say to Jared at least a dozen times, determined to get through to him this time and make him understand her point of view. But the very thought of another confrontation with him twisted her stomach into knots. To be totally honest, the very thought of being alone with him in his office unnerved her. Every time they were alone, sparks flew. The same highly charged, sexual sparks that had ignited a forest fire between them four months ago in the elevator threatened to set them afire again.

Paige had to admit that she was tempted to accept Jared’s proposal. Marrying him definitely would solve all her immediate problems. And he’d been right about the fantastic sex. Every time he touched her, it took all her willpower not to crawl all over him. And he certainly never tried to hide the fact that he wanted her. He’d even said that just hearing her voice over the phone aroused him. But Paige knew herself too well. Great sex might be enough to hold their marriage together for a while, but sooner or later, she’d want more. If Jared couldn’t give her the love and unconditional acceptance she needed, she could never be happy with him. And when Jared realized that he couldn’t transform her into the perfect wife, he’d know what a mistake their marriage had been.

No, she couldn’t marry him. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them and certainly not to their little girl. Angel, he’d called her. Or Angelica or Angela. Damn him for acting as if he were enchanted with the thought of having a daughter. Little girls adore their fathers, don’t they?

Paige shook her head, trying to dislodge the image of a little redheaded girl sitting in Jared’s lap, looking up at him with green eyes identical to his and saying, “Daddy, please. I really, really want a puppy.”

“Good morning. You’re here bright and early.” Kay Thompson stood in the open doorway of Paige’s office.

Glancing up from her desk, Paige smiled at her friend. “You’re here early yourself. It’s barely eight-thirty.”

“I called your apartment and got your answering machine, so I assumed I’d find you here.” Kay walked in and sat down in a leather chair across from Paige’s desk. “Let’s see it.”

“See what?”

“The diamond L.J. gave you last night.”

“How did you know? Who told you?”

“The boss man himself called me last night, after he left your apartment,” Kay said.

“He called you? Why? What did he say?”

“He said that since you and I were friends, he needed my help in persuading you to marry him.”

“I cannot believe he tried to enlist your help.” But she could believe it. She could believe he was capable of doing just about anything in order to get his own way. Jared was arrogant, self-centered and demanding. But he also had an old-fashioned sense of honor that dictated his actions.

“Show me the ring,” Kay said, repeating her request. “You are wearing it, aren’t you?”

Paige laid her left hand on the desk. “I’m giving it back to him as soon as he comes in this morning. I tried to give it back to him last night, but he wouldn’t take it. He’s very forceful and very persuasive.”

“So I’ve heard. Greg has told me that L.J. never loses. He’s so single-minded and determined that he won’t give up when he wants something.” Rising out of the chair, Kay leaned over and looked at Paige’s engagement ring. She let out a long, low whistle. “That’s the reason he was able to start his own business, straight out of college, and in fifteen years’ time become a multimillionaire in his own right.”

“I’m not going to marry him.” Closing her fingers over her palm, Paige swept her hand off the desk and onto her lap.

“Why ever not? He’s gorgeous, rich, charming and obviously wild about you.” Kay glanced meaningfully at Paige’s tummy. “And you are pregnant with his child.”

“He doesn’t love me.” Paige lifted a pencil off a stack of file folders and repeatedly tapped the edge of her desk.

“What makes you think he doesn’t love you?”

“He told me he didn’t.” Gripping the pencil in her hand, Paige rubbed her thumb up and down the smooth wood surface. “L. J. Montgomery doesn’t believe in love. He never planned to marry for love. Besides, if he loved me, he wouldn’t want to change me into his idea of a perfect wife. He’d accept me for exactly who I am. I tried to change myself for Keith and he dumped me for someone else. Someone more suitable. Believe me, I learned my lesson. I’ll never try to be someone I’m not.”

“Oh, Paige. You poor little romantic fool.” Kay sighed dramatically. “Millions of people marry for love, and what does it get them? Half those love matches end in divorce, like mine did. L.J. is offering you something better than love. He’s offering you a lifetime of security. For you and your baby.”

“It’s not enough. Call me a romantic fool if you want to. Maybe I am. But I grew up with two parents who, after nearly thirty years of marriage, are still deeply in love. That kind of relationship is what I’ve wanted all my life. Jared sees me and this baby—” Paige circled her palm over her tummy “—as a mistake he has to correct. He wants to marry me for the baby’s sake and then make me over to suit his idea of a perfect wife.”

“So, you’ve made up your mind not to marry him?”

“I have. Now all I have to do is convince Jared that I mean what I say.” Paige snapped the pencil in two, then threw the halves into the wastebasket.

“You may be fighting a losing battle.” Kay gazed sympathetically at Paige. “After all, let’s face it—what woman could resist L. J. Montgomery indefinitely? Especially a woman who’s already halfway in love with him. And you are, aren’t you?”

Before Paige could reply, someone knocked loudly on the door. Paige jumped. Gasping, Kay jerked around in her chair.

“‘Morning, ladies.” A clean-cut young man stood in the doorway holding a vase filled with a large number of red roses. “I’m looking for a Paige Summers. These are for her.”

“Bring them in here, sonny,” Kay said. “This—” she pointed at Paige “—is Ms. Summers.”

“Where do you want them, ma’am?” he asked.

“Just put them here on my desk,” Paige said.

The minute the deliveryman left, Kay snatched up the attached card, opened it and handed it to Paige. “So, what does it say?”

Paige read aloud. “Marry me.”

Fingering the petals on the long-stemmed beauties as she silently counted them, Kay sighed. “You’ve got to give Jared credit. The man knows all the tricks. What woman doesn’t love red roses. And two dozen!”

“This is a perfect example of how little Jared knows me,” Paige said. “He chose red roses for his ideal fiancée, but I prefer white roses. If he cared about me, truly cared, he’d bother to find out who I am and what I like.”

Greg Addison marched into Paige’s office, followed by a young woman wearing brown slacks and matching shirt, the emblem of a local delivery service stitched on her shirt pocket. She carried two boxes wrapped in pink paper and tied with white ribbon.

“So the campaign begins.” Greg eyed the roses, then pointed to Paige. “There she is. The beautiful redhead behind the desk is Ms. Summers.”

The deliverywoman asked Paige to sign for the two items, then as soon as that requirement was out of the way, she handed the gifts to Paige and left.

Paige stared at the boxes, knowing that Jared had sent them. Flowers. Gifts. What next? she wondered.

“Go ahead and open them,” Greg said. “I’m eager to see what the father-to-be has sent the mother-to-be.”

Paige glared at Greg. “How did you know? No, no, don’t tell me. Jared shared the news about our blessed event with you, too, didn’t he.”

“Yep. He came by my apartment last night and confessed all.” Shaking his head, Greg clicked his tongue. “My, my, Ms. Summers, you amaze me. You, a lowly working girl, have accomplished what every wealthy debutante and society maid in two dozen states have failed to accomplish. You’ve brought the great man to his knees.”

“Quit being such a jerk,” Kay said. “She didn’t get pregnant by herself, you know.”

Paige gasped, amazed that Kay would speak to her boss in such a way.