His Child

“Well, there’s your Waterloo,” he said, pointing to the building that lay ahead. “Cryogen Labs. Are you sure you don’t want to come clean now? It could save you from being humiliated.”

“The only person risking humiliation is you.” But Jessie had no idea if that was even true.

Cryogen Labs looked innocuous enough with its buttermilk-colored brick exterior and white lacquered shutters, but it still frightened her enough to make her tremble. With reason. Somehow, somebody connected with that lab had possibly been in on the plan to kidnap her. The plan that had resulted in her becoming pregnant.

Pregnant.

She gulped in a deep breath and tried to shake off that thought. It wasn’t the time to think about the ramifications of a pregnancy. Or the baby. It would only distract her. She couldn’t afford any more distractions now. Later, she would work out what she was going to do.

Jake parked his car, and they walked toward the building. “Well, I have to give it to you, Ms. Barrett. I really thought you’d try to run away by now.”

She came to a complete stop and spun around, intending to give him a piece of her mind. The only thing she gave him was a weak head butt to his shoulder, when the dizzy spell sent her right into him. Her legs turned to rubber, and he caught her in his arms.

“Christ,” he mumbled. “Are you all right?”

Jessie tried to nod and push herself away from him. She failed. Because it seemed she had no other choice, she rested her head against his shoulder and tried to wait out the dizziness.

He smelled good. Warm and musky. There was the underlying scent of an expensive aftershave. And his arm that slid around her waist was strong, corded with muscles. The smooth fabric of his shirt sleeve brushed against her arm. Sweet heaven. She didn’t want this. Too bad her head was in the middle of her own personal F-5 tornado.

“Take a deep breath,” he instructed.

She did. It helped a little. “I hate this light-headedness.”

“I can see why. It’s hard to work out diabolical schemes when you’re as pale as a ghost and ready to lose your lunch.”

Jessie forced her eyes to focus. She didn’t think she quite managed a scowl, but she tried. Especially when she realized how close they were. Her body was pressed against his. Right against his. Even through her cotton shirt, she could feel his belt buckle on her stomach. She wouldn’t think about anything below his belt, even though she would have had to be paralyzed not to notice he was a man. All man.

Their faces were so close she could count his eyelashes, which were too long, she decided. His breath was sweet. From the soft drink, not his disposition. He also needed a shave. His five o’clock shadow was dark and coarse. And it made him look a little like an outlaw. She wouldn’t allow herself to look at his mouth. No. Even the dizziness wouldn’t counteract that. That mouth had her hormonal number.

She stepped back. “Thank you, Mr. McClendon, for reminding me that you’re a jerk. No, worse than a jerk. You’re navel lint.”

“Anytime.” But his comment lacked sarcasm.

When Jessie glanced up, she saw more of that concern in his expression. He was still close, despite that step she had taken away from him. She took another, but he caught her arm. She was thankful. The inside of her head was still whirling around. If he hadn’t caught her, she no doubt would have fallen on her face.

“Let’s go in,” she insisted. “That way, I can sit down, and you don’t have to hold me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not holding you for your sake. My concern is for your child. I don’t want you blaming me for pushing you too hard.”

She gave a hollow laugh. “That’s a joke, right? You’ve done nothing but push me hard. You’ve hounded me, harassed me and called me names.”

He didn’t say anything for several seconds. “I want answers, and I’m sorry if you don’t like my methods. Once we’re through inside, your game will be over. You can get out of my face and I can get out of yours.”

“Good.” She wiggled out of his grip and walked to the door on her own. Fortunately, the anger eased the dizziness.

“Yes. Good.” He jerked open the door and led her inside.

The reception area looked like any other place of business. Monochrome shades of beige. It looked too clean. Almost sterile, which seemed ironic to Jessie, since the place stored one of the most basic elements needed for human reproduction.

The blond woman behind the desk greeted them with a businesslike smile. “Welcome to Cryogen Labs. How may I help you?”

“I’m Jake McClendon.”

“Yes, Mr. McClendon.” The perky-looking blonde became flustered and blushed. “Wow, it really is you. I saw you on the news, but you look much better in person.”

Jessie tried not to roll her eyes. The icing on the cake. A fan of Jake McClendon’s. It was bad enough that she had to be here with him, but now she had to experience some woman who was neck-deep in hero worship, as well. That sexy mouth of his must have the same effect on all females.

Apparently he didn’t want to indulge too much in the adoration, either, because he got right to the point. “I need to speak to Dr. Radelman.”

“Oh. He doesn’t work here anymore.”

“Since when? He’s the man who contacted me after my vials were destroyed.”

“Yes, and he left, um, let me see when…” She flipped through her calendar. “About two weeks later.”

Two weeks after the vials were destroyed and about two weeks before someone kidnapped her. Jessie didn’t think that was a coincidence. A doctor probably would have been the one to do the actual insemination.

“Why did Dr. Radelman leave?” Jake demanded.

“He transferred to another job.” She snapped her fingers as if trying to recall something. “Harvest Place, I think it’s called. Something like that, anyway. It’s not connected with Cryogen.”

Jessie started to ask if the woman had the address or phone number of the place, but Jake spoke before she could. “There was a nurse who worked here. She had a soft voice and she was tall. Red hair. She wasn’t the one I spoke to on the phone a couple of days ago.”

Soft voice. That got Jessie’s attention. The woman who held her captive had had a soft voice. And she’d no doubt been a nurse, since she was the one who had administered the injections. She was tall, too. Jessie remembered that about her, even though she’d never seen the woman’s face. Nor her hair. Her hair had always been bundled under a surgical cap. But the eyes. Yes, she’d seen her eyes. And they were dark green.

“You must mean Marion Cameron,” the blonde said with a grin. “But she doesn’t work here anymore, either. She left the same time Dr. Radelman did.”

Jake shook his head in apparent frustration. “To take another job?”

The woman shrugged. “A sabbatical. She’d been under a lot of stress. Her husband walked out on her, so she was going through all this emotional stuff.”

“Does she have green eyes?” Jessie asked.

Jake looked at her.

So did the blonde, who said, “Yes, as a matter of fact she does.”

Jessie didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Finally, there was some proof, little though it was, to back up what she’d been saying.

“Thank you for the information,” Jake told the woman. “By any chance do you have addresses for Marion Cameron and Dr. Radelman?”

“Sorry.” The blush on her cheeks deepened. “I’m not allowed to give that out.”

Jessie thought he might argue, but he didn’t. That was probably because he knew his people could easily come up with that kind of information. He took her by the arm and led her out of the building.

“Still think I’m lying?” she asked briskly, as they walked across the parking lot.

He didn’t answer for several seconds. “Yes.”