Australia: In Bed with the Boss: The Marriage Decider / Their Wedding Day / His Boardroom Mistress

The visit to the doctor was a nightmare. Yes, missing a pill at a critical time could result in pregnancy. Test kits were usually reliable but a blood test would give absolute confirmation. Amy watched the needle going in and almost fainted as the blood started filling up the tube, blood that was going to tell her the awful truth. A baby! She closed her eyes. No, no, no, she begged. Having a baby—Jake’s baby—made life too impossible.

She’d have the results in twenty-four hours, the doctor said. All she had to do was telephone the surgery and ask for them. She checked her watch. Nine-thirty. Twenty-four more hours of hell to get through, a third of those hours with the man who’d done this to her.

Not intentionally.

Though he should have used protection…should at least have asked her if she was protected. In which case she would have said yes, so there was no point in blaming him. Nevertheless, she might have remembered to take the wretched pill if he’d asked. Spontaneous combustion might be a very special experience but the “good memory” was swiftly gathering a mountain of savage regrets.

Jake, the rake…How would he react to being told he’d sown one too many oats? With his P.A., no less.

But she didn’t have to face that yet.

Not yet.

Twenty-four hours.

Amy didn’t know how she got through the day with Jake. He asked about the flat tyre and she blathered on about it, excusing the time away from the office. She was aware of him frowning at her several times. It was almost time for her to leave when he asked, “Is something wrong, Amy?” and her glazed eyes cleared enough to see he was observing her very keenly.

Would their child have those wolf eyes?

Her stomach cramped.

“No,” she forced out. “Everything’s fine.” Except I’m probably pregnant.

“You haven’t been with me, today,” he remarked testingly.

“Sorry. I have been a bit scatter-brained. Christmas coming on…”

“Planning anything special?”

The excuse had popped into her mind but she was totally blank about it and had to grope for a reply. “No. Not really. Just…well, I guess I was thinking about the family I don’t have. Kate Bradley was saying she’d shopped till she dropped and…” Amy shrugged, having run out of ideas to explain herself. “At least I’m saved that hassle.”