The CEO's Baby Surprise

“No problem. And you are uptight, Daniel. Everything about you screams order and control.”

“Because I don’t live in chaos?” he asked, deliberately waving a hand around the untidy room. “That doesn’t necessarily equate to being a control freak.”

She crossed her arms. “Chaos? So now you think I’m a slob?”

He drank some coffee and placed the mug on the counter. “What I think is that it’s interesting that you express every opinion you have without considering the consequences.”

“Oh, have I offended your sensibilities?”

“Have I offended yours?”

She shrugged. “I’d have to care what you thought, wouldn’t I?”

In all his life he’d never met anyone who tried so hard to antagonize him. Or anyone with whom he’d been compelled to do the same. Mary-Jayne got under his skin in ways he could barely rationalize. They were all wrong for one another and they both knew it.

And now there was a baby coming...

His baby.

Daniel glanced at her belly and then met her gaze.

“Mary-Jayne.” He said her name quietly, and the mood between them changed almost immediately. “Are you...are you sure?”

She nodded slowly. “Am I sure the baby is yours? Yes, I’m certain.”

Resistance lingered in his blood. “But we—”

“I may be a lot of things, Daniel...but I’m not a liar.” She drew in a long breath. “The contraception we used obviously failed. Despite what you think of me, I’ve been single for over twelve months and I haven’t slept with anyone since...except you.”

A stupid, egotistical part of him was glad to hear it. One part wanted to believe her. And the other...the other could only think about what it meant for them both if what she said was true.

“I need to be sure,” he said.

“I understand,” she replied. “You can have your proof when he or she is born.”

Guilt niggled its way through his blood. “I appreciate you agreeing to a paternity test.”

She shrugged lightly. “There’s little point in being at odds over this. Be assured that I don’t want anything from you, and once you have your proof of paternity you can decide how much or how little time you invest in this.”

As she spoke she certainly didn’t come across as flighty as she appeared. She sounded like a woman who knew exactly what she wanted. Which was her child...and no interference from him.

Which of course wasn’t going to happen.

If the baby was his, then he would be very involved. He’d have no choice. The child would be an Anderson and have the right to claim the legacy that went with the name. Only, he wasn’t sure how he’d get Mary-Jayne to see it that way.

“If this child is mine, then I won’t dodge my responsibility.”

She looked less than impressed by the idea. “If you’re talking about money, I think I’ve made it pretty clear I’m not interested.”

“You can’t raise a child on good intentions, Mary-Jayne. Be sensible.”

Her mouth thinned and she looked ready for an argument, but she seemed to change her mind. Some battles, he figured, were about defense, not attack...and she knew that as well as he did.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said casually as she crossed the small kitchen and stood in front of the refrigerator. She waited for him to stand aside and then opened the door. “I’m heating up lasagna. Are you staying for dinner?”

Daniel raised a brow. “Am I invited?”

She shrugged, as if she couldn’t care either way. But he knew she probably wanted to tell him to take a hike in some of her more colorful language.

“Sure,” he said, and grabbed the coffee mug as he stepped out of her way. “That would be good.”

He caught a tiny smile on her mouth and watched as she removed several items from the refrigerator and began preparing food on the countertop. She placed a casserole dish in the microwave and began making a salad. And Daniel couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was fascinating to watch. Her glorious hair shone like ebony beneath the kitchen light, and she chewed her bottom lip as she completed the task. And of course thinking about her lips made him remember their night together. And kissing her. And making love to her. She had a remarkable effect on his libido, and he wondered if it was because they were so different that he was so achingly attracted to her. She was all challenge. All resistance. And since very little challenged him these days, Daniel knew her very determination to avoid him had a magnetic pull all of its own.

And he had no idea what he was going to do about it.

Or if he could do actually do anything at all.

Chapter Four (#ulink_b66378e5-4807-5f30-a6ed-59123f825774)

Mary-Jayne finished preparing dinner, uncomfortably conscious of the gorgeous man standing by the kitchen table. There was such blistering intensity in his gaze she could barely concentrate on what she was doing. She hated that he could do that to her. If she had her way she’d never see him again.