Expecting the Boss's Baby by Leanne Banks Page A

“I know the best way to solve this.”
    “How?”
    “You need to be sleeping with me.”
    Kate groaned. “That’s what got me in trouble in the first place.”
    “So you can’t get into any worse trouble now.”
    She shot him a dark look that alternated between sexy and wary. “That’s a matter of opinion,” she said and flounced toward the door. She stopped when she put her hand on the knob. “There is one other thing,” she said, not turning to face him.
    Her reluctance to look at him piqued his curiosity. “Yes?”
    “I realize it will be a challenge, but when we’re around my parents, you need to act like you’re crazy about me. It will be hard, but if you use one-tenth of the energy and creativity you’ve used for your business, you might be able to pull it off.”
    Then she whisked out of the door, treating him to a tempting view of her curvy backside. Michael couldn’t decide if he’d just been complimented or insulted. Perhaps both.
     
    After work, he drove to her duplex and found her on a stepladder armed with a screwdriver while she worked on a curtain-rod bracket. Anyone else looking at her wouldn’t have a clue that she was pregnant. Slim and curvy in shorts and tank top, she was barefoot, but her legs caught and held his attention. Until he thought about the nasty combination of the ladder and her pregnancy.
    “Have you lost your mind?” he asked as calmly as he could.
    He must have startled her because she let out a little shriek, then jumped and struggled for balance.His heart hammering, he ran toward the ladder and wrapped his hands around her waist.
    “Why did you do that?” she asked, scowling down at him. “You scared the living daylights out of me.”
    “Did you forget you’re pregnant?”
    “No,” she said. “But as long as no one comes up behind me and disturbs me, I should be fine on the ladder.”
    “Let me finish,” he insisted.
    “It’s not necessary,” she protested.
    “If you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for Cupcake,” he said, using her term of endearment.
    She thought about it for a moment, then handed over the screwdriver. “Okay.”
    Michael swung her off the ladder to the ground, and climbed it. “Nice screwdriver. I’m surprised.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you’re a woman.”
    “That’s sexist,” she said. “Besides, there’s an unwritten rule. Every woman should have a good screwdriver, a drill, and a black bra.”
    The screwdriver slipped in his hand, but he caught it. “And do you?” he asked. “Have all three?”
    “Yes.”
    Michael was struck with the wicked wanton image of Kate in a black bra and not much else. He sucked in a quick breath and frowned at the odor. “Still smells like smoke.”
    “It was strong when I first got here, so I ran two fans on high and went out for a while. I must’ve gotten used to it this afternoon.”
    “You know I can’t leave you here, don’t you?” he asked, finishing the screws and descending the ladder.
    “Why not?”
    “Because if you got hurt, I couldn’t live with myself.”
    Her eyes widened. She folded her arms over her chest. “I’ll be fine.”
    “I would have thought you’d be fine two nights ago,” he pointed out. “But you weren’t. Any other climbing you planned tonight?”
    “No,” she said reluctantly. “If you keep acting nice and attentive, you’re going to confuse me.”
    “If you get confused, does that mean you’ll show me the big three?”
    “Big three?” she echoed.
    “Your screwdriver, your drill and your black bra.”

Five
    S urprised, Kate gave a double take. Her heart skipped a beat. “Are you serious?”
    “Yes,” he said, moving closer to her. “I’d like you to show me your big three.”
    Was he flirting with her? Michael didn’t flirt with her. “The drill is in my toolbox.”
    “And the black bra?”
    “Bottom dresser drawer,” she said, wondering how far he was going to take this.
    “I want to see it on you,” he told her,