Foolish Expectations by Alison Bliss Page B

through her.
    “Hey, are you okay?” Nash steadied her and put the back of his hand to her forehead, checking for fever.
    “I’ve been sick for a week. I thought I’d bounce back by now, but it’s not getting any better.”
    “Sweetheart, if you are pregnant, you’re probably going to feel this way for a while.” He eased her forward and rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Is that better?”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    He didn’t believe her, though, because she looked even more pale and brittle than before, obviously trying to hold herself together still. Nash reasoned that her feelings were probably being batted back and forth like an emotional birdie in a really fucked up game of badminton. God knew his were. After all, she could be carrying his…
    Shit. Wait. Was it even his?
    Nash smoothed a hand over his face. He hadn’t seen her in six weeks, and although he’d been looking for her since the day she’d snuck out on him, she obviously hadn’t done the same. After all, she knew where he lived. Was it possible she’d moved on and had been with someone else since the night they’d spent together?
    The thought alone sent a chill through him and knotted his stomach. Call him possessive, but he didn’t like the thought of another man touching her like he had. And although he felt like a jerk, he needed to know for certain.
    “Look, I know this is probably going to sound bad, but I don’t want to assume anything, so I need to ask you something important,” he said, preparing her for his blunt question. “If you are pregnant, is it…I mean, the baby…is it mine?”
    The outrage in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. “I can’t believe you asked me that.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”
    “I know you aren’t—”
    “Don’t presume you know anything about me.”
    Nash placed his hand on her shoulder. “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to upset you. I just wanted to be sure.”
    “Well, how would you feel if someone questioned your morals? Maybe I should ask you the same question and see how you like it.”
    He grinned, but said nothing.
    “Oh, so now you think this is funny?”
    “No, but if you ask me if the baby is yours , I promise not to get mad.”
    She sighed. “Okay, so it sounded stupid. But I was making a point.”
    “Point taken,” he said, nodding. “It’s insulting. I get it. But you didn’t tell me your real name. And you never mentioned you were a virgin, either.”
    “What does that have to do with anything? You got what you wanted.”
    He lifted a brow. “And you didn’t?”
    “You’re making it sound like I asked for this, Nash. As if I wanted to wind up pregnant from one careless night with a total stranger.” Her voice wavered and her fingers twisted together in her lap as she became more upset.
    “Look, I already said I was sorry the condom broke.”
    Bailey looked like she wanted to cry, but her words came out laced with sarcasm. “Yeah, you were so sorry that you had me twice more afterward.” She glanced over, just as the corner of his mouth quirked a little. “Go ahead and smile, Nash. You’ve proven yourself,” she said in a mocking tone. “You’re a Grade A stud.”
    His grin dissipated. “Okay, let’s not bullshit each other. The situation isn’t ideal. But if you are pregnant, we have a lot to work out and—”
    “There’s nothing to work out. I know what I would have to do.”
    Nash grimaced, realizing she had said I instead of we . Obviously, she wasn’t planning on including him in whatever decision she made. But what could he do about it? It’s not like he could make her have his baby if she didn’t want to. Christ. Was that what she was getting at?
    Panic gripped him by the throat, forcing his voice to soften. “Are you considering abortion?”
    “No,” she said easily.
    Relief washed over him and he inhaled a deep breath. He always knew one day he would have a