He was determined to make things right.
“Calm yourself, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for what I said in there. You took me by surprise. That’s my only excuse.” Lucy relaxed a fraction and let out a heavy breath. He added, “Please, come back in so we can discuss this in private.”
She seemed to relax a little, but she stared down at the ground as if not able to look at him. Well, that was a shitty thought.
“I don’t see what there is to talk about. It’s not as if we have a relationship. I don’t expect anything from you here.” She shrugged. “I just thought you had a right to know.”
He began stroking his thumb over the erratic pulse in her wrist and whispered, “There are things I need to set straight. Come, please.”
Her head came up, and once more her expressive blue gaze held him captive. She seemed to be debating whether to bolt or follow him. Finally, she nodded. Reilly was so grateful he wanted to howl. His reaction was telling of how badly he wanted to keep her around.
Once they were back in his office, Reilly let her sit while he shut the door. He didn’t want Eddie overhearing this particular conversation.
He went to lean against the desk, directly in front of her, and crossed his feet at the ankles. He took advantage of Lucy’s unusually subdued manner and pondered the situation. In his mind, he presented and discarded several options and every time he came back to the same one. The only one that made any sense.
For two very long months, Reilly had been going slowly nuts wanting a woman who didn’t want him. Now she was here, and she needed him. In one easy swoop, he could fix their problem and have her back in his life. But it was such a risky move. Reilly wasn’t sure if it would be the smartest thing he’d ever done, or the dumbest.
“The way I see it, there’s only one way to handle this.”
She stopped staring at the floor and glared up at him. “And?”
He nodded and forced the words out past the rock in his throat. “We’ll get married.”
At first, Lucy only sat there, staring at him as if he were a strange-looking insect she’d suddenly discovered. “Are you for real?” she asked.
The disbelief in her voice wasn’t encouraging. “Why is that so unbelievable?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not unbelievable—insane.”
“I’m very serious.” His muscles stiffened as Lucy continued to glare at him as if he’d lost his mind. Hell, maybe he had. “I’d be a good husband. You would want for nothing.”
Her mouth dropped open, and for several seconds, Lucy simply sat there. Finally, she said, “Oh my God, you really are serious.” At his nod, she sighed. “Neither one of us is anywhere near ready to settle down. I’m not sure I ever want to get married again, but if I did, it would be to a man I loved. Not a man who was merely doing the right thing for the sake of the baby.”
“You think it’s so impossible that I could love you?”
“You don’t love me any more than I love you, Reilly.”
“Maybe not now, but over time I think we could make it work.”
She shook her head and started to stand, but he was quicker. He knelt in front of her and placed his palms on her thighs. “Fine, no marriage, but at least let me apologize for the way I treated you that night at my house. I was such a fool, Lucy. I don’t know why I jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Please forgive me?”
She bit her lower lip and stared down at the floor. “I would never sleep with someone just to get a job. Never in a million years.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I was an ass, and it cost me big-time.” He paused, then asked, “Give me a chance to make it up to you?”
She narrowed her eyes, and her body stiffened a fraction. “How?”
“Come back tonight and audition.” When she started to speak, Reilly rode over her and said, “I really would love to hear you sing.”
“You haven’t hired anyone
“Calm yourself, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for what I said in there. You took me by surprise. That’s my only excuse.” Lucy relaxed a fraction and let out a heavy breath. He added, “Please, come back in so we can discuss this in private.”
She seemed to relax a little, but she stared down at the ground as if not able to look at him. Well, that was a shitty thought.
“I don’t see what there is to talk about. It’s not as if we have a relationship. I don’t expect anything from you here.” She shrugged. “I just thought you had a right to know.”
He began stroking his thumb over the erratic pulse in her wrist and whispered, “There are things I need to set straight. Come, please.”
Her head came up, and once more her expressive blue gaze held him captive. She seemed to be debating whether to bolt or follow him. Finally, she nodded. Reilly was so grateful he wanted to howl. His reaction was telling of how badly he wanted to keep her around.
Once they were back in his office, Reilly let her sit while he shut the door. He didn’t want Eddie overhearing this particular conversation.
He went to lean against the desk, directly in front of her, and crossed his feet at the ankles. He took advantage of Lucy’s unusually subdued manner and pondered the situation. In his mind, he presented and discarded several options and every time he came back to the same one. The only one that made any sense.
For two very long months, Reilly had been going slowly nuts wanting a woman who didn’t want him. Now she was here, and she needed him. In one easy swoop, he could fix their problem and have her back in his life. But it was such a risky move. Reilly wasn’t sure if it would be the smartest thing he’d ever done, or the dumbest.
“The way I see it, there’s only one way to handle this.”
She stopped staring at the floor and glared up at him. “And?”
He nodded and forced the words out past the rock in his throat. “We’ll get married.”
At first, Lucy only sat there, staring at him as if he were a strange-looking insect she’d suddenly discovered. “Are you for real?” she asked.
The disbelief in her voice wasn’t encouraging. “Why is that so unbelievable?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not unbelievable—insane.”
“I’m very serious.” His muscles stiffened as Lucy continued to glare at him as if he’d lost his mind. Hell, maybe he had. “I’d be a good husband. You would want for nothing.”
Her mouth dropped open, and for several seconds, Lucy simply sat there. Finally, she said, “Oh my God, you really are serious.” At his nod, she sighed. “Neither one of us is anywhere near ready to settle down. I’m not sure I ever want to get married again, but if I did, it would be to a man I loved. Not a man who was merely doing the right thing for the sake of the baby.”
“You think it’s so impossible that I could love you?”
“You don’t love me any more than I love you, Reilly.”
“Maybe not now, but over time I think we could make it work.”
She shook her head and started to stand, but he was quicker. He knelt in front of her and placed his palms on her thighs. “Fine, no marriage, but at least let me apologize for the way I treated you that night at my house. I was such a fool, Lucy. I don’t know why I jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Please forgive me?”
She bit her lower lip and stared down at the floor. “I would never sleep with someone just to get a job. Never in a million years.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I was an ass, and it cost me big-time.” He paused, then asked, “Give me a chance to make it up to you?”
She narrowed her eyes, and her body stiffened a fraction. “How?”
“Come back tonight and audition.” When she started to speak, Reilly rode over her and said, “I really would love to hear you sing.”
“You haven’t hired anyone
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