Expecting His Child: The Pregnancy Plot / Staking His Claim / A Tricky Proposition. Tessa RadleyЧитать онлайн книгу.
her eyeliner, then dug around in her bag for her lipstick. He’d broken up with her. He’d moved on, gotten married.
Her reflection blinked back at her. If he could compartmentalize this, so could she.
Her heart contracted as she swept the Revlon lipstick across her mouth, then pressed her lips together. He’d not only gone through a demanding childhood, but he’d also had to deal with the death of his brother, turning that loss into the motivation for creating GEM, a major global rescue company. Drive and determination were two qualities that defined Matthew Cooper, no matter what he did in life. He wanted something, so he pursued it; his medical degree and GEM were proof of that.
Well, she was determined, too.
AJ capped the lipstick, smoothed her hair down, then scrunched the ends to boost the curl. “Time to move this thing along,” she murmured, taking one last look at her vampy reflection before turning to the door.
She strode back across the crowded dining floor, ignoring the handful of men watching her progress. Only one guy was in her sights right now, and he was downing his coffee with the smooth efficiency of someone impatient to be somewhere else.
Alrighty, then.
When she stopped at their table, Matt glanced up.
“Are you ready to go?” she said. He took her in for only a second, maybe more, but it was enough to send a shiver over her skin.
“Yes.” He abruptly stood, and she had to take a quick step back as he invaded her personal space. Then he reached for her hand, linking his fingers through hers, and her insides sent up a little cheer.
This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for all night.
She was ready.
They barely made it to the car before he pushed her against the passenger door and kissed her.
The cool metal seared through her dress, a stark contrast to the warm hardness of eager male. He was in her senses, her every breath, her very blood. His kiss was so good, so hot. She had missed this, missed the familiarity of his touch, the way he boldly took control. She’d spent too many years controlling herself and having the chance to release that burden—even for a brief time—was such a welcome relief. And yes, he knew exactly what he was doing, from his hands cupping her bottom, to his mouth sliding across hers, to his questing tongue parting her lips and diving deep inside.
She moaned. Yes. Yes. So very good. So good she could hardly take the time to breathe for fear she’d miss something.
“Let’s do this in the car,” she whispered against his mouth.
He groaned. “Angel. We can’t—”
“Of course we can,” she said. Her hands went to his belt then crept lower, and she gasped when she encountered the hard bulge.
With an oath he wrenched his mouth from hers. “Not here.”
“Why not?”
He sighed, gently placing his forehead on hers. “Because it’s a public place and I don’t want to get arrested.”
Oh, yeah. She grinned. “Then let’s go.”
“Hello, Matt. Are you coming or going?”
AJ couldn’t miss the way Matt’s entire body suddenly tensed.
Then he inhaled, deliberately relaxed and turned. “Hi, Katrina. We’re just leaving, actually.”
Katrina. His ex-wife. AJ glanced past Matt, taking in the Amazonian ice blonde with amazing cheekbones. She was all legs, flat stomach and slim boyish hips, dressed in an oyster-colored knit dress and matching shoes, setting off her tan and thin arms to graceful perfection. Her bright green eyes returned AJ’s stare.
She wondered what the other woman could see, whether she felt as gauche as AJ suddenly did.
Highly doubtful. She didn’t appear to have a single unsure bone in her body as she stood there on the sidewalk.
“Who’s your friend?” Katrina said now, offering a long-fingered hand. Soft skin, firm handshake, AJ noticed.
“AJ Reynolds, this is Katrina Mills.”
“Nice to meet you,” AJ lied smoothly, suddenly feeling way too loud and dramatic next to this elegant vision.
“Same here. Well.” Her smile returned to Matt. “I have a date. Have a nice night.”
“You, too.” He nodded, watching her go with his hands deep in his pockets.
Finally, he turned back to AJ. “Sorry about that. I honestly didn’t know she’d be here.”
AJ shrugged, going for nonchalance. “It doesn’t bother me. You said you were over, right? So you’ve got nothing to apologize for.” She glanced back at Katrina as the woman disappeared into the restaurant. “She’s gorgeous. I can see why you married her.”
“Hmm.”
What kind of answer was that? Stung, AJ slid into the passenger seat without a word, the mood well and truly broken.
They drove back to Matt’s apartment, faint music from the radio filling the silence.
This was awkward. Way more than awkward—excruciating. Was he thinking about Katrina? Was that why he’d suddenly gone from white-hot to cold? Worse, was he comparing them? And if so, did she come out the winner or the loser?
Matt jabbed a button on the radio and the music changed to some crazy club tune, heavy on the bass and light on originality. AJ stared out the window, her thoughts becoming grimmer.
When they finally drove into the parking garage, AJ turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
He turned off the engine. “Nothing. Why?”
“Do you usually drive around in ominous, brooding silence? I’m a pretty good judge of mood, and you, Matthew Cooper, are in a pissy one. Is it your ex-wife?”
He swung open the door and threw a look over his shoulder just before he got out. Bingo. She followed suit, slamming the door and rounding the front of the car. “So it wasn’t an amicable split?”
He clicked on the car alarm before turning to the elevators. AJ hurried to match his stride. “Oh, it was perfectly amicable.” He sighed, punching the button. “Katrina is all about appearance, and our divorce was nothing if not polite and quick.”
“So why—?”
“I have to deal with her on a monthly basis, which is once a month more than I’d like. She’s Saint Cat’s admin director,” he added as the elevator doors opened and he walked in. “And my company depends on a mutual arrangement with their doctors and staff.”
“I see.” She followed him in and the doors slid closed.
“She’s damn good at her job.” He waved his key at the sensor and the elevator began to move. “My parents were thrilled when we got married. But she and I...”
“Weren’t a good match.”
“Not really, no.”
She couldn’t imagine Matt with someone like Katrina. He was too...passionate. Intense. Sensual. And Katrina looked like she could freeze an ice cube off her perfectly sculpted cheekbones.
So what had happened? Curiosity burned yet she let it simmer instead of putting it all out there. She didn’t want to know. Talking meant sharing, sharing meant intimacy and intimacy meant...
No. Think about your goal. That’s what you’re here for.
Never count on anyone. Never get close enough to care. Never, ever get comfortable.
She shifted from