A Film Star, A Baby, And A Proposal (7 page)

"
I love you so much, Rosie," he whispered the words, looked up to catch her lips curve as her fingers stroked through his hair, short nails scraping his scalp and he felt the tingle run down his spine to spear into his love muscle twitching against her thigh.

"
I've loved you my whole life," she whispered back, her voice breaking under the weight of overwhelming emotions. "Until this moment I didn't believe that love could grow any bigger but my heart is so full it feels as if it's going to burst with love for you. You make me so very, very happy, Alexander."

She'd never forget the way his emerald eyes
now went dark with a variety of emotions.

Rosie read a desire that
was always present along with love, pride and a deep contentment that thrilled her because she felt it too. The rightness of it all. For too many years she'd pined and waited for him to notice her. All the heartache, all the pain, all the unrequited love she'd endured and until this moment when she'd told him he was going to be a father made it all so worthwhile. Alexander Ludlow adored and loved her with every cell in his body. How had she got so lucky in love? She saw something else flash in his eyes before his head dipped and his lips parted to taste a screaming nipple. Tenderness. He was taking great care with her. Their lovemaking could be rough at times and she loved it when he took control. But now he was almost worshiping her body with his mouth, with gentle hands with an easy touch that seemed to be everywhere. Now one hand stroked so gently over her belly before circling down to that magic spot between her legs.

Her groan was one of pleasure as her hips rose to press into his hand
but he wouldn't let her go faster. His muscled leg slid between hers as his thigh held her hips still as his fingers slid inside her before slicking around her clitoris.

She tried to reach for his love muscle but he slid out of her reach.

Frustrated, even as she drowned in the pleasure he was bringing her, she breathed a little sigh into his ear.

"Please. I want you now, Alexander," she pleaded before nipping his earlobe, a signal she wanted him to take her hard and fast. Usually that little nip would have him turn her over, bring her to her knees with her bottom exposed for him to use her as his personal plaything. But not tonight. Tonight
, he didn't kiss her with hunger or with lust, tonight his mouth tasted hers with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes. The man was killing her with loving kindness.

"No rough stuff, baby," Alexander muttered into her throat.
"Not tonight. Not while you're carrying my child. Instead you'd better get used to this."

He knelt between her legs.

Large hands slid under her bare bottom to grip her and bring her hips to his, to slide his love muscle carefully into her slippery folds. He hissed out a breath as he entered her so slowly she wanted to scream with the pleasure of it. In this position she watched the flush rise over his strong chest and into those sharp cheekbones. Candle light flickered over the sheen of his hair, reflected in those dark eyes filled with love, for her. She couldn't move because his hands kept her perfectly still as he slid further into her, filling her, stretching her slick muscles that gripped him. So Rosie did the only thing she could, she flexed those core inner muscles and they fluttered around him. Thank you pilates. His eyes flew to hers even as he huffed out a small laugh that was between pleasure and pain.

"You little devil.
If you keep that up this won't last long." He hissed out a breath, clenched his jaw as she did it again and again. Now he gave a shallow thrust in and out, in and out, again and again. And instinctively she knew he was scared to go in too far, scared in case he hurt their child. Stupid man.

The muscles of his neck
overextended as Alexander tried desperately not to let the beast riding him hard thrust into her right to the hilt.

The scent of her need of him nearly tipped him over the edge.
His breath was panting in his throat and the muscles of his thighs trembled with the strain of not taking her hard and fast. The little witch was using her vaginal muscles to fucking kill him. By the wicked look in her eye she knew exactly what she was doing to him. Not gonna happen, baby. No way was he going to come before her. But the sting at the base of his spine belied that fact.

"If you weren't pregnant, lady, you're arse would be glowing for what you're doing to me," he told her through clenched teeth. Then her face flushed as her core fisted around his love muscle
. He used his thumb to flick her clitoris, a move that shot her right over the edge. And as her back arched, as she threw her head back Alexander lost it and his seed ricochet up his love muscle and jetted hot inside her again and again. Taking care not to rest all of him on top of her, he panted into her neck. And still the little witch was milking him dry.

His big body shuddered over her and Rosemary Ludlow smiled the smile of a woman who'd got what she wanted.

She'd destroyed his legendary control.

Again.

Her hand rose to slap a tight butt cheek.

His laugh was between a groan and a growl.

He lifted his head and gazed into her eyes.

"We need to talk about sex during pregnancy. There is no need to treat me like a delicate flower," she in
formed him and gave him a cheeky grin.

He narrowed his fabulous eyes and she read a warning as well as glittering amusement.

"You are so going to pay for that."

Unconcerned she lifted her head to nip at his full bottom lip, then gave it a little lick.

She slapped his butt again, gave it a naughty squeeze, and felt him go thick and hard inside her.

"Once more, big boy, with feeling."

Eve seriously didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"
What if I don't want to go to New Zealand?" It was a fair question so why was Matt looking at her as if she was a couple of cents short of the full dollar?

"T
hat's your choice. But I can't stay here with you. I've signed the contract. I'm committed to the project. If I back-out they can and will sue my ass."

"
And what am I going to do while you're out filming all day and night?"

"
Whatever your heart desires," came the reasonable response. "You've always wanted to write. Now's your chance."

Stunned, she co
uld only stare into his gorgeous face.

Into those big blue
guileless eyes.

How did he know about that?

Nobody knew about her secret long held dream.

Unless
...

Outrage tugged hard at her temper
.

"
You read my journal," she accused in a voice no more than a whisper.

He actually had the grace to blush.

The bastard.

"
It wasn't like that. I found it next to your bed. I only flipped over a couple of pages. When I realised what it was I put it down."

Something like utter horror rose into her throat.

Omigod.

"
What else did you read?

Leaning back
against a couch he crossed his legs at the ankles, folded his arms.

A typical defence pose.

"You want a family, a home, a real partner in your life. I can give you that," he said as if they were discussing the weather.

And just like that
for Eve love turned to hate.

He
'd
known.
All the time he'd known her deepest darkest secrets. Not once had he mentioned commitment, affection. Or the elephant in the room, love.

And she realised he was prepared to do his
duty. To do the right thing.

She refused to
be some kind of hanger-on in his life. A burden. A duty.

No way was she going to
condemn herself to a life of waiting for him to arrive, to give a little of his precious time to her and their child. She'd watched her mother become terribly lonely and terribly bitter.

"
Not a chance," she said and stood.

The room took a spin and she gripped the edge of the table
as a horrible wave of queasiness did a slow steady roll through her, leaving her drenched in a cold sweat.

Not now baby please, she begged
her child.

"
I'll have all those things," she assured him with the toss of her hair. "But never with
you
."

"
What the hell is wrong with me?" he demanded.

"
Everything."

She couldn
't look at him.

The
ferocity of another wave of nausea caught her by surprise.

She bolted for her bedroom and the bathroom. And heaved the contents of her stomach into the toilet. By the time she was finis
hed, she wanted to die. Matt was holding her hair back from the line of fire and had a cold cloth pressed to her forehead.

"
You need a doctor," he said looking as pale as she felt.

Slumped against the bathroom wall, she shot him a dark look.

"What I need is for you to sign the papers and get out of my life."

Sitting on the floor next to her, he stretched out long legs, cross
ed them at the ankles, folded his arms and gave her a shoulder nudge.

"
I can't force you to come to New Zealand with me. But I will fight for the right to see my child. Are you prepared for the publicity of a court battle? Because when I fight, babe, I fight to win."

It was a good thing she was sitting down because Eve's world tilted on its axis.

Never.

Never had she imagined in her wildest dreams that he would threaten to take her child.

Something like terror
battled with fury.

Fury won.

"Get out."

Tears caught in her throat, stung her eyes and she fought them back like a warrior.

She would not cry in front of this man.

"
No," he said, rolling to his feet. "You're in no fit state to be left alone. Face it. You need me."

Tilting her head back she stared
up at him with hatred burning brightly in her heart. He didn't look smug or complacent or triumphant. Instead he looked absolutely determined, focused. A man on a mission. Why hadn't she seen that he was stubborn with a ruthless streak a mile wide?

Who
was
this man?

"
I'll fight you every single step of the way," she assured him through clenched teeth.

Without a
nother word he bent and lifted her as if she weighed nothing and carried her through to her bedroom, laid her down on the bed.

Then he had the bare-
faced bloody cheek to kiss her forehead and did she imagine the quick sniff of her hair?

"
Not today you won't, tiger. I know you're furious with me. Have a sleep. You can kill me tomorrow."

He strolled to the door, switched off the light, and left.

How was she supposed to be able to sleep after all that?

As she closed her eyes
Eve decided it was high time she got out of Dodge.

Sleep
, Matt decided, was overrated.

He
'd spent the night on the couch going through his manuscript with one ear pricked listening for signs of life from Eve in case she needed him. During the night he'd looked in on her a couple, okay maybe ten, times. Once he'd just stood at the side of the bed and watched her sleep. His hand itching to touch, to stroke the hair from the side of her beautiful face. She'd looked so peaceful he didn't want to disturb her. The dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes worried him. They worried him a lot.

He
still couldn't believe he'd threatened her and lost his temper with the mother of his child. The love of his life. Not that she'd believe him if he declared himself, not after the stupid things he'd said and done. Hindsight and the luxury of time to think had made him read through the vile legal document again.

And he
'd finally, finally, saw it for what it really was.

A gauntlet.

A challenge tossed.

A
nd like a fool, instead of picking up that challenge, he'd totally lost his temper. She'd been looking for a reaction, a commitment from him. And he'd given her an ultimatum. Had he lost his fucking mind?

She
'd unerringly struck right at the heart of what he'd missed out on and secretly desired his whole life. A family. His own family. The bitter truth that Eve expected him to sign away something so fundamentally precious, the miracle of his child, had hurt. Hell it still hurt.

He couldn
't force her to stay with him or to travel with him.

What was he going do?

He must have dozed off.

All was still and quiet.

It was the quiet that woke him.

The fire was still merrily flickering away, but something had changed.
Matt turned his head and spotted that change floating past the windows in fat white flakes.

Snow.

He leapt up, jogged to the double French doors and stood there grinning like a fool.

He
'd put good money on it, Eve was planning to leave him today.

Well, babe, karma was a bitch.

And that bitch had just dumped at least a foot of the white stuff on top of Ludlow Hall.

Turning on the flat screen television
, he saw the weather was centre stage and breaking news.

Eve was going nowhere.

With a spring in his step, and humming 'Jingle Bells' under his breath Matt strode through his bedroom into the shower.

Determined to pack early and organise a taxi to take her home,
Eve pulled the curtain cord to find a scene depicting a winter wonderland under a heavy sky that promised a helluva lot more.

Huge pine tre
es groaned under the weight of snow. The river ran like a black ribbon through pristine white.

And with a falling heart she knew she was going nowhere fast.

Bugger
.

"
Lovely weather we're having," Matt all but sang as she emerged at last from the sanctuary of her bedroom.

Today she wore black leggings, thick
woollen socks the colour of Rudolph's nose and a matching fleece. Copper hair was tied in a high ponytail. She still looked pale, but mouth wateringly beautiful. And if the glitter in those golden eyes was anything to go by, she hated his guts.

Feeling nothing but love for her in his heart, Matt
tossed her a friendly smile. "What would you like? Toast? Tea? Cereal?"

Her only response was a look that would curdle
the fresh milk in the jug. She sat at the table and without taking those eyes from his, lovingly fingered the knife of heavy silver next to her plate. By the look on her face she was probably dreaming of stabbing him with it through the heart.

"
I discover something new about you every day," she told him. "Yesterday, I learned you're a slob and a big bully. And today I've realised you're a deeply unpleasant character. I don't know what I was thinking having sex with you."

Even when she was furious Matt decided Eve
was absolutely adorable. Who'd have thought having her pissed off with him would be such a turn on. He kept his eyes on hers as he placed a slice of buttered wholemeal toast on her plate.

"
Baby, we've never had just sex. We made love, hot and passionate love. We need to reconnect. So I think we need to do a lot more of the same. What do you say? Your bed or mine?"

He grinned into her stunned face.

Solid ice entered those fabulous eyes and her knuckles went white as she gripped the knife.

Silence.

How could a man with so much kindness in him be so insensitive?

The cocky smile slid from his face.

The pressure in Eve's chest was so tremendous she couldn't bear it.

In spite of doing her
level best, her eyes filled.

Matt winced, reached across the table to cover her hand
gripping the knife with his.

"
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I said it to make you laugh, not cry."

"
Leave me alone. I don't need you. I don't want to..." Want you, she nearly said and slapped a hand over her mouth.

He stood
, came around the table and crouched down beside her.

"
Eve..."

If he touched her she'd totally lose it.

All she wanted to do was to throw herself into his arms and just let all her pent-up feelings out. But she knew that once she started crying she'd never stop. And he'd be too kind and understanding and gentle. And that would kill her.

Oh G
od, this was a nightmare.

"
It's okay. It's me. Pregnancy hormones. Do you think we can get out of here? Go for a walk or something?"

"S
ure." He pulled her to her feet, held her wrists. His thumbs rubbed the racing pulse points on her skin as blue eyes searched hers. Eve recognised anxiety and guilt and something else she couldn't identify.

"
We'll go for a walk in the snow and I promise I won't lay a finger on you. Unless you want me to."

That was the trouble, Eve thought.

She did want him to.

Half an hour later they were kitted out in thick socks
tucked inside wellington boots and duck down puffa coats all purchased from the shop at Ludlow Hall.

The snow had stoppe
d, but a glowering sky the colour of heavy pewter hung above them. And that sky absolutely suited Eve's mood. She couldn't think straight when she was near him. Right from the beginning he'd affected her like this. It was as if her body and her mind were two separate entities. What she needed to do Eve decided was to keep her focus purely on the child she carried.

G
usts of icy wind nipped at her cheeks, brought a tear to the eye.

They strolled across the vast lawn of pristine snow towards the river.

Eve pressed her mouth into her muffler and shoved gloved hands deep into her coat pockets.

Turning to
walk backwards to study her face, Matt grinned.

"
You look cute," he told her.

She wore a sheepskin aviator hat
the colour of clear honey. It had cost a fortune in the Ludlow Hall shop, but he'd plonked it on her head and insisted she wear it. The wind swirled powdery snow around them and she had to admit the hat had been one of his better ideas.

Taking a deep inhale
, the freezing air stung icy needles in her throat, her lungs, but she didn't care.

She felt so much better outdoors walking
through the white field, breathing fresh air.

The river was
swollen, fast running and they strolled alongside the bank, each lost in their own thoughts.

"
When did you find out?" he asked now.

"S
ix weeks ago. I've never been pregnant before so I was a little bit slow on the uptake and went to the doctor thinking I had a virus."

Now he tucked his chin into his muffler, the woollen beanie was pulled low on his head, all she could see were blue eyes narrowed against the wind and his nose.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry I let you down."

She heard genuine regret
and her stupid heart couldn't help but respond. "I know you don't want this..."

He
kept his eyes on hers as he took her gloved hand. "Do you want this? Did you ever think..." He stopped dead and again shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean..."

He might not be able to say it, but Eve
knew exactly what he meant.

"
You mean have an abortion?" The word made him flinch but she kept her eyes on his. Temper burned too bright in her heart, in her belly. So this was what the little walk in the snow was all about? To quiz her why she hadn't killed her child? she thought, completely forgetting that the walk in the snow had been her idea in the first place. "Never."

Then she swung
around to trudge back to Ludlow Hall.

Matt grabbed her
upper arm and turned her round to face him blue eyes sparking with outrage.

"
I didn't mean..."

Her eyes searched his
.

She read dismay and regret and that regret had her
temper spike.

"
Yes you did. I'm a single woman with my whole life ahead of me. I've a stellar career so it would make sense for me to decide not to keep a baby. Right? And no one would ever know. Right?" Now her voice rose and his face went too pale. "Hell, in your world it probably happens every day, doesn't it? It's a logical question and you have every right to ask it. But I couldn't even consider it."

"
Will you please
stop
putting words in my mouth that aren't there?" he roared against the wind.

She tried to pull away but
his own temper glittered in his eyes as he grabbed her other arm and lifted her right off her feet.

Alarmed
, she stared into eyes as black as night and her heart went crazy in her chest.

Omigod.

He was absolutely furious with her.