A Man Apart (9 page)

She couldn't do it. Though she supported a woman's right to choose any of the options, Hannah knew that she really had only one option. Should the doctor confirm her pregnancy, Hannah was going to have a baby.

A baby. Visions of soft blankets and tiny booties danced through Hannah's mind. A fierce rush of protectiveness shot through her, and she slid a hand down over her flat belly.

Her child.

Justin's child.

The sudden realization was both thrilling and somewhat frightening. How to tell him?

Justin had been up-front with her from the beginning. He had wanted nothing from her except a brief physical affair. Their affair had been the most wonderful experience Hannah had ever known. Of course, she hadn't considered the possibility of falling in love with him.

Over the days they had been together, Hannah had learned a lot about Justin. Yet at times she felt she hardly knew him at all.

As a lover, she couldn't imagine anyone his equal. There were moments when his voice was so tender, his touch so gentle it brought tears to her eyes while at the same time setting her body on
fire. And there were other times when his voice was raw and ragged, his touch urgent, his lovemaking fierce and demanding.

And Hannah had reveled in every minute of both approaches.

Then there were the periods when all they did was talk, sometimes teasingly, other times seriously.

Hannah had learned that Justin was honest to a fault. When he shared something of himself with her he was blunt and to the point. Not a bad quality to possess. She knew a woman had betrayed his trust and that he had no intention of walking that route again.

She also knew Justin liked kids. He had confessed to Hannah that he adored his niece, Becky. But Justin had never mentioned a desire for children of his own, other than to say his ex had wanted to wait a while before starting a family.

If the doctor confirmed her pregnancy, Hannah didn't know whether or not to inform Justin. After all, she reasoned, if Justin had any interest in a child of his own, he wouldn't have been so scrupulous about protection.

For all the good it had done them.

Still, he had a right to know he had fathered a
child. It was her duty, as an honest person, to let him know.

She just didn't know how to tell him.

V
alentine's Day. The day for lovers. Hannah not only didn't leave work early, she worked over an hour later than usual. She even skipped lunch. Tired, only vaguely hungry, and not so much as considering a restaurant, especially on this special day for sweethearts, she went straight home.

Her heart skipped many beats as she stepped from the condo's elevator to find Justin propped languidly against her door. A bag was on the floor next to his crossed ankles.

The bag, along with the very sight of him filled
her with a flash of hope that he had come to Philadelphia because he realized that they belonged together.

Gathering her senses, and applying her common sense almost at once, Hannah told herself to play it cool until she heard from his lips the words she desperately longed to hear. How easy it would be for her to then tell him of her pregnancy suspicions.

Heaven help her, he looked…wonderful, like the horseman he was. With his Stetson, heavy wool jacket, jeans and slant-heeled boots, he looked exactly as he had the first time she'd seen him.

“Hi.”

The low, intimate timbre of his voice nearly stopped her breathing completely. Damn his gorgeous hide. She had to repeat to herself her cautioning advice to play it cool.

“Hi.” Hannah was amazed by the steadiness of her own voice, her ability to speak at all, as her throat was suddenly dry. “What are you doing here?” Door key at the ready, she aimed it at the key hole. No minor feat, considering the tremor shaking her fingers.

“I came to see you. Are you going to invite me in?”

“Yes, of course, come on in.” Hannah walked inside with as much decorum as she could muster. “I didn't mean what were you doing here, at my apartment,” she said, not sure if she was making conversation, or babbling on in response to the sudden attack of nervousness coursing through her. “I meant what are you doing here, in Philadelphia?”

“Well,” he said, grinning as he shrugged out of his jacket, removed his hat, “I wanted to see you. Though that isn't the only reason I'm here, in the northeast.”

Hannah's spirits soared at first, then took a nosedive, her hopes going down in flames. Still, she maintained her composure and took his jacket and hat and hung them away in the coat closet. The flight bag she set behind the nearby chair.

“I see.” She tried to match his casual tone and didn't quite make it. “Well, I'm glad you stopped by,” she said, dredging up a shaky smile to hide the sting of pain burning inside. “So,” she held on to her smile for dear life. “Why else have you come east?”

“I'll tell you after dinner…” Justin hesitated, frowning. “You haven't had dinner, have you?”

“No,” Hannah shook her head. “I worked late and didn't feel up to the crowds in the restaurants tonight.”

“Oh.” He nodded, then raised a dark brow. “You eat out often?”

Hannah wanted to scream at him. Didn't the man know that it was Valentine's Day? And what difference did it make to him whether or not she ate out often? This was only an afterthought visit, anyway.

“Occasionally,” she answered, smothering the curse and a sigh. She gestured for him to sit down. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked, too politely, certain that if he said coffee she'd throw up.

“No, thanks.” He sat down on the plush lounge chair. “I'll wait for dinner.”

Did he actually expect her to cook for him? He'd wait until the cows came home, she fumed, using one of her father's favorite expressions. Hannah gave him a level stare and mirrored his eyebrow action. “I hope you realize that there will probably be long lines at all the better restaurants tonight,” she said, making it perfectly clear she had no intention of providing a meal for him.

“I don't need a restaurant.” His smile was knowing, making her aware he understood her unsubtle hint. “I've ordered dinner to be delivered here.”

The audacity of the man. Why didn't it surprise
her? Everything inside him radiated audacity and…and…sheer male sensuality.

Stop that train of thought immediately, you dimwit, Hannah ordered herself. Stick to the subject at hand. “How did you know I'd be in town?”

“I didn't.” Justin shrugged, then laughed that deep, thrilling, damnably exciting laugh that set her pulses racing. “But I figured I'd take a chance. I'll tell you all about why I'm here while we eat.”

“But…” Hannah began to ask him how he had gotten past the security guard in the lobby, only to be interrupted by the buzz on the intercom from that very same man.

“There's our dinner,” Justin said, moving to the intercom beside the door. “I'll take care of this. You go set the table.”

You go set the table,
Hannah grumbled to herself, whirling around to do as he ordered. As he ordered. Who the devil did he think he was?

Hannah had finished setting the table except for the water glasses she had retrieved from the cabinet. But she didn't know whether he wanted water with whatever it was he had ordered for dinner or if he'd prefer wine, which of course, she couldn't have. She set one glass on the table and was filling the other glass for herself from the
refrigerator's water dispenser when she heard him open the door and speak to a delivery man. The distinct aroma of pizza wafted through the apartment.

To her amazement, instead of bringing on a wave of queasiness, the smell made her mouth water and her stomach rumble with hunger.

Carrying a large pizza box with one hand and a white paper bag in the other, Justin walked jauntily into the kitchen, his smile more appetizing than the smell of the food.

“Dinner is served, madam,” he said, carefully sliding the box onto the table. “This,” he added, holding the bag aloft, “is our dessert.”

Someday, maybe, hopefully, you'll get your just dessert for being such a rogue, Hannah thought, but simply asked aloud, “What do you want to drink to go with it?”

“Beer?” he asked.

“Yes.” She turned to the fridge.

“Beer with the pizza, and coffee with dessert.”

Her stomach twitched in protest. Wishing he hadn't mentioned her previously favorite beverage, Hannah took a can of beer from the fridge and moved to the table to reach for the glass at his place.

“I don't need a glass,” Justin said with a dis
missive wave of his hand, popping the top while seating himself in the chair opposite hers. “Sit down and serve the pizza.”

Starting to seriously resent his assumed right to order her around, Hannah fixed him with a fuming look. “You know, you could have served it while I was getting your beer.”

“No, I couldn't,” he said with a smile, indicating the box with a nod of his head. “The opening's in front of you. And in case you haven't noticed, the lid's taped shut.”

Hannah couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh at his obvious teasing, or toss her glass of water at him. She did neither. Drawing the box closer, she broke the paper tape and lifted the lid.

The delicious aroma hit her first, making her almost groan with hunger. Then two other factors struck her, making her gasp in surprise. The large crust had been worked into a heart shape, and the words, Sweet Hannah, had been formed with small slices of pepperoni.

She laughed with delight. It was the strangest, most wonderful Valentine's gift she had ever received. “Wherever did you get this?” she asked.

“The pizzeria a couple of blocks down. I told the counter man what I had in mind. Turns out, he
owns the place and he smacked his hand against his forehead and said, and I quote, ‘Why didn't I think of that? I coulda made a bundle.' I told him to keep it in mind for next year.” He grinned. “Are you ever going to serve it?”

Hannah pulled a sad face. “Must I?”

“Only if you want to eat…and don't want me to starve to death at your kitchen table.”

“Well, in that case, I suppose I'd better.” Laughing, if rather weakly, Hannah scooped up a slice and slid it onto his plate. “May I ask what gave you the idea in the first place?” she said, serving herself a slice.

“Hmm.” Nodding, Justin murmured around the big bite he'd taken into his mouth. “I came up with the idea when I decided I wasn't in the mood to stand on line at a restaurant, at a candy store or a florist,” he said after swallowing. “Hey, this is pretty good.” He followed that with a swig of beer. “And I wasn't in the mood because I was tired after driving around since early this morning.” He took another big bite.

Ready to bite into the slice she had served herself, Hannah paused, unable to resist asking, “Why have you been driving since early this morning…and where?”

 

Before responding to her questions, Justin polished off his slice and held his plate out for another. His hesitation wasn't because he was that hungry, although he was, but because he was carefully choosing the words of his explanation.

“Actually, I've been driving around for two days. I flew into Baltimore the day before yesterday.” Justin couldn't miss the tightness that stiffened Hannah's spine, so he rushed on. “I picked up my rental car, checked into a hotel, then went to keep an appointment with a real estate agent.”

She frowned. “Here? In Baltimore?”

“Yes. You see, I'm doing some scouting for Adam. We're thinking of investing in a horse farm here in the East, to breed Thoroughbreds. The agent found farms available in several states and set up appointments for me.”

“What states? And why here in the East?” she asked, frowning.

“Maggie told me there were a lot of horse farms out here.” He answered her second question first.

“Well, Maggie should know,” Hannah said. “She was born in Berks County.”

Justin nodded. “So she said. She suggested Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.” He polished
off a third slice of pizza, grinning as he again held out his plate to her.

Hannah shook her head as if in disbelief of his capacity for food, but slid another slice onto his plate.

He plowed on. “I started in Virginia, where there were two possibilities. From there I drove into Maryland, where there were three. I stayed in a motel in Pennsylvania last night and got an early start this morning. I toured one in Lancaster County, another two in Bucks County, and the last one in Berks, in the Oley Valley.”

“Oh, I've been there,” Hannah said, patting her lips with a paper napkin. “My assistant is a dedicated antique-shop crawler. I go with her every so often, and one time she drove through the valley, to Oley Village, I guess that's what they call it. It's not very big, but charming.”

“I didn't get to see the village or town, or whatever it's called. But the valley is beautiful, even in winter. And the property I looked at has definite possibilities.” He arched a brow, wondering at the tiny, wistful smile that quirked her lips. “I'm ready for my coffee now.”

“Of, of course, I forgot,” she said, sliding her chair back and rising. “What's for dessert?” she
asked, moving to the automatic coffee unit set on the countertop.

“You'll see,” Justin answered, puzzling over her odd expression as she prepared the coffee. His puzzlement deepened as she filled a red enamel teakettle then put it on to boil and took a flower bedecked porcelain china teapot from the back of the stove and a box of teabags from the cabinet. She placed a couple of bags in the pot.

“You're not having coffee?” He didn't try to hide the surprise in his voice; he had firsthand knowledge of her passion for coffee…among other passions. He had to turn his mind to something more mundane when he felt his body stir in reaction to the sensual direction of his thoughts. “What's with the teapot?”

Hannah gave a careless shrug of her elegant shoulders. “I've developed a liking for green tea lately,” she said, not looking at him as she concentrated on pouring the now boiling water into the teapot. “It's supposed to be very good for you, you know.”

“Not for me,” Justin said dryly. “I'll stick with my coffee…and beer.”

“Well, here's your coffee,” Hannah said, in a strangely choked voice. She set the steaming mug on the table, before going to the fridge for milk.

“Thanks,” Justin said, pondering her odd behavior; Hannah had held the mug out in front of her as if she was afraid it would attack her. Weird. He took the carton of milk she handed him, and watched her as she returned to the countertop for the teapot and a mug.

“I don't understand,” she said, obviously avoiding his gaze, as she carefully poured the pale tea into the mug. “Why would Adam be interested in another horse farm for the company, when you already have the ranch?”

“At the ranch, we breed and train Morgans, primarily for the rodeo circuit. And, as I already mentioned, we're thinking about branching out, breeding and training Thoroughbreds.”

She took a delicate sip of her tea, grimaced, set down the mug and added sugar. “How many more farms are on your schedule to look at? Any other states?”

“No more states, no more farms,” Justin said, singeing his tongue. “Damn, that's hot, I felt it burn all the way down,” he added, reaching across the table for her half-full water glass. “Do you mind?” His hand hovered above the glass.

Hannah shook her head. “Help yourself.”

Justin did, soothing the sting with a gulp of the
cool water. “I'm scheduled to fly out of Baltimore on the red-eye tomorrow night.”

“Oh, I see. Are you flying home to Montana, or to Wyoming to report to Adam?” Hannah's expression didn't alter by even a shadow. She looked as she had the first time he met her, mildly interested but cool and composed. Detached.

Justin felt a wrenching disappointment. He knew, better than anyone, that beneath her facade of cool, composed detachment, a spark lay in wait to blaze into roaring flames of passion.

Dammit to hell! Why was she in hiding from him? For she was in hiding. He had sensed it the minute she had stepped from the elevator and had seen him by her door.