That last time was partly because she was stalling so they wouldn’t have a conversation, but it was also because she knew she’d never be with him again and hadn’t been ready for it to end.
She sighed. Liam may not really love her, but she had it bad for him.
She didn’t believe there was only one person in the world who could be a soul mate. Otherwise, the world would be too sad a place. So although she loved Liam, she believed she could love Del, too, and that the two of them could be happy and have a future together.
She just didn’t know how she could ever convince Del to consider being with her again.
She glanced at the connecting door.
It would be so easy to knock on that door right now. To tell Liam she would stay married to him. But the fact remained that she couldn’t give him a baby. Her heart ached. Even if they adopted, she knew that in his heart, he wanted a child of his own. With his blood.
And she realized, that’s what really stopped her. If Liam stayed with her, he’d be settling. She didn’t want that for him, and she didn’t want it for herself.
She rolled over and pulled the covers snug around her, tears swelling in her eyes.
Her life was like a story, somewhere in the middle. Full of what-ifs that had failed. Dead ends and wrong turns.
She’d failed at being a mother. She’d failed at being a wife. And she’d failed at becoming a lover with Del. She’d even failed at being his friend.
Now she had no idea what to do next. All she could hope for was a sign. Something that would tell her what direction to take her life now.
* * *
A knock sounded on the door and she blinked, bleary eyed. Sunlight shone in the window. She definitely hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night.
She got up and pulled on her robe and walked to the door, but the knock sounded again and it was coming from the connecting door. She finished tying her robe and stared at the door.
What did Liam want now? He couldn’t possibly think she’d talk to him after that stunt last night.
But what if he’d finally decided to let go of her and sign the papers?
She grasped the doorknob and pulled it open.
The sight of him in his snug-fitting jeans, his chest bare, his face freshly shaved, set her hormones on alert. She breathed in the musky scent of his aftershave and so many poignant memories, mostly of them in bed together, flooded through her. The two of them naked, her lips brushing over his neck, his arm around her, holding her tight to his solid body. His cock gliding inside her.
Her knees felt weak.
“Good morning. I ordered breakfast for the two of us. I thought it would give us a chance to talk.”
“Why do you think I’d talk to you after last night?”
He smiled. “You answered the door. I wasn’t even sure I’d get that far.”
She frowned. “I thought maybe you might have signed the papers to make up for it.”
“Hmm. There’s a thought. But … no.”
“Fine.” She started to close the door, but he stopped it and pushed it open again.
“But speaking about the papers, I think we should sit down and talk about how we want to proceed.”
“It’s easy. You sign the papers. I sign the papers. Then we let the lawyers do the rest.”
“Except that you clearly still have feelings for me.”
“No, I don’t,” she said a tad too quickly.
He laughed. “I don’t believe you.” Then his smile faded. “But I do believe that you think I’ll hurt you again. Give me a chance to prove that’ll never happen. I know I abandoned you emotionally after…” His eyes grew haunted. “After we lost the baby, but I promise you, that won’t happen again.”
“Well, it can’t really, can it?” Bitterness edged her voice.
“Ah, kitten. I’m so sorry.” He pulled her into his arms, but she stiffened.
She wanted to succumb to the comfort he offered, but the pain inside her was too deep. It gripped her too tightly.
As much as Liam said he wanted her, he still had the option of finding a woman who could bear him a child. She, on the other hand, would never be able to have a child of her own.
She couldn’t help resenting that a little bit.
Or maybe a lot.
His arms loosened, and as she drew in deep breaths trying to calm her roiling emotions, she realized he’d guided her into his room and toward the table.
“Sit and eat something. You’ll feel better.”
It was such a ridiculous statement—as if eating something could wipe away her despair at losing the ability to bear children—that she just accepted it and sank into the chair. He took the lid off a plate and presented her with eggs Benedict again. Because, of course, he knew her so well. She would never turn down eggs Benedict. It was her decadent guilty pleasure.
She picked up her knife and fork and cut through the layers of creamy sauce, egg, Canadian bacon, and English muffin. The first warm bite sent delight through her.
“I’m just eating breakfast,” she said once she’d swallowed, “but not having a talk with you. I’ve said it all before already.”
* * *
Liam watched the rapture on her face and smiled. He loved being the cause of her looking like that. Whether it was
