“Nor mine,” she reminded him.
“But I’m always responsible.” He raked a hand through his hair. What had he been thinking? Of course, that was precisely the problem, he hadn’t been thinking. Not with his brain, anyway. And the rest of his anatomy clearly wasn’t to be trusted. What the hell was he supposed to do if she got pregnant? He couldn’t—he wouldn’t—abandon her. But what kind of father could he possibly be? What kind of husband? All of the questions he’d spend a lifetime thinking he’d never have to deal with came crashing down around him, demanding answers.
Even as the questions set off panic, a tiny part of him marveled at the possibility that they had created a child together. The fear of committing to that—to Maggie—wasn’t nearly as horrendous as it would have been even days ago.
Maggie touched a finger to his brow. “Uh-oh. Worry lines. Stop it, Ryan. I’m not going to get pregnant.”
“You can’t possibly know that. People get pregnant all the time, even when they use protection.”
“Well, it won’t be your problem if I do,” she insisted, her jaw set stubbornly.
If that was meant to be reassuring, it failed miserably. Instead, it infuriated him. “And whose would it be? Is there someone in this bed I’m not aware of?”
“I just meant—”
“I know what you meant. You’re trying to let me off the hook…again,” he said, all but shouting. “And let’s get one thing very clear, if there’s a baby, I’m responsible. It is my problem, and we’ll deal with it together. Understood?”
“I won’t have you trapped into a marriage you don’t want, Ryan,” she said, her voice cool. “That’s something you need to understand. Any baby we conceived wouldn’t be a problem, not to me. It would be a blessing.” She regarded him wistfully. “Do we have to fight about this now?”
“Isn’t it better to be clear about things now, rather than put them off till we’ve a crisis?” he asked.
“No,” she said emphatically. “Because I’ve just had the best night of my life, and you’re ruining it with all this talk of doom and gloom.” She frowned at him. “Now let me be clear about something—I won’t have it.”
He grinned despite himself. “Okay then, no more doom and gloom. Would I be out of line if I suggested another kiss?”
“Perhaps.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Try it and we’ll see.”
“I prefer not to take chances, especially with a woman who’s in such a dangerous mood.”
She laughed, and the dark mood was broken for good. “Come here and kiss me.”
He chuckled and rolled toward the nightstand. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll grab the condoms first. With you, one kiss has a way of leading to another.”
Maggie had waited so long for this moment she thought her heart would burst from sheer joy. She was not going to allow Ryan’s momentary panic about the possibility of a baby ruin it. Truthfully, she could think of nothing more wonderful than having his child, but she could understand his fears.
To her those fears were just one more reason why he needed to act and do whatever it took to put the past to rest, but she was done with nudging him. It hadn’t gotten her anywhere so far.
She rolled over and stared at him, admiring his long, lean body and well-defined muscles.
“Is there something here you like?” he inquired, his voice threaded with amusement.
“I’m debating,” she said.
“Very funny.”
She met his gaze then, her expression serious. “Did I mention to you that last night was the best night of my life?”
“Once or twice,” he teased.
“Well, it was, and I see no point in denying it.”
He grinned. “I’d be the last one to want you to. So, Miss Maggie, what plans do you have for the day? The new year is fast approaching. Have you given any thought to what you’ll be doing come January?”
“Trying to get rid of me?” she asked, attempting to inject a light note into her voice. But even she could hear the hint of edginess.
“Never that,” he said, his expression unguarded for once. “I want you here, Maggie. More than I should.”
She relaxed then, relieved that he’d asked, after a fashion, anyway. “Then this is where I’ll be.”
He studied her. “For how long?”
“Now who’s pushing for more than one day at a time?” she teased. “Is it a commitment you’re asking for, Ryan Devaney?”
He seemed to struggle with himself before finally sighing. “What if I were?”
“Then you’d have it,” she said without any hesitation at all.
He seemed taken aback by her ready response. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” She regarded him with a steady look. “But you’re not asking yet, are you?”
He reached over and brushed a wayward curl from her cheek. “Not yet, Maggie,” he said with obvious regret. “But I’m beginning to believe that one of these days I will.”
She rose on one elbow to kiss him. “Then I’ll be waiting for that day. And in the meantime, I’ll be poking into your business at the pub as much as you’ll let me.”
He chuckled. “Which won’t be much,” he warned.
“We’ll see.”
“Aren’t the books at St. Mary’s enough to keep you occupied?”
“Hardly. I had those straightened up the first week. The only thing giving me any trouble is getting Father Francis to follow the rules about collecting receipts for what he buys for the shelter and taking note of the donations so a proper acknowledgment can be sent.”
“I can see where that might be a challenge,” he said. “Since he’s not a stupid man, has it occurred to you that he’s being impossible just to make sure you keep coming around?”
Truthfully that had never crossed Maggie’s mind. “You think so?”
“If it were me, I would.”
She grinned at him. “In other words, you won’t let me touch your business records because you’re holding them in reserve as an incentive to keep me here?”
“You never know,” he teased.
“What if I were to promise to stick around, anyway—would you let me work on them
