Seducing the Old Flame (30 page)

“We’d better,” he agreed, stretched out on the sofa twirling the
present in his hands, the food still inside the bag on the coffee table.
 
“Although I have to admit the thought of
Chinese again doesn’t really excite me.
 
That’s four nights this week, Tabby.
 
Not to mention last week.”

He gestured to the gift.
 
“What’s this?”

She grinned.
 
“Guess you
weren’t the only one in the mood to buy something for the person in your life.”

His brows lifted.
 
“It’s
for me?”

She nodded, sat down next to him, and smiled.
 
“Yes, but not until after we’ve eaten.”

He waggled his brows.
 
“One of those kinds of gifts, heh?”

“What kind would that be?”

“The kind best appreciated on a full stomach.”

She snorted.
 
“Just wait
until you see.
 
I’m hoping you’re going
to be as excited as I am.”

“About what’s in this box?”
 
He eyed the package more intently.
 
“Now you’ve piqued my curiosity.
 
What’s in here?”

“I’m not telling.
 
Now
help me get out the food and I’ll go get our drinks.”

“Bossy woman.”

“And don’t you forget it,” she called, taking a longneck and the
glass of milk she’d poured earlier from the fridge.

When she handed him the longneck and sat down on the sofa, he stared
at her glass of milk for a few moments, but didn’t comment.
 
Good.
 
She wanted him to be surprised when he opened his present.

They chatted during the meal and Jason helped her clear the
garbage away, then he looked around the room as if searching for something.

“Where’s She-cat?”

“At the vets.
 
I’m having
her de-clawed and spayed.”

“Ouch.”
 
Jason
winced.
 
“Poor cat.”

“Yeah, well, she shredded more than just my shower curtains.”

Jason smiled and took another sip from his beer.
 
“So, dinner is cleared, does this mean I can
open my present now?”

Tabitha sat criss-crossed on the sofa, facing him.
 
“Maybe I should make you wait a little
longer.
 
Just for good measure.”

“Good measure?”
 
He leaned
forward and kissed the corner of her mouth.
 
“I could show you ‘good measure.’”

Tabitha swallowed.
 
“Yes,
you can, but then you’d have to wait that much longer to open your present.”

“It would be worth the wait.”

“Yes, it would,” Tabitha agreed, eyeing the present, a sudden
wave of nerves hitting her.
 
“But open your
present first.”

“What’s in here?” Jason asked, turning the box.
 
He shook it gently.
 
“Are you sure there’s anything?
 
Almost feels empty.”

“There’s something.
 
I
watched the lady at the store wrap it.”

“So this fine handiwork isn’t yours?”

“Please, a kindergartner could wrap better than me.
 
Now, open.”

Jason’s face split in a grin.
 
“What?
 
First, you wouldn’t let me
open and now you want me to hurry?”

He toyed with a piece of tape.

“You are such a tease, Jason Kelly.”

“Who me?”
 
He winked
mischievously.
 
“Not me.
 
I’m crystal clear.”

“Crystal clear?
 
Ahh.”
 
She laughed, but the
nervous twitches in her belly didn’t ease.
 
“About as clear as mud.”

“Mud?”
 
His eyebrows shot
up.
 
“There’s no need for name calling,
Tabbycat.”

She rolled her eyes.
 
“Would you just please open your present?”

He mock sighed.
 
“The
things I do for you.”

He tore into the paper and unwrapped the department store
box.
 
“Don’t tell me you bought me some
fancy underwear.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.
 
Now finish opening.”

He undid the box, lifted the lid, and moved the tissue paper.

His gaze lifted to hers, searching for answers to the millions
of questions shining in his eyes.

She nodded, not sure which of his questions she was answering
but needing to give affirmation all the same.

 
“Tabby?
 
Is this what I think it is?
 
A baby toy?” he sounded incredulous.

“Yes, it is.
 
I’m
pregnant.
 
We’re going to have a baby, Jason.”

Pregnant?

Jason ran his fingertip over the soft terrycloth material of the
spongy hammer.
 
A tiny pastel stuffed toy
hammer.
 
A baby toy.

Tabby was pregnant.

“It’s mine?”
 
Why he asked
he wasn’t sure, but the moment the words left his lips Tabby’s smile faded and
he regretted speaking.

“Never in a million years did I imagine that being the first
thing you said to me when I told you.”
 
She sounded hurt and he could tell by the look in her eyes he had deeply
wounded her.

Hell, he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

“I’m sorry, Tabby, but it’s a legitimate question.
 
We used protection every time.”

Her gaze averted.

“You’re sure about this?
 
You’ve had a positive test?”

She nodded.

“Have you seen a doctor?”

She nodded again.

A baby.

Tabby was going to have his baby.

“I’m floored,” he admitted.
 
Never would he have guessed Tabby was pregnant.
 
Especially not with her smiling about
it.
 
Well, she had been until he stuck
his foot in his mouth.

“I take it you’re happy about this?
 
You’re not considering…”
 
He let his words trail off, unable to finish
the thought out loud.

“What?”
 
Her eyes flamed
livid.
 
“Of course, I’m not considering
an abortion.
 
How could you ask me that, Jason?”

He shrugged.
 
“Something
to do with hearing you say time and again how you did not want to have
children.”

She sighed.
 
“People say a
lot of foolish things when they’re young.”

“And you’re one of them?”

“Yes.
 
I want this baby
very much.”

A baby.

Tabitha was going to have his baby.

The thought kept racing through his head.
 
Over and over.

“A baby,” he said out loud, his mind shooting forward to the
implications of pending fatherhood.
 
“We’ll marry at once.
 
I’ll take
out a loan and start the house.
 
It’ll be
ready before spring, before the baby gets here.”

“Jason?”
 
Tabby’s green
gaze narrowed and he couldn’t tell if she was happy or upset from the look on
her face.

“Uhm?”
 
They’d need to
apply for a marriage license first thing on Monday morning.
 
He wouldn’t be able to take her on a
honeymoon for a few weeks, not until the current job was finished, but he’d
take her anywhere she wanted to go once the job was completed.

Hell, the timing on this work-wise sucked.

A baby.

He was going to be a father.

“You’re making a lot of assumptions without asking any
questions,” she reminded.
 
“Well, at least
not the right questions.”

Oh, hell.
 
He had jumped
the gun a bit with his comments and thoughts.

He grinned sheepishly and raked his fingers through his hair,
then took Tabby’s hand in his.

“You know how I feel about you, how I’ve always felt, the things
I’ve wanted for so long it doesn’t seem possible that they may actually come
true.”

She nodded.

“Marry me, Tabby.
 
Give
our baby my name.”

Tabby’s eyes glimmered and her lower lip trembled.
 
“Then you’re happy about the baby?”

“Happy?
 
Hell, I’m
ecstatic.”
 
He pulled her hand to his
lips and pressed a kiss to her silky smooth skin.
 
“How could you think otherwise?”

“Well, you’re not exactly jumping with joy and—”

“I’d jump the moon for you, Tabby.
 
Just because you caught me off guard, don’t
question my love or my sincerity about how I feel about you or this baby.
 
I love you.
 
You having my baby is a blessing.”

A tear trickled down her face and she nodded.
 
“I know.”

“Now, on this asking the right questions, I take it you’re
wanting me on my knees and at your mercy?”

She nodded.

He’d expected no less from Tabby.

Keeping her hand in his, he dropped to the floor next to the
sofa.
 
“Tabbycat, put me out of my misery
and share your nine lives with me.”

A soft laugh bubbled from her lips.
 
Another tear fell.
 
“Yes.”

“Yes, you’ll marry me and give me a son or a daughter?
 
A child who looks like you and twists my
heart around their finger without even trying?”

“No, a son or daughter who looks like you,” she corrected.
 
“I want a son with your eyes.”

“Be kinda hard for me to see if you give him my eyes.”

“Jason,” she swatted his shoulder, blinking back tears.
 
“That was the worst attempt at a joke I’ve
ever heard.”

“Yeah, but you got it.”
 
He winked.
 
“Besides, I want a
red-headed little girl with eyes as green as a field of spring clover.”

Tabby’s eyes closed.
 
“Oh,
Jason.
 
It doesn’t really matter does
it?
 
What our baby looks like?
 
You, me, or some crazy combination of
both?
 
I mean, the most important thing
is that our baby is healthy and that we’re both happy we’re going to be
parents.”

“You’re right.
 
Our baby’s
health is what’s most important.
 
That
and your health.”
 
His gaze landed on her
cup of milk.
 
“Are you getting enough
vitamins?
 
Enough rest?”

“Yes and yes.
 
I’m on
prenatal vitamins and I’ve rested better this week than I have in eons.
 
And I’m eating plenty.”

“Plenty of Chinese.”
 
He
grinned and placed his hand over her stomach, wondering that their child grew
deep within her womb.
 
“If my baby comes
out Chinese you know you’re going to be in trouble, right?”

Tabitha smiled.
 
“It could
be worse.
 
I could be craving watermelon
and pickles.”

Jason curled his nose at the thought.
 
“Still, it’s important you eat a well
balanced diet.”

“I’m trying.”
 
Her hand
covered his, pressing his palm flat against her stomach.
 
“But I’ve been a little nauseated and Chinese
is the only thing that doesn’t leave me wanting to barf.”

“I just made a mental note not to suggest anything other than
Chinese until this phase passes.”
 
Jason
winked at her.

“I love you, Jason.”

“Ditto.”
 
He rubbed his
palm back and forth, trying to envision Tabby’s body ripe with his child.
 
His stomach twisted with excitement at the
mental image.

Odd emotions, primal and king of the junglish, prided him on the
fact his baby grew within her.

He knew condoms failed all the time, but the fact that Tabby had
gotten pregnant amazed him.

Was it wrong that he was glad for selfish reasons?
 
For reasons that had to do with tying her to
him for all time.
 
Not that a child would
be enough to do that if Tabby didn’t love him.