Seducing the Old Flame (32 page)

“You love me.
 
I know you
do.”

“Love isn’t enough.
 
I
loved you last time, too, yet we couldn’t make it work.”

Her voice broke and she attempted to pull away.
 
Jason didn’t let go, wasn’t willing to let
go, not yet.

“Why are you saying this, Tabby?
 
What happened in the past was both our faults, but we’ve grown over the
years we’ve been apart, are stronger, better people.”

“Jason, you have to believe me.
 
This is for the best.”

“We are for the best, Tabitha.
 
Above and beyond anything else, I know that.”

“God, you’re making this difficult.
 
Just let me go, Jason.
 
I don’t want you in my life anymore.”

He gritted his teeth, losing patience at her stubbornness and
lack of reason.
 
“You’re pregnant with my
baby, Tabitha.
 
I’ll always be a part of
your life.”

“That’s another thing.”
 
She gulped, and looked away, looked frightened almost.
 
“I’ve reconsidered this pregnancy issue.
 
I’ve never been one for being tied down.”

Tiny explosions burst in front of Jason’s eyes.

“What are you saying?” he gasped, his grip on her arms
tightening.

“You heard me.”
 
Her chin
lifted defiantly, her green gaze shimmered with determination.

“Hell no,” he thundered.
 
“I’ll fight you on this.
 
I won’t
let you do anything stupid.”

“You don’t have a choice in the matter.”

“I’ll get a lawyer, take you to court--oh God, Tabby, don’t.”

He felt a shiver rip through her body and prayed there was hope.

“It’s probably just hormones kicking in, babe.
 
Just give it time, think about this, about
what you’re saying.”

Jason couldn’t remember begging for anything his whole life, but
if it would change Tabitha’s mind, he’d drop to his knees and plead like a
professional begger.

She couldn’t do this.

“I can’t do this,” she cried and jerked free.
 
“Please just stay away from me, Jason.
 
Please.”

She ran from the room, leaving Jason too stunned to react.

He’d forgiven her for a lot of things, but if she went through
with what she was obviously considering that was one thing he’d never forgive.

Nor would he let her do so without a fight.
 
Surely fathers had some kind of rights, even
before the baby was born.

“What the hell just happened?”
 
Rooster poked his head into the room.

“I wished to hell I knew.”

Tabby rushed outside the office, fighting nausea with every
step.
 
She’d barely made it down the last
step when she lost what little remained of her breakfast.

Great.
 
She’d dumped Jason,
convinced him she didn’t want his baby, and now she’d puked right outside his
office doorway.

Feeling guilty, she kicked dirt over the area, then hurried toward
her car.
 
Just as she was opening the
driver door, Bill Banks pulled up next to her.

The man practically leapt from his car.
 
“Miss Sterling, pleasure to see you.”

Well seeing him again just made her want to barf again.

“I hear thanks are in order.”

“Thanks?” she asked, momentarily caught of guard by his
exuberance.
 
He practically glowed.

“Oh yes.
 
Harold met with
me not twenty minutes ago and told me the project was a go.”

Tabitha swayed and if not for leaning against the car, probably
would have fallen to the ground.
 
Harold
and Ben had gone ahead with the project.
 
Thank God.

“Harold specifically mentioned that I should be thankful to you
for all the research you did on the project,” the man continued, apparently
oblivious to her wooziness.

“Congratulations,” she murmured, barely able to breath.

He glanced toward the trailer.
 
“I guess Kelly already knows?
 
That’s why you’re here, to tell him about the funding?”

Tabitha straightened, realizing the idiot had no clue that Jason
didn’t know her company was providing funding.

“Listen here, if you want my cooperation on this project, you’d
best not breathe a word to Jason about my connection to this funding.
 
Not one word.”

 
Looking confused, he
shrugged.
 
“If you don’t want to tell him
that you funded his job, that’s fine with me.
 
You two sure do have a funny relationship, though.”

“I’ll say.”

Tabby swung her head around.
 
“Jason,” she hissed.
 
How much had
he overheard?

“Stewart and Steinman is providing the funds for Savannah Blue?”
Jason asked no one in particular, but his eyes never left Tabby.
 
She had a doe caught in headlights
appearance.

He stepped up, trapping her between him, the car door, and her
driver seat.

Banks cleared his throat, apparently not sure how to answer.

“Never mind, I heard.”
 
He
turned to Banks.
 
“Go inside.
 
Rooster can take care of anything you need.”

The man harrumphed, but left.
 
Good thing because Jason might toss him in his car and order him to
leave if he didn’t.

“What just happened in my office, it has to do with this, doesn’t
it?” he asked, watching Tabby squirm as she stood in the open doorway of her
car.

“Don’t read things into what you heard that aren’t there,” she
finally said.

“Oh, I think they’re there all right.
 
What I don’t understand is why.
 
Why would you have to end things with me for
this project?”

“Be quiet, Jason.
 
Just be
quiet.
 
You don’t understand, can’t
understand.”

“Then maybe you’d better get started coming up with something
that I can understand, because from the way things look from where I’m standing,
the woman I love is trying to throw away our relationship over a construction
job, and if I never pick up a blue print again rather than lose you and our
baby, then so be it.”

“Jason,” she said, her shoulders sagging.
 
“Please don’t say such things.”

“Why not?
 
It’s true.
 
Do you really thing I’d rather build that
damn shopping center rather than be with you?
 
Hell no.”

“But I know how important that bid is to you.
 
How important building your house is.”

“That bid, building my house, is nothing without you to share it
with.”

A sob broke free from her trembling mouth.
 
“No.”

“Yes.”

“I’m trying to do the right thing here, Jason,” she cried.
 
“You’re not helping things, you know.”

“I know, but when it comes to letting you drive a wedge between
us, I’ll never help things along again.
 
If I’d had any sense, I’d have been the man I claim to me and begged you
to love me two years ago.
 
I won’t make
that mistake again.”

“Be quiet, Jason.
 
I don’t
want to hear this.”
 
Tears streamed down
her face.

“I love you, Tabbycat.
 
I’m
not going to let you go.
 
Not this time.
 
You’re mine.
 
Heart, soul, and body.
 
Just like
I’m yours.”

“But—”

“Yes, I know you love my butt, too, but I’m trying not to be
sexual here.”

Her eyes rounded, then a tremulous smile broke her lips.
 
“You’re crazy.”

“About you,” he admitted, brushing the moisture from her
cheeks.
 
“Tell me everything you just
told me was lies.”

“I can’t.”

“You can, because we both know it was.”

She shook her head.
 
“It
doesn’t matter.
 
Stewart and Steinman
can’t ethically fund the project with me being a key employee and you as the
contractor.
 
They maintain an
unquestionable reputation and this would sully it.”

“So, I’ll withdraw my bid.
 
I haven’t signed a contract with Banks.”

She blinked at him.
 
“You’d do that?”

She sounded amazed.
 
He
smiled.

“You can ask me that after what you were willing to give up to
give me what you thought I wanted?”

Her gaze stared at him in marvel.
 
“You’re serious?
 
You don’t care about Savannah Blue?”

“Not if it means I can’t have you.
 
You are the love of my life, are my
life.
 
Marry me, Tabitha.
 
Have my baby.
 
Love me forever.”

Epilogue

Tabitha sat on the porch swing Jason
had just finished hanging this late spring morning.
 
She glanced around at the breathtaking view
of the Smoky Mountains and sighed.

“You okay?” Jason paused from where he stepped out onto the
porch.
 
He and a crew of their friends
and Jason’s employees had finished putting the final coat of paint in the
upstairs rooms this morning.

“I’m fine.”
 
She patted
her very round stomach and, according to her last ultrasound, their daughter
who they’d decided to name Savannah Blue Kelly, gave a hearty shove back.
 
“Better than fine.”

Jason took her hand and gently tugged her to her feet.
 
“You look better than fine.
 
You are one hot momma, Mrs. Kelly.”

Tabitha laughed.
 
“If you
say so, Mr. Kelly.”

“I know so.”
 
He kissed
her, slow and tender.
 
“Yep, very
hot.
 
A she-cat seductress.”

“Oh, would you two quit that?” Ben said as he and Lori stepped
out onto the porch.
 
The whole house was
full of friends helping finish last minute items so that Tabitha and Jason
could be moved in before the baby arrived.
 
“You’re making me and the cat sick.”

Tabitha laughed.
 
“You’re
just jealous that I’ve got it all.
 
A
fabulous job with Stewart, Steinman, and Kelly, a husband who loves me, and a
baby due any day.”

“Hell yeah, I’m jealous,” Ben said.
 
“I’m also jealous of that painting in the
upstairs bedroom.”

Tabitha’s eyes rounded.
 
“You didn’t unwrap Jason’s painting?”

“Nah, but I’d sure as hell like to know what’s inside all that
plastic wrap.”
 
Ben winked, letting
Tabitha know he had a pretty good idea.
 
“But frankly, it’s the house I covet the most.
 
This place is gorgeous.”

Jason grinned.
 
“I know
this contractor who will gladly build you one for the right price.”

“Yeah, that contractor better stay busy building me a shopping
center since mine and my partners’ personal funds are on the line.”

“That he will.”
 
Jason
hugged Tabitha to him.
 
“You’ll never
regret the decision you and Harold made to personally back Savannah Blue.”

“No, I don’t think so either,” Ben said, winking at Tabitha.
 
“Besides, your wife makes the company enough
that I should have my retirement fund built back up in another year or two.”

“I live but to make my partners wealthy.”
 
Tabitha laughed, curling her fingers into Jason’s
hair.
 
“Now, you guys get lost.
 
I’m having a moment with my husband here.”

“You know there are some people who would appreciate having us
at her beck and call,” Jenny teased, sticking her head out the front doorway.

Jason smiled and held Tabitha as close as her bulging stomach
would allow.

“Yeah,” he said, staring into Tabitha’s eyes and she knew he saw
a reflection of what was in her own eyes.
 
Forever.
 
“And then there’s my
she-cat seductress.”