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He tried to process this. “So you’re saying you and me—two very different people—are meant to be together?”
She didn’t turn to face him this time. “No.”
He breathed a little easier now. Thank goodness.
“It means that if we wanted to be together it would work—we would work.” She swung around. Her gaze met his. “But neither of us wants that.”
“Right.” He didn’t know if her last statement was a question or not, but he was agreeing with her. He didn’t want there to be any miscommunication.
He may want Lea and the baby in his life, but it wasn’t going to be some sweeping love story. It was going to be much more basic than that.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHE WOULD NOT give up.
She refused.
Lea curled up on the couch that evening with her laptop. Since her attempt to find investors in the island had failed, she was continuing her search for someone already in the wedding business who was interested in spreading their wings. It needed to be someone that believed in love and happily-ever-after. They had to have money available to invest in something proven to work, that guaranteed one successful marriage after another.
Then Lea’s thoughts turned to the results for her and Xander. Was this place and its methods so reliable? Or had they just gotten lucky so far?
She didn’t understand their compatibility results. Someone just had to look at them to see they weren’t meant for each other—not that either of them was even considering it.
Was it possible her family’s long-standing system for sorting out the perfect couples was flawed? Had she made a mistake when she’d meticulously automated the process?
Yes, that was it. She must have made a mistake. She would have to painstakingly audit the entire process to find the glitch.
A fluttering sensation in her midsection distracted her. Was that the baby? She sat up straight, waiting for the sensation to return.
“Is something wrong?” Xander asked from where he was working on his laptop at the dining room table.
“I don’t think so. Wait. There it is again.”
“There’s what?” A frown of concern pulled at his handsome face.
“I think it’s the baby kicking.” It was the most marvelous butterfly sort of sensation.
He knelt down beside her. “Does it hurt?”
“Not at all.” She took his hands and placed them on her baby bump. “Feel it?”
He was quiet for a moment, as though concentrating. And then he shook his head.
She felt bad for him. “I’m sorry. As the baby grows, it’ll get stronger and then you’ll be able to feel it.”
His hands were still touching her when their gazes locked. Her heart began pounding. It would be so easy to forget that they were only co-parents and not so much more.
Was that what she wanted from Xander? More than this one fleeting moment? If she leaned over and kissed him, would it be a mistake? Until she had the answer to those questions, it was best not to further complicate things—for both their sakes.
She leaned back on the couch. “I better get back to work.”
“Don’t you ever take time off?” He took a seat in the armchair just a few feet away.
“What kind of question is that?” She frowned at him. “You’re a workaholic. I doubt you ever take time off. Your time on the island must be your first vacation in forever. Your work is the most important thing to you—above family—”
“Whoa.” His eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “Since when have you become an expert on me?”
“I... I’m not.” She inwardly groaned. She hadn’t meant to let it slip that she’d read one, okay, maybe two or three press releases about him. “But don’t all successful businessmen work all of the time?”
His eyes said that he didn’t believe her flimsy excuse. “You’ve painted me to be some sort of villain, but you don’t even know me. Not really.”
The truth was she’d sought out every article she could find about him online. How could she not? He was the father of her baby. And so far, he’d been reluctant to share much about himself.
She crossed her arms. “Are you saying I’m wrong about you?”
