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The book had explained that her enancy – that shethe moisture from the corners of her eyes, Carol strolled into the kitchen and searched the cupboard for saltines She found a stale package and forced herself to eat two, but she didn’t feel any better than she had earlier

Not bothering to dress, she turned on the television and iven the week between Christe Carol had planned to spend the free ti the third bedroom – the one she planned to use for the baby Unfortunately she didn’t have any energy In fact, she felt downright sick, as though she were co doith a case of the flu

A lazy ses of her mouth She wasn’t about to co a precious bundle in her arms

Steve’s and her child

Chapter Four

With his hands cupped behind his head, Steve lay in bed and stared blindly at the dark ceiling He couldn’t sleep For the past hour he hadn’t even bothered to close his eyes It wouldn’t do any good; every time he did, the me a slow breath, he rubbed his hand down his face, hoping the action would dispel her i did

He had never intended to make love to her, and even now, ten days later, he wasn’t sure how the hell it had happened He continued to suffer frohts had been in utter chaos since that night, and he wasn’t sure how to respond to her or where their relationship was headed now

What really distressed hi that had happened between them, he could still want her so ainst the doorja else – had the power to tighten his loins Tighten his loins! He nearly laughed out loud; that had to be the understatement of the year

When Carol had stood and held out her ar child offered candy, so eager he hadn’t stopped to think about anything except the love she would give him Any protest he’d made had been token She’d volunteered, he’d accepted, and that should be the end of it

But it wasn’t

Okay, so he wasn’t a man of steel Carol had always been his Achilles’ heel, and he knew it She knew it In thinking over the events of that night, it was al Her red dress with no bra, and that bit about placing decorations on the tree She’d insisted on standing on the chair, stretching and exposing her thigh to hioing to fall into that fa hier, bitterness, regret and doubt

He longed to repress thebody in his aret on with his life If only he could sleep

He couldn’t

His sister, Lindy, had coffee brewed by the time Steve ca a cup in one hand while holding a folded section of the Post-Intelligencer in the other

"Morning" She glanced up and greeted hiht s

Steve ible as a ainst hi He wasn’t in thelove to Carol again, and that bit of insight didn’t suit hiht’s sleep, brother dearest"

Steve’s frown deepened, and he gave his sister another nonco to do with Carol?" She waited, and when he didn’t answer, added, "Or the fact that you didn’t come home Christfroainst the counter with unnecessary force "Drop it, Lindy I don’t want to discuss Carol"

A weighted silence followed his co ready to ht tone of her voice suggested she was looking for a way to put their conversation back on an even keel "We’ll be out of here by Friday"

Hell, here he was snapping at Lindy His sister didn’t deserve to be the brunt of his foulbutof Rush, where is he?" Steve asked, forcing a lighter tone into his own voice

"He had to catch an early ferry this ," she said, and hesitated momentarily "I’m happy, Steve, really happy I was so afraid for a time that I’dRush was the right thing to do"

Steve took a sip of coffee to avoid looking at his sister What Lindy was actually saying was that she wanted him to find the same contentment she had That wasn’t possible for hiot Carol out of his blood

Andlove to her Christmas Eve hadn’t helped

"Well, I suppose I should think about getting dressed," Lindy said with a heavy dose of feigned enthusiaset so"

"Where’s your new apartment?" Steve had been so preoccupied with his own troubles that he hadn’t thought to inquire until now

As Lindy rattled off the address Steve’s forehead furrowed into a brooding frown His sister and Rush wereless than ahe needed to hear

Steve’s day wasn’t ht had been By noon he’d decided he could no longer avoid the inevitable He didn’t like it, but it was necessary