page30 (1/2)

‘Okay’ She looked surprised, even a little winded, by his vehemence And he was surprised too He’d never wanted children Had never anticipated gettingthose ties that bound and choked And yet…if, by the hand of Providence, Laurel was pregnant with his baby, there was no question what he would do He would marry her

Not that he intended to tell her that now She looked shell-shocked as it was

‘So…’ Laurel licked her lips ‘What would happen, then? If…?’

‘We’ll discuss that if and when it occurs,’ Cristiano answered swiftly Laurel was still looking flummoxed

‘And for the next teeks…?’

‘You stay with me’

She cocked her head, a question in her eyes that he knew she didn’t dare ask And he decided to leave the question as to what the nature of their relationship would be unspoken and unanswered He’d made a decision not to sleep with her, yes, but he wasn’t about to reveal that information He wasn’t at all sure if he’d stick to that decision

Cristiano reached for his e for the necessary wardrobe, cosmetics and stylists’

Laurel’s mouth dropped open ‘What?’

‘You have no clothes’

‘You just got me some clothes, and I have more back at my hotel—’

‘Appropriate clothes,’ Cristiano amended ‘As my…companion, you need to be dressed and styled in a certain way’

Laurel’s mouth pursed ‘Like a doll, you mean’

‘No, like an elegant, beautiful, accomplished woman The only kind I have on my arm’

She laughed at that, a hard note to the sound ‘So those supermodels are accomplished?’