“Is this private enough for you?” He needed a drink and, without waiting for her reply, headed for the wet bar to pour himself three fingers of his favorite malt.
His throat burned as he downed half the contents of the glass in a single gulp. He glanced over and met her wary gaze. “One question. Who’s the father?”
Her chin jutted stubbornly. “You.”
Terror ripped at his gut. He threw back the rest of his drink before pinning her with an accusing stare. “I used a condom. Several condoms.”
“Yeah, well, obviously they weren’t one hundred percent effective.”
“Christ.” He slid his eyes shut.
“I don’t blame you for being upset.”
Gabe opened his eyes and slammed the glass down on the bar. Her flinch pleased him. “Upset is an understatement. First, you play me with that shell game you and Shae Austin dreamed up, then you disappear without a word. Now, you show up and announce a supposed pregnancy to my grandmother? You don’t know upset!”
She stiffened, but held her ground. “I didn’t show up at your grandmother’s to announce anything. I was there because she hired Creative Cuisine.”
“Right.” His disbelieving snort echoed in the silent apartment.
Her chest expanded on a deep breath beneath her white caterer’s shirt, and her knuckles went white on the strap of her purse. She had the kind of eyes a man could drown in, but, at the moment, the storm in them would cause a man to rethink taking a dip.
“Do you really think I was happy to discover Melanie Archer is the little old lady you told me about?” Fury flashed in her eyes. “The Garbinos are friends of mine. I don’t hurt my friends, and that scene I caused, trying to avoid a confrontation with you, hurt them more than you know. Not only have I probably lost my job, I’ve lost good friends.”
“I wasn’t the one who pretended to be someone I wasn’t.”
Her lips thinned in a dismissive smirk. “Give me a break. So, I showed up in Shae’s place. As I recall, you weren’t thrilled with Michael Austin’s matchmaking either, and in the end, you got your deal.”
He’d gotten much more than that. He’d gotten it into his head he’d finally found the woman he might just be able to plan a life with, only to have her disappear. “I don’t like to be played.”
Her shoulders slumped at his growled complaint. She dropped her head to stare at her feet. “I apologize for tricking you. Shae had something else going on that night, and I was there. I speak French; you needed an interpreter.” She shrugged a slim shoulder and lifted her gaze to his once more. “I should have told you the truth, right away, but switching places with Shae wasn’t done out of any kind of malice.”
Either she was sincere or she’d missed her calling. A woman with her looks and that ability to offer an apology with the perfect mix of swallowed pride and regret would make a fortune in Hollywood. The temptation to believe her rankled.
He crossed his arms and sneered. “And now, you’re supposedly pregnant, and I’m the father?”
Surprising him, she matched his stance, crossing her arms. “Now, I am pregnant, and you are the father.”
“Nice try.”
Her arms dropped to her sides, and damned if she didn’t look startled. “You don’t believe me?”
“I believed you were Shae Austin.”
Several seconds ticked off as she stared blankly at him. Then, he was startled when she started to laugh.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and continued to chuckle. “I’ve been freaking out since discovering I’d gotten pregnant on a one-night stand with a man who didn’t know my name. It never dawned on me you wouldn’t believe the baby is yours.”
“Why would I? You said your week in Paris was over that night. For all I know, I’m not the only man you and your friend scammed. Do you have six other meal tickets lined up in case your first choice doesn’t pan out?”
The stunned humor in her eyes chilled into cold disdain. “Listen up, pal, because I’m going to say this once, and then, if I’m lucky, I’ll never lay eyes on you again. I had Shae set up that meeting with you for Sunday because I thought you deserved to be informed you had a child on the way.”
His brows snapped together. “What meeting?”
This time she sneered as if she didn’t believe him. “Oh, please.”
“What meeting?” he demanded.
“Check with your office manager. She confirmed with Shae’s father, so unless you plan to call him a liar…” Her delicate snort held dismissal. “It’s no skin off my back if you don’t believe me. In fact, I prefer it that way. Consider yourself informed. I’ll show myself out.”
She spun around and stalked toward the exit.
“I want a paternity test.”
Fire spat from her narrowed gaze when she paused at the unopened door to look back over her shoulder. “Yeah, well, life is full of disappointments. Goodbye, Mr. Sutton.”
He flew across the room before she could work the lock. Slapping his palm against the wood above her shoulder, he pinned her between his body and escape.
Under his hand, the door remained shut despite her attempt to yank it open.
She stiffened, but kept her gaze straight ahead. “Touch me and I’ll scream the building down.”