More Than He Expected (3 page)

But at the same time, Gwen wondered if coming here had been a
mistake.

The golden-hazel eyes that had once sparkled with mischievous
passion were now wide with unexpressed emotions and burrowing into her stomach.
Granted, it was hard to ignore. To say she’d blossomed in the last month was an
understatement. She’d gone from a small pooch of a belly to full-blown second
trimester almost overnight.

But it wasn’t the surprise on Alex’s face that concerned her.
She expected that. It was the red blotches spreading across his skin and the
hard, angry line of his jaw. He was always so laid-back and carefree. She’d
never seen him upset, but she supposed when you had enough money, you could fix
any problem. Now his personality had taken a one-eighty swing, and Gwen wasn’t
even certain he’d taken a breath for the last two minutes.

“Breathe, honey, before you pass right out.”

His gaze darted to meet hers, the intensity of it making her
chest tight. She wanted to squirm and move away from him, but she stood her
ground. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Why should she run?

“Breathe?” he said at last. “You show up here pregnant without
saying a word to me about it and tell me to breathe? Were you saving the news
for my birthday or something?”

“It’s none of your business what I do. We aren’t an item. Why
would I…?” Gwen started to argue, then stopped, realizing her mistake. She’d
never thought for a minute that Alex would think this child was his. She was
only five months along, but the furious set of his jaw indicated he wasn’t
familiar enough with a female gestational cycle to make that distinction.

They’d slept together and now she was pregnant. He’d obviously
jumped to the wrong conclusion.

“This isn’t your baby,” Gwen quickly clarified.

Alex opened his mouth to start arguing with her, but her sudden
and unexpected response stopped him short. “Are you certain?” he asked, his face
almost pained by the words.

“One hundred percent. I haven’t seen you since November, and
I’m only at twenty-two weeks. Unless some of your li’l swimmers decided to camp
out in my apartment for the holidays and attack when I was least expecting it,
you’re in the clear.”

His brow furrowed, and she could see the anger slowly fade away
as the muscles in his neck relaxed. His whole body started to uncoil and he took
a deep breath, the casual, easygoing posture she remembered finally gaining
hold.

Alex ran a hand through the shaggy strands of his golden hair
and shook his head. “You really scared the hell out of me, Gwen.”

She was certain of that. Blended in with the anger glittering
in his amber eyes had been a healthy dose of fear. When they were together,
they’d been quite meticulous when it came to taking all the proper precautions.
They both had their reasons. Alex said he didn’t want the entanglement of a
child, although she expected there was more to it than just that. And as for
Gwen, well, she was sure he couldn’t guess why it had been so important for her
at the time, but an unexpected pregnancy would’ve derailed everything.

“I’m sorry,” Gwen said, the words coming easier with the
tension in the room fading. “If you were the father, I would’ve told you. I
couldn’t keep a secret like that for long, and Adrienne would’ve had my hide for
even trying.”

For her own self-preservation, Gwen had kept her fling with
Alex a secret. Adrienne would make a bigger deal out of it than it was intended
to be. And by the time her friend had returned from her honeymoon in Bali, Alex
was gone and there wasn’t much point in mentioning it. It was just one fantastic
last hoorah before her man-break. Nothing more.

Instead, she’d tried to pretend it never happened. The holidays
and her pregnancy had done well to distract her. To a point. She blamed the
hormones for her more emotional moments when thoughts of Alex slipped through
her defenses.

Now Alex looked a touch uncomfortable, shifting his weight and
burying his hands in the pockets of his khakis. It was about as close to
repentant as she’d ever seen him. “I wish I’d known about all this,” he said. “I
mean, Will had no reason to think I would care, but I never would’ve touched you
like that. Or brought you wine, obviously.”

Gwen smiled. After eight months without a man, his brief touch
had been the highlight of her week. Month, maybe. It was right up there with
feeling the baby flutter inside her for the first time. “That’s okay. Pregnancy
isn’t contagious.”

Alex laughed, breaking the last of the nervous tension in her
bedroom and reminding her of the lover she knew. During those two weeks, they’d
spent as much time laughing and talking as they had making love. They’d walked
around the city, dined in new restaurants and just enjoyed being in one
another’s company. It was easy to be with Alex.

Looking at him now with his bright, charming smile made her
long to touch him again. For Alex to hold her and whisper into her ear the way
he had before. But that was a pointless fantasy. Alex was just the latest in a
long line of men destined not to stick around. As relationships went, Gwen had a
miserable track record. She was always drawn to the men that would leave. A guy
that was steady, loyal and committed to a woman didn’t even show up on her
radar. Probably because she didn’t want one hanging around that long.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I meant I shouldn’t have
presumed you were free for us to, uh… I mean, I hope if the father finds out
about this that you let him know I didn’t realize you were taken. Will said you
came up alone.”

Gwen frowned. “‘Taken’?” Truth be told, she was anything but.
Occupied, perhaps, but not taken.

Alex’s glance darted to her left hand as it rested on the swell
of her stomach. “I guess I assumed since you were having some guy’s baby that he
might mind me groping you. I know I’d probably be crazy with jealousy if someone
put the moves on the mother of my child.”

That was one thing Gwen certainly didn’t have to worry about.
“I assure you that Robert isn’t really concerned with what I do or with
whom.”

In an instant, a touch of Alex’s previous anger returned, and a
dark pink colored the outer shell of his ears. His hazel gaze pinned her on the
spot. “Robert who? Tell me the bastard’s name.”

Gwen’s eyes widened in shock. She wasn’t quite sure if it was
because Alex looked as though he was ready to punch the baby’s father in the
face, or because he cared enough to go to the trouble. She thought she was just
another notch in the proverbial bedpost. Certainly it wouldn’t warrant such a
protective response from him. “What does it matter? What are you going to do
about it?”

“I’m going to sit him down and make sure he does right by you
and his child.”

“Good lord.” Gwen laughed. “You sound like my Paw-Paw. Are you
going to take your shotgun, too?”

“If I had one. I might go buy a gun just for the occasion.”

Gwen’s lower back was beginning to throb from standing in one
place for too long. It was just one of the joys the second trimester had
brought, along with insatiable hunger and an aching, expanding belly. A fair
trade for the end of morning sickness, she supposed. She moved over to the bed
to sit at the edge. “I appreciate the offer, but that won’t be necessary. The
situation is complicated and will take more than a few minutes to explain. But
trust me when I tell you Robert is a perfectly wonderful husband and will be
just as good a father.”

“He’s married? Jesus, Gwen. Maybe you need a talking-to as
well.”

Gwen sighed and patted the mattress beside her. “Sit down,
Alex.”

He hesitated for a moment, then settled down beside her. He
maintained what he probably thought was the proper distance from a mother-to-be,
but she could still feel the warmth of him, and the scent of his cologne hovered
in the air she breathed. It took everything she had not to close her eyes and
imagine being in his arms again. Not that she ever would be. Even if he had been
interested initially, there was nothing quite like a surprise pregnancy to kill
the mood.

“Listen, you’ve got the wrong idea about all of this. The
father hasn’t done anything wrong. In fact, his wife knows about everything and
approves. Robert and Susan are good people who suffered a horrible tragedy that
no one should ever have to face. I had the power to help them, so I did.”

Alex watched her speak, visibly struggling to see where she was
going with this. She understood the confusion. Her own mother hadn’t approved,
even when she had all the details.
Especially
when
she had all the details. Only Adrienne, who knew Gwen was a marshmallow
underneath her hard candy shell, could see why she had to do this for people who
were practically strangers.

She took a deep breath. “I told you this wasn’t your baby, but
I didn’t tell you the whole story. The truth is this isn’t my baby, either.”

Two

“I’
m a surrogate.”

Alex fully understood the meaning of the term, but somehow he
couldn’t connect it in his brain where Gwen was concerned. “This isn’t your
baby?”

“No. Someone else’s bun is baking in my oven. I’m just a
rental. This is Robert and Susan’s baby biologically, and as soon as the
adoption paperwork is filed, it will be theirs legally as well.”

This was certainly unexpected. The pendulum of his emotions had
swung wildly from one side to the other and back over the last few minutes.
First, he was a father. Then he wasn’t. Now she wasn’t even a mother. He’d never
anticipated that procreation could be this complicated. “Why would you agree to
do something like that?”

Gwen shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? It wasn’t like I was in a
serious relationship or had other plans that would interfere. I spend a lot of
my time at the hospital, and that’s where I met them. Susan was a patient on my
floor for several weeks after being in a severe car wreck in the Lincoln Tunnel.
She was seven months pregnant at the time. Not only did she lose the baby, but
she isn’t able to carry another child. They were such a sweet couple, going
through so much pain. How could I turn down the opportunity to help them?”

“You’re being compensated, right?”

Gwen frowned, her nose wrinkling delicately. “Of course not.
You sound like my mother. They’re paying my medical expenses, but that’s it. I
didn’t do this for the money, and frankly, they aren’t in a position to pay even
if it wasn’t illegal. This isn’t some fancy work-around for a rich, thin society
woman who doesn’t want to ruin her figure with pregnancy.”

Alex wasn’t quite sure what to say. She was a damn saint and
probably the only woman on his roster who could come close to qualifying. He
wasn’t used to being around women like that. “Are you getting anything out of
this other than a warm, fuzzy feeling?”

“Some distance,” she said. “When I volunteered to do this, I
decided I would use the time to take a break from relationships.”

“So, what, you’ve sworn off men?”

Gwen smiled. “Yes, for now.”

He wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. He lived in a world
where people of means indulged in whatever, whenever they wanted. Alex let his
gaze drop to Gwen’s hand as it rested on the soft swell of her stomach. Around
her wrist was a silver charm bracelet with a heart-shaped lock charm. The one
he’d bought her at Tiffany during their previous time together. “You’re wearing
your bracelet,” he said.

Gwen smiled and held out her wrist to look at it. “I’ve worn it
every day since you bought it for me.”

Alex shook his head. He’d practically had to force the gift on
Gwen. She’d finally chosen the bracelet under the threat of not leaving the
store until she picked something. She’d refused diamond earrings. The roses and
wine had been a complete failure. But at least she liked the bracelet.

“It’s my chastity bracelet.”

“What?” Alex nearly choked. “Like a chastity belt?”

“Slightly less medieval, but the same basic idea. I wear it as
a reminder.”

“You’re using my gift as a reminder to avoid men? The irony is
rich.”

Gwen shrugged. “It was perfect timing. You insisted I buy
something. I saw the lock charm in the case, and I knew it was the perfect
symbol of the new journey I was starting on. A subtle reminder to stay on track,
as if being pregnant wouldn’t do that for me already. I mean, who’d want me like
this? It was the perfect time to quit dating.”

Alex was about to tell her that he, for one, would still want
her, when Adrienne’s voice in the kitchen caught their attention. “Gwen?” she
called.

“You’d better go,” Gwen said, standing quickly. She picked up
the roses and wine from the dresser and thrust them back at him. “Take these
with you. I don’t want to explain where they came from.”

Alex wasn’t quite ready to leave, but he wasn’t ready to
explain to Adrienne why he was alone with Gwen, either. Jumping up, he stuck his
head out the doorway toward the kitchen, then dashed off in the other direction.
He rounded the corner into the living room unseen and opted to head back to his
room to finish unpacking. Or at least, to decompress. He’d had too big a shock
in the last few minutes to go out onto the patio and be the life of the party
just yet.

Talk about a game changer! For the most part, Alex thought he
had women figured out. Between his mother and the list of ladies who had drifted
in and out over his lifetime, he had a pretty solid understanding of the female
of the species.

The exception was Gwen.

Somehow she took all his expectations and tossed them out the
window. She was a genuinely good person. The first moment he’d laid eyes on her,
she had been running herself ragged to make Will and Adrienne’s wedding special.
Later, he’d discovered she spent her working hours taking care of the sick, and
from the looks of things now, she sacrificed her precious personal time for
others, too. He couldn’t imagine even one of the women he’d dated over the last
ten years agreeing to anything like that. The majority of them were looking for
some hedonistic pleasure or a sugar daddy. Either way, it was all about them.
Selfish and spoiled, every last one of them. It was no wonder he never wanted to
keep them around for long.

But Gwen…having a stranger’s baby and asking for nothing in
return? To subject her body to the ravages of childbearing without the benefit
of having her own child when she was done? That wasn’t exactly like loaning your
neighbor a cup of sugar or donating an old coat to the homeless shelter. She was
taking charity to a whole new level.

Alex slipped into his bedroom and shut the door behind him to
block out the rest of the world. It wasn’t until his weight sank down into the
soft mattress that the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins finally
seemed to subside.

Gwen was a remarkable woman. Smart, funny, caring, but saint or
no, Alex had to admit he was still relieved to find that wasn’t his child. There
were worse women in Manhattan to be bound to through the bonds of shared
custody, but that had been close. Too close.

Since he’d started his heated pursuit of women, Alex had been
nearly religious about using protection. It was the only way to shield himself.
Not only from disease but from the women out there who would like nothing better
than to have his child and a permanent connection to his bank accounts. The
Stanton Steel company had made a fortune during the race to build railroads
across the United States. The generations since then had done well investing it.
And Alex was the sole heir to it all.

By necessity, his record with women was flawless. To the dismay
of women everywhere, no one had conceived Alex Stanton’s child. And for that, he
was eternally grateful. He wasn’t interested in the emotional, physical and
financial entanglements. If his parents had taught him nothing else, they had
shown him that marriage for the sake of a child made everyone miserable in the
end. He had no intention of becoming a workaholic who bought his son’s
affections, like his father, or an emotionally abusive recluse like his mother,
who blamed her son for her own wretched existence.

If he died single and childless, Alex would consider that a
victory. He’d rather donate his fortune to charity just to hear the collective
sound of the hearts of every ambitious socialite in Manhattan breaking.

And yet…for half a heartbeat when he’d thought Gwen was having
his baby…there’d been this feeling he hadn’t anticipated. Sure, he was angry
with her for keeping it from him and sort of freaked out in general, but he’d
also had a touch of excitement. He’d told himself after their weeks together
that his thoughts of Gwen would fade. Continuing in any kind of real
relationship with her would just lead to expectations he couldn’t fulfill.

But in that moment, fate had very nearly made the decision for
him. If that child was his, then perhaps Gwen could be, too. Not just a holiday
fling, but something beyond that. Maybe they wouldn’t have the kind of family
pictured on Christmas cards, but there could be more than what they’d had. And
he’d wanted it. The thought had flashed through his mind almost as quickly as
his heart had raced in his chest.

And then it was gone.

Alex would never tell another living soul about his moment of
weakness. Nor would he admit that, when she’d said the baby wasn’t his, he’d
felt a pang of regret and jealousy mingled in with the rush of relief.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Certainly he didn’t require a baby as an excuse to have Gwen in
his arms again. That was a life-changing complication he simply didn’t need. But
knowing that she was still single, albeit a bit preoccupied, meant his plans for
this week hadn’t completely fallen apart yet. If she was interested, they could
still have a little fun and, hopefully, this time he’d be able to move on when
it was over.

Alex heard a familiar melody of a woman’s laughter from the
patio. He strode to the window and pulled aside the curtain. Gwen had joined the
others outside. She was standing near the sparkling turquoise pool, talking to
Adrienne and another woman he didn’t know. He couldn’t hear their conversation,
but Adrienne spoke and Gwen laughed again.

He had missed that sound. When Gwen was really tickled, she
laughed wholeheartedly. No polite, uptight chuckles from her. He loved how she
could let herself go. Whether it was laughter or pleasure, she allowed herself
to just feel it and react without worrying what other people thought. As he
watched, her head tipped back and she giggled in unrestrained amusement. Her
eyes closed, her white smile flashing up at him. Her movement allowed the golden
sunlight to highlight the creamy expanse of her chest and shoulders exposed by
her dress.

Alex had been too preoccupied earlier to notice how Gwen had
changed since he had seen her in November. Last year, long hours at the hospital
and attempts to diet before the wedding had trimmed her petite frame to the
point of being almost too thin, in his opinion. Women always worried too much
about those last few vanity pounds. In his experience, a woman with curves and a
healthy appetite was more fun both in bed and out.

Now, as he watched her from the window, he could see Gwen was
obviously pregnant, but everything about her seemed to be softer and more
welcoming. Her skin radiated a rosy, maternal glow. Her breasts were fuller and
her hips a touch rounder. Pregnancy really suited her.

And him.

The fire in his gut that had been building since he had gotten
into the car this morning returned. The shock of their previous discussion had
dulled it, but now it was back with renewed fervor. The woman he’d fantasized
about for months was here, looking more beautiful than he remembered. Standing
in the sunlight with her long, flowing dress, she looked more like some ancient
Greek fertility goddess than a nurse.

The tightness in his groin forced him to shift his stance
uncomfortably. Alex was surprised by his visceral reaction to her. There was
something primal piqued by her new, soft curves. Typically the sight of a
pregnant woman threw up red flags declaring her off-limits. It was something
he’d never considered, given he never planned to settle down and start a
family.

But Gwen wasn’t off-limits. Her situation was unique and
certainly complicated, but he didn’t see any barriers between them. If she could
be coaxed into continuing their affair, they could spend another fantastic week
in bed together. Alex wanted that week to start as soon as possible.

“Sworn off men, have you, Gwen? We’ll just see about that.”

Letting the curtain drop, he headed downstairs to join the
party and begin his heated pursuit of Gwen Wright.

* * *

“About damn time!” Will shouted toward the house.

Gwen turned that direction in time to see Alex strut onto the
blue flagstone patio that arched out from the house. The tall, white pergola
that lined the back of the house was covered in clematis vines this time of
year, and it shaded almost everything below. Patches of dark and light danced
across his face as he approached the outdoor kitchen, where everyone had
congregated.

“The party can officially start,” he announced, giving Gwen a
brilliant smile before he bent down to pull a cold bottle of locally microbrewed
beer out of the small refrigerator inset to the right of the grill.

The small gesture brought a wave of warmth to her cheeks that
had nothing to do with the sun. Perhaps she’d worried for nothing. When Adrienne
had first invited her up here for the Independence Day holiday, she’d had
doubts. Her friend had promised her a relaxing vacation by the ocean with
nothing but fun and friends. It sounded like a dream.

The time away from work would be a godsend, as would going a
couple days without having to climb the four flights of stairs to her apartment.
Her daily routine got rougher as each week ticked by. She couldn’t imagine what
it would be like in the last few months. She needed this break more than she’d
realized.

But she’d known seeing Alex again would be awkward. Her being
pregnant made it doubly so. It wasn’t because they had parted on bad terms. They
had both known it was nothing more than a little short-term fun. He’d had a
business trip to go on, and it had seemed like the right time to end whatever
they had going. But once he was gone, she’d been left with this restless, icky
feeling she’d never felt before.

Eventually the complications of her life had put those concerns
out of her head, but it had just confirmed some of the thoughts she’d been
having about her choices in men. As in—she always made bad ones. Alex was no
different. And it just wasn’t working for her anymore. The decision to take the
next year off from dating was obviously a wise choice.