She paused, set her fork down and then leveled a stare at him. “What do you want, Ryan? I still don’t understand why you’re here. Or why you want me to go back to New York with you. Or why you care, period. You let me know in no uncertain terms that you wanted me as far out of your life as possible.”

“You’re pregnant. You need help. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it’s not!”

His jaw tightened. “Let’s put it this way. You and I have a lot to work out, including whether or not you’re pregnant with my child. You need help that I can provide. You need someone to take care of you. You need top-notch medical care. I can give you all of those things.”

She thrust a hand into her hair and leaned back against the recliner. He immediately leaned forward, slipping from his chair and going to his knees in front of her. He touched her arm, tentatively, as if afraid she’d recoil.

“Come with me, Kelly. You know this has to be worked out between us. You have to think about the baby.”

She held up a hand, furious that he’d try to manipulate her with guilt. But he caught her hand and lowered it, and then ruthlessly pressed his advantage.

“You can’t work. The doctor said you have to rest or you risk the health of your child as well as your own. If you can’t accept my help for yourself, at least do it for your baby. Or is your pride more important than his or her welfare?”

“And what are we supposed to do when we get to New York, Ryan?”

“You’re going to rest and we’re going to figure out our future.”

Her stomach lurched. It sounded so ominous. Their future.

She was a fool to agree. She’d be a fool not to agree.

She was willing to swallow her pride and take the check. Shouldn’t she be willing to accept his help for her baby’s sake? For their baby’s sake?

“Kelly?”

“I’ll go,” she said in a low voice.

Triumph flashed in his eyes. “Then let’s get you packed and get the hell out of here.”

CHAPTER 4

When Kelly woke the next morning, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. Then she remembered. She was in New York—with Ryan.

In a matter of hours, Ryan had had her packed and hustled to the airport. They’d landed at LaGuardia close to midnight and he’d ushered her into a waiting car.