subsidedâheâd just masked it better now. A tic worked in his jaw. His eyes on her were cold and hard. A bad sign.
He led her to where long grass cushioned the lake bank. âLetâs sit.â
Tagg waited for her to drop onto the grass, then he lowered himself down beside her. He stared out across the lake. âThe babyâs mine?â
Callie might have expected this. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, hurt that heâd even asked. âYes. Youâre the only man Iâve been with since Boston.â
âWhat about that carpenter? The one youâd been seeing?â
Callie winced. It seemed her father had told him everything. She shook her head. âThe relationship never got that far. Iâ¦Troy wasâ¦it never got physical,â she said quietly.
Tagg inhaled sharply. âYou were ticked at your father and you what? Seduced me in order to defy him?â He turned to her then, his eyes black with fury. âHe never let you near a Worth. You werenât allowed to talk to any of us. So, you saw me that night, lookingâ¦lonely and vulnerable, and you thought to yourself, if I hook up with Tagg, Iâll finally get payback. Even if your father never found out, youâd know. Youâd have that satisfaction. You settled the score by screwing my brains out. It was a hell of a ride, Callie.â
âNo! It wasnât like that.â
âDefying your father must have been so damn sweet.â
âTagg, listen. Youâre wrong. I can explain.â
âI donât think so. It all makes sense now.â He spoke firmly, with conviction, as if nothing in the world could change his mind.
âI mean that was only part of the reason.â What couldshe say now, explain that sheâd come face-to-face with her fantasy man? That sheâd seen an opportunity to finally take something she wanted, to go for broke, to do something wild and so out of character for her? How could she tell him that? How could she tell him she loved him?
It wouldnât matter. He wouldnât believe her.
The darkness in his eyes went deeper. âYou got pregnant on purpose, Callie. The ultimate revenge. To have a Worth bastard. When were you going to tell me?â
âNo! Tagg, I didnât. You canât believe that.â
âHell, I donât know what to believe.â He turned away from her, his face contorted with disgust.
âPlease. Iâm sorry I didnât tell you sooner. I was waiting for the right moment. I never thought Iâd get pregnant. Never. You have to believe me. Iâm notâ¦ruthless.â
Tagg shot her a look. âYouâre a Sullivan.â
And that said it all. Callieâs eyes filled with tears. âIâm not my father, Tagg.â
âThen why didnât you tell me? Vegas would have been a good time. We were alone together, going at it all night long. You might have slipped in, âoh, by the way, Tagg, Iâm carrying your baby.ââ
âIâ¦couldnât.â She felt drained and exhausted. As if sheâd been in a fistfight and had gotten worked over pretty good. Her body sagged in defeat. She had no energy for this battle. Not tonight. âI should have. Iâm sorry.â
âYou deceived me. Iâve got to admit you sure had me fooled. Iâve never been this blindsided by anyone. Not even by your unprincipled father. But you,â he said, jabbing his finger toward her, âyou didnât feel any compunction about lying to me. You played me, Callie.â
âTagg, pleaseââ
âDoesnât matter. None of it. Because I donât want my childanywhere near Hawkins Sullivan. That man will have no influence over our baby. None.â
âWhy are you so angry at my father?â
âHeâs truly a bastard, Callie. I never knew how much until today.â
Tagg picked up a large pebble and hurled it into the lake. The stone slid
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