here on Wednesday.”
They filed out of the room within seconds, darting curious glances at the two of them as they left. Cal uncoiled from the wall, shut the door, and punched the lock.
“Open the door,” she said immediately, filled with alarm at being confined with him in this small windowless classroom. “We can talk in my office.”
He resumed his earlier position. Leaning against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms and tucked the fingers in his armpits. His forearms were tan and muscular. A strong blue vein throbbed there.
“I’d like to take you apart.”
She sucked in air as panic raced through her. His posture suddenly seemed full of significance, the sign of a man forcibly restraining himself.
“Nothing to say? What’s the matter, Dr. Darlington? You sure were full of words when we met before.”
She fought to calm herself, hoping against hope that he had simply discovered she wasn’t who she’d said she was and had come here to redeem his warrior’s pride. Please don’t let it be anything else, she prayed.
He walked slowly toward her, and she took an involuntary step backward.
“How are you living with yourself?” he sneered. “Or is that genius brain of yours so big it’s taken over the place where your heart should be? Did you think I wouldn’t care, or were you just counting on me never finding out?”
“Finding out?” Her voice was barely a whisper. She bumped into the chalkboard as dread slithered down her spine.
“I care, Professor. I care a lot.”
Her skin felt hot and clammy at the same time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bull. You’re a liar.”
He purposefully advanced on her, and she felt as if she were trying to swallow great lumps of cotton. “I want you to leave.”
“I’ll just bet you do.” He drew so close his arm brushed her own. She caught the scent of soap, wool, and fury. “I’m talking about the baby, Professor. The fact that you set out to get yourself pregnant with my kid. And I hear you hit the jackpot.”
All the strength left her body. She sagged against the chalk tray. Not this. Please, God, not this. Her body felt as if it were closing down, and she wanted to curl in on herself.
He didn’t say anything; he simply waited.
She drew a deep, shuddering breath. She knew it was useless to deny the truth, but she could barely form her words. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you now. Please. Just forget about it.”
He was on her in a second. She gave a guttural scream as he gripped her by the shoulders and jerked her away from the board. His lips were pale with suppressed rage, and a vein pulsed at his temple. “Forget about it? You want me to forget?”
“I didn’t think you’d care! I didn’t think it would matter to you!”
His lips barely moved. “It matters.”
“Please . . . I wanted a baby so badly.” She winced as his fingers dug into her arms. “I didn’t mean to involve you. You weren’t ever supposed to know. I’ve never—I’ve never done anything like this before. It was an . . . an ache inside me, and I couldn’t come up with another way.”
“You had no right.”
“I knew—I knew what I was doing was wrong. But it didn’t seem wrong. All I could think about was having a baby.”
He slowly released her, and she sensed he was barely holding onto his self-control. “There were other ways. Ways that didn’t involve me.”
“Sperm banks weren’t a viable option for me.”
His eyes raked her with contempt, and the menace in his soft Carolina drawl made her want to cringe. “Viable? I don’t like it when you use big words. See, I ain’t a hotshot scientist like you. I’m just a dumb jock, so you’d better keep everything real simple.”
“It wasn’t practical for me to use a sperm bank.”
“Now why’s that?”
“My IQ is over 180.”
“Congratulations.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with it, so it’s not something I’m proud of. I was born that way, but
They filed out of the room within seconds, darting curious glances at the two of them as they left. Cal uncoiled from the wall, shut the door, and punched the lock.
“Open the door,” she said immediately, filled with alarm at being confined with him in this small windowless classroom. “We can talk in my office.”
He resumed his earlier position. Leaning against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms and tucked the fingers in his armpits. His forearms were tan and muscular. A strong blue vein throbbed there.
“I’d like to take you apart.”
She sucked in air as panic raced through her. His posture suddenly seemed full of significance, the sign of a man forcibly restraining himself.
“Nothing to say? What’s the matter, Dr. Darlington? You sure were full of words when we met before.”
She fought to calm herself, hoping against hope that he had simply discovered she wasn’t who she’d said she was and had come here to redeem his warrior’s pride. Please don’t let it be anything else, she prayed.
He walked slowly toward her, and she took an involuntary step backward.
“How are you living with yourself?” he sneered. “Or is that genius brain of yours so big it’s taken over the place where your heart should be? Did you think I wouldn’t care, or were you just counting on me never finding out?”
“Finding out?” Her voice was barely a whisper. She bumped into the chalkboard as dread slithered down her spine.
“I care, Professor. I care a lot.”
Her skin felt hot and clammy at the same time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bull. You’re a liar.”
He purposefully advanced on her, and she felt as if she were trying to swallow great lumps of cotton. “I want you to leave.”
“I’ll just bet you do.” He drew so close his arm brushed her own. She caught the scent of soap, wool, and fury. “I’m talking about the baby, Professor. The fact that you set out to get yourself pregnant with my kid. And I hear you hit the jackpot.”
All the strength left her body. She sagged against the chalk tray. Not this. Please, God, not this. Her body felt as if it were closing down, and she wanted to curl in on herself.
He didn’t say anything; he simply waited.
She drew a deep, shuddering breath. She knew it was useless to deny the truth, but she could barely form her words. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you now. Please. Just forget about it.”
He was on her in a second. She gave a guttural scream as he gripped her by the shoulders and jerked her away from the board. His lips were pale with suppressed rage, and a vein pulsed at his temple. “Forget about it? You want me to forget?”
“I didn’t think you’d care! I didn’t think it would matter to you!”
His lips barely moved. “It matters.”
“Please . . . I wanted a baby so badly.” She winced as his fingers dug into her arms. “I didn’t mean to involve you. You weren’t ever supposed to know. I’ve never—I’ve never done anything like this before. It was an . . . an ache inside me, and I couldn’t come up with another way.”
“You had no right.”
“I knew—I knew what I was doing was wrong. But it didn’t seem wrong. All I could think about was having a baby.”
He slowly released her, and she sensed he was barely holding onto his self-control. “There were other ways. Ways that didn’t involve me.”
“Sperm banks weren’t a viable option for me.”
His eyes raked her with contempt, and the menace in his soft Carolina drawl made her want to cringe. “Viable? I don’t like it when you use big words. See, I ain’t a hotshot scientist like you. I’m just a dumb jock, so you’d better keep everything real simple.”
“It wasn’t practical for me to use a sperm bank.”
“Now why’s that?”
“My IQ is over 180.”
“Congratulations.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with it, so it’s not something I’m proud of. I was born that way, but
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