“A series of baby-sitters and day-care providers. The best care Mother could arrange for him.”
“I want to assure you that you’ll never have to work that hard to support our child. I’ll make sure of that.”
Cecilia set her dessert fork down abruptly, making no further pretense at eating. “I told you, I’m not after your money. That has absolutely nothing to do with my reasons for asking you to help me.”
He already had a hand up to appease her. “I wasn’t implying anything about your motives. I simply wanted to remind you again that I’m not anything like Eric’s father. I won’t leave you to shoulder the financial burdens alone, and my child won’t have to grow up with the knowledge that his father h
ad no interest in him.”
Cecilia shifted restlessly in her chair. “I suppose I have been a bit selfish in that respect. I know the ideal situation is to provide two caring parents for a child. But I’ve already explained that the clinic day-care center will let me be more visible and active than my mother was able to be with Eric. And the child will have Eric and Hannah and their baby for extended family. An uncle, an aunt and a playmate.”
“Now he—or she—will also have a devoted father. Another aunt. A grandfather and a great-grandmother. Family he’ll share with Eric’s child, of course, since Hannah is my cousin. It’s a bit convoluted, but I believe we can make this work. I know it isn’t what you had in mind originally, but surely you can see it’s better for everyone involved, especially the child.”
“Once I get past my knee-jerk reluctance to share my baby with anyone, I do see the advantages,” she admitted.
His smile could almost be described as sweet—if such a flowery adjective could be applied to a man so undeniably virile and masculine. “I won’t ever try to take your child away from you, Cecilia. We’re partners in this adventure, not competitors. And I’ll sign anything you like to set your mind at ease about that.”
She gave a self-conscious little laugh. “Stop reading my mind. I suppose it does concern me a bit that our social and financial circumstances are so different. It gives you advantages that I can’t help but be nervous about.”
“I won’t abuse your trust in me,” he vowed again. “I’m sure we’ll have some disagreements about child rearing—we’re both the independent and assertive types, or we wouldn’t be so successful in our respective careers—but we’ll work everything out to our mutual satisfaction. I can negotiate and make compromises when I’m working toward something important.”
“So can I.”
He held out a hand to her. “Then we’re agreed. Our baby is going to have two parents who will always put his—or her—interests ahead of their own.”
She laid her hand in his. “So you think we’re doing the right thing?”
His fingers closing warmly around hers, he smiled a bit crookedly this time. “Beats the hell out of me. I just know it feels right now.”
“You could sound a little more confident.”
He chuckled. “I don’t have a crystal ball, Cecilia. We don’t even know that we can have a child together. All I know is that I’ll be the best father I can be and that you’ll make a great mother. If you’re still certain this is what you want—”
“It is,” she cut in quickly. “It’s all I’ve wanted for a very long time.”
“Then let’s go for it.”
She inhaled deeply, then released the breath in a long sigh. The decision had been made. There was no going back now. She could hardly believe that she was finally taking steps to make sure her most cherished lifelong dream could come true.
Chapter Six
Cecilia might have worried that nerves would interfere with their lovemaking this time. After all, it was different when there was a goal other than simple pleasure at stake. If Geoff had been at all tense or awkward, she would have understood and forgiven him.
Instead, he seduced her as if it were the first time again. As if nothing mattered more to him than her pleasure. As if there were nowhere in the world he would rather be, nothing he would rather be doing than making love with her on this summer night.
His kisses went from gentle to passionate, his movements from practiced to impetuous. He was an amazing lover—generous, thorough, patient. Even when he was obviously driven by an overwhelming need for climax, he made sure she found her own release before he gave in to his.
Lying sated and exhausted beside him afterward, she wondered at his control. Was everything he did always so calculated? Even his seemingly impulsive decision to help her conceive had come after a day of thought and consideration, during which she would bet he had deliberated every angle and potential repercussion. This was very likely the most rebellious and nonconformist action he had ever taken, and even in that he had made it clear that he intended to be fully responsible for and committed to the child they were making.
“Geoff?”
The arm behind her tightened a bit as he drew her more snugly against him. “Mmm?”
He sounded half-asleep. As lazy and satisfied as she was. She couldn’t help smiling a little before asking, “What will your family think about this?”
He lifted his head from the pillow, casting a glance downward at their nude, intimately entwined bodies. “About this?”
She giggled. “I meant about you having a child with me. If you intend to claim the child as your own—”