The Baby Bargain

Chapter 31: Alison

"Uhm, yeah." Now she wished she'd kept her big mouth shut because by Harker's expression he had not been thinking of in vitro fertilization.

"No. Absolutely not." His face grew even more dour than usual.

"Why not? It'd be perfect."

"Perfect?" He snorted "How?"

"Ah...because you...we..." She refused to say he wouldn't have to work up the desire to touch her. "I could be pregnant tomorrow. Okay. Probably not tomorrow but as soon as we have the procedure."

"You could've been pregnant already."

That again. Boy, she was tired of hearing about last night. "Why are you so against in vitro? All we've done is fight since we...put sex on the table."

"We also got married, remember?" He smiled but it wasn't friendly. "Of course, you do. You hadn't even had your first drink when you almost broke my nose. How could any bride forget that?"

"That was an accident."

"Ha. I'm beginning to wonder."

"Fine. You don't like my idea but that's no reason to insult me. What was your brilliant plan?" She reached for the paper.

"No." He dove across the desk.

She snatched the paper from under his hand and pushed back her chair. "I knew you'd cheat."

"I'm not cheating." He stalked toward her. "Give me that paper."

"No." She jumped to her feet and backed away, opening the note.

"Alison, do not read that."

"I bet you had in vitro down too." Her eyes dropped to the paper. "A honeymoon?" Something happened to her heart right then that made her stomach twist. "Really? You want to go on a honeymoon? With me?" She looked up at him, but he was already walking back to his desk. She followed. "Harker?"

He stood facing the window.

"Is this a joke?"

"No." His voice was low and rough, almost vulnerable but then he cleared his throat. His shoulders shifted back as he turned and sat. "It's nothing special. Just a few nights away from here...and work. I thought we could get to know each other as people not as boss and employee." His face was stern and emotionless. It was the look he had in meetings that weren't going well. She referred to it in her head as his robot face.

"I thought we had too much work to do?" That had been his answer when Merri had asked where they were going on their honeymoon. That and the reminder that it wasn't a real wedding.

"We do so we won't be gone long. We'll leave Friday after work and be back Sunday."

"So, we're definitely going?" Maybe she should be pissed that he hadn't asked her or that they hadn't decided as a couple, but she wasn't. It'd been so long since she'd gone anywhere, she really didn't care.

"Yes."

"Where? What do I need to bring? Will it be warm? Oh, I do love the beach and—"

"We won't be traveling."

"Oh." That was disappointing.

"You will need a dress for both Friday and Saturday night. Maybe even a different one for Saturday during the day."

"A dress? Where are we going that I have to wear a dress? I don't wear dresses. I don't own dresses." She preferred casual clothes, comfortable clothes.