Free Sweet Surrender, Baby Surprise by Kate Carlisle

pretty obvious how I feel,” he said, carefully pressing himself closer.
    It was her turn to groan. This felt too good, but she had to stay strong. “I mean, how you feel about me. Youthink I’m lying to you. You think I set you up and I’m trying to trap you into fatherhood.”
    â€œNo, I don’t.”
    â€œ Yes, you do,” she said calmly. “You have rules. I have Jake. We need to get through the blood test before we can even think about…well, I should go to bed.”
    Crap, he thought. The damn blood test. He really was a dolt.
    â€œJulia, listen to me,” he said with all the sincerity he felt in his heart. “I do believe you. I know Jake is my son. I haven’t ordered the blood test because I know you’re telling the truth.”
    Her shoulders sagged a little. “You’re just saying that because we’re this close to jumping into bed together.”
    â€œI’m not just saying it,” he insisted, then gave her a sideways glance. “But is it working?”
    She smiled softly. “I would love to be with you more than anything tonight. But it won’t help matters at all. In fact, it’ll just complicate everything.”
    He studied her for a moment and saw in her wide, expressive eyes a mix of storm clouds and uncertainty. And more than a remnant of passion. “I say we go with the complications.”
    Now Cameron could see a touch of sadness there in her eyes. It felt like a punch to the gut.
    â€œI don’t want to be with you simply because I happen to be the woman staying in your hotel suite.”
    â€œBut you are the woman staying in my hotel suite.”
    â€œExactly,” she said. “Which makes me convenient, that’s all.”
    â€œThat’s not what I meant.” He swept his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m saying all the wrongdamn things. Let’s start over. I believe you, Julia. Jake is mine. I know you weren’t lying. And I want you. I desire you. You. Not some woman sleeping in my suite.”
    She stared up at him, searching his face for answers.
    â€œI want you, too,” she said finally. “And I’m glad you believe me. But I know you have your rules. I know that once we leave here, you won’t want me anymore. And I can’t go through that. I won’t. Not again.”
    Staring back at her, he saw the resolve. He also saw that if he continued his tender assault, he could melt away her reserve. But at what price? It wouldn’t be what she wanted, what she needed right now. With great reluctance, he stepped back. “You’re wrong, sweetheart. But I’m not going to convince you of that tonight, am I?”
    She slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œYou and me, both.” He couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her full, ripe mouth once more. “Sweet dreams, Julia.”

Five
    H is freaking rules.
    Talk about being hoisted by his own…whatever. Cameron punched his pillow, knowing once again that he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight. It was just as well, because he needed to spend some quality time mentally kicking himself. And he really needed to rethink a few things. Like those rules of his. It’s not that he would change them because, frankly, they worked. But he certainly wasn’t going to talk about them anymore. Especially not to a woman who might’ve been lying in his bed this very minute, were it not for him and his big mouth.
    Screw the rules, he wanted Julia.
    How could he convince her that he believed her? He should’ve told her immediately that he knew Jake was his son. He’d known it almost from the first minutehe’d seen the handsome little kid. But hell, that wasn’t even Julia’s point, was it? He smacked the mattress in disgust.
    Whatever her point was, he still wanted her. Rules be damned. But if he tried to tell her that, she would think he was just