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‘It’s very early.’ Jason turned his gaze back to the infant he was holding. ‘Why don’t you go back to bed for a while?’

Shelley said nothing and Jason felt the air in the room stir as she moved towards him. With fluid grace, she sat down and then curled her legs up beneath her on the other side of the couch. He looked up to see her head tilted provocatively to one side.

‘I will if you come with me.’

Jason swallowed hard. He could think of a great many men who would kill to be in his position right now, but it was totally wasted on him. He shouldn’t have offered Shelley a place to stay, but then he’d thought at the time that Laura would be here as well. He’d only offered because he hadn’t wanted to antagonise Shelley. They had things to sort out and Jason wanted that sorting out to be to his advantage. Their advantage. His and Laura’s.

Thanks to Laura’s defection, he was now going to have to avoid antagonising Shelley on a much more delicate issue. What was to stop her taking Megan and simply disappearing? Jason could imagine with how little urgency any authorities would view tracking down a child he hadn’t known even existed until a month ago and who was now back with its birth mother. Jason’s hold on Megan tightened imperceptibly. He was going to have to make sure that he kept both Megan and Shelley in sight at all times, so it probably was a good thing that she’d wanted to stay.

‘Well?’ Shelley ran the tip of her tongue across her upper lip. ‘What do you say, Jason? For old times’ sake, maybe?’

‘I don’t think that would be a good idea, Shelley.’ It was hard to believe he was looking at the same woman who had been overwhelmed by grief for her twin sister only hours ago. There was no hint of any lingering distress now.

‘I do.’ Shelley uncurled her legs and suddenly she was kneeling beside him on the couch. She pushed her fingers into his tousled hair and her lips tickled his ear as she spoke very softly. ‘I think it would be a lovely idea.’

The touch of her tongue on his ear was too much. Jason stood up. ‘Megan’s finished her milk,’ he said hurriedly. ‘She needs burping.’

Shelley sprawled on the couch, gazing up at him. The faint narrowing of her eyes faded and she smiled. ‘You want me, Jason. You know you do.’

Jason shook his head. ‘I’m in a relationship,’ he told her. ‘One that means a lot. I’m not going to cheat on Laura.’

The snort from Shelley was contemptuous. ‘What’s she got that I couldn’t give you, Jason?’ She sat up. ‘More importantly, what have I got to give you that she hasn’t?’

Jason said nothing. He rubbed Megan’s back and felt like he was soothing himself as well as the baby. The burp she produced would have made Stick proud, and Jason smiled lopsidedly as he saw Shelley roll her lovely blue eyes with disgust. So much for all her protestations in front of Laura about how much she loved and had missed Megan.

‘You’re not really into babies, are you, Shelley?’

‘She was an unexpected little gift,’ Shelley said smoothly. ‘But I love her far too much to part with her now.’

‘Why did you decide to go through with the pregnancy?’ Jason asked bluntly.

Shelley licked her lips but it was far from a sensual action. It looked more like nervousness. ‘I… um… I didn’t realise until it was too late.’

‘So you didn’t want a baby, then.’

‘Of course not. I’m only twenty, Jason. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me.’

‘Of course you have.’ Jason was quite happy to sound sympathetic again. ‘It’s far too young to be tied into parenthood.’

Shelley nodded. ‘It’s not that I don’t love Megan,’ she added.

‘She’s a lovable baby all right,’ Jason agreed.

‘So you want to keep her?’

‘Yes.’ A simple word. Why did it have the effect of making Jason’s heart skip and a prickle of perspiration break out down the length of his spine?

‘You can keep her,’ Shelley said softly. ‘She can be yours, Jason.’

‘In return for?’

‘Marrying me.’

‘What?’ Jason stared at Shelley. ‘Are you crazy?’

‘No.’ Shelley shook her hair back from her face and her expression hardened. ‘Look, you don’t have to sleep with me if you don’t want to. Though I’m sure that’s only a matter of time.’ Her gaze flicked up and down the length of Jason’s body. ‘I’ve no objections.’

Jason wished he was wearing more than his pyjama bottoms. He also vowed never to look at a woman again in a way that could be construed as sizing up their potential performance in bed. It didn’t feel like he was being appreciated. It was downright degrading, but he managed to keep the ‘in your dreams’ comment silent.