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Something crossed his features, a look she didn’t understand and had absolutely zero headspace to analyse.

‘I’m being honest.’

‘Same difference,’ she muttered, swaying a little as emotions made it impossible to stand. And it was as though she’d conjured a memory into the present as his hands reached out and clamped down on her waist, huge and comforting, despite their argument.

‘Don’t touch me,’ she whispered, even when her body craved this touch with every single cell.

‘Then sit down before you fall down.’

‘I’m not going to fall down.’

‘You’re in shock.’

‘Do you blame me?’

‘No, Sarah. I don’t. I don’t blame you for this at all. I wish it had never happened, I wish neither of us were in this position, but we are, and it can’t be helped.’

Emotions ran through her at his abhorrent, honest words.

‘I suggest you sit down, take a deep breath and drink some more water, so we can talk about this calmly.’

‘You’ve just said you’re going to take my baby away from me,’ she shouted, shaking her head. ‘How can I talk calmly about that?’

His brow furrowed as though he couldn’t remember threatening her with that.

‘I’m hoping that’s not necessary,’ he contradicted, voice a low grumble.

‘You’re making absolutely no sense.’

His hands lightly squeezed her sides, to add emphasis to his words. ‘I’m talking about us raising this child together, Sarah.’

The force of her shock almost winded her.

‘I’m talking about you staying here, and us getting married. For the sake of the baby,’ he added, as though there could be any misunderstanding on that score. ‘It’s the only way.’

CHAPTER FOUR

‘I BEG YOUR PARDON, it is not the only way.’ She recoiled, everything he’d just said wrapping around her like a huge, heavy rope. ‘I am not marrying you. I barely know you. The fact we made a baby together doesn’t…it doesn’t…change anything between us.’

‘It changes everything.’

She stared at him, her heart leaping into her throat. ‘I can’t marry you.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because—you live here, and I’m going home. Because I barely know you. Because I don’t think I like you very much at all. And a million other reasons.’

‘You’re going to have to get to know me; we’re having a baby together, and I will be raising that child on the station. Liking me is irrelevant. What else have you got?’

She made a scoffing sound, but her bravado was hanging on by a thread. Belatedly, she realised he was holding her still, his big, broad hands probably the only thing that was stopping her from falling backwards, just as he’d said. She swallowed convulsively, trying to bring moisture back to her mouth.

‘You think because you have money, you get to call all the shots?’

Sympathy crossed his features. ‘Yes.’

She tried to say something, but the words were garbled in her throat.

‘I will fight for this, Sarah, if I need to, but, believe me, a protracted, public custody battle is the last thing I want. Which is why I’m asking you to be reasonable about this.’