Having His Baby by Beverly Barton Read Free Book Online

the abundance of her curves did nothing to lessen her attractiveness.
    He might not know much about the mother of his child, but he knew one thing—just looking at her turned him inside out. And by the way she glanced past her friends and focused on him, he had a feeling that he affected her the same. The smile on her face vanished. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted slightly. Damn! He wanted to kiss her.
    The sight of Jake Bishop standing tall and proud in the doorway set off a firestorm along Donna's nerve endings. He was so big and rugged and dangerously handsome that she couldn't take her eyes off him.
    "Hello, Jake." She knew her voice sounded soft and raspy and wished she could take back the greeting. Would he read something into the way she'd spoken to him, something she'd been unable to hide?
    "There you are," Sheila said. "We were wondering when you'd get back here."
    "What have you got under your arms?" Susan asked.
    "What? Oh, these." Jake lifted the teddy bear up to show them, then placed it in a nearby chair. He took a doll in each hand, walked over to the portable plastic crib where little Louisa lay and held up the dolls for her inspection.
    "Daddy brought his girl a teddy bear and a couple of baby dolls. What do you think of these dolls, Sugar Baby?"
    "She's too young to talk," Sheila kidded him.
    "Here, Mr. Bishop, let me put those on the table beside Louisa's crib." The nurse's aide reached for the dolls Jake held. "Then you and Ms. Fields can enjoy your dinner together."
    "Isn't that a wonderful idea," Susan sighed. "Serving the parents a steak dinner in the mother's suite the night their baby's born. Hank and I missed that treat."
    "Absolutely wonderful idea." Sheila tugged on Susan's arm. "Let's join our husbands and see if they'll take us out to eat since we've got a baby-sitter for tonight."
    "Y'all don't have to rush off," Donna said.
    "We'll see you tomorrow evening at your house," Sheila reminded her. "I'm bringing dinner, remember."
    Donna watched helplessly as her best friends departed and the nurse's aide left her alone with the one man on earth she didn't want anywhere near her. Jake made her act irresponsibly. Around him, she didn't think rationally. Nine months ago, she'd acted totally out of character when Jake had taken her into his arms. And she'd wound up pregnant, unmarried and forced to concoct a totally unbelievable story about a whirlwind marriage and quickie divorce. Now he was back in her life, laying claim to her and to Louisa. The man had asked her to marry him. What was she going to do? She had to get him out of her life before, in a weak moment, she accepted his proposal.
    Jake lifted the plastic covers from the plates. "This sure looks good, sugar. Why don't I put both dinners on your little portable table there and I'll drag up a chair."
    Go away, she wanted to scream. Leave me alone. Stop being so nice and caring and concerned. I don't want to like you. I don't want to find you irresistible. I can't love you, Jake Bishop. Not now or ever. I'm never going to love a man again. I've loved and lost once and it nearly killed me. I won't risk knowing that kind of pain ever again.
    Afraid to speak for fear she might voice her concerns, she watched him silently as he set the plates down on the table and rolled it up to the bed. When she finally found her voice again, she said, "Thank you for the roses. You shouldn't have. I know they must have been terribly expensive."
    "Nothing's too good for you, Donna." Jake shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I couldn't afford them. I'm not a rich man by any means, but I'm not exactly penniless, either."
    "No, of course, you're not. I didn't mean to imply that I thought—"
    "You like them, right? That's all that matters."
    "Jake?"
    "What?"
    "It won't work, you know—a marriage between the two of us. We'd mix like oil and water. I realize we don't know anything about each other, but I have a feeling we have nothing in common."
    "We've got a couple of