Secret Heirs Collection - Коллектив авторов Mills & Boon e-Book Collections

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      His good humour vanished when he saw Matt, however.

      ‘Joanna?’ he said, the uncertainty evident in his tone. ‘I didn’t know you were expecting a visitor.’

      ‘I surprised her.’ Matt’s words overrode any attempt she might have made to explain. ‘As I was in England, I thought I’d check up on Joanna’s condition. It’s not every day your ex-wife finds she’s pregnant with your child after the divorce.’

      David gave her a horrified look. ‘It’s his baby!’ he exclaimed, and Joanna wanted to groan in frustration. She’d deliberately not told David who the father was, letting him think it was someone she’d met after she’d returned from Miami.

      Matt, meanwhile, was smiling smugly. ‘Of course it’s my baby,’ he said. ‘Why else do you think I’m here?’

      Joanna schooled her features. Why was she surprised? All he was really interested in was claiming his child.

      How naïve she’d been in thinking he might care about her.

      ‘So how long has he been here?’ David interrupted her unhappy train of thought with a question of his own. ‘He’s not going down to Cornwall with you, is he?’

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      SO MUCH FOR keeping her plans to herself, thought Joanna resignedly. For heaven’s sake, why couldn’t David have kept his mouth shut?

      ‘Of course not,’ she said now. ‘I had no idea Matt was in the country until he turned up. Why on earth would you think I’d ask him to do such a thing?’

      ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ David regarded the other man coldly. ‘As he’s the baby’s father, he probably thinks he has some rights.’

      ‘I do have some rights.’ Matt regarded him with equal contempt. ‘And now would you mind giving us a little privacy?’

      David was belligerent. ‘If Joanna had wanted to see you, she’d have told me.’

      ‘Would she?’ Matt looked enquiringly at Joanna. ‘She apparently kept the baby’s father’s identity a secret.’

      ‘Probably because she was ashamed of getting involved with you again,’ retorted David angrily. He turned to Joanna. ‘Would you like me to throw him out?’

      ‘You’re singularly lacking in imagination if you think you could do such a thing,’ drawled Matt drily. ‘Give it up, Bellamy. This is one occasion when your doubtful talents are not needed.’

      ‘You can’t speak to me like that.’

      ‘I think I just did.’

      ‘Oh, please,’ Joanna said, addressing her remarks to no one in particular. It concerned her that David’s face was much redder now and she was afraid his blood pressure was rising. ‘Can we just calm down?’

      Thankfully, her ex-husband chose not to pursue the subject and instead turned to Joanna. ‘Am I to understand that you’re planning to spend the remaining months of your pregnancy in Padsworth?’ he enquired coolly, and Joanna put both hands on the small of her back in an effort to relieve the ache in her spine.

      She looked tired, thought Matt, realising that she probably spent a considerable part of the day on her feet. But he was fairly sure she wouldn’t welcome any sympathy.

      ‘Possibly,’ she said, not wanting to admit it, and David chose that moment to intervene again.

      ‘You have no part in this, Novak. Why don’t you take the hint and get lost?’

      Matt ignored him, and Joanna was grateful. Her ex-husband could be dangerous when crossed, and she wished David would just keep his opinions to himself. It was hard enough dealing with Matt, knowing how he felt about her, without having to cope with the other man’s well-meant interference as well.

      Matt had evidently come to the same conclusion. ‘I think we need to talk. Privately,’ he said, echoing her sentiments.

      ‘We can go to my hotel, if you like, or there’s a coffee bar a couple of blocks down the street that looks okay.’

      ‘All right,’ she said, avoiding David’s outraged expression. ‘I’ll get my coat.’

      ‘You don’t have to go with him,’ Bellamy began, following her into the office, and she shook her head.

      ‘It’s better this way,’ she said, slipping her arms into the sleeves of her heather-coloured tweed duster. ‘And actually, I was thinking of leaving early today. It’s such a horrible afternoon, I doubt anyone else is going to turn up.’

      David looked sulky. ‘I wanted to tell you about my lunch with Theo Konstantinos,’ he protested, but Joanna could only shake her head.

      ‘I’ll hear all about it in the morning,’ she promised, wrapping her coat about her. ‘See you tomorrow.’

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      A sleek black chauffeur-driven limousine was idling at the kerb outside, clearly in breach of the No Parking zone that operated outside the gallery.

      But Joanna had no desire to get into a car with Matt.

      ‘It’s just a few yards to the café,’ she said, starting along the pavement. ‘If that’s your driver, I’d advise him to move on. The police are pretty vigilant around here.’

      Matt scowled. She was probably right, of course, but it was a bloody awful afternoon. He was used to sunshine, to temperatures in the eighties. Even walking maybe a quarter mile in this downpour seemed crazy.

      But abandoning any alterative, he stopped at the car and told his driver he’d call him when he wanted picking up. Then he strode after Joanna, amazed that she was still wearing high heels despite her condition.

      The coffee shop was crowded. Joanna guessed that a lot of its customers had come inside to shelter from the rain. In consequence, the only seats available were at the counter, tall stools that she had great difficulty in climbing onto at present.

      Matt regarded her doubtfully. ‘Do you need a hand?’ he asked, and she gave him an old-fashioned look.

      ‘I’m pregnant, Matt. Not senile. It’s better than standing, believe me.’

      He did believe her. He wouldn’t have been able to stand in those heels. Sliding onto the stool beside her, he steadied himself with his hand on the counter, and his arm inadvertently brushed against her bump. Through the folds of her coat, her belly felt firmer than he’d imagined; solid. Somehow, he’d expected it to be soft and pliable, but it wasn’t.

      He realised he wanted to touch her again, to possibly feel a kick from the little person growing inside her. Dear God, it was his child. That reality put everything else into raw perspective.

      Matt ordered a coffee for himself, but Joanna said she would just have a diet soda. ‘Do you want a muffin with that?’ he asked, and she gave a reluctant smile.

      ‘Don’t you think I look fat enough?’ she countered humorously. ‘No, the soda is fine for me. But if you’re hungry—’

      ‘I’m not.’ Matt wondered if he’d ever feel hungry again.

      ‘And you’re not fat,’ he assured her. ‘Just—pregnant, that’s all.’

      And how incredible was that? Dear God, it was going to take time to get used to the idea.

      Meanwhile, Joanna was wondering if he was as nervous as she was. But, no. Matt Novak didn’t do ‘nervous’. Not in her experience anyway. But his lean face did look a little paler than it had done when he’d first walked into the gallery, and she guessed

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