RELUCTANT WIFE 29

‘Lost what?’

‘Your control! I realized then that you might care about me. So I let you believe Peter was a man. I never actually lied to you. I just wanted you to care, not just for the body that’s carrying your child, but

for we, Carrie O’Riordan.’ She pulled herself free of his touch. ‘I just needed to know you were jealous. The mention of Peter has a way of getting a response out of you, a reaction.’

'It does?’

‘Oh yes, your face contorts, like this . . .’ As she copied his face for one illuminating second he nearly succumbed to laughter. As it was, he suppressed the urge, he was still angry with her. Wasn’t he? Well maybe not.

‘Just like that?’

‘Yes, and when you’re angry, like this . . .’ She pulled another face, this one quite frightening.

He pushed an irritable hand through his hair, relaxing a little. ‘I guess I’ve been pretty tough on you. Demanding that you marry me, forcing you to have my baby all in the name of a shipping fleet.’

The jet engines revved loudly, they were no