I carefully formulated my thoughts before speaking, not wanting to upset her again. I also didn’t want to appear callous or rude, or as if I had been dying for her to say those very words (though in a way, I had been). For a moment I wanted nothing more than to circle around the table and draw her into my arms.

“Ashley…what are you suggesting?” I finally managed to ask, wishing there was some way I could take the blunt edge off of the words.

In response, she only buried her face in her hands, and I was afraid she would burst into tears at any given moment.

“I’m not angry with you,” I continued, “I just…I don’t understand. Do you realize the gravity of what you’re offering?” I asked carefully, drawing my hand back toward myself and resting my chin in my palm.

“Of course I realize. We’re talking about bringing a child into the world,” she muttered into her hands, hesitating a moment before sitting upright. “I’m not asking you to be in a relationship or anything. I wouldn’t expect you to entangle yourself in anything unnecessarily complicated,” she mumbled. As much as I wanted to correct her, I knew it was better to let her continue with that train of thought.

“How could it not get complicated? We work together, and…” I trailed off, realizing that was the only real argument I had. It wasn’t as if I would dislike fathering a child with Ashley; just the opposite was true. I was just all too aware of her feelings for me, and the somewhat mutual feelings I felt in turn. As far as she knew, her feelings were entirely one-sided, and it could get complicated beyond belief if she came to know otherwise.

“We’re friends first, right, Jensen? At least, that’s how I’ve always felt. We’re friends, and we both want a child. I know we work together, but the way I see it, this is a practical solution to both of our problems. We could co-raise a child, and we would both get what we want,” she said, growing more confident as she spoke. It was obvious that she had given this some thought, and I couldn’t lie and say I’d not considered it. Granted, I was somewhat taken aback by the suddenness of her suggestion.

If what she said was true, she had just learned about my desire for a child that day. That meant she’d had mere hours to consider her options before pitching the idea to me. I was struck by how selfless the notion was, how kind this woman was. I knew in my heart that it could cause problems in the long term, especially if both of our feelings came to light. Our working relationship could be ruined, and I could lose the closest friend I had. Yet, at the same time, there was the chance that we could become something more.

That chance, as much as I would have liked to deny it, made the decision for me.

“All right. All right, I think that could work,” I said thoughtfully. Her eyes lit up with surprise and delight, and she reached out to grip my hand. She seemed ready to burst into tears again, but she managed to regain her composure and pump my hand as if it had been her intention to simply shake it the entire time.

“So we’re in agreement? We’re actually going to do this?” she asked, as if to make sure she wasn’t merely dreaming.

I smiled, drawing her hand toward me with the intention to kiss it, then stopping myself short, not wanting to push the boundaries right away. It was my turn to shake her hand, and she was swift to jerk her sweaty palm away. God, her embarrassment was far too endearing.

“We’re going to have a baby. I think… Obviously, we need to discuss it more. How about we wrap it up here, and I’ll take you to my place to discuss things in a bit more depth?” I suggested.

I could tell by the flare of red in Ashley’s cheeks that she wanted a lot more than talking to happen at my place. Warmth rolled in my stomach at the thought, and I would have liked nothing more than to take her straight to bed. Still, this situation warranted further conversation.

More than anything, I wanted to be sure that Ashley wasn’t making a mistake. It was easy enough to say that things wouldn’t get complicated, but to hold true to that promise was an entirely different story. Then again, I wasn’t sure I could have denied her either way.

“That sounds…nice,” she said gently, rising from her seat on unsteady legs. I realized abruptly just how much champagne she’d had, and I circled around the table to help guide her toward the door. We paused on the way out, just long enough for me to pay for dinner, then out the door we went, Ashley stumbling rather clumsily in the direction of my car.

“I had no idea what a lightweight you are,” I said, beginning to wonder if having the discussion at that moment was such a good idea.

“I’m just a bit overwhelmed. Not really drunk. Not…really,” she said with a breathy little laugh. Despite her words, I had to fasten her seatbelt as she settled into the passenger seat, watching me with nothing short of sheer adoration in her gaze. I would’ve been surprised if she hadn’t seen the same reflected in my own. I had to remain calm, however. Someone had to try and keep control of the situation.

I circled around the car, slipping into the driver’s seat and hesitating for a moment. I glanced toward her, noting that her slightly hazy expression was watching my every move.

“Are you sure you’re in any shape to come home with me?” I asked gently. Her lips curled into a sly smile, and she reached out to give me a gentle shove.

“What, are you planning to take advantage of me? After the promise you made?” she teased, and it was all I could do to keep from blushing. “I’m just kidding, Jensen. I’m fine. I’m a bit hazy, but I know that I want to talk about this. I’m afraid I’ll lose my nerve, otherwise,” she finished a bit timidly. Unable to stop the smile spreading across my face, I turned the ignition and shifted into gear.

“All right. We’ll talk. But that’s all you have to do. Don’t feel as if… That is, I wouldn’t expect the conception to be…natural,” I tried to assure her, though her eyes glinted with mischief. I knew whatever she was going to say couldn’t be good for my state of mind.

“And if I told you I wanted it to be natural?” she asked, resting her hand on my thigh. Inhaling a shuddering breath, it was all I could do to not launch myself across the seat and simply have my way with her. That wasn’t how I wanted it to go down, however. I wanted her to have a clear mind, I wanted to be confident that she truly knew what she wanted.

“I’ll fix you some coffee, and we’ll discuss that matter after you’ve sobered up a bit,” I said gently, lacing her fingers with my own and placing our hands firmly on the center console. She pouted slightly, and I’m sure weaker men would have given into her stare. It was all I could do to resist her, but I wasn’t going to be swayed. My hope was that she was just a bit tipsy, and that we could actually discuss the matter at hand.

Seeming content to just hold my hand, Ashley relaxed into her seat and stared out the window. I would have given anything to have been able to read her thoughts in that moment. So many conflicting emotions raced through my body on the short ride to my apartment, and as I pulled into the parking lot, she seemed reluctant to release my hand.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s fix you some coffee,” I said, carefully extracting my hand from her own. She pouted again, but managed to unfasten her seatbelt and lurch out of the car. She straightened up, the cool night air seeming to aid in sobering her up. I offered her my arm, and she took it with a smile before I guided her toward the building.

As she leaned against my side in the elevator, it was all I could do not to embrace her fully. I wanted to feel her lips against my own, feel her breasts heaving against the bare expanse of my chest. I wanted nothing more than to take her, but I had to do right by the woman that could very well bear my child.

When we reached my penthouse, I led her to the sofa before stepping into the kitchen. Within moments, the coffee was brewing, and in another brief moment, I was pouring her a steaming cup.

Gratefully accepting the coffee, Ashley relaxed and sipped from the mug for what seemed an eternity. I settled a respectable distance away from her, sinking into the plush material of the sofa. I watched her, taking pleasure in the way she shifted beneath the intensity of my gaze.

Finally, she sat the empty mug on the coffee table and turned to face me. Her eyes seemed clear of that drunken haze, and while I knew she wouldn’t be entirely sober for a while yet, I knew that the time had come to talk.