downed the last of her iced tea under Sterling's penetrating stare. Although she didn't want to admit it, she thought that even his slashing black eyebrows couldn't downplay his dark beautiful eyes. And his beard made him appear even more handsome. “Thanks for lunch. It was delicious. I didn't think I'd be able to eat all of it since I had such a big breakfast,” she said quickly, struggling to control the sudden attraction she'd felt for him.
“Did you enjoy having breakfast with Edward?”
“Yes. He seems to be a nice guy.”
“He is. I've known him all of my life. He was a very good friend of my father's.”
“Yes, he mentioned that,” Colby replied. After Sterling poured some more tea into her glass, she asked, “Why did you send him here?”
“Who?”
“Mr. Stewart.”
Sterling simply shrugged before replying. “You needed an escort.”
Colby chuckled, “I didn't need an escort.”
“I believed otherwise.”
She sighed. She was in no mood to argue with him. “Suit yourself.”
He smiled. “I did.”
Colby became angry with herself when she felt momentarily mesmerized by his smile, feeling an instant attraction again. “Thanks again for lunch. Now if you'll excuse me, I—”
“What's your decision, Colby?”
She gave him a hostile glare. “Do we have to discuss this now?”
“Yes. Your decision is very important to me.”
Colby inwardly fumed. How dare he make it sound like the decision was hers to make. He had her backed against a wall and he very well knew it.
“Before I give you my answer, there're some questions I'd like answered.”
Black brows lifted. “Such as?”
“I want to know exactly just how you plan to stop Morton Industries.”
Sterling sat back, relaxed. “It will be simple enough. During the next couple of weeks, Morton Industries will be so busy trying to take control of Wingate Cosmetics, they'll be overlooking something important.”
Colby arched a brow. “What?”
“A certain company, one that I happen to own, Hamilton Enterprises, will be doing a corporate takeover of them. In other words I'll give them a dose of their own medicine.”
Sterling met her gaze directly as he continued. “At this very moment plans are being developed to put the squeeze on Morton Industries. They'll either have to back off or they'll find the tables turned on them. All the Wingate Cosmetics stock they were able to obtain will be purchased by me and I'll sign them over to you, as well as controlling stock in Morton Industries, to ensure they stay in line. Everything is on hold, Colby,” he said quietly, “just waiting for me to give the word to put a stop to the hostile takeover of Wingate Cosmetics. And if things go as planned, your brother won't even know there was ever such an attempt.”
“What about the endorsements?”
“It will be stipulated in the contract that I'll be at Wingate Cosmetics' disposal for whatever advertising they deem necessary to get Awesome off the ground.”
Colby nodded.
Sterling regarded her over his cup of coffee and asked. “Any more questions?”
She nervously ran her fingers through her hair. Shyness and embarrassment now plagued her over asking the next question. But it was something she desperately needed to know. “If I decide to go along with your proposal, how am I going to get pregnant?”
His eyes were contemplative when he answered. “What do you want me to do? Draw you a diagram or something?”
His unwavering gaze made her even more uncomfortable with this topic of conversation, and his flippant response didn't help matters. She glared at him. “For your information, Sterling, there are a number of ways for a child to be conceived instead of just the usual way.”
He eyed her for a moment, then bestowed upon her a very sexy smile. “By the usual way I take it you mean conceiving during the heat of passion.”
His steady gaze that held a spark of smoldering fire, and the smile that overtook his features made Colby's insides tremor. “Yes, I suppose,” she replied. She held his gaze for a moment as she tried to decide what about him attracted her the most, his seductive eyes or his heartstopping smile.
“In that case, I like the usual way,” he said.
“What about artificial insemination?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I don't consider that an option.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Why not?”
“I've heard too many horror stories about the mistakes being made at those sort of labs. I don't want to take the chance of a possible mix-up or something. I want my child conceived the usual way, during the heat of passion. Ours.”
Colby took a moment to collect her thoughts after sensuous images of naked bodies and silken sheets flashed across her mind. “Once,” she said in a somewhat quivering voice.
Sterling lifted a brow. “Once?”
“Yes, once. Intercourse at the time of ovulation,” she said, nervously twisting her fingers together. She was not at all enjoying this topic of conversation but felt these things needed to be discussed between them up front.
“There's a method where a woman can determine the best time of the month to conceive, due to her body's temperature,” she continued. “Therefore, intercourse is only required once for her to conceive. I understand the method is rather simple and easy and—”
“Forget it. I don't plan on getting scientific with this. I'll have some time between filming, which I'll spend on my honeymoon. I won't take a chance on doing it just once. I have more to do with my time than waiting for the day your body reaches its hottest peak.”
She glared at him. “So in other words, you'll be using my body whenever you feel like it, just for the heck of it.”
His eyes held a faint glint of humor when he spoke.
“It won't be just for the heck of it. It will be for the sole purpose of conceiving my child. And I won't be exactly using your body, Colby.” His gaze became full of promises. “You'll enjoy it as much as I will. I'll make sure of it.”
He exhaled a deep breath and continued. “In the end, we'll both have what we want. I'll have my child and you'll save your brother's company. I see it as a very satisfying conclusion for the both of us. Now, unless you have any further questions, I'd like to know your decision.”
Colby said nothing for a long moment. This is it, she thought, dazed. My actions will change my life forever. And as he pointed out, the terms of the contract would give her the means to save her brother's company, but she still had other concerns. They were concerns for the child she would agree to give to him. She wanted to make a counterproposal and it was one she had a feeling wouldn't go over well with him. But still she knew she had to at least try.
“I need to discuss something else with you first. It's an idea I've had about all of this.”
Sterling studied Colby. “What sort of idea?”
“I know you want to raise this child alone but…”
“But what?”
Colby took a moment to collect her words. “But I think it would be better for the child if I were there, too. I don't think I should leave until the child is much older.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over Sterling's suite. He had wondered where all this was leading. Now he knew. But he