Which meant he had to make a decision. If he were honest with himself, the time had been coming for a while now. He just hadn't wanted to face it. Denial at its best, as he'd told Micki.
Micki. Who else would have the guts to throw his inadequacies in his face and make it seem like she was doing him a favor? He bit back a grin at the feisty way she'd confronted him. At the time, he'd silently applauded her nerve.
Hell, the verbal slap she'd provided had awakened something dead inside him. And that spunk of hers turned him on. When he was with her, not just in her bed but by her side, the bad didn't feel nearly as awful as he knew it should.
Damian wasn't a man who wanted women in his life or interfering in his business. That rule didn't apply to Micki. Ever since that New Year's Eve kiss, something had been building between them. He'd denied it, a tactic he now realized was his specialty when he didn't want to face an issue. And when denial had no longer worked, he'd ignored the attraction as if it would disappear. But their chemistry had been stronger than he knew and by the time he'd taken her to bed, she'd already become a part of him.
The best part, he thought. Even then he must have sensed how much he needed her because he'd blindly shown up on her doorstep after Carole's declaration and he'd wanted her by his side ever since. She-and her family-had given him direction and instructions on steps to take in order to cope with the scandal, and somehow she'd kept him focused when he could have spiraled out of control in a panicked frenzy. She'd refused to let him give in to self-pity over his hand and showed no mercy when it came to making him face the future.
What future? he wondered. With the exception of saving his money for a rainy day, he'd never planned for a day without baseball.
"Maybe it's time you should," he said, mimicking Micki's words.
But first he had to deal with Carole and figure out that part of his life. Between him and Carter, Damian was looking at a fifty-fifty shot the baby was his. Not good odds.
But he believed he could handle the possibility. As Micki had correctly pointed out, he had the best role model to make it happen. If the kid was his, Damian knew he'd be as good a father as his old man had been to him. He knew this thanks to Micki.
Damian rubbed his eyes and walked to the window overlooking the park below. Man, he was tired and not just from making love to Micki late into the night.
He was emotionally drained. For many reasons. Not the least of which was Micki herself. What would her role be in his life once he no longer had the baby scandal as an excuse to keep her by his side.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
DAMIAN AND CARTER STRODE UP to Carole's apartment door together. They'd agreed not to tell her they were coming to Florida, afraid she'd have time to regroup. They wanted her moment of realization to be genuine. They wanted to see her reaction to the fact that both men knew the truth. At the very least, their alliance ought to at least frighten her into being honest. There was a damn good chance even she didn't know whose baby it was, but they were going to find out.
"You ready?" Damian asked Carter.
"As I'll ever be." He rolled his shoulders beneath his sport jacket.
The kid had dressed up for the occasion. Damian glanced down at his ripped jeans and good-luck jersey and shrugged. It wasn't like he wanted to make a good impression at the moment. As for Carter, Damian had to admire the kid for going after what he wanted, this time in an honest way.
Poor Carole wouldn't know what hit her when Carter got down on one knee. Damian had no idea how she felt about the rookie and though he shouldn't care after what Carter had put him through, he couldn't help but hope Carole would see some good in Carter and give him a chance, for her sake as well as the baby's. No matter who the biological father turned out to be.
Damian drew a steadying breath and knocked on the door. He heard Carole's muffled voice and then the door swung open wide.
"Damian?" Her gaze shifted to the man beside him. "Carter?" The color drained from her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"
"I take it you mean what are we doing here together?" Damian asked.
She didn't reply, just stood and stared. Obviously she hadn't been expecting company because she wore no makeup, a pair of baggy sweats and an oversize T-shirt that accentuated her breasts, made even larger by the pregnancy.
He didn't think he'd ever seen her looking so…real. For the first time, Damian saw beyond the artificial persona she deliberately put on and caught a glimpse of the woman Carter had fallen in love with. For his sake, Damian hoped Carole's heart was equally real.
"I don't think you want to have this discussion in the hallway," Carter said, stepping forward. He grasped her elbow. "Come on, babe. Let us inside."
She squirmed and waved her hand, gesturing for them to enter.
Damian understood her discomfort. He felt it, too, and he stood by the window while Carter made himself comfortable on the couch.
Beside him, Carole clasped and unclasped her hands. "I can't imagine why you're here together," she said, letting out a nervous laugh.
“Oh I think you can," Damian muttered.
"You were with both of us around the same time," Carter said calmly. He grasped her hand. "Now I don't hold it against you, babe. We just want to know whose baby you're carrying."
She blinked, as if stunned by the statement. "I told you it's Damian's." Her voice rose to a high pitch.
"Yes, you did. Unfortunately those are just words. We need proof."
Damian remained by the window, separated from the couple and distanced emotionally, but his heart pounded a mile a minute and his throat was raw. "We used protection," he reminded her.
"So did we," Carter said.
Damian paced the length of the window, turned and walked back again. "So unless you have a magic way of determining whose kid this is, we need to run a paternity test"
"No!" She shouted the word and both men jerked their heads her way. "It's Damian's," she insisted.
Damian saw the other man's jaw clench and could practically read his mind. Once again Carter was coming in second to the almighty Damian Fuller.
"Why is it so damn important that he be the father?" Carter asked.
Carole wiped a tear from her face and then another.
Sensing she had reasons he didn't need to hear, Damian stepped toward her. "I'm going to leave you two alone to talk. And when we're finished, I would be grateful if you came back to New York with Carter so we can have the test done. If not, we can do it down here, but Carter would miss a game and that's really not fair to him-or to the team. They need him."
Shock registered on Carter's face. Unadulterated awe. "You mean it?"
"Hell, rookie, of course I mean it. In the last week, you've become more than a man I just might be able to admire one day. You're a damn good player." As much as Damian spoke a growing truth, he said the words for Carole's benefit. Because she seemed leery of the notion of having Carter's kid.
She was selling the man short, Damian thought. Not that Carter hadn't done everything to earn the reputation, but he was changing and he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Carole hadn't met Damian's gaze. "Carole?" he said
She lifted her damp eyes.
"I mean what I said. I want that test done even if I have to get a court order to do it."
She blinked. "Don't do this, Damian."
"It won't be an issue," Carter promised, his hand still covering hers, only now he squeezed it tight.
Damian nodded and headed for the door, trusting Carter to handle Carole. He hoped like hell his gut instinct was right and the kid not only had a good heart, but finally had grown up, too.
Carter waited until Damian walked out before turning to Carole. With no makeup and everyday clothing on, she appeared frail and vulnerable. He'd never seen her look more beautiful. It made him all the more anxious. Because if he didn't get every word right, he'd lose her forever.