Chapter 206: Pregnant?

Chapter 206: Pregnant?
Tara's POV

He didn't wait for me to finish, instead leaning forward to capture my lips. The kiss started gentle and questioning, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away.

But when I unconsciously leaned in, all restraint vanished. His kiss became deep and passionate, his tongue lightly sweeping across my lower lip, demanding entry. Somehow my mouth had already opened, welcoming his exploration.

My fingers buried themselves in his thick hair, savoring its silky texture, pulling him closer, unable to suppress the desire for more. One of his hands rested on the nape of my neck while the other boldly slid down my spine, finally settling at my waist, his fingers pressing slightly into my flesh.

When he broke the kiss, I nearly let out a protesting moan. But he simply moved to my neck, his lips trailing along my jawline and down, lingering at my pulse point. His breath burned hot against my sensitive skin, sending shivers through me.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," he whispered against my ear, his voice husky with desire. His hand moved upward from my waist, his fingertips slipping beneath my shirt, tracing over my ribs before boldly covering my breast. Even through my bra, I could feel the scorching heat of his palm, making my nipples instantly harden.

I arched my back involuntarily, pressing myself more firmly into his touch, a moan escaping my lips. Luke seized the opportunity to kiss me again, more forcefully and possessively this time. His tongue tangled with mine, mimicking a more intimate act that made my entire body flush with heat.

His hand continued exploring beneath my clothes, his fingertips trailing down my spine before coming to rest on the curve of my buttocks, squeezing gently. I could feel him growing even harder beneath me, that burning evidence pressed against my inner thigh.

"I want you, Tara," he murmured between kisses, "more than I want to breathe. It's been too long... too long since I've felt you."

I was completely lost in his touch, almost forgetting all the complications between us. Until his hand began unbuttoning my shirt, and reality doused me like cold water.

I tried to stand up, but pain shot through my back, and my legs remained weak. Even pressing the acupressure points I knew did little to help.

"Don't move," Luke said, his voice tight with restraint. "If you keep squirming on my lap, I won't be responsible for what happens next."

"I can't just sit here," I said sharply, acutely aware of his hardness pressing against me. "What am I supposed to do, stay on your lap forever?"

His gaze locked onto mine, burning with intensity. "Why not? I'd welcome it. Preferably for a lifetime."

I felt a surge of electricity where our bodies connected. I pushed the feeling away, seeking my safest known defense—pushing him away.

"We're not together anymore, so stop talking about 'lifetimes,'" I said coldly. "You should be focusing on that girl who helped detoxify you. I hear you've been looking for her. When are you planning to take responsibility?"

Luke's face immediately darkened. "You're the one who's hidden her?"

"Of course it was me," I said with feigned nonchalance, still very aware of his hardness beneath me. "I found her for you, so I'm responsible for her safety. She might be pregnant, you know. I owe Gloria at least one grandchild."

"Tara," Luke's voice dropped to a dangerous low growl that made my body heat involuntarily, "are you really this determined to push me toward another woman?"

I forced myself to meet his smoldering gaze. "This isn't about what I want. It's about necessity. You carry the hopes of the entire Carter family. I won't be blamed for ending your bloodline."

Luke's jaw tightened. I could feel the tension radiating from his body beneath me. "Let's go eat. Peter is worried about you."

As he turned the wheelchair with me still awkwardly perched on his lap, I couldn't resist needling him further. "Luke, think about it seriously. The girl is really quite special."

He didn't answer, but I could feel his thigh muscles tensing beneath my legs as he propelled us toward the door.

---

I had barely managed two bites before my stomach began to protest. Luke noticed, reaching over to grasp my hand, his fingers brushing against mine, the touch creating unnecessary sparks.

"Eat a bit more," he said, his touch sending currents through my body.

"I can't—" I began to say, but Luke had already picked up a piece of braised meat and placed it directly in my mouth.

My stomach immediately rejected it. I pulled away from his hand and rushed to the bathroom, barely making it before violent retching overtook me.

I knelt on the cold floor, my body shaking continuously. I heard Luke's wheelchair behind me. He handed me a glass of water, his eyes sweeping my face with concern.

"Drink this," he said softly.

I took a few sips, but couldn't keep it down as another wave of nausea hit me.

Luke studied me intently, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "Tara," he said quietly, "it was you with me that night, wasn't it? This sickness... are you pregnant?"

I froze. The suggestion shocked me, having nothing to do with the nausea. I turned to him, my gaze sharp.

"If you don't understand basic biology, don't make stupid assumptions," I snapped. "Even if it had been me that night—which it wasn't—symptoms wouldn't appear this quickly. I'm sick because I haven't eaten properly for days. You try starving yourself and see how your stomach reacts when you finally eat something."

Peter, standing in the doorway, laughed. "Mr. Carter, no matter how much you want my boss to be carrying your child, be realistic. After barely eating for four days, of course her stomach is upset."

Despite feeling terrible, I almost smiled.

---

"Boss," Peter said after I had rinsed my mouth and returned to the dining room, "Mr. Carter has the situation almost completely under control. You should rest. Leave the rest to us... of course, my technical skills aren't as good as yours, but working with Mr. Carter, we should be fine! Who knows, by the time you wake up, the two of us might have recovered the files. Right, Mr. Carter?"

Luke nodded in agreement. "Go rest, Tara. Leave the rest to Peter and me."

Under normal circumstances, I would have refused, insisting on seeing the task through myself. But my body had reached its limit. The room was still spinning slightly, and the persistent headache made it difficult to think clearly.

"All right," I agreed, "I'll leave it to you two. I'll go sleep for a while." Before leaving, I turned to Peter with a final instruction: "Call me if there's any problem."

"Will do, Boss," Peter answered, relief evident on his face.

As I walked toward the bedroom, I couldn't help feeling a strange comfort knowing Luke was there working with Peter. I attributed the feeling to exhaustion as I collapsed onto the bed without even changing my clothes.

---

Luke's POV

As soon as Tara disappeared into the bedroom, Peter and I returned to the study. The atmosphere was tense—we both knew what was at stake. Our opponent could return at any moment, and we needed to capitalize on our advantage quickly.

"How long will she sleep?" I asked Peter as we settled back at the computers.

"Who knows," he said, already typing. "She's exhausted enough to sleep for days, but this is Tara. She'll probably be back in a few hours, looking half-dead but still determined."

I nodded, familiar with her relentless resolve. "Then we'd better work fast."

The security system on this folder was unlike anything I'd seen before. It had elements of Tara's own encryption style, but with differences that made it particularly difficult to crack. Someone had studied her methods and created a system specifically designed to challenge her.

After thirty minutes of intense work, I finally spotted the pattern. My fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, implementing my solution. I typed the final command.

When the progress bar appeared, Peter grinned. "We did it!"

We watched as the percentage slowly increased, the system extracting the folder's contents.

"What do you think Tara's expression will be when she wakes up to find we actually succeeded?" Peter asked, excitement replacing his earlier tension.

I kept my eyes on the screen, not ready to celebrate yet. "Don't count your chickens. This isn't over."

Peter's smile faded. "Mr. Carter, seriously, you need to work on that pessimistic attitude. Why do you always expect the worst? Would it kill you to be optimistic for once?"

I remained silent, focusing on the progress bar.

"It's just like last time," Peter continued, becoming more animated. "Tara was ready to come back to you, and you overthought it. And what happened? You missed your chance! You could be remarried by now. If you had moved faster, she might actually be pregnant with your child instead of you making wild guesses because she threw up."

I shifted uncomfortably, knowing he was right. My constant preparation for the worst had cost me everything with Tara.

I changed the subject, glancing around the room. "Does Mountain View have surveillance cameras?"

Peter immediately tensed. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering what time Tara got home that night," I said. "Or if it was someone else, not Tara who left my hospital room..."

"You just won't let this go, will you?" Peter sighed heavily. "Mountain View used to have cameras, but they were removed after the situation with Sophia and Howard. But I have the text Tara sent me after leaving the hospital that night. Her car broke down and she needed someone to pick her up."

He showed me his phone. The timestamp perfectly matched the time Tara left in the hospital surveillance footage. The evidence was clear—it wasn't her with me that night.

I couldn't hide my disappointment. Peter put away his phone, his expression softening.

"Luke, we've known each other for a while now," he said seriously. "I used to pray Tara would never have anything to do with you again, but I've changed my mind. You deserve her. But you don't understand her. Once Tara decides something, she doesn't change her mind. Ever. The very fact that she even considered reconciling with you is a miracle—she broke her own rules for you. And you wasted that chance."

Before I could respond, the computer chimed. We both turned to the screen to see a message indicating the file recovery was complete.