Kitabı oku: «The By Request Collection», sayfa 5
Eve laughed. “Wow, thanks for the confidence booster.”
Circling the desk, Nora embraced her. “I say this because I love you. Don’t let work rule your life like Dad did. Take time for yourself. Who knows? You may change your mind about that happily-ever-after but find your Prince Charming has passed you by while you were stuck in your office.”
Graham’s face instantly came to mind, but he was far from Prince Charming. He was more the evil villain with charm and charisma that made him impossible to resist. Besides, she didn’t need anyone to rescue her—prince or peasant.
“I promise to get more rest,” Eve assured her as she eased back. “Now, go on and see Dad. Tell him I’ll be by later.”
Once Nora was gone, Eve fell back into her seat. She was exhausted, and it was showing. She was going to have to take better care of herself. Her life wasn’t just about her anymore. She had an innocent child to care for, and she would do anything to keep her child safe.
Reliving the nightmare of losing a baby wasn’t an option. But fear had a crippling hold over her. Between the worry of miscarriage and telling Graham, she had some legitimate concerns. Would this be a replay of the last time? Granted, before she’d thought herself in love. She wasn’t as naive this time. But she still wanted Graham to be accepting of their child, wanted him to take part in the baby’s life.
She had to tell him. Tonight. There was no easy way to drop this bomb and she wasn’t a coward. No matter what happened after she told him, she’d be just fine.
Five
She’d avoided him for two days. Two. Damn. Days.
Graham had gone to bat for her, going against his brothers, and Eve had dodged his texts and calls. The fact that he’d thrown away all common sense when Eve had pleaded with him to not ruin her father spoke volumes. That’s something someone in a relationship would do. They weren’t in a relationship. They had sex. Private, sneaking-around, amazing sex.
Well, they had been. But when he’d been at her place and they’d been intimate, she’d turned down any further advances the morning after. Did she want to call this affair quits? Too bad. He wasn’t ready and her body’s response to his touch told him otherwise. Not that he would beg. Hell, no. And he didn’t want a relationship, but he certainly wasn’t ready to end this.
Even if he wanted something more, he was too swamped with being a partner in his law firm to feed any type of relationship. Sex was a stress reliever and Eve was definitely on the same page, though she may have been fighting herself on this matter. She was just as vigilant in her career and wanted nothing more. So, when she ignored his texts, it shouldn’t have bothered him...but it did. Eve wasn’t one to play games, and if she wanted to put on the brakes, he imagined that she’d just tell him so.
Then, as if she hadn’t been silent for two days, she texted him to say she needed to talk.
He didn’t like the sound of that. The whole we-need-to-talk thing was such a veiled subject and he didn’t like how it eluded to the fact that she may want to call this quits.
Eve possessed every quality he’d ever wanted in a lover. She was career driven—so she wasn’t monopolizing his time—she was passionate and damn if she didn’t challenge him...in bed and out.
He’d never cared when another woman blew off his calls, though that rarely happened. The few times it had, he’d moved on. No worries. Yet with Eve, he wasn’t going to have her call it quits without seducing her one last time. If she wanted to move on, he wouldn’t stop her, but he sure as hell would give her a send-off she’d never forget.
Just the thought of getting his hands on her again had Graham hurrying to get to her office. He’d purposely waited until it was good and dark before setting out. With the skies darkening earlier this time of year, he was able to log in more hours with her.
Damn. He shouldn’t keep track of the hours he’d spent with her. He should be going with the flow in this casual hookup arrangement. But he was human and Eve turned him on like no one else ever had. So what if he wasn’t ready to put the brakes on just yet?
Graham wasn’t oblivious to the fact that he hadn’t seen anyone else since that night at the ball when he’d seduced Eve. Had he ever gone this long with the same woman? Other women would think things were getting serious, but not Eve. She knew the boundaries. Besides, even if they wanted to make this something more permanent, no way in hell would their family feud allow that to happen. The last thing he wanted was his brothers or her sisters in their business.
No, it was all about sneaking and seducing. That was the name of the game. He’d been looking for a label and he’d found one. Simple as that.
So what if he had a designated bay in her second garage all to himself. He refused to believe this was serious. Hiding his car when he visited her at her house was merely precautionary, that was all. If one of her sisters or assistants stopped by, he could easily hide in one of the rooms of her sprawling mansion. A car would be a bit harder to explain if it was out in the open.
But now he was at her office, parking in a public garage, so there. Why the hell was he arguing with himself? He’d rather concentrate on Eve and how quickly he could have her on her desk panting his name. Ironically, she was the perfect distraction from the investigation and beating his head against the wall where Sutton was concerned.
Graham took the elevator up to her office. Nobody would be there this time of the evening, and Eve wouldn’t have requested he come if her assistant or any other staff members were hanging around. Their offices had quickly become the go-to choice for late-night rendezvous.
As he made his way down the wide, tiled hall, the intense, familiar scent of Eve’s jasmine perfume enveloped him. Would he ever tire of smelling it? When she’d wrapped herself around him after her bubble bath the night before last, he’d inhaled that sweet scent. Everything about Eve was a punch to his gut. The desire for her hadn’t lessened one bit—if anything, he only craved her more. That was dangerous territory to venture into, but he was in complete control. He had to be.
Her office door was slightly cracked, a sliver of light slashing the dark floor tiles. Without bothering to knock or give a warning, he pushed open the door and found her at her computer. As Graham moved closer, he realized she was staring at her screen, scrolling with her mouse, but she didn’t seem to be focusing in on any one thing.
She hadn’t said a word, hadn’t even turned to acknowledge his presence. As he came behind her chair, he glanced at the screen. Photo after photo of Eve with her sisters and their father in various places and times continued to scroll up the monitor. Sometimes she’d stop, scroll back down, then commence to go up again. Eve was a brilliant photographer. The images around the entire floor of her office proved that. She claimed her photography was a hobby, but he knew full well if she ever opted out of the real estate industry, she could turn pro without fail.
Graham swallowed. Whatever she’d called him here for had to do with that old bastard. Talk about a mood killer.
When she didn’t say anything, Graham surveyed her spacious office overlooking the city. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed off a brilliant Chicago skyline dotted with lights. As he turned, he noted the built-in bookshelves on the far wall were full of books, mostly on photography and real estate. When Eve was passionate about something, she put her whole self into it. He could attest to that.
But the fact that he admired and cared about her hobbies was even more dangerous than having his physical desire escalate. Getting too personal meant setting down roots. He wasn’t about to set down roots with any woman. Ever. Let alone a woman whose family bitterly rivaled his.
Graham walked back to the desk, setting his hip on the edge beside her chair. The picture she’d homed in on now was of a smiling Sutton surrounded by his daughters. This had to have been taken recently. Eve wore that killer red suit she’d had on a few days ago and Sutton wasn’t looking well. But he actually smiled in these pictures. Graham didn’t want to see his old rival as a human being capable of such emotions.
“I’m almost done,” she told him, without turning. “I have a few more to upload.”
Graham didn’t want to see Sutton’s face on the screen another second, especially not with Eve smiling back from the picture. Guilt twisted the knife in his chest. He had no right to hate the relationship between Eve and her father. He had no right to...what? Be jealous? No way was he jealous. That was absolutely...
Damn it. Maybe he was jealous. How did a man like Sutton deserve love and loyalty from someone so caring and trusting as Eve? Sutton was a bastard and that he’d managed to raise three amazing women was a miracle.
Sutton may have been a conniving jerk, but he’d made the right choice putting Eve in charge of his company. There was no one better to run Elite Industries. She had a vision, something fresh that would drive the company into the next several decades. She was brilliant, independent and charming. She had all the traits that would make Elite expand in the exact ways she wanted it to because she refused to take no for an answer, and she refused to fail.
“I saw my father today.” Her soft words cut into the silence. “Grace and Nora happened to be there at the same time. Dad knows I always have my camera on hand, so he wanted family pictures in case...”
Graham didn’t like that vulnerable, lost tone in her voice. Selfish as Graham was, and as much as he loathed Sutton, he wasn’t going to let Eve grieve alone. The loss of a parent was still too fresh, too painful for him. Nobody should have to face such emptiness on their own.
Squatting down beside her chair, he gripped the arms and turned her to face him. Finally, her bright green gaze landed on his. “It’s good you have these pictures. Many family members don’t get to say goodbye, let alone capture the final memories.”
Moisture gathered in her eyes as she nodded. When one lone tear slipped down her cheek, Graham reached to swipe it away. But his hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb sliding across the darkness beneath her eye.
“You’re tired,” he said before he could catch himself. “Maybe you should go home and rest.”
“I’m fine. It’s only seven. I wouldn’t sleep now, anyway.”
Stubborn. Hardheaded. So much like himself, he felt as if he were looking in a mirror. Still, he wouldn’t let her work herself to death and that had nothing to do with their intimacy. He wouldn’t want to see anyone this exhausted and worn down.
“What time did you come in today?”
She pursed her lips and looked away. “I think five. Or maybe it was five yesterday and six today. I can’t remember right now.”
He clenched his teeth and counted backward from ten. She was pushing herself too hard and someone needed to intervene.
“You have spreadsheets scheduling your bathroom breaks at work and you can’t recall when you came in or how long you worked today?”
Eve’s sharp gaze collided with his. “So?”
“You’re working too hard. You’re going to break if you don’t slow down.”
Narrowing her eyes, Eve stood up, but Graham didn’t get out of her way. “That’s the second time today someone has said that to me. My apologies if I look tired. I’m in negotiations with a company we want to take over, my sister is pressuring me to bring a date to some silly costume party and my father is dying. I’ll try to look less exhausted tomorrow and double up on concealer.”
Her words sank in and Graham got to his feet and reached up to cup her shoulders. Closing the miniscule gap between them, he brought her body flush against his.
“I’ll be your date.” Because no way in hell was another man going on her arm.
Eve blinked away her unshed tears. “You can’t be my date. Nora and Reid are hosting the party at my dad’s. You think they’re just going to let a Newport onto the Winchester estate?”
Graham shrugged. “I’ll wear a mask and a great costume. Introduce me as whoever you want. But I’m your date.”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ll go alone.”
So long as no schmuck was escorting her, Graham was fine. Still, part of him wanted to go with her, but she was right: that was ridiculous thinking. They weren’t a couple, so why pretend to be one? He hated how his instant go-to idea was to be with her as her date. They didn’t date. Sneaking around after dark, parking their cars where they couldn’t be seen and sending texts in code was not dating.
Circling back around to the original topic, Graham asked, “What are you doing to yourself?” Sliding his thumbs beneath her eyes, he let out a sigh.
Eve blinked but remained silent. Something was going on with her. He wasn’t sure what, but he wasn’t leaving until he knew. Maybe it was the stress from her father’s illness and from buying another company, just as she’d said. But could it be something else?
“If you want to end things, just say so.”
Her eyes widened as she shifted back slightly. “What?”
Graham dropped his hands. He couldn’t touch her and not want her, but he’d be damned if he begged. “If you want to bring this arrangement to a close, that’s fine.”
The color drained from her face. She started to step back, but hit her chair and lost her balance. Graham reached around to grab her, but she pushed away. Struggling out of his hold, she ended up moving around him and putting a good bit of distance between them.
“That’s fine?” she repeated. “If you’re that detached from this...whatever this is, then leave.”
Careful of his next words, Graham slid his hands into his pockets. Eve was clearly on edge and his blasé words hadn’t helped. He hadn’t expected her to be so upset. Still, this was useful information to have. Clearly she wasn’t calling him here to break things off.
He closed the gap between them, following her when she took two more steps back. Those expressive green eyes remained locked onto his, but her never-ending steely determination had her jaw clenched, her nostrils flaring.
“I’m not leaving,” he finally replied. She may try to be fierce, but she looked as if she’d break at any moment. “Tell me why you called me here.”
She blinked once, then shook her head. “It can wait.”
When she attempted to skirt him once more, Graham reached out to grip her biceps. “Stop running. Tell me, Eve. I haven’t heard from you in two days and I haven’t felt you beneath me in just as long. What’s going on if you’re not ending things?”
She continued to stare at him as she bit the inside of her cheek. Whatever she was gearing up to tell him must be something major. Obviously she wasn’t going to tell him to take a hike, but what else was there? Did she have news on Sutton she was afraid to share?
Eve pulled in a shaky breath, her body trembling beneath his hands. She was scared. Whatever was going on had her terrified because he’d never seen Eve this run-down, this unsure of her words.
“Just tell me,” he stated, sounding harsher than he intended. “My mind is spinning and I have no clue what you want to tell me.”
“I’ve rehearsed this in my head, but now that you’re here, I can’t find the words.”
Worry coursed through him. They may not be a serious item, but Graham wanted to reassure her he wasn’t some unfeeling ass. He framed her face and nipped at her lips.
“Whatever you need to tell me, we’ll deal with it. Are you sick? Is it something with your dad you think I won’t care about? What, Eve?”
Her dark lashes rested against her cheeks as she let out a sigh. Finally, she lifted her lids, and her eyes locked onto his.
“I’m pregnant.”
Six
Graham didn’t release her. He couldn’t even think, so getting his brain in gear to let go wasn’t happening.
Pregnant. How could one word cause such panic and uncertainty? And why did this room seem to be closing in on him?
His hands fell from her arms. Graham raked his fingers through his hair and attempted to pull his scattered thoughts together. Over the past six weeks they’d been intimate so many times. He had no idea when this had happened. All he recalled was that first time when they’d been in such a rush and she’d assured him she was on birth control.
“Say something,” she whispered.
“Did you plan this?”
Eve jerked as if she’d been slapped by his words. “I would never do that.”
Graham shrugged. “How do I know? Despite the past month and a half, I don’t know you that well.”
Eve’s cheeks pinkened with rage the instant before her hand came up in a flash and struck his face. The crack seemed to echo in the open office. Graham’s head jerked, but he didn’t reach up to touch the sting.
“You can’t blame me for asking,” he countered, refusing to feel sympathy despite the hurt in her eyes. “I assume this baby is mine.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I haven’t been with anyone else since we started seeing each other.”
He firmly believed that. Eve was too busy at work for fun and he occupied her evenings, save for the past couple. Still, a paternity test would be required considering he had quite a padded bank account. Someone like Eve wouldn’t be after a man’s money, though. But he would be smart about this. And being smart, he wouldn’t bring up the test right now or his other cheek may feel the same sting.
“I don’t expect anything from you,” she went on, crossing her arms over her chest. “In fact, maybe we should bring what’s between us to a close and focus on what’s best for the baby.”
Graham didn’t know what he wanted right now. His entire world had been flipped and control had never been so out of his reach. But he didn’t want to just end things with Eve, especially now.
“That won’t change the situation.” Graham struggled to keep his distance, but he needed to play his cards right. “I will be here every step of the way, Eve. Whether you want me around or not. This child is a Newport and I never turn my back on my responsibilities.”
“Is that what I am now?” she asked. “A responsibility?”
So maybe he hadn’t chosen his words as wisely as he’d intended. “You’re the mother of my child.”
He watched her shoulders relax as relief slid over her. But then Eve blinked and her gaze darted away. Was she worried he’d reject her and the child? Didn’t she know him at all?
Of course she didn’t. He’d even thrown that fact in her face moments ago. They truly didn’t know each other. And now they were going to be parents.
Brooks and Carson were going to...hell, he didn’t know what their reaction would be. But for now, he was keeping this information to himself.
What would Sutton say? Once the man found out his responsible daughter was pregnant by his enemy, would he change his mind and give up the secrets he was keeping about Graham and Brooks’s paternity? A plan started forming in Graham’s mind.
“Have you told your sisters?”
Eve shook her head. “I haven’t told anyone. I... I’m not sure they’ll take this very well.”
Most likely not. And he knew Sutton wouldn’t take it well, either. The man probably had higher hopes for his daughter and new president of Elite Industries than having a child by a Newport. But Graham was serious when he said he’d be there through everything. He may not have planned on having a child with anyone, let alone Eve, but he would never turn his back on an innocent child...especially his own.
A possessive streak shot through him as he stared back at Eve. This was why she looked so tired, why she was likely running herself ragged. She was scared of the pregnancy, worried about the backlash when the rest of their world discovered the truth. Again, he would be there. Nobody would hurt his child or the child’s mother, no matter what their relationship status was.
“Let’s keep this between us until we know how to deliver the news.”
Eve nodded. Her arms went around her waist, as if to somehow protect their child. “I don’t want our baby to receive backlash from either of our families. No matter what’s going on or not going on between you and me, please promise me you’ll protect our child.”
The urgency in her tone had Graham stepping toward her. “I promise.”
The vow came easily because he’d walk through hell to keep his child safe. Odd how he’d only known about this baby for mere minutes and already his priorities had changed. And one thing was certain: his child would have his last name, even if he had to marry Eve.
The idea made him cringe. Not that being married to Eve would be terrible, but he didn’t want to be married to anybody. Still, some marriages were made of lesser things. At least he and Eve understood the importance of each other’s work and they would both love this child.
“When is your doctor’s appointment? I want to go.”
Eve shook her head. “That isn’t necessary.”
“I’m going.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she nodded. “Fine. It’s next week. I went the other day for initial blood work. He said everything looked fine and gave me vitamins and my due date.”
As Graham listened to her, he was already thinking about the time when the baby would arrive. All work would have to be put on hold. No way in hell was he missing the birth of his child.
His child.
Unable to stop himself, Graham reached out and eased her arms aside before placing his flat palm against her stomach. To even think there was a life growing inside of her, a life he’d helped create, absolutely humbled him.
Eve stilled beneath him. When he glanced up to her face and caught sight of her wide eyes, he swallowed and stepped back.
“I have no idea how to act,” he admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to upset you, but I want you to be aware how serious I’m going to take this.”
“Honestly, I just want to figure out how to make sure our families won’t turn against us or this child. That’s all I care about. Anything between us doesn’t matter anymore.”
A point he wholeheartedly disagreed with, but his actions would speak for him over time. He wasn’t going anywhere, and keeping Eve close would be simple. No way was another man moving in. Eve and this child were his. Period.
Graham made sure that if there was something he wanted, nothing stood in his way. He may not want a family in the traditional sense, but letting Eve just put up a barrier between them was out of the question. His desire for her hadn’t diminished one bit. In fact, knowing she carried his child was the biggest turn-on he’d ever experienced.
“How are you feeling?” He hadn’t even asked her. He’d jumped straight into wondering if she’d trapped him, to asking about paternity, to wanting to feel her still-flat stomach.
“Fine.”
The clenched half smile betrayed her. Graham tipped his head. “You can’t lie to me, Eve. You’re exhausted—you admitted that earlier. But how else are you feeling? Does the doctor think you can keep working all these crazy hours or should you be resting?”
She stared at him, not answering, not even attempting to answer. Her eyes welled up once again and Graham waited. What had he said wrong? He had a million questions, but right now he wanted to know how she was feeling.
“I know this is your child, but...” Eve’s words died away as she turned her back to him. Graham reached for her shoulders, but pulled back at the last minute.
The only sound in the room was Eve’s shaky breathing. The lights of the Chicago skyline spilled in from the window. They’d shared some intense experiences in this office, but nothing compared to the intensity of this moment.
“Why do you care?” she whispered.
“Because you’re carrying a Newport.” Damn, that sounded heartless. Why was that his first response? Why did he have to sound so cold?
Because he couldn’t let himself feel anything else for Eve. He had to remain detached. Their families made the Montagues and the Capulets look like besties and he couldn’t cross the emotional boundary with her. Granted, having a child together was crossing the point of no return, but that didn’t mean they had to set up and play house together. Plenty of children had parents who didn’t live together. Whatever the arrangement, Graham wouldn’t let his child ever want for love, stability or a solid foundation.
Squaring her shoulders, Eve turned and swiped her damp cheeks. “Well, I have some emails to send. I’ll text you all the specifics about my doctor’s appointment, but if anyone sees us coming and going—”
“You’re dismissing me?” Unbelievable.
Her eyes didn’t hold the heat or the light he was used to seeing. Now she stared at him as if he were merely a business associate. “I have work. Surely you understand.”
“I understand you’re trying to keep some ridiculous wall between us.” Anger bubbled within him. He didn’t know what he wanted her to do or say, but he sure as hell didn’t want this unfeeling Eve. “I’ll be at the damn appointment if I have to sneak in the back way.”
Eve nodded and moved around him to settle back in at her desk. She wiggled her mouse until her screen came back to life. And right there was Sutton’s face smiling back, with his hand holding Eve’s. Graham had not only been dismissed, he was being mocked by a man who wasn’t even in the room.
“We’ll talk later,” he promised, heading toward the door. “Don’t believe for one second this changes what we had going, Eve. I still want you, and if you’re honest, you want me, too. That passion isn’t something that can be turned off.”
Her hands froze as she gave him a sidelong glance.
“I’ll give you the space you want,” he went on, gripping the door handle. “But you better get ready because I won’t be far and I won’t wait long.”
With that vow, Graham stormed out. Game on. Graham wasn’t concerned about how their families would react to the baby. He refused to allow anything other than complete and utter love and acceptance. No, what Graham needed to concentrate on was the fact he wasn’t done with Eve, in the personal sense that had nothing to do with their child.
And if she thought he was going to walk away from her or their child, well, she was about to find out that a Newport always got what he wanted.
