Authors: Angie Daniels
“That’s wonderful.”
“No,
you’re
wonderful. Thanks for all your help. I could not have done this without you.”
“There was no other place I’d rather be.” When he held her tightly in his arms, she closed her eyes. What she’d said wasn’t completely true. There was one place she would prefer to be and that was solidly ensconced in London’s heart.
Chapter 25
Bianca looked over the marketing plan once more and a smile curled her lips. What she had proposed would put her husband’s family restaurant on the map. Two weeks ago at the grand opening, London had mentioned that his father was looking for a location in Wilmington, and she knew just the place—Kaonis Kitchen.
Her cousin, Diamere, had saved his father’s restaurant from bankruptcy and was doing a fabulous job of keeping it going. The three J’s had given him a business loan, and early this year Diamere had paid them back with interest. But after his father passed away six months ago, Diamere decided that he was ready to sell, so he could concentrate his time and energy on a couple of nightclubs he’d bought last year in Philadelphia. The restaurant was in a prime location in central Delaware and needed someone who had a passion for the restaurant business. And that’s where London came in. Bianca smiled as recalled the conversation they’d had the night before about him purchasing Kaonis Kitchen. His face had lit up like the face of a child with a new toy.
In the last several weeks, Bianca had become very involved in his family business with the recent opening of his second res-174
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taurant. She’d even offered to invest in the restaurant. London and his father had agreed. Now that Bianca was part owner of the business, Diamere was more than happy to sell, because he’d be keeping the restaurant in the family.
Family. That was Bianca, London and the baby. A family. It was something she didn’t think she wanted, but now she knew that she did. As much as it scared her, she wanted London permanently in her life.
She pursed her lips thoughtfully. Last night London had made love to her until early morning and she thought she was going to cry. He held her in his arms and stroked her stomach and talked about their future with their baby girl. What more could she possibly hope for?
“You look happy.”
Bianca glanced up at the door to see Jaden leaning in the doorway. “Did you expect any less?”
Staring at her, he hesitated before saying, “To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. The engagement was a surprise. The baby an even bigger one. I didn’t even know the two of you were dating.”
She leaned across her desk with her arms on the table. “No one knew.”
Jaden shrugged and moved forward into her office with his hands in his pockets. “I’m cool with it now and respect that he’s your husband, but I’m still feeling pissed off that my boy went behind my back and was messing with my sister.”
“It happens like that sometimes, Jaden. We can’t control who we fall in love with.”
He smirked. “So you’re saying you love him?”
Bianca answered without hesitation. “Yes, Jaden, I do.”
“Then I guess I need to be happy for you.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would be.”
There was a moment of silence. She didn’t know if it was because he was having a hard time accepting that his sister had grown up or that she had married his best friend. She pondered a thought for a moment before making a decision and reached inside her bottom desk drawer and pulled out a large yellow envelope.
“Let me show you something.” She slid the envelope across the desk and watched as Jaden looked through the contents inside.
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He gave her a puzzled look. “Who
is
this cat?”
“That is Collin, my baby’s real daddy.”
He looked even more confused.
“You hired London to spy on my fiancé. Well that’s my fiancé, or at least he was until London brought this report to me. And instead of my tarnishing the family name by raising a child out of wedlock, he offered to marry me. To keep my baby away from Collin, who, as it turns out, is only interested in the Beaumont money.”
Jaden was speechless.
“Do Mother and Dad know about this?”
“Of course not and as far as I’m concerned no one else needs to know. The only reason I told you was because I couldn’t stand seeing you questioning your friendship with London when all he did was act like a friend to you by protect-ing your little sister.” From the look on his face, she knew she had hit home.
“Damn!” Jaden shook his head. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“You’re my brother. I don’t have a choice but to forgive you.
But the person you need to be talking to is my husband.”
“Yeah, I guess I do.” He rose. “Thanks, sis.”
She came around and gave him a big hug. “I love you, big head.”
“I love you, too.”
She watched him leave, then reached for the phone. She suddenly had the strong urge to hear her husband’s voice.
Much later, in bed, Bianca lay in London’s arms after another round of sizzling lovemaking. He pulled her close, his hands resting protectively on her growing stomach.
“Bianca, we need to talk.”
Something in the tone of his voice caused her to stiffen. She had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. But she shouldn’t have been surprised. All evening London had behaved strangely distant until she had curled onto his lap after dinner and kissed him. It was then he behaved as if his resistance had lifted. Apparently, it was only temporary.
She swallowed the lump in her throat “About what?”
“Us and these last several weeks.”
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Bianca rolled onto her back, then dropped her gaze to his chest so he wouldn’t read the disappointment. The comforting strokes did nothing to ease the sadness settling in her chest. She should have known the last few weeks were too good to be true. Sure enough, London was getting ready to remind her that their marriage was strictly a business arrangement—she was certain of that. There was no way she could take another blow. After Collin she simply couldn’t sustain another disappointment. She couldn’t be rejected again.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her eyes to him, then scram-bled up to a sitting position, determined to say what she had to say before he did. “Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I have enjoyed these last few weeks together. I have experienced things that I have never felt before and I thank you for it. But we need to remember that our marriage isn’t real and I’m not looking for commitment. I get the feeling these last couple of weeks that you have forgotten that.”
He gave her a long, hard stare. “I haven’t forgotten anything.
I just don’t see anything wrong with us enjoying each other while it lasts.” His voice was nonchalant. His words hurt far worse than a slap.
Somehow she managed to swallow the lump in her throat.
“Yes. Well, maybe we need to tone that down a notch.” Because it hurt too much to be with the man she loved, knowing he didn’t love her back.
It took him a long time to speak. London squeezed her tightly in his arms. “Sure. No problem. Now get some rest.”
She forced the tears from her voice. “Okay.”
Long after she had drifted off to sleep, London held her in his arms. He never wanted to release her. The conversation didn’t go nearly as he had planned. He had intended to tell her that he was feeling something he had never felt before and that he loved her. That he hadn’t tried to fall in love, yet it had happened.
Instead, Bianca had put the brakes on things and quickly reminded him that their relationship was nothing more than an arrangement for the sake of her unborn child.
In so many words, Bianca had made it clear that as soon as a
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year had passed their relationship would be over. London felt like the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. And even though he was still holding her in his arms, he suddenly felt all alone.
Chapter 26
“Dinner’s ready,” Bianca announced late one evening.
London jumped at the sound of her voice. If Bianca noticed, she didn’t say anything. “Just give me a minute to wash my hands,” he said.
London soaped his hands, staring at himself over the bathroom mirror as he did so. He was scowling, and he knew why. The last week had been close to impossible. The wall between them now was so thick that he couldn’t push pass it; he had pulled back, as well. He tried to convince himself that maybe it was for the best. That the best thing to do was to follow the terms of their agreement and quit trying to make their marriage something it was never intended to be. He should be flattered that Bianca wasn’t trying to shackle him down and that in less than a year he would be back on the single circuit.
As he reached for a towel, he frowned. Single life no longer appealed to him. He was happier with Bianca than he had ever been when he was juggling women and appointment books.
Nope, nothing had changed. He still wanted Bianca. Besides, he was a Brown. And none of them would ever be called quitters.
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He would just have to slowly wiggle his way around that barrier and hopefully, by the time the baby arrived, everything would be as it should.
When he returned he found Bianca sitting quietly at the table, waiting for him. The lasagna she had prepared looked appetiz-ing, as did the large tossed salad and garlic bread. “I wish you hadn’t gone to so much trouble,” he said, taking his seat at the opposite end of the table. “I’d planned to go get Chinese or something.”
She looked up. “I know. I thought you’d enjoy a home-cooked meal. And—” she shrugged “—I thought I’d give it a try.”
He managed to say the wrong thing and now she was apologizing. “I wasn’t complaining. I just didn’t know you…”
“Could cook?” she asked, then gave a soft chuckle. “I can’t.
Not really. Sheyna helped me make the lasagna. All I had to do was bring it home and pop it in the oven. The salad I learned how to make when I was a kid. When my mother wasn’t looking, I would sneak in the kitchen and help our cook.”
Nodding, London took a bite of the meaty lasagna. It was just the way he liked it, with Italian sausage. “Everything tastes great,” he said at last.
They ate mostly in silence. London tried to think of something to say. They talked a little about how well the new restaurant was doing and his plan to meet with her cousin, Diamere, tomorrow.
When they both pushed their plates away, London rose. “The least I can do is the dishes. Go and take a long hot bath.”
Bianca gave him a weary smile. “That sounds like a good idea.”
By the time she climbed from her hot bath, Bianca felt renewed and reinvigorated. The hot water had calmed her nerves but did nothing to ease the pain in her heart. She loved London, yet she didn’t have a clue how to tell him how much he was coming to mean to her. The last few days they had been walking around each other, both feeling on edge, and she just wasn’t sure how much longer she could continue to live like this. Bedtime she made sure she was asleep before he climbed in, because she was afraid he would reject her affection if she asked him to make love to her. Bianca didn’t know why she was beating herself up about it. They had an agreement and London was sticking to his
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end of the deal. She just hoped that, in time, things would get back to the way they were and eventually he would find it in his heart to truly love her.
Bianca dried off, then moved over to the full-length mirror behind the door, taking a good look at her tummy sideways. It was no longer flat. At five months’ pregnant, her belly had begun to protrude. She realized it yesterday when her favorite jeans no longer fit.
She, Danica and Brenna were going shopping over the weekend for maternity clothes. She noticed that her breasts had also grown, preparing for the baby. New bras were in order, as well. Bianca wrinkled her nose at her reflection. She could no longer get around it. She officially looked pregnant.
Before leaving the bathroom, she stepped on a scale in the corner and gasped. She had gained eight pounds.
Suddenly, she burst into tears. She moved into the bedroom, slipped on an oversize T-shirt and shorts and crawled onto the bed. Before long she was going to be as big as a minivan!
London tapped lightly on their bedroom door and waited.
When there was no answer, he peeked inside. “Bianca, are you okay? Bianca?”
She bolted upright at the sound of his voice and wiped her eyes with the balls of her hands. London stood just inside the door, wearing a worried look. “I’m fine,” she answered.
Pushing away from the door, he took a closer look. “Have you been crying?”
Bianca leapt to her feet. “Look at me, London,” she said, pulling her shirt up so he could see her growing belly. “I’ve gained eight pounds!” She gave him a side view. “Before long I’m going to look like a whale.”
He nodded. Actually, she looked downright adorable, but he knew he’d never convince her. “I wouldn’t count on wearing a bikini any time soon,” he said instead, with a wink.
Bianca reached for her pillow and threw it at him. He ducked.
“Hey, I was just kidding,” he said, laughing. “And stop crying.
It’s just your hormones.”
She looked at him. “How do you know?”
“Because it’s what women go through. You’re body is going
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through a lot of changes right now. When is your next doctor’s appointment?”
“Next week.”
London walked over to the side of the bed and took a seat. “You need to talk to him. Matter of fact, talk to Brenna. She’s on her third child. If anyone should know about mood swings, it’s her.”
Bianca briefly dropped her eyes and giggled. “You’re right about that.”
London dropped his gaze, admiring how much her body had changed in such a short period. Her breasts were fuller and her stomach round. And he thought she looked sexier than ever.