Playing All the Angles (10 page)

Today, he was sitting and watching, sketching as the three of them chatted. When Eve rose from the hemline she’d been fussing over, stretching with a yawn, Marcus laughed. “You’ve popped,” he said. “It’s like overnight—over lunch even. You’re suddenly really preggers. Like you’re smuggling a melon.”

“Yes, well—” Eve petted her bump “—it wasn’t overnight. It was over two days. The last two days, I can’t snap my jeans or zip my skirts. Where are all those fabby maternity clothes you promised me?”

“Bitchy.” Marcus sniffed. “You finally lay the neighbor, and you’re back to bitchy. Look at you!” He laughed.

She had turned pink at the mention of Tad. “For your information, I started sleeping with him weeks ago.”

“Slut.”

“Jealous nag.”

“You’re so head over heels, aren’t you?”

“Is this the gorgeous neighbor?” Anne asked as she worked on a seam.

“Yes. We started—God—dating? Is it dating if we never go out? It’s good we live so near.”

Marcus snorted. “Like he’s been spending any time at his place.”

“Oh, stop it, Marcus. You knew you couldn’t have me.”

“Someday. You will be mine!”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Not while he’s around.”

“When is he taking you out to show you off to his coworkers?”

“What?” Anne asked, eyes going wide.

“He’s got this thing, and he’s asked me to go. Tonight we’re going to a work party for him. He says a pregnant girlfriend will distract all the hens who keep trying to set him up on dates.”

Anne gasped mockingly. “I’m scandalized! Using your bump for nefarious purpose!”

“She should get used to it, Little X,” Marcus cooed, reaching to pat Eve’s belly. “She’s going to be just like her mummy.”

Eve just laughed and rubbed the newly visible bump. “She just popped. It’s crazy. Now you can tell I didn’t just eat a large meal.”

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Anne remarked with a laugh. “You’re like…giddy.”

“She’s in love,” Marcus drawled. “I’ve seen him. He’s a god among men. I’m in love too.”

“Back off,” Eve snarled playfully. “He’s mine. He is the fake father of my love child.”

“I thought I was the fake father!”

“No. She’s got fathers out the arse, and she’s not even here. She’s got Bio-Dad, Faux-Dad—that’s Tad—and Daddykins. That’s you.”

“So long as I get to be Daddykins, I’m happy.”

“Are you in love?” Anne asked.

“She’s in love.” Marcus nodded as Eve glowered his way. “She’s not going to admit it, though, because she’s an iceberg. And she’s never been in love before, so she thinks it’s just gas. Or pregnancy hormones.”

Eve lobbed a bobbin at him. “I’m not in love. I’m in serious consideration of something like it. That’s as far as I’ll go with it.”

Marcus ducked. “Have you considered introducing him to the family yet?”

“No. I’m not putting either of us through that.”

“See? You’re in love!”

“How do you figure?”

“If you weren’t, you’d tart him up and take him to visit the family just to tease them with his beauty. You’d be flashing him off to your older sister like a pervert in a raincoat. Glorious hell! You dragged me off to meet them.”

“Only once. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

“My point exactly. You want to keep me around. I’m not disposable. If he were disposable, you wouldn’t care about how the family might treat him and possibly scare him off.”

“You’re insane.”

“And you’re in love. Admit it, and we can all get on with our lives.”

“I’m already on with mine, dear.”

“I could fire you, you know.”

“I’d sue you for harassment. You make it a hostile work environment. Now, throw me my shoes. I’ve got to meet Tad.”

“Ha! That proves it!”

“What, that I want to wear my shoes?”

“Yes!” Marcus winked and threw over the flats she’d worn in. “Because you never wear flats on dates.”

“I’ve never been pregnant before on dates. It does more than just change your pants, darling. You should try it.”

Eve left to the sound of Anne’s laughter, hurrying to catch the train across London to Tad’s office. Smiling to herself, she supposed she might be something close to love. Whatever it was, it felt like someone had opened a fizzy drink in her stomach, and she loved the feeling.

So far, things were very good between them, and she didn’t want to jinx it by expecting too much. It helped that she was able to focus on her life, her work, and the baby without dealing with any drama. Tad was refreshingly centered and seemed oddly at ease with everything that had happened before they got together. She hadn’t seen or heard from Dominic since their little talk, and she was glad of that. She hoped it meant that he’d gotten his head on straight about things and wasn’t going to try to be more involved.

Tad met her at the mouth of the train station and hugged her in greeting. It was thrilling and warm, and she loved the smell of him. Trying to keep her composure, she kissed his cheek and asked after his day, and they talked about his most insane client until they reached the office and she was introduced to the party.

Everywhere she turned, someone was telling her what a good guy Tad was and how much they liked him. She could only agree.

He moved through the crowd easily, charming everyone, and it was fun to see this other side of him. He was in his element, and she watched him, feeling pride and fondness in equal degrees. What the devil was he doing with a pregnant head case?

He didn’t make her feel like a head case, though, and she supposed that was one of the reasons she liked him so much. He was attentive to her, making sure she had something to drink and eat, and settling her down on one of the comfortable chairs after they’d been walking around the room for a while.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concerned. “Feeling okay?”

She smiled. “Yes, I’m good.”

“Bored, though, right?”

“Not at all,” she said, leaning closer to him. “I’ve not had such a good time in ages.”

“That’s really sad,” he replied with a laugh.

Eve shrugged at him, leaning forward to kiss his jaw. She couldn’t resist a little nuzzle back into his hairline, inhaling the scent of his skin and hair. She had several responses to his comment, but there was that little place just behind his ear where his pulse throbbed that was so soft and inviting. She kissed it instead, stroking his chest at the same time. The gesture was intimate, but not untoward for the room.

After she’d indulged herself, she eased back. “Thanks for inviting me. Marcus was being awful, so it was good to have an excuse to leave.”

“What was he being awful about?”

“The fact that I’d rather be with you than with him.”

“Oh, well. He’s just going to have to get used to it.” Tad wrapped an arm around her shoulders and fingered a lock of her hair.

She felt herself go flush and realized she was hoping. Those words coming out of anyone else’s mouth would have been a joke, or, at the best, something for her to nod off. “That’s what I told him.”

“Good.” He squeezed her shoulders, seeming perfectly content. He gave her an appraising look, humming warmly. “You know, when I met you, I was sure that I’d never see anything more stunning than you were then. I was so wrong; you’re even more beautiful now.”

“Keep talking! It’s going to make my head explode, but I like it.”

“It’s true. You glow.”

“You really don’t mind? I mean, in a few months, I’m going to be a mammoth, and then I’m going to be a mother. And then, for weeks, I’m going to be out of commission.” For the first time, the thought really hit home. “And my life’s going to be entirely different.”

“If you’d had a kid when I met you, I wouldn’t have minded. I’d have asked you out anyway. Granted, I would’ve had to come up with a different excuse, but I’d have asked. This isn’t all too different from that—from you already having one. I just get to see you while it’s happening.”

She wanted very badly to ask him what his intentions were, to find out if he planned to be with her longer than just a few months, or if he’d be on to something new soon, but an office party didn’t seem the place. She wanted to ask if she was the rebound—the girl who was safe to get involved with because there was an easy excuse for dumping her soon. She knew all about that kind of involvement. Before the flood of questions could start, her phone chimed, and she grabbed for it. “Rude. I’m so sorry,” she said. “That’s Issie’s tone.”

It was a short text.

In Paris. Eloped! Married! Mrs. Phillips! xoxo.

Eve stared, the wind knocked out of her, and blinked. “Oh, no.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Isabelle’s gotten married,” Eve said, typing out a reply.

WTF? Did you get a prenup?

Seconds later it was:

Lora said cngrts. I nu u wld ask abt prenup.
No. Didn’t need it. xoxo.

Eve typed her response, doubling back to make sure she’d written “twit” instead of what she was really thinking.

Lora is a twit. U r a moron, but I love u.
Enjoy Paris. xoxo.

She waited, but there was no further response, so she slipped her phone back into her purse. Her daft little sister had gone and eloped with Dominic. She didn’t wonder whose idea it had been; she was sure it was Dominic’s. It hit her then that she’d never really believed he would marry Isabelle. Even the last time she’d seen him, she hadn’t really believed he would go through with it.

She supposed she couldn’t blame him for trying to make sure Isabelle was firmly tethered before the baby arrived, but still, no prenuptial agreement. That was not good news. She struggled to tamp down the panic rising in the back of her mind. There was no way for this to end well. It was never going to have ended well, but this?

“Will you excuse me, just for a moment?” Eve pushed herself up and hurried off to the ladies lounge, swallowing back tears and regret.

How had she done this? How had she come to this point? She was pregnant by her sister’s husband, sitting in an office party, playing happy romance with this wonderful, kind, clearly-too-good-for-her man.

“What have I done?” she asked her reflection in the mirror.

The reality of the situation settled heavy on her heart, and she closed her eyes. There was no way out, but through. She had to stay the course and stick with the story. It was even more important now, and in thinking, she realized she’d been hoping that Dominic would disappear off into the ether, leaving her to laugh things off with Isabelle at a later date.

She’d had this fantasy that, with Dominic gone, she and Isabelle could connect over his awfulness. They could have found humor in the situation maybe. It was a ridiculous pipe dream, but it had been better than nothing. Now there was nothing in the future but a secret kept forever.

When she had composed herself and touched up her powder, she went back to the party and found Tad in a small clump of jovial coworkers. She docked her hand into his, and he gave it a squeeze.

“You all right?”

She nodded and leaned into him a bit. “Yes, sorry. Just a bit under the weather.”

“The baby?” one of the office girls asked, nodding toward Eve’s bump.

“Yes.” It was easier to lie. “She’s already strong-willed.”

“Well, I think the fun’s wrapping up here. What do you say we get you home,” Tad offered.

“Brilliant.”

“I just need to say a few goodbyes,” he said in her ear.

He ushered her through thank yous to his managers and the ladies who had pulled the event together, then steered her on through the lobby, down the lifts, and to the front, where they waited on the valet.

“Still feeling queasy?” he asked with real concern.

“I’m—yes, but it isn’t just the baby.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Your sister eloping? That is a surprise. I’ll bet your family will be out for blood when they get back, denying them a spectacle and all that.”

“I’ll bet they get the spectacle, too. Isabelle will give them what they want. No prenup, though.” She rolled her eyes and groaned as another wave of regret and dread washed over her. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Is it that important? The prenup.”

“It just makes things easier. It’s all going to go up in flames sooner or later. If it’s all hammered out ahead of time, it saves her the trouble of having to deal with it while she’s hurting. That, and she’s got money in trust accounts. People do crazy things when they get divorces, and I just want her to be safe.”

“I don’t think Dominic could touch anything in trust. Would he?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” She threw up her hands. “He’s the type of man who would sleep with her sister. How can I put anything past him?”

Tad’s mouth twitched up in reply, but he said nothing.

Eve rubbed her temples. “I should have told her everything the day she brought him home. Then she wouldn’t have needed to bother. I should have made sure a prenup wasn’t even necessary. I feel terrible. All of this is my fault. I could have spared her the coming heartbreak with just a few words, but I didn’t. What is wrong with me? Tad, I’m sorry. I’ve ruined your evening.”