“Anyway, the pregnancy changed everything. All of a sudden all the little stuff just didn’t seem that important in comparison to this new life and they, you know, kind of re-set their relationship for the sake of the child. And it worked out.” Brooke’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “I imagine they took their counseling and stuff more seriously too, once there was more at stake. So Gavin might do the same, feeling all responsible and fatherly. Which of course means he’ll be home more.”
“Or he’ll just hire an army of nannies.”
“He’ll probably do that too, but his family’s really big on children. All those family gatherings? I can’t imagine Gavin being any different. You see how he treats his nephew, making time for him no matter what.”
“That’s true.” Gavin adored his nephew and spoiled the boy rotten whenever he got the chance. Why would he love his own child any less?
“Who knows? Maybe he’ll indulge the kid so much you’ll end up wanting to kill him for undermining your authority.” They both laughed as Brooke brought the coupe to a stop in front of the heavy wrought-iron gates that marked the entrance to Gavin and Amandine’s estate. She entered the security code into a number pad and placed her thumb against the fingerprint scanner. The gates slid open as the security system accepted her access credentials, and the Mercedes started the long winding drive to the main door of the mansion.
Amandine thought,
Wouldn’t that be great?
She’d rather have Gavin be a doting, overindulgent father than a neglectful one. That way their child would know it was loved unconditionally. She wouldn’t mind playing bad cop and taking responsibility for disciplining the kid.
“Smile and have happy thoughts.” Brooke stopped the car in front of the pale cream marble steps that led up to the main doors. White ionic columns topped by Corinthian capitals stood sentry on either side. “I sent Luna a text, so I’m sure she’s got something nutritious already made. I’ll put the car in the garage and meet you in the dining room. Don’t forget; you’ve got a meeting with the Art4Kids Foundation board at 2:30.”
* * *
Around midnight a black Bentley pulled to a stop in front of the mansion and Gavin emerged from the rear. “Thanks, Thomas.”
“My pleasure, sir. Good night.”
Gavin watched as the car traveled along the long looping driveway and disappeared around the curve that led to the garage in the back. Thomas worked a hectic schedule to accommodate Gavin’s even crazier one. But in the eight years he’d been on the staff he’d never once complained about the hours. Fortunately for everyone, Thomas had an understanding wife who appreciated the generous pay and benefits that allowed her to be a stay-at-home mom.
Gavin remembered that the youngest of their three children was autistic. Thomas should get a big Christmas bonus and raise for the next fiscal year. He’d earned it, and his family would put it to good use.
Only one lamp was lit by the door. There used to be more lights in the evening, but Amandine had thought it wasteful.
“Darling, we can afford it,” Gavin had told her.
“Still… Let’s not be frivolous with electricity.”
So one light it was. He didn’t mind. Whatever made her happy was fine by him.
He unlocked the door. Their housekeeper, Luna, didn’t come out to greet him. She never stayed past dinner-time unless he or Amandine specifically requested it. He walked up the winding steps to the master bedroom suite on the second level, his dress shoes clattering on the cool marble floor.
The master bedroom suite was what had sold Gavin on the mansion five years earlier. The room was big, with three ceiling fans and windows that looked out to the green and lush garden surrounding the house. He’d had the walk-in closet and bathroom redone before moving in. After the marriage, he’d told Amandine to redecorate if she wanted, but she’d declined, saying everything was already perfect.
A night-light provided just enough illumination for him to see inside the bedroom. Amandine was curled up in bed, her breathing deep and even. She looked so small and vulnerable in sleep. Carrying his shoes, he walked across the freshly waxed hardwood floor carefully, trying not to wake her up. He slipped inside the big walk-in closet, shed his clothes and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
As the pungent taste of mint coated his tongue, he suddenly realized he’d never gotten a chance to call Amandine back. He’d wanted to know why she’d called even though she’d said it wasn’t urgent.
Damn it
. He rinsed his mouth.
Too late to talk now
. He should’ve stopped the meeting for a few minutes and spoken with her. As his wife, she deserved it.
He wouldn’t have time to linger around in the morning. His first appointment was at seven thirty sharp, and she seemed to be sleeping in these days.
He crawled into bed, and she moved over and curled against him. She was all softness and fresh apple, and his cock swelled. It’d been close to two months since they’d had sex. Damn it, he wished it weren’t so late so he could seduce his wife. And he wished he didn’t have to work so much, so he could spend more time with Amandine, but he needed to watch over everything at work to ensure nothing unexpected happened. Then there were the charities and foundations he supported. Thankfully Amandine had taken over many of them, but that still didn’t free him from the hours he needed to devote to them.
Her left hand rested on his bare chest. The sapphire and diamonds on her finger gave a muted sparkle in the night light. They looked good on her—perfect actually. The ring had belonged to his grandmother, who had been the greatest love of his grandfather, and it seemed apt that Amandine wore it now. Did she have any idea how much he wanted to spoil and coddle her?
A small frown appeared on her brow, and he kissed it, willing it away. Her happiness was paramount to him, yet no matter what he did, he couldn’t help but sense a vague undercurrent of dissatisfaction from her. However, every time he gently probed, she smiled the maddeningly serene smile of hers and said nothing was wrong…while her eyes grew remote and guarded.
One more hectic day for him, then they’d have their anniversary to enjoy. His schedule was insane right now, crammed with so much work. Still, it was worth it to spend the afternoon and evening of their anniversary together, even though it was a work-day and he rarely took time off. As much as he needed to be in the office, he couldn’t dismiss a sense of unease that his wife was slipping away from him.
If you remembered to do things like call her back
,
she might not be slipping away
.
You need to figure out how to make up for not returning that call
.
How should he make amends? He scowled as he mentally flipped through his calendar—no free slots for a while. Going to a concert or to an art gallery opening was out.
The second-best thing to offer would be a week-long stay in Paris for her and Brooke. Though the latter was her assistant now, she’d been Amandine’s best friend since forever. Gavin had hired her mainly because Amandine trusted her.
An all-expense-paid trip should make up for whatever slight Gavin had caused earlier that day. Women would forgive almost anything for some luxurious girl time and good shopping. And he was certain Amandine would too…especially when she saw her anniversary present.
AMANDINE OPENED HER EYES and frowned when she realized she was alone in bed. She reached out and touched the indented pillow next to hers. Okay, so Gavin had come home, but not for long. She’d stayed up until around eleven before finally giving up and turning in. The bedside clock said it was eight thirty.
Next to it, she saw a small memo. It read:
Sorry I got home so late
.
Why don’t we talk later today? I’m taking the entire afternoon and evening off
.
G
She put the edge of the paper to her lower lip and smiled slowly. Gavin seldom took time off, not even for his own birthdays. His job kept him too busy.
The note explained why he’d been working so much over the last two weeks. Well, he didn’t have to know about the pregnancy immediately. She’d gotten a reservation at La Mer, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, and would announce the good news at dinner.
Full of happy expectations, she hopped out of bed…then sat right back down when the room spun and her vision dimmed for a moment.
What the…?
She’d never felt dizzy like this before. Was it because of the pregnancy? Well, Dr. Silverman could tell her more about what it meant at their next appointment. Amandine didn’t want to ruin the day by calling or going back to the doctor’s office.
She stood up carefully, and everything remained normal. After shrugging into an ivory silk robe and matching fuzzy slippers, she shuffled down to the kitchen. Every appliance was modern, stainless and had more features than anybody could possibly find a use for. Dozens of polished copper pots and pans hung from hooks. She’d never used copper to cook with, but apparently it was the best there was. Not that she’d know—cooking was Luna’s responsibility.
Luna stood over the gleaming marble counter, her tall, sturdy body wrapped in a practical sky-blue cotton shirt and dark capri jeans. Unlike some other households, Amandine and Gavin didn’t ask their staff to wear uniforms, which Gavin thought was a waste of money and Amandine found pretentious. Besides, Luna was like family.
Luna looked up, her practiced hands beating some eggs in a metal bowl. “Good morning,” she said with a cheery grin. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”
“Thank you.”
She dumped the mixture onto a hot frying pan and handed Amandine a cup of organic jasmine tea.
Amandine sat on a padded stool and watched Luna work. The marble island had a big sink and a cutting board on it, but nothing else. Very different from her old kitchen, where bread, cookies and fruit had covered every square inch of the worn Formica counters. The mansion had a proper place for everything.
A young man Amandine had never seen before came in with a vase of fresh-cut daisies. He smiled shyly, placed the flowers on the island and ducked out.
“Who’s that?” Amandine asked as Luna set scrambled eggs and toasted whole-wheat bread in front of her.
“George. He’s new.” A Lazy Susan with almond butter and four jars of jam appeared next to Amandine’s plate.
“What happened to Julio?”
“Fired.” Luna’s mouth firmed. “Late too much.”
Poor Julio. Amandine didn’t have the heart to fire anybody, but it was Luna who had to deal with employees who didn’t pull their weight. So she always let the housekeeper take care of staff issues.
“Would you like some juice? Freshly squeezed.”
Her mouth full, Amandine nodded. It still amazed her how much money her husband spent to ensure she wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Her meals were prepared for her, and then everything was cleaned after she finished eating. The house was spotless and dust-free, the garden impeccable. If he could, he would have hired someone to breathe for her.
A part of her wished he’d stop. Granted she wasn’t the kind of woman he was used to, and he hadn’t anticipated marrying someone so…ordinary. He probably felt like he had to do something to ensure she wouldn’t embarrass the two of them among their friends and family, but it’d been three years. Surely he could relax a little?
She should talk to him about reducing the staff and cutting back on her clothing budget. She also wanted to decrease the number of fundraisers she did for his various foundations and charities and spend more time on her art. She hadn’t painted much since their marriage, and was dying to use the studio he’d had built for her.
Gavin should be all right with all of that. Whenever she asked him for something, his general response was, “Sure. Whatever you want.”
Yet something about the answer had always bothered her, like he didn’t care enough to raise an objection. Which didn’t make any sense—she should be happy Gavin was so accommodating…shouldn’t she? Did she want a dictatorial husband who objected to her every wish?
Come on
,
Amandine
.
Don’t be contradictory
.
It’s like you’re itching for a fight
.
Brooke would blame it on hormones, if Amandine told her. Which she wasn’t going to do.
After the hearty breakfast, Amandine was feeling more optimistic than she had in weeks and ready to face the world. The past two years had seen her and Gavin growing slowly apart as she’d taken on the bulk of his philanthropy projects and he’d spent more time in the office. But now she was pregnant with his baby, a symbol of their love, and her husband was going to take more than half the day off just to be with her. This had to be a sign that things were looking up.
Brooke arrived half an hour later, her clothes as bright as the ones from the day before: a teal one-piece dress with a white leather belt as wide as a man’s hand. A bronze headband with a giant red ribbon sat in her hair, doing nothing to keep the bangs out of her smoky eyes. “You need to get dressed,” she said. “I’m supposed to take you to Gavin’s hangar by eleven.”
“I don’t remember having anything scheduled there.”
Brooke flashed her phone. “Got a text from Gavin. He wants you there.”
“Did he say why?”
“Something about lunch.”
Amandine wrinkled her nose. “At the hangar?”
“Sorry, no idea. I didn’t plan it,” Brooke said, heading for Amandine’s closet. “Let’s pick out a few options for the day.”
Amandine nodded, deferring to her best friend. Brooke always had a great sense of style, while Amandine preferred clothes that were cheap, functional and long-lasting. Her old wardrobe reflected her preference except for a couple of dressy outfits from the Neiman Marcus clearance racks. She’d bought them in case she ever had her own showing, which in retrospect had been silly since she hadn’t shown her works to any art gallery and probably never would.
The walk-in closet was bigger than the master bedroom in Amandine’s old apartment and had another door that opened onto a service hallway, so that staff could drop off dry-cleaning and laundry without invading the privacy of the bedroom. The lights came on automatically, controlled by a sensor at waist level. Hundreds of pairs of fine leather shoes occupied endless shelves built into the walls.