The Billionaire's Sweet Surprise (3 page)

Nolan looked up and leaned back. “What are you talking about? Is this about Malvagio? You need to relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

“Don’t use that word,” he growled. “Nothing is fine and I don’t know why people insist on using it.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No but I wish I was.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Something is wrong with Emma.”

That got his attention. “The baby?”

“No. Baby is fine. But Emma pushed me away when I tried to go down on her.”

“She’s pregnant. I’m told pregnancy does all sorts of weird things to a woman. I missed out on Shannon’s pregnancy and I haven’t been able to talk her into having another just yet but you remember how bizarre Penny acted when she was pregnant with Robert.”

He did. Penny, their beloved sister—in-law/former lover was almost unrecognizable as the sweet accommodating accountant they’d first met.

Pregnancy had made her bossy as hell.

And ravenous. The woman had had them all running six ways from Sunday trying to appease her cravings. “But Emma never refuses oral. Ever.”

“Maybe you’re losing your touch,” Nolan teased.

Vince cut him a derisive look. “Me? No. If you recall, I always hit the target.”

“Show off.” Nolan chuckled. “So just ask her.”

“I tried that. She just keeps saying she’s fine.”

Nolan whistled in commiseration. “Brother, you’re in trouble. You did something.”

“I haven’t a clue as to what I did!”

“Does she know about the club?”

“Not that I know of. But that would make her pretty mad.”

“Assuming she doesn’t know yet…maybe it was something you said? Did you make a comment about her weight?”

“She’s damn sexy at any size. You of all people should know that I love women of all shapes and sizes but my favorite is my wife. Hell, I don’t even notice any other women!”

“True,” Nolan murmured, pausing to think, then suggested, “Maybe buy her something pretty and sparkly? That works for Shannon.”

“Emma’s fingers are so swollen she can’t even wear her wedding ring. I’m afraid more jewelry would have the opposite effect I’m going for.”

“Good point. How about a get away? Maybe one last hurrah before the baby comes?”

That idea had merit. Emma was always saying that she was going stir-crazy. A chance in scenery could be what the doctor ordered. “We have that cottage in Carmel…she loves the ocean,” he mused, warming to the idea. “You’re a genius.”

Nolan grinned. “Well, true but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a woman about to pop probably needs something to take her mind off the realization that’s going to push a bowling ball out of her body.” He shuddered at the thought. “God, I’m glad men don’t have babies.”

“Yeah, the human race would die out,” Vince quipped.

“Probably,” Nolan agreed.

Vince downed another shot of brandy and then left Nolan to his work. He had a get away to plan.

Bookmark: 7

-7-

The following day Emma was trying to figure out what to wear for the day that didn’t pinch or constrict but still looked passably cute and when she came up with nothing that fit the bill, she sat on the floor of her closet and bawled.

And that’s exactly how Vince found her.

A red-faced, puffy-eyes, snotting-all-over-herself mess.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing on the floor?” he exclaimed, helping her to her feet and insisting that she sit on the bed. “Will you please tell me what’s wrong? I’m racking my brain trying to figure it out but apparently I’m not very good at this stuff because I’m at a total loss.”

She sniffed and accepted the tissue from Vince. How could she explain what she didn’t understand herself? She was embarrassed to admit that bring pregnant sucked and she didn’t want to drop that bomb on Vince.

“I think it’s hormones,” she admitted in an unsure voice.

“Look, I’m a guy and I don’t know what you’re going through so I’m not even going to pretend but I do know that seeing you so miserable is cutting me to pieces.”

“There’s nothing you can do for me so stop worrying. I’ll get through it on my own.”

He shook his head stubbornly. “No. We are a team. If you’re going through something I want to be there for you.”

“You are there for me,” she said miserably. “You’re being awesome. Like I said, the problem is me.”

He looked baffled. “What do you mean?”

“I’m fat, bloated, gassy, and I have stretch marks. How can you possibly look at me the same again?” she wailed, unable to stop the torrent of tears that followed her outburst. “Everything is different! I can’t do anything that I used to. I thought pregnancy was going to be awesome but it sucks! And I never want to do it again. I’m sorry but this will be our one and only child!”

He sat beside her, stunned. What could he say? She’d just unleashed a tidal wave of unpleasant revelations.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “I really didn’t want to unload on you like that but it’s probably a good thing it came out.”

Vince seemed to be struggling with what the appropriate response should be and she tried to tell herself not to overreact if he inadvertently put his foot in his mouth. But when he just said, “Okay” and left it at that, she was confused.

“
Okay
? Did you just hear what I said?”

“Yeah. Not sure how I’m supposed to react. I mean, it’s your body. If you don’t want anymore kids…I’ll support you in that decision.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he answered, but his troubled frown gave away his disappointment.

Now she felt like a turd. “I’m really sorry. Maybe I should’ve just kept it to myself.”

“No, I wanted to know.” He rose and caressed her chin. “Anything you want, babe. That’s all I ever want to give you.”

And then he left the bedroom.

Emma wiped her face and felt strangely empty, which was contradictory because the baby was doing somersaults.

She rubbed her stomach. “Being an only child will be great,” she said, defending her outburst. “Just imagine all the wonderful things you won’t have to share.”

And then she thought of how lonely her life would’ve been if not for Lana and she was back to feeling wretched.

Was she depriving her baby of something precious just because she couldn’t handle the thought of more physical discomfort?

Was she really that selfish? She fell back on the bed with a groan.
Why am I being so difficult?
That pole-dancing class had just made things exponentially worse.

Maybe if she’d ignored that crazy impulse to go learn stripper moves, she wouldn’t be angsting all over the place and driving her poor husband nuts.

Emma struggled to her feet, determined to find Vince and apologize. She really shouldn’t be held responsible for any emotional outbursts made during the third trimester, right?

She made her way slowly down the stairs and wandered the palatial house looking for Vince but instead ran into Sutton Buchanan, one of the east coast cousins.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” she said, putting her hand out to steady herself as she teetered on her feet. “I didn’t see you there. Have you seen Vince?”

“I was just looking for him myself,” he said, smiling.

He was a handsome devil but then the Buchanans seemed to corner the market on sexy. No big surprise that the other branch of the family were equally hot.

“You look lovely,” he said solicitously. “Pregnancy becomes you.”

“Oh God, you Buchanans are such smooth talkers even if what you’re saying is pure bologna.”

Sutton chuckled. “I think pregnant women are beautiful. Doesn’t Vince find you irresistible with all those womanly curves? I know, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you,” he admitted in a lowered tone that made her gasp.

What a cheeky man
. If Vince heard him say that, he’d punch him in the mouth, family or not.

“Careful, Sutton, Vince doesn’t take kindly to anyone flirting with me. He’s a little caveman about it. I’d hate to see that pretty face of yours get mangled.”

But Sutton just laughed as if Vince didn’t scare him in the least, which meant the man was off his rocker because Vince could be very scary. “Then perhaps my cousin shouldn’t allow his woman to feel neglected.”

Emma blinked at the subtle implication and felt terrible that Sutton thought Vince wasn’t being attentive enough.

If anything, she’d been the one pushing Vince away because she’d felt ugly and fat. “No worries,” she said with a deliberate smile. “Vince takes very good care of me.”

“Excellent.” Sutton brightened, saying, “And I just want you to know that under my watch, no one will suffer the same treatment as you and your sister did at Malvagio. I will consider it my personal mission to keep all the female guests safe from harm.”

What was he talking about? “I don’t understand.”

“Didn’t Vince tell you? Malvagio will be remaining in the Buchanan hands for a while longer and in the meantime, I will be overseeing the nightly operations. For discretionary purposes, of course.”

Mal-fucking-vagio
. If that club were to spontaneously burst into flame she’d bring marshmallows to roast. “I was under the impression that it’d finally sold,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm when in fact she wanted to scream.

“These things, so delicate, sometimes fail under the pressure,” he said by way of apology. “But I gather by your reaction, you were unaware?”

“Vince is very busy. It must’ve slipped his mind.”

How was it that she managed that bullshit without choking?

Vince had had ample opportunity to spill the beans and he’d chosen not to.

Oh, that man!
She wanted to punch him in the throat.

“Well, good luck. That club tends to draw the lowest common denominator within certain circles,” she said sweetly. “I know the members are supposedly screened but you never know what’s getting through.”

“Come now, some of the lowest common denominators are the most entertaining…and inventive.”

Okay, this conversation just took a turn for the worse
. Sutton was beginning to wear on her nerves. “No accounting for taste I suppose. Or class. If you see Vince, please tell him I wish to speak with him.”

“Of course, cousin,” Sutton said with that damnable smile again. He knew he’d just stirred the pot and reveled in the mess.
What an asshole
. Now she knew why Vince always seemed poised to punch the guy in the nose.

Bookmark: 8

-8-

Vince knew the moment he met his wife’s gaze from across the room that she was ready to blow a gasket.

She’d gone from weepy to pissed off and he hadn’t even been in the room.

Surely, she wasn’t mad at him, right?

“Emma? What’s wrong?”

She slammed the office door with her foot and glared. “When were you going to tell me that the sale fell through?”

Word traveled fast apparently. He knew he should’ve told her the bad news. How had he thought that waiting was a good idea?

“I’m sorry. I was going to tell you last night but you weren’t exactly in a great mood so…”

“So you thought you’d save that little nugget for when I was happier? Vince, that’s total bullshit. And I had to find out from Sutton, of all people.”

He glared. That asshole. “I’ll kill him.”

“Forget Sutton. This is about you not sharing with me things that I feel strongly about. You know how I feel about that club. I hate it and you continually being dragged into it, makes me want to throw things.”

His temper rose. “I didn’t have a hand in the sale failing. I want to be done with it just as much as you do.”

“Not possible.” She stomped her foot. “Like I believe that. It’s your sex club! Why would you want to sell it? A place where you can get anonymous, dirty sex with anyone you like, women with perfect bodies and insane appetites for any fantasy that you could possibly want? Yeah, sure, you want to sell! And I’m a monkey’s uncle!”

Tears glittered in her beautiful eyes and he was struck by the realization that there was so much more in play than the club not selling.

Most times Emma was irritated by club business but not raging pissed off. She understood that it took time to move a delicate operation such as Malvagio but suddenly his wife had turned into a raving shrew!

“I don’t go to the club for sex and you know it,” he told her with a hard stare. “You’re the only woman I want.”

“How can you? I’m
hideous
!”

“You’re fucking beautiful,” he roared back, unable to believe they were having this argument over something so stupid.

He strode to her, gripping her by the neck and pulling her to him. The rounded swell of her belly pressed against him as he sealed his mouth to hers, shutting her up for a blessed moment.

She gasped but didn’t fight push him away. Emma moaned against his lips as his free hand found the round globe of her breast.

He squeezed, loving the feel of her tit in his hand. His wife’s breasts had always turned him on, but now that she was bigger than ever before, he couldn’t get enough.

For the past few weeks he’d been tabling his desire because Emma hadn’t been all that interested. Each time he’d reached for her, she’d shut him down but not this time.

He was going to remind her why they were so good together.

And he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Vince walked her backward until she was pressed against the wall. He nibbled on her neck, nipping and sucking at all her favorite spots, merciless in his determination.

“Vince? Wait, no,” Emma protested breathlessly as he pulled her yoga pants down to feast his gaze on her sweet pussy.

He fingered the damp, dark blonde curls he knew so well and kneeled before her. Sliding his fingers along the seam of her folds, he eagerly parted the tender flesh to reveal what he wanted beneath his tongue.

“Vince! Anyone could come in!”

“They’ll get the idea and leave,” he said, sucking and licking at her clit.

Nothing was going to stop him.

She smelled like heaven. If he could bottle up the scent of his wife’s pussy he would just so he could take a whiff whenever he felt like it.