Two Nights in Paris

by Delaney Diamond

  Oscar’s steady, measured approach to problems was in direct contrast to his mother’s kick-down-the-door-and-come-in-with-guns-blazing attitude. Both had their place, and right now, his father’s quiet attention and listening ear were what he needed.

  They lost track of time, and it was Oscar who finally pointed out how long they’d been sitting there. They scraped back their chairs, tossed the empty beverage cups, and walked out to the parking lot.

  Stephan stopped behind his red Ferrari, and Oscar squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t make me regret talking to your mother. No more screwups, all right?”

  “No more. I promise.”

  Oscar patted him on the back. “All right. I’ll call you soon.” He walked away.

  “Um, Father.”

  Oscar turned back around.

  “If—if you want to grab coffee again another day, you know…if you’re free or something…let me know.”

  “I’d love that.” After pausing for a few seconds, Oscar walked over to Stephan and pulled him into one of his famous bear hugs. Though Stephan’s response was less enthusiastic, getting enveloped in his father’s embrace was extremely satisfying.

  Oscar grinned at him. “I’ll call you soon.” He strolled off.

  Spirits lifted, Stephan climbed into the car and started the engine. A notification on his phone alerted him that he’d received a text. He looked at the screen.

  It was a message from Roselle. Seemed his day was getting progressively better. The universe was correcting itself.

  Hi. I know it’s been a while. Do you mind coming by my place to talk?

  Without hesitation, he fired off a response. I’ll be there in 30.

  Chapter 25

  He brought flowers.

  Stephan stood outside in the hallway, that familiar one-sided smile on his face, but by the time the conversation ended, he’d stop smiling. Perhaps she should have provided more detail in the text, but she hadn’t wanted to reveal too much.

  “For you.” He extended the cluster of red roses.

  “Thank you,” Roselle murmured.

  She took the bouquet and stepped back and let him enter. Her gaze took in the way the gray Henley hugged his broad back and traveled lower to where the jeans fit snug on his behind.

  He settled on the sofa in the living room, and she placed the bouquet on the counter in the kitchen, taking that time to harden her resolve. When she came back out, Stephan sat with an ankle resting on his knee, and an arm stretched across the back of the sofa.

  “I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you. You gave me the impression that you and I were over.”

  Standing several feet away, Roselle rubbed her hands together. “Actually, we are over. Our relationship status hasn’t changed.”

  The contented expression on his face wavered but didn’t disappear entirely. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” he asked.

  Roselle hesitated. She wasn’t sure where to begin.

  “What’s the matter with you? You’re acting nervous, and it’s making me nervous,” Stephan said with a little laugh.

  Roselle took a deep breath. “What I have to tell you is not…you know what, I’m just going to say it. I’m pregnant.”

  His face blanked. “What?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  His eyes dropped to her midsection. “Are you absolutely sure?” he asked.

  “Positive. I went to the doctor yesterday, and she confirmed that I’m ten weeks pregnant.” The doctor had simply verified what she already knew after three positive pregnancy tests.

  “Ten weeks? That’s around the time the condom broke.”

  “Yes.”

  It wasn’t unusual for her to have a missed period. Over the years, stress or over-exercising had all caused her to have irregular periods, so when it didn’t arrive, she assumed it was her body going through changes. When she missed another one, she suspected there was a problem.

  Being ten weeks along meant she hadn’t become pregnant in Charlotte when they’d had unprotected sex. Early in their relationship, they’d had an episode when the condom broke. In the back of her mind, she’d known pregnancy was a possibility but hadn’t been afraid of the consequences.

  Now it was Stephan’s turn to stand and appear restless. He paced away from her, rubbing a hand over the back of his head. He stopped in front of the window and stared through the blinds at the building next door. Roselle allowed him time to process the news.

  He turned around to look at her. “Are you keeping it?”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s a lot we have to consider,” he said.

  “I realize that we have to break the news to your family, and I’m sure Miss Sylvie won’t be pleased.”

  “That’s an understatement. How do you feel?” he asked quietly. “I know that pregnant women go through a lot of changes in their bodies.”

  Roselle nodded. “There’s been a little bit of that. Some soreness in my breasts mostly, but nothing else.”

  “No nausea or cravings?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. Maybe I’ll be one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have a lot of symptoms.”

  “One of my cousins had a lot of problems when she was pregnant with her last baby,” he said, obviously trying to make conversation.

  Out of compassion, Roselle walked over to him. She ached to touch him but kept her hands to herself. “I don’t know what your expectations are, but I’m not trying to trap you.”

  “What happened was an accident. I don’t think that.”

  “Great, but I had to say it. Of course, I want you to be involved in our child’s life, but I’m perfectly capable of taking care of this baby on my own.”

  He frowned down at her as if she’d grown two more heads.

  “I’m not only going to be involved, I’m also going to support you and our child. Listen, you don’t fully understand how serious this pregnancy is. We don’t only have to break the news to my mother and the rest of the family. Of course, she’ll probably be disappointed in both of us, but that’s only the beginning. My family has expectations. They’re going to expect us to get married.”

  Whoa. “Married? Why?”

  “For appearances, for one. My family on my mother’s side is very big on appearances. She’s going to expect me to do the right thing.”

  Roselle couldn’t believe she was hearing such an archaic point of view. “The only right thing that you have to do is be in your child’s life and help me take care of him or her. Doing the right thing does not mean getting married.”

  He frowned again. “What’s wrong with marrying me?”

  He seemed to be offended, but she wanted him to know that she was not interested in a forced marriage. “Nothing is wrong with marrying you, but listen to what you’re saying. What’s the point of us getting married when we barely know each other?”

  “We don’t barely know each other,” he said, sounding angry now. “We know each other very well. You like chocolate anything—cake, chocolate bars, ice cream. You have a healthy appetite, and you’re smart and funny and have an encyclopedia’s worth of knowledge in your head about the fashion industry.”

  “That’s all well and good, but that doesn’t mean we should get married. We’re adults and don’t have to do what your family says. I mean, are you seriously considering it?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I am, and I’m having a hard time understanding what your problem is with marrying me.”

  “Because it’s insane! Why in the world would we get married? Marriage is a serious commitment neither of us is ready to make. Certainly not to each other.” She turned away from him.

  While she was adamant about her decision, she thrilled at the thought of marriage to him and forming a family unit. Something she longed for, considering how her own family had fallen apart with the passing of her father and the rejection of her mother. But she couldn’t justify that under the circumstances. If he’d said anything about
love, she would have jumped at the chance, but he’d only mentioned marriage because she was pregnant. That simply wasn’t good enough.

  “Getting married would be a mistake that we’d both regret,” she said.

  “How are you so sure?”

  Roselle turned around to face him. “We’d end up hating each other. Do you really want to bring up a child in a relationship filled with tension and resentment?”

  “I want to take care of my kid,” Stephan said evenly.

  “And you will be able to do that. We can work something out.”

  “Work something out?” He sounded incredulous. “What are we talking about here? Weekends and holidays?”

  “Maybe,” she said slowly.

  His expression changed into one that she did not recognize. His easygoing face was replaced with one that looked angry but determined. The shift in his demeanor made her very uneasy.

  “Hell. No.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on. Marriage is not the only answer,” she said.

  “Then maybe we’re asking the wrong questions. That’s my child you’re carrying, and I’m a very wealthy man. So rich, that I can’t imagine my kid living apart from me and will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.” The level of his voice had elevated—not to the point of yelling, but certainly enough to convey his anger.

  “Are you threatening me?” Roselle stepped back from him because now she really didn’t understand what was going on. Maybe she’d misunderstood his tone and words.

  “I’m not making a threat. I’m explaining to you what’s going to happen. I’m going to be in my son or daughter’s life. Every day. Not weekends, and not holidays. Every. Day.”

  “Are you planning to live next door to me?” she snapped.

  “You’re going to move in with me after we get married,” he shot back.

  She laughed shrilly. “Is this the real Stephan I’m seeing now? The arrogant, rich, entitled man who thinks he can throw his weight and money around and force me into some kind of loveless marriage because I’m pregnant?”

  “This isn’t a game, Roselle. We’re talking about our child here.”

  “I fully understand that. But we’re not only talking about our child, we’re talking about our lives as well. One day I might want to date other people. I won’t be able to do that if I’m married to you.”

  He reared back as if she’d swung at him, and his eyebrows lowered over his eyes.

  “Everything makes sense now. You really have a problem with me, don’t you? You never introduced me to your aunt. You talked about her all the time, but not once did you suggest we meet. I was never really part of your life, was I? You never opened up or shared anything meaningful or real with me about yourself. You always held me at a distance. Don’t get too close, Stephan. What were we doing? Just screwing around?”

  “That’s what we said, remember? We had to get the lust out of our system. Well, we did. I did.”

  “You’re really testing my patience right now.”

  “And you’re testing mine. You need to leave. Now.”

  “I haven’t heard your decision yet,” he said.

  Roselle marched over to the door and swung it open with force. “Then let me be clear. I will not be bullied into making a decision that’s not in the best interest of me and my baby. The answer is no.” She glared at him.

  Stephan marched to the door and stood over her, glowering down into her face with such fury, the heat from his eyes could surely melt metal. She gripped the doorknob, refusing to cower.

  “Don’t make the mistake of trying to tangle with me,” he said in a lethal tone.

  Unease trickled down her spine.

  “This isn’t the Middle Ages. You don’t get to club me over the head and haul me off to your tower against my will.”

  “You’re making this harder than it has to be.”

  “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you,” Roselle said with a defiant tilt to her chin.

  “If you think you’re going to keep my kid from me—”

  “Get out, Stephan. I already said I won’t do that, but you don’t hear me because you want your way and that’s all that matters. You want complete control over me and my child.”

  “Your child? Our child.”

  Roselle closed her eyes and counted to five. He had literally said my kid only two seconds ago but lost his mind when she said something similar.

  When she opened her eyes again, Stephan’s expression hadn’t changed. His cheeks were flushed, and his brown eyes blazed down at her in anger.

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. You’re being unreasonable,” Roselle said.

  “I’m being unreasonable? You’re talking about our kid as if I’m not a part of its life. You’re acting like you don’t need shit from me when I know you do. You think my kid is going to live in a two-bedroom apartment when I live in a multimillion-dollar house in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Atlanta? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

  “You’re an asshole!” Roselle yelled at him, standing on her toes.

  “That’s old news!” he yelled back in her face.

  Roselle crossed her arms over her torso. “You don’t know if the baby is yours.”

  Stephan’s eyebrows snapped down over his eyes. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me.”

  “So you were screwing around on me?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “So what do you mean?”

  “You want to get married, and you don’t know if this is your baby!” The exclamation dropped like a bomb in the middle of the room.

  Both of them stared at each other, and she immediately regretted the words.

  There was no point in going down that road. The child was his, no question, and her ridiculous attempt to derail the conversation would only create more problems.

  “Forget it. I want you to go. Your reaction is way over the top, and I can’t deal with you right now.”

  He pointed a finger in her face. “I advise you to think long and hard about what you’re doing and come to the right decision. You don’t want to deal with the consequences.”

  “Marry you or else? That’s such a sweet offer, but I’ll pass. You think because I don’t have anyone you can push me around and force me to do whatever you want? You can’t.” Her voice wobbled as tears filled her throat. “I’m strong all on my own. I don’t need you. I don’t need anybody!”

  Emotion flickered across Stephan’s face. He looked away from her, his jaw tight. “You’ll be hearing from me.”

  He strode into the hallway and Roselle slammed the door shut and locked it. Trembling, she rested her forehead against the cool wood and took in a shaky breath.

  That did not go at all how she’d planned. Even worse, she didn’t know what Stephan’s threat meant. Maybe he simply needed to cool down.

  She went into the living room and sank onto the sofa. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the room, and her throat tightened in misery.

  She buried her face in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. A few tears escaped, and she angrily wiped them away.

  Once he calmed down, everything would be okay. At least that’s what she hoped. But she had a funny feeling, there were worse things to come.

  Chapter 26

  Trevor, his parents’ housekeeper, led Stephan into the sitting room. The older man’s uniform consisted of a gray top and gray pants. The hair on his head was also gray. He’d worked for his mother for years and ran her household according to her very precise instructions.

  The room was decorated in a neutral palette of alabaster and dove gray, with two loveseats and a chaise lounge in front of the fireplace. A photo of Sylvie in between her two brothers—holding onto Cyrus’s arm and her head resting on Anthony’s arm—sat on a side table in a silver frame. All three of them were dressed in evening attire and smiling into the camera.

  Outside on the balcony, his
parents wore loose-fitting shirts and pants as they mimicked the movements of their tai chi instructor, a tall, slender Asian woman.

  “They should be finishing up soon. Can I get you anything to drink?” Trevor asked.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks.” Stephan sat on one of the loveseats and prepared for his parents’ wrath.

  Trevor reentered the room with four glasses of water on a tray and quietly left again. Though he’d said he didn’t want anything, Stephan was glad he’d brought in the water after all. He lifted one of the glasses and took a sip, waiting patiently for his parents to finish their exercise.

  He didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later, the session wrapped up, and all three of them entered the room.

  “Stephan, darling. I didn’t know you were here. Have you been waiting long?” Sylvie asked.

  “Not too long,” he replied.

  “You remember Annie, don’t you?” Sylvie picked up one of the glasses.

  Stephan stood. “I do. Nice to see you again.” He shook the instructor’s hand.

  “Good to see you again, Stephan,” Annie said. She drank half her water, and after a brief conversation with his parents about the next session, she left them alone.

  “To what do we owe this visit?” Oscar sat down across from Stephan and sipped his water.

  Stephan sat down, too. He’d worked out the conversation in his head on the way over, but no matter how he broke the news, his parents, particularly his mother, would be furious. But he wanted a role in his child’s life, no matter how much the prospect of being a father unnerved him. He had some doubts—after all, babies didn’t come with a manual, but he knew he would be a good father.

  “I came to give you both some news. You’re going to be grandparents again.”

  “Excuse me, what was that?” Oscar looked profoundly confused.