A Hard Man to Love

by Delaney Diamond

  “Don’t go to too much trouble,” Eva replied. She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of having servants and staff who waited on her hand and foot. Derrick had called this lifestyle comfortable, but living in a mansion in Buckhead was more than comfortable, and she still had to get accustomed to such a swanky style of living. With a shrug, she said, “I’ll be fine with some orange juice and toast.”

  “Are you sure, ma’am?” Svana looked disappointed. “How about some scrambled eggs or an omelet to go with your toast?”

  “An omelet sounds good. Ham and cheese?”

  “Coming right up.” The housekeeper looked so happy, she realized that perhaps part of Svana’s concern had been about pleasing her, the new woman of the house. “Would you like to have breakfast on the terrace?”

  Outside the French doors was a table set up on the stone terrace that looked out onto the grounds. “Yes. That sounds like a good idea.”

  Once outside, Eva saw the terrace also had a sitting area with couches and a coffee table, perfect for a relaxing day while surveying the gardens.

  Svana served her fresh-squeezed orange juice with her meal and beamed when Eva whispered, “Delicious,” after swallowing a morsel of the fluffy omelet.

  This became her routine over the next couple of days. If Derrick intended to show her his life wouldn’t change now that they’d married, he did a good job of it. Their interaction was minimal, like roommates who had different work schedules.

  While he worked in the study, she filled out thank-you cards for the wedding gifts and unpacked her clothes and other belongings rather than have one of the maids or her personal assistant complete the tasks for her.

  Exploring the estate took a lot of time, as well. Saunders and Svana lived in the main house and each had their own self-contained private quarters with a small kitchen and living room. The entire compound consisted of the three-level house, a gazebo, a tennis court, and a guesthouse with a pool. The main house included a gym, a heated indoor swimming pool, home theater, and a recreation space with a ping-pong table and arcade games.

  The grounds were her favorite part of the estate, and she delighted in watching the squirrels hop from tree limb to tree limb, and the birds take advantage of the bird feeders dotted across the property. Flowers lined the cobblestoned pathways. Black-eyed Susans and twenty-inch columbine flowers in shades of purple and pink greeted her on her walks.

  The in-ground pool Derrick had told her about turned out to be a free-form pool, specially designed to look like a lake and fit into the landscape, with rock projections jutting out of it. Only a short walk from the house, it was a man-made oasis enclosed by bushes and flowers, with comfortable chairs, two cabanas, and a bar.

  Her lifestyle had certainly changed.

  ****

  Wrapped in a silk robe, Eva descended the stairs in search of a piece of Svana’s chocolate cake. She hoped there was at least one slice left. If Saunders could help it, there wouldn’t be. He’d wolfed down two humungous pieces earlier, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he came back for more.

  The kitchen lights were on, and she thought they’d been left on by mistake until she found Derrick, still dressed in his suit, sitting at the breakfast table in the corner with his head resting on his folded arms.

  “Derrick?” She walked over and shook him.

  Being a heavy sleeper, it took a minute for him to rouse. A frown marred his forehead as his eyes focused on her.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “What time is it?”

  “It’s after one in the morning. You must have come in and sat down for a minute and fallen asleep.”

  With a shake of his head, he straightened in the chair. “That’s exactly what happened.”

  The fatigue on his face tugged at something inside her. How deeply had Phineas’s death affected him? Even though he wasn’t his biological father, Phineas was the only father Derrick had known all his life.

  Maybe taking over his father’s affairs took a greater toll than she realized or he wanted to admit. Without much time to grieve his death, and the strain of keeping the business together resting on his shoulders, it was no surprise he had fallen asleep at the table.

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  The clipped response was meant to keep her from asking any more questions, but she couldn’t help but be concerned. She loved—had loved him once. It was only natural to still care a little. But she had to remember that Derrick didn’t do emotions, so asking him about his feelings was a waste of time.

  “You don’t look well. I know you’re preoccupied with work, but you still have to take care of yourself.”

  Surprise lit up his eyes, and his voice held a hint of irony when he said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you actually cared.”

  Stepping back, Eva cleared her throat self-consciously. “Of course I care, Derrick. You’re the father of my child.”

  “What other reason would there be, right?”

  She had the strange feeling he had expected her to say something else, and somehow she’d disappointed him.

  “Don’t worry about me,” he continued. “You’re the one who needs to take care.” He looked at her stomach.

  “I’ve been looking into doctors and have narrowed it down to three.”

  “You might as well start putting out feelers for a nanny, too. Your assistant can help you find one.”

  “I don’t need a nanny.”

  He rose to his feet, intimidating at such close proximity. “You won’t need a nanny, but it’s a good idea. Managing this estate takes a lot of time, even with help from Saunders and Svana. There’ll also be social engagements we have to attend, and we can’t leave our daughter with just anyone. Whether we hire someone full-time or part-time, it’s good to have one.”

  “I want to raise my child myself.” She wanted to be the kind of mother she’d had growing up and couldn’t imagine letting someone else interfere with that special bond.

  “Getting outside help is no reflection on the type of mother you’ll be. I’m sure many more women would do it if they could afford to. We certainly can.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Eva’s eyes scanned the room in search of the cake, needing a chocolate fix now more than ever.

  “A nanny’s role is to help you, not take your place.”

  “I said I’ll think about it.”

  He fell silent. “It’s not as bad as you think. I had a nanny growing up.”

  And look how good you turned out, Eva thought nastily.

  “By the way, expect a call from Cassidy and Celeste. I forgot to mention it, but at the wedding, Celeste said something about taking you to lunch.”

  A lunch date sounded like a good idea, and her sisters-in-law had both been friendly and welcoming. “Did she say when?”

  “No. She said she would give you a call.” He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Didn’t I tell you already that I’m fine?”

  “I’m only asking because you look like death,” Eva snapped. “Forgive me for showing some concern.”

  She swung on her heel and marched over to the counter where the rest of the cake sat on the cake stand. If he weren’t in the room, she might have grabbed a handful and shoved it in her mouth. Of course, if he weren’t here, she wouldn’t be so upset that she felt the need to eat the cake in that manner.

  “I have a headache,” he mumbled, almost grudgingly. “If it doesn’t go away in a little bit, I’ll take something for it.”

  She glanced at him sideways. “Maybe you’re working too hard. You’re never here.”

  She yanked open the cutlery drawer.

  “Don’t tell me you miss me?” Derrick asked.

  Focused on searching for a knife, Eva ignored the question. Behind her, the soles of his expensive leather shoes moved softly across the tile.

  “Do you, Eva? Do yo
u miss me?”

  The outright question stilled her hands in the drawer. From his tone, she knew he stood right behind her. Closing her eyes, she bit back the words that would leave her vulnerable to him.

  Yes, I miss you.

  She missed him with a level of intensity she hadn’t felt before moving into this house. On St. Simons Island, she could slowly recover from the breakup and had friends there to occupy her time so she didn’t have to spend almost every waking minute thinking about him.

  But here . . . here there was no escape from the thoughts. She tried to stay busy, but there was no way to dull the ache in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t even lie to herself any longer and pretend she felt nothing for him.

  Not when she listened for him every night, longed for him to join her for dinner, and wished he would seek out her company just once.

  Her fingers tightened around the knife. “You’re fishing for compliments.”

  The biting sarcasm she hoped would fill her voice fell flat, but she still got her message across. It was one of the few defenses she had left, because her plan to shield her heart during the period he gave her to get used to married life had failed miserably.

  She cared about him, no matter how much she didn’t want to.

  “Yeah,” he said. “And I’m fishing for them in the wrong place.”

  A tight pain pulled at her stomach, and she turned around. “What do you mean by that? Are you going to cast your net somewhere else?”

  He stopped midstride on the way out the door and turned to face her. “Why would I need to seek out other women when I have a beautiful wife at home?” he asked, his voice rife with sarcasm. With slow steps, he approached her, and her heart tripped with trepidation. “Which reminds me—I need to inform you that your time is almost up. And a word of advice . . .” His gaze swept the length of the robe, and she shivered at the hotness of his gaze.

  The clothing seemed inadequate when before it had sufficed. She almost felt as if he could see right through the silk and the nightgown under it.

  “Consider yourself lucky that I’m tired right now. In the future, I suggest you wear a potato sack or garbage bag when you walk around the house at night, because if I ever catch you in anything remotely close to what you’re wearing again, your time to get used to the marriage will come to an end.”

  With those words hanging in the air, he left.

  Chapter Eight

  Bright and early Friday morning, both Cassidy and Celeste pulled up to the house at the same time in separate cars. Rather than a simple lunch, the three had decided to go shopping together. When Eva met them downstairs in the foyer, Cassidy—petite in contrast to her tall brothers—greeted her with a big smile and hug.

  “Hi, sis!”

  Cassidy’s boisterous personality made Eva smile. She was the youngest of Derrick’s siblings. She worked four ten-hour days, so she always had Fridays off, and with Celeste a stay-at-home wife, they had the entire day to hang out.

  “Ready to go?” Celeste asked. She was model tall and more reserved, but Eva remembered she’d liked her right away when they met.

  “Yes. Too bad your daughter’s in school and couldn’t come with us. She’s so adorable.”

  “No, be thankful. She’ll talk your ear off about this, that, and the other. Believe me, it can be exhausting. Right now she wants to be an astronomer and can’t stop talking about all the constellations.”

  “An astronomer? Constellations?” Eva closed the front door and followed the other two to the waiting car. “Sounds pretty advanced for a six-year-old.”

  The driver stood at rigid attention with the door open, dressed in black from the top of his cap to his shiny shoes. As they piled into the vehicle, the other two laughed at her surprise.

  “Didn’t Derrick tell you? Roarke is an astrophysicist. Arianna’s always been interested in science. I don’t know where she gets it from, because it certainly wasn’t from me or her father. She and Roarke are as thick as thieves. He’s been good for her, nurturing her interest. It helped them bond much faster than I would have expected.”

  “Believe me, Roarke loves it, too,” Cassidy said. “No one else will listen to him drone on and on about stars, black holes, subatomic particles, and blah, blah, blah.”

  “Awww, that’s one of the things I loved about him when I first met him.” Celeste turned to Eva with love shining in her eyes. “He’s so passionate about it. I’m interested in what he does—I really am—but I have to admit, sometimes it’s so far over my head I space out.”

  “I knew it!” Cassidy said with satisfaction. She started handing them glasses from the minibar.

  “Don’t you dare tell him.”

  “I won’t, but he probably knows already. Everybody gives him a hard time.”

  Celeste continued talking to Eva. “He’s going to Europe next year to present his latest findings at a conference in Germany. I’m so proud of him.”

  “Roarke is smart,” Cassidy agreed. “If he did oncology research, we’d probably have a cure for cancer by now.” She poured champagne for herself and Celeste and sparkling cider for Eva. She held up her glass. “Okay, ladies, we’re going to shop till we drop. You got your credit card?”

  “I do,” Eva replied, patting her purse.

  Derrick had given her a credit card, and he set up a checking account for her, into which an obscene amount of money would be deposited the first business day of each month as her allowance.

  When she’d protested and told him she couldn’t fathom spending that much money every month, he’d shrugged and said if she didn’t, that was fine, but it was available for her use. He reminded her that as his wife, she would need “a new wardrobe, dresses for various social engagements, maternity clothes, clothes for the baby, and we’ll have to decorate the nursery. It’ll be gone in no time. Trust me.”

  The three women clinked their glasses together. “Where are we headed first?” Eva asked. When Celeste had called to invite her out, she had been very secretive. She and Cassidy had planned the entire day for the three of them.

  Celeste looked at Cassidy with a mischievous smile on her face. “Should we tell her now or wait?”

  “Let’s tell her now.”

  “We’re going to New York.”

  “New York?” Eva looked from one to the other. “As in New York City?”

  Cassidy nodded excitedly. “Your assistant worked with us on everything. We’ve got appointments at some of the most exclusive boutiques, and lunch and dinner plans are all set. Derrick let us use the corporate jet for the day, which means no horrible airport security lines. It’s gassed up and ready for us.”

  “And here I was thinking we’d just visit some of the shops in the Atlanta area. It must be awfully expensive.”

  Cassidy crossed her legs and reclined against the black leather seats. “It is, but Derrick doesn’t care, and neither should you. You’re married to my brother. Relax and enjoy the ride.”

  “This is typical Derrick,” Celeste added. “He does everything with style.”

  And what style it was.

  They were greeted at the private airstrip by a smiling flight attendant who escorted them up the stairs into the cabin, which divided into three compartments. A small boardroom could be enclosed behind sliding doors covered in frosted glass. The second compartment was made up of tan, extra-large leather chairs that swiveled 360 degrees and reclined all the way back to accommodate sleeping. They were grouped in fours, separated by polished wood tables. This area led into a small, open lounge that contained sofas made of cushiony soft nylon in the same color as the leather chairs. In front of each were two narrow tables with space in between them to pass through to the third compartment, the bedroom. It contained a shower and queen-size bed.

  Once they reached cruising altitude, they took off their seat belts, and the flight attendant served hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Individual itineraries, which had been waiting for them on the plane, listed each store and appointm
ent. The entire day had been planned with military precision, and the excitement generated by her sisters-in-law carried over to Eva. Because the situation between her and Derrick hadn’t improved, today’s outing boosted her morale.

  In New York, a car service took them to each of the appointments where personal shoppers laid out designer gowns and chic outfits befitting the wife of a multimillionaire. Eva had to admit she enjoyed all the fuss, and once she relaxed about how much the clothes cost, the day became less stressful.

  It boggled her mind to think she didn’t need to look at the price tag. If she wanted it, she could have it, along with all the accessories and shoes to match. By lunch, they were ready for a break and stopped at a trendy Manhattan restaurant where they counted three celebrities seated at tables around them.

  “I can’t eat another bite,” Cassidy groaned, pushing her empty dessert plate to the edge of the table.

  Celeste snorted. “Now that your plate is empty, you can’t eat another bite?”

  “Don’t judge me. That cheesecake was delicious.”

  Eva nodded her head vigorously in agreement as the last bite of her slice melted on her tongue. “Mmmm. I may have to get one to go.”

  “Me, too. And one of those chocolate cakes Celeste had. Antonio has a weakness for anything chocolate—brownies, cake, you name it. I’ll have to get one for him.”

  “Is that the way you get whatever you want out of your husband?” Eva teased. “Bake him some brownies and you’re good to go, huh?”

  Cassidy shook her head. “I can’t cook a thing. I even burn water.” Eva and Celeste giggled. “I’m serious. He doesn’t care about that, which is shocking, because his mom and sister, who’s my best friend, can get in the kitchen and whip up a yummy meal in two seconds flat. Lucky for me, I’ve found other ways to keep him happy.” She winked.

  “Don’t start,” Celeste warned.

  “Don’t start what?” Eva asked, on the verge of laughing already. Cassidy was quite a character.

  “People get uncomfortable when I talk about sex,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s natural, and I don’t talk about it with everybody—only the people I feel comfortable discussing it with.”