Jeff’s arms closed around her, rolling so that she was lying on top of him. Her eyes drifted shut in contentment. It felt right to be in his arms. It felt perfect to be in his bed. It felt like she was home.
Chapter 17
Jeffrey woke in the morning to the sound of Greta being sick in the bathroom. He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, wincing as his legs cramped in response to his abrupt movement. He grit his teeth, determined to get to the bathroom to help Greta.
He limped over to the door and knocked before turning the handle, surprised that it opened. Knowing she probably wanted her privacy, he spoke through the opening. ‘Angel, can I help?’
Her answer was the sound of her retching again. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he opened the door and walked in. He reached out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. Jeff planned to get a washcloth and dampen it, but the sound of the toilet flushing had him changing direction.
He squatted down next to her, gently prying her hands away from the porcelain. ‘Angel, what can I do?’
She held up her hand and bent over the toilet again. Her retching pierced him to his heart. He wished he could take the sickness away. Knowing it was a normal part of pregnancy didn’t make it any easier to witness the woman he cared about suffer.
He stood up and retrieved a washcloth, as he’d originally planned to do. Running it under warm water, he heard Greta flushing the toilet again.
Jeff went over to where she sat on the closed toilet. He laid the warm cloth on her neck, having no idea if she’d prefer a cool cloth instead. But she was butt naked and he could see the shivers racking her body. He picked her up and traded positions so he was sitting on the toilet. He hugged her close, hoping his warmth would stop her shivers. If anything, they intensified.
‘Greta,’ he brushed his lips against her forehead. ‘Can I take you back to bed? You need to get warm.’
‘I think so.’
‘Let’s try.’ He stood and walked slowly to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and tucked the covers around her. She curled up on her side and closed her eyes, her hand resting lightly on her stomach. ‘I’ll be right back. I’ll just get you some water.’
She nodded weakly, breathing through her nose and blowing out through her mouth.
Jeff stood for a few seconds, debating whether he needed to carry her back to the bathroom. Slowly her breathing became less erratic and more controlled. Confident he could leave her for a few moments, he went to the kitchen and pulled a glass down, filling it with some bottled water. He opened his pantry to see if he had some crackers or something he could give her. It looked pretty bare.
Once he was sure Greta was okay, he’d run into town and pick up some essentials. For the first time since he’d moved into his house, he wished he lived closer to town. He didn’t want to leave her alone right now, to make the ninety-minute drive round trip.
He made his way back to the bedroom with the water. Greta was lying where he’d left her. Placing the glass on the side table, he sat down on the bed.
‘Angel,’ he stroked a hand down her hair. ‘I’ve got your water.’
She rolled over. Relief flooded him when he saw her cheeks weren’t as pale as when he’d left her. The green tinge around her mouth had disappeared.
Greta slowly raised her shoulders off the mattress. Jeff put his arm underneath her and helped her into a better sitting position. Keeping a tight hold on her, he picked up the glass with his free hand, holding it out for her.
She took a couple of sips before she pushed it back toward him. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry you had to see that. I haven’t suffered a lot from morning sickness, but when I have it’s been brutal.’
Jeff returned the glass on the table, close to the edge so Greta could get it if she needed it. ‘You don’t have to apologise to me. I’m sorry that I’m partly responsible for causing you to be sick. Have you told your dad about the baby?’
The colour leached out of her face again and he poised himself to get her to the bathroom again. ‘No, I haven’t. No one knows and I don’t want anyone to know.’
The vehemence in her voice was in stark contrast to her pale features.
‘Why?’
‘You’ve met my father.’ Greta laughed harshly and moved a little further away from where he sat. He stood and moved to the other side of the bed. He wanted to be holding her when they had this conversation.
Jeffrey slipped in beside her and rested his back against the headrest. He pulled Greta into his arms.
‘Why wouldn’t he be happy to be a grandfather? I know he has issues with you working in the office, but I know even the most hardened businessmen melt at the idea of being a father or grandfather.’
‘If I tell Dad I’m pregnant, then I’ve fulfilled his expectations of why women can never hold important executive positions. How many times he drummed into me, “Eventually women will always put family before business”. He’ll have so much pleasure in telling me I told you so.’ She looked up him, desperation shining in her eyes. ‘Promise me you won’t say anything to him, Jeff. This is one promise I need you to keep. Tell me that you can.’
If he’d wanted another reason to dislike her father, she’d just handed him the perfect reason. Jeffrey hated to see the confidence that normally shined brightly in Greta dull at the mention of her father. He knew he would respect her wishes. Though he wanted to see her father and knock some sense into him.
‘I won’t say anything to him. But Angel, eventually you’re going to start showing. What are you going to do then? The unveiling of the collection is happening in just over two months. You told me you were close to eight weeks. By that time you’re going to be at almost sixteen weeks. It’s going to be impossible to keep it a secret.’
‘By then the campaign will have been completed. All the print, online and television spots booked. My vision for your collection will be out in the world. Dad won’t be able to argue that me being pregnant took my focus away from doing the best job possible.’
Jeff couldn’t disagree with her argument. Her points were valid. However, part of him was concerned it could all come crashing down around her.
‘And what about us?’ Jeffrey asked quietly. ‘Are you going to tell your father about our involvement.
‘I think it would be best to not to say anything until after the unveiling. Besides,’ she twisted the sheet around her finger. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what she was going to say next. ‘I’ve already told him there’s nothing going on between us. If I say something now, he’s going to believe it wasn’t because you and Luciano liked my presentation, but because I was sleeping with you that the firm was awarded the account.’
‘Why would he think there was something happening between us?’
‘It doesn’t matter. Can we stop talking about this now?’
Just like he’d done the previous evening, when they had been discussing the name change of the collection, Greta shut down a conversation when things became too uncomfortable. He couldn’t very well argue with her and demand they continue until they’d come up with a suitable resolution.
‘Fine.’ He looked over at the clock. ‘We’ve got an hour and a half until we have to meet the people at Fierro’s to discuss the outdoor shoots you talked about in your presentation. I assume that you still want to proceed with that plan, even though the new layouts that were sent to Luc were the complete opposite?’
Greta sighed wanting nothing more than to pull the covers over her head and forget all about being pregnant, her father, the campaign and Jeff. Everything was becoming more and more complicated with every passing day.
She wished she could go back in time and had come up to Broome to do her research for the campaign the week Graham had come up. Then she never would’ve met Jeff and her life would’ve been unchanged.
And you would’ve been lonely. Admit it, you like lying here with him. Your career doesn’t seem so important now, does it?
She slammed the door on the thoughts. Her career was everything and now, with a baby on the way, her priorities were going to have to change and she didn’t want that. Didn’t want that at all.
‘Angel, are you okay? Can you make this meeting or do you want me to change the time, make it later?’
Greta realised she hadn’t answered Jeff. ‘I’m fine. Yes, I can make the meeting.’
To prove the point she tossed back the covers and slid her legs over the side of the bed. She sat up and waited to see what her stomach was going to do. It somersaulted a couple of times before it settled down. She could do this. She had to. She had no other choice.
‘See,’ she said triumphantly, looking over her shoulder at Jeff. ‘I’ll go take a shower in my room and then I’ll meet you back in the kitchen in half an hour.’
Greta moved around the room, picking up her discarded panties and dress. Slipping the dress over her head, she paused momentarily at the sight of the shoes on the ground. Jeff had taken the cuff off after they’d made love the first time.
‘You can take them if you want. They’re yours, after all.’
She looked at the shoes one last time and the man still lounging sexily on the bed. He’d been nothing but wonderful to her that morning. Looking after her when she’d been sick and she hadn’t thanked him at all. ‘No, they’re yours now.’
Greta walked back to the bed and to Jeff. His brown eyes dark and mysterious, hiding his thoughts from her. She wanted them open. Open so she could read their depths and see into his soul. ‘I don’t think I thanked you for looking after me this morning.’ She leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips. ‘Thank you, Jeff. You don’t know how special it made me feel. Even when I was hurling like a demon.’
He laughed and touched her cheek briefly. ‘I’m glad I was here. I don’t like thinking of you going through that alone.’
She shrugged. ‘I think there will be plenty that I’ll be going through alone.’
Jeff looked like he wanted to argue the point so she stepped away from the bed. ‘No, Jeff. No more talking. Let’s get these meetings out of the way.
She needed to get her focus on her work. Work was going to be her salvation when things ended between her and Jeff. And they would end, regardless of the fact they were about to have a child together. She’d come to learn not to rely on the opposite sex following through on what they say they’re going to do. Empty promises. That’s all her experience had been.
Do well at school, Greta and you’ll get that new doll you want.
She did what he asked. Got straight A’s on her report cards. Not once did she get the doll she had been promised. She stopped asking after a while.
No, Jeff may promise that they’ll work through this pregnancy together. He may promise that he’d be there for her. He may promise that he’d keep the pregnancy quiet. Who’s to say that in a couple of weeks he’ll change his mind and tell her father? She knew he hadn’t liked the idea of keeping it just between them.
But one thing she did know. You can’t change your history, and in her history the men in her life always let her down. It would only be a matter of time before Jeff did.
‘So do you want to tell me what is happening with the campaign?’ Jeff asked. They’d been in the car for about fifteen minutes. The silence hadn’t been uncomfortable but she was wondering who was going to break it first. However, the question Jeff asked wasn’t one she really wanted to answer.
‘Well, my plan is to speak to the owners of Fierro’s to see if they’ll grant access so we can get some underwater footage of the pearl farm. My vision is to show the wonder of how a pearl is formed. How it goes from this spec of dirt into a gemstone that is rare and unique. From there the stone is crafted to become one of the centrepieces of your jewellery.’
‘That’s not what those layouts showed. The ones that turned up on Luc’s desk showed a completely different concept. If I didn’t know any better I’d almost think Graham had a hand in preparing those layouts.’ He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘They were very similar to what he showed us. Not that we saw all of them, mind you. What do you know about it, Angel?’
Greta tried not to squirm in her seat. She knew she’d have to face the consequences of what her father and Graham had done. Would Jeff believe her if she told him there had been a mix-up?
She twirled a piece of hair around her finger. A nervous gesture she hadn’t done in a very long time. She quickly let the strand go. ‘There was a mix-up with a new intern. She got confused and sent the wrong layouts to Luciano. I’m really sorry that happened.’
He laughed and she grimaced at the sound. ‘This is me you’re talking to. Not Luc. You don’t have to lie.’
‘How do you know I’m not telling the truth?’
‘Because you’re fidgeting and you never fidget when you’re with me. I’ve seen you angry, happy, in the throes of passion and now I’ve seen you lie. You’re an easy read. Well, for me anyway.’
Greta wasn’t happy knowing she was such an easy read for Jeff. She wished she could read him so easily. He had his sunglasses on again and boy, did they make him look sexy. His shirt was open at the neck and a hint of his chest was showing. A chest she’d kissed all over last night. A chest she wanted to kiss all over again.
What would he do if she ran her hand up his thigh? Traced the outline of his impressive cock. Her hand inched toward him.
‘Don’t even think about it, Angel. You’re playing with fire.’
‘I think I told you once before, I like playing with fire. I like being burned.’
A hand closed over her bare knee; the skirt of her dress had ridden up when she’d got into the car. His fingers tiptoed up and under the hemline. Her breath whooshed out of her and her hand clamped over his, halting its upward movement.
‘Point taken.’
He laughed again. Something she noticed he seemed to be doing more with her. She had a feeling he didn’t laugh often, or with many.
‘So now that we’re back on track, Angel, how about you tell me the truth? I know there wasn’t a mix-up.’
‘Can’t we just leave it, Jeff? I’m here now and I’ll get everything squared away on this trip. From now on there will be nothing for you and Luciano to worry about. You’ll be here with me. You will see I can get access to the mining areas and locations we need to bring to life the ideas I presented to you.’
‘I want to believe that, I really do. But you need to be straight-up and open with me.’
Greta sighed, knowing that unless she came clean with Jeff he wasn’t going to let the situation go. He was going to keep going on and on about it.
‘Fine.’ What she said next was either going to kill the account or Jeff will be fine with it. ‘Dad changed out the layouts. He isn’t comfortable with some aspects of what I want to do and how I want to reveal your collection. I’m sorry, Jeff. It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure of it.’
His sharp nod told her nothing. Was he happy she’d told the truth? Was he angry about what her dad had done? Was he angry that she hadn’t told him straightaway? It was what she should’ve done. She should’ve just told Luc the moment she’d found out what her father had done.
Silence fell over the car again, and after a few minutes she couldn’t stand it. ‘Well, aren’t you going to say something? You were all keen to find out what happened. When I tell you, you don’t say anything.’
‘It was what we thought had happened.’
‘What do you mean what we thought? Who?’
‘Luc, Nick and I. When we left your office, after we told you you’d won the campaign. When we got back to the office, Luc, Nick and I discussed the possibility your father may ignore Luc’s threat. We’d seen the way he treated you. Immediately assuming Graham had won the account over his own daughter.’
Greta stomach clenched, like she’d been punched in the stomach. They’d suspected her father would do something like he’d done? ‘I’m not sure I quite understand what you
’re saying.’
‘Simple, Angel. The layouts that turned up on Luc’s desk weren’t too much of a surprise to him.’
‘But if that’s the case, then why didn’t Luciano pull the account like he said he would? He doesn’t strike me as a man who would make empty threats. More to the point, he looks like a man who would take action at the first hint of trouble. Those layouts were trouble.’
‘Luc’s not unreasonable and I convinced him that it was going to happen and to give you a chance. We both believe in and love your campaign. I know you can deliver on your promises, which is why you’re here.’
Greta didn’t easily get confused, but she was totally lost. ‘I’m still not sure I understand.’
‘It’s quite simple. You’re here to finish the campaign. To make all the arrangements for the photo shoots. Everything you would do in your office, you’re doing here. Away from your father and his interfering ways. And you’re right. Luc doesn’t make empty threats. In fact, he’s meeting with your dad today to let him know that his interference won’t be tolerated.’
Greta didn’t want to be in that meeting. But she knew she was going to be hearing about it. Her phone would be ringing nonstop later on. Her father would, no doubt, blame her for Luciano turning up in his office. Regardless of the fact that Luc and Jeff had worked out her father and Graham were at the bottom of the changes to the campaign. In his mind it would still be her fault.
‘So what happens now?’
‘Now we meet with Fierro’s and work out a time for your film crew to come in. Then we have some lunch.’
This time it was her turn to laugh. ‘You think we’re going to have lunch today?’
He winked. ‘I know we will, Angel. I can guarantee it.’
Chapter 18
Jeffrey sat back and watched as Greta infused her excitement over the collection with the marketing manager at Fierro’s. He also noticed she referred to the collection as ‘The Angel Collection’. He wondered if she realised what she was doing.
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