by Mia Carson
She shook her head, her eyes closing as she settled back against the pillows. “No… no, I don’t want you to catch this either.”
He rested his hand against her forehead and the back of her neck. “You don’t feel feverish. Maybe it’s just food poisoning.”
“Whatever it is, it sucks,” she muttered, pulling the quilts up higher.
He tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and leaned back, wishing he could do something to make her feel better. “Just get some rest. If you still feel crappy later, I'll take you to the clinic.”
“Sounds good,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
Within minutes, she was out. Greyson sat on the bedside, watching her. Her breathing was steady, and she wasn’t flushed. After a while, making sure she remained asleep, he left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He hoped it was just a bug and not the flu Tim had. He had been sick for three weeks. It had nearly set them back a whole month of work, but the man had eventually gotten well enough to return. It helped that Belle managed to pick up his slack, too, and kept them as on track as she could so when he did get back to work, he could jump right in.
“She sleeping?” Sally asked, patting the space beside her on the couch.
“Yeah. She’s upset she’s missing her graduation. I hate that she can’t be there,” he said and sat down heavily, his head resting on the back of the couch and a hand covering his eyes. “House is quiet—where are the twins?”
“They went to meet Carrie to let her know about Belle, but you’ll have to tell her later not to worry about missing her graduation.”
Greyson glanced with one narrowed eye. “What are they up to?”
“You’ll see in a week at our family dinner.” Sally patted his leg and grinned wider. “Is this the first time she’s been sick?”
“Yeah, just this morning,” he said slowly, glancing at her. “Why are you smiling? She’s sick. Probably has that damn bug floating around the office the last few months.”
“Bug… really?”
Greyson straightened and shook his head. “What are you getting at?”
“I’m assuming you two are sleeping together?”
“Mom! God, I’m not having this conversation with you,” he muttered and stood, walking into the kitchen to clean up breakfast. He hoped Sally wouldn’t follow, but she did, sitting at the island and smiling widely. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but whatever it is, just stop.”
“She’s sick, and it’s morning,” Sally mused quietly. “How long have you two been having sex?”
Greyson dropped the skillet in the sink with a crash, clenching the sides of it tightly. “I’m not doing this. We’re not going there.”
“I’m just saying she’s had a glow about her the last few times I’ve seen her. Not to mention being sick,” Sally said. He could hear the excitement in her voice. “You might want to look at this bug as something other than a bug.”
He stared at the skillet, his heart pounding as his pulse thundered in his ears. “Are you… are you suggesting what I think you are?”
“Just throwing it out there,” she shrugged happily. “Let me know how she is later.”
“Where are you going?” he asked, watching her snatch up her purse and head for the door. “You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and vanish!”
“I have a dinner and now a graduation to plan,” she said and blew him a kiss. “See you both soon!”
“Mom!”
He followed her, but the door closed, and by the time he opened it again, she was at her car, climbed in, and drove away. He held the door open for a long time, staring at the few cars driving up and down his street as his mom’s words played over in his mind. Belle lay in his bed, and his mom didn’t think she was just sick. She thought it was morning sickness.
“Pregnant,” he muttered. “She could be pregnant.”
His feet carried him through the house back to his bedroom, and he pushed the door open quietly. Belle was still sound asleep, tucked warmly in his bed. His eyes trailed from her peaceful face to her belly, hidden by the quilts. Could she really be pregnant? He tried to remember when her last period was but couldn’t. He knew she was on the pill and they had agreed that was enough, but maybe not.
He half smiled as both joy and insane worry at what the future would hold ripped through his body. His hands shaking, he backed slowly out of the room and closed the door on his sleeping beauty, wondering how he would keep this little bit of information to himself. Now that they didn’t have to go to her graduation, he had the whole day to spend worrying about Belle carrying his child. He walked to his office and turned around in his chair a few times before dragging himself closer to his desk to get a few things done before Monday.
A few e-mails in, his cell rang and he answered. “Hello?”
“Greyson, I was hoping I’d catch you,” Aiden said cheerfully.
Greyson leaned back in his chair. “Why? What makes you sound so thrilled? I thought after our last conversation, you wouldn’t call me again.”
“A girl can hope, can’t she?”
“After the shit you pulled, I thought I made it clear you call me only with business,” he snapped. “So if you don’t have business with me about finding Belle’s family, I’m hanging up.”
“Wait, wait,” she said quickly. “I found a few more leads. I'm checking them out over the next week and wanted to give you a head’s up.”
“Where?” he asked stiffly, pen in hand.
“California. Not sure what I’ll find, but I should be back by next Friday.”
Greyson made a note and tucked it under his keyboard. “Fine, don’t call me until then, and if any of your friends try to contact me again—if they show up, or do anything to harass my fiancée—you’ll regret it, Aiden. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“Fiancée? When did that happen?”
“After you tried to break us apart,” he snapped and hung up before she could reply.
He rubbed his forehead, wishing the blooming pain would fade, when he heard clinking in the kitchen. He glanced at the clock on his desk. Belle had slept for about two hours. He hurried to get to the kitchen to make sure she was alright. Halfway to the door, he froze, remembering that his fiancée might be pregnant and that he might know before she did.
Mom’s just being over-anxious, he told himself. Belle is sick with a bug and not pregnant.
After a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. “Belle?”
Her head popped out from behind the fridge door and she grinned, leftover bacon from breakfast hanging out of her mouth as she laughed. “Mind if I eat this? I woke up starving.”
“No, eat, please,” he said.
She tucked the rest of the bacon into her mouth, closed the fridge door, and he laughed when he saw the rest of the pancakes he’d wrapped up in her other hand.
“Want me to heat it up for you?”
“Nah, I can handle this,” she said and set everything down. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Your brow is severely furrowed. Is it your mom talking about that family dinner again or your dad?”
Greyson leaned his hip against the counter, tugging at his beard. “What does my brow have to do with my family?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head, watching closely as she stood on her toes to set the plate in the microwave. He wanted to reach through the robe and feel her stomach, even though he knew from last night it was still flat with a tiny little extra towards her hips. That hadn’t changed since they’d been together, and he knew, logically, he wouldn’t be able to tell if she were pregnant or not by feeling her belly.
“No, not kidding,” he replied finally.
“Any time your dad or family is brought up, you get a little… off kilter, and your angry bear face comes out,” she said and leaned into his chest.
“No, I was worried about you missin
g your graduation.”
She shrugged. “Shit happens, right? I graduated, and that’s what matters.”
“You sure you’re not upset at all?”
“Nope. I have you and whatever the future holds for us next,” she said, a fire in her eyes as she kissed him. “But I do think we need to tell your family about our engagement soon. I don’t know how much longer I can lie to your mom.”
“I’m sure we’ll have lots of good news to give her soon enough,” he said and held her close, imagining a full, pregnant belly squished between them.
The microwave beeped, but he didn’t let go. Belle held him tighter, too, laughing when the beeping didn’t stop. “Grey… food? Starving here,” she laughed, glancing up at him.
He smiled and kissed her again, capturing her lips. The moment her lips parted, she moaned and he shoved her robe apart, revealing her curvy, naked body beneath it. His hands roaming over her body, he lifted her and set her on the counter, nuzzling her neck.
“I guess food can wait a while,” she whispered, and Greyson grunted an agreement.
Chapter 3
Belle’s stomach rumbled with hunger, but she ignored it as she glanced over the proposal draft she needed to finish by the end of the day. A few nights ago, she sat down with Greyson and the legal team to officially sign the co-CEO papers. Greyson wanted her to have her own office, as he did, so several contractors were busy expanding the walls of his office so they could incorporate her work area—not that she minded being out in the open. After the last few days, she actually wondered if she could handle being enclosed in an office with her fiancé.
The second she signed her name on the dotted line, he let her take total control of the business side of his company, which meant she was constantly tracking him down to get papers signed and figure out his plans for this contract or that client. Most days, he drove her crazy, his laugh booming across the office as he worked closer with Tim and the other designers. She thought she knew what she was getting into, but he tried her patience—what little she had to begin with.
Of course, it didn’t help no one in the office knew about the engagement yet either, and when she asked about when they could make the announcement, he shrugged and kissed her, saying they would know when the time was right to tell.
That meant absolutely nothing to her, and she didn’t want to listen to the nagging voice in her mind telling her he wasn’t ready to be engaged yet. Maybe he’d asked too soon and only did it to keep her with him. Absently, her finger rubbed over her left ring finger, picturing the beautiful sapphires and diamonds. She only wore it when they were safely at his house and out of sight, and keeping the secret to herself for this long ate at her. But dealing with the secret engagement wasn’t even the worst of it.
When she’d been sick, he’d taken care of her the whole day, even though she’d insisted she was fine. Every day after that, he babied her, and it grated on her nerves. He treated her like a fragile doll, not letting her carry anything or work too late. He even made sure she ate at least three meals a day.
Thoughtfully, she considered the fact that she’d had lunch only an hour ago, but her stomach grumbled for more food. She rested her hand over her stomach, nibbling her lip in aggravation when he walked past her desk, his head down as he looked at the tablet in his hand.
“Greyson,” she called, and he looked up quickly, rushing to stand by her desk.
“What’s wrong? Feeling sick again?” he asked worriedly.
She had felt sick earlier that morning, but it passed after an hour and now she was just starving. “No, I’m fine, and why are you doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Freaking out every time I have a question about something,” she said, eyeing him closely. She shoved her hair out of her face, annoyed. It had grown in the past two weeks and filled out so much she hated wearing it down now. “Listen, I just need to know if this is really what you want to say,” she told him, pulling her hair angrily back in a ponytail.
He leaned over and read the draft on her desk, his lips moving over the words as he did so, and Belle licked hers, wishing they were not at the office. She shifted closer, leaning her shoulder against his hip, and his eyes flickered to her.
“Belle,” he whispered when her hand snaked around and pressed against his thigh.
“What?” she asked innocently. “You’ve been so gentle with me lately, I just want to make sure my bear is still in there somewhere.”
He smirked and bent lower until their faces were level. The next second, his lips slanted hotly over hers as her chair creaked, leaning it back and kissing her fiercely. Whistles echoed around them and she heard Tim give a howl, but she didn’t care. She and Greyson were in their own little world every time he touched her or kissed her, but then it ended and he sat her back upright.
“Yeah, this is right,” he told her, pointing to the draft, grinning madly.
She fanned herself and nodded. “Right, good. That’s good.” Her stomach growled loudly, and they both glanced down. She noticed the excited glint in his eyes before he blinked and it vanished.
“You hungry? I can have something brought up for you,” he offered, looking as if he wanted to say more.
“Nah, I’m fine,” she said, but her stomach rumbled again and he crossed his arms stiffly over his chest. “What? I don’t want to pack on a lot of weight. It’s spring, which means summer is coming along with bikini weather. You want to see me in a bikini?”
“That’s not even a question, but I don’t want you starving. This new position of yours might be a little stressful. What are you in the mood for?”
She was going to say anything, but the idea of having a bowl of chicken fried rice tickled her taste buds. “Chinese would be great.”
“Your usual?” he asked, backing towards his office.
“Yeah—no wait. Crab Rangoon, too, and egg rolls… Oh, and maybe a few of those dumpling thingies.”
Greyson smirked. “Dumpling thingies?”
“You know, the fried ones with pork and you dip them in that sauce?”
“Pot-stickers?” he asked.
“Yes, those! If it’s not too much trouble,” she added, worried she asked for too much. What would he think of her eating so much food by herself? “You should get some for yourself, too.”
“I’m not hungry, so don’t worry, it’s all yours.” He ducked into his office, and she heard him on the phone a minute later.
Belle continued typing, her rumbling stomach annoying her, and she lost focus when she thought about the past few days. Greyson’s sudden change in behavior confused her. Today was the first time he’d kissed her in the office in full view of his employees, yet she couldn’t tell anyone they were engaged. Even at home, he tended to keep his distance from her, though he was overly attentive as he did it. She worried he pushed her away, just as he had with his sisters and mom, but when she asked him if something was wrong, he blew it off and kissed her sweetly.
She continued to work, and after half an hour, the elevator doors dinged open and a delivery man brought over a tray of Chinese. She waved him over and pulled out her wallet to pay, but Greyson was suddenly there to take care of it.
“Take another lunch break. Go eat,” he insisted.
“I have to get this work finished since you keep making me leave on time,” she argued, readjusting herself in her chair. “Why is that, by the way? I am a CEO with you now, so I don’t mind putting in the hours.”
His gaze darted lower then back up. “Do what you want, but we’re leaving on time,” he told her, kissed the top of her head, and strolled across the floor. She wanted to follow him and get him to tell her what was with the back-and-forth behavior, but the aromatic lure of the food before her was too much.
Kelly wandered over with a few folders under her arm and stopped by her desk. “That’s what smells good,” she commented as she sniffed.
“Help yourself. Greyson ordered more than enough for little old me,” B
elle said.
“I might take an egg roll,” she said and took the small bag Belle offered to her. “So, settling into your new position nicely?”
“Think so,” she said. “I mean, I’d like to get my hands dirty with the design work, but until I know everything else is on track with the paperwork and contracts, I’ll have to wait.”
“Well, everyone is excited for you both—to be working together and all,” Kelly told her.
“Good, that’s good. I was a little worried,” she said and stared at her left hand with her naked finger. She rubbed her thumb over it as if spinning the ring she knew was supposed to be there, and Kelly choked on her egg roll, leaning closer.
“Are you two engaged?” she hissed in a whisper.
Belle glanced around for Greyson, but he was across the room talking to Tim. “I’m not supposed to say, and how the hell did you know?”
She nodded towards her rubbing her finger. “Not hard to notice. Where’s the ring?”
“Greyson won’t let me tell anyone,” she said and dragged Kelly into Greyson’s office, shutting the door. “I think he’s trying to push me away. He wants me, but he keeps treating me like a fragile little doll. He proposed, but we can’t tell anyone about it, and I can tell he’s hiding something—again—but he won’t tell me. After our last fight, I don’t want to push him too hard, but he’s driving me crazy!”
“What was the last fight about?” Kelly asked.
Belle sighed, running her hands over her hair. “He was trying to find my family—my real family.”
“That’s nice of him, wow,” Kelly said with a grin. “Did he find them yet?”
“No, and I wanted him to stop searching for them, too, until I’m ready, but I think he’s still doing it. But there’s more to it than that.”
“Just ask him and be done with it,” Kelly said with a shrug. “What’s the worst that could happen? You two are fire and water half the time anyway. Actually, I’ve been worried about you the past few days. You’ve been getting along so well I wondered what happened.”
