I stared at our game with a smile. Number five! That was so awesome.
What Bruce had said filtered into my excitement. Reality seeped in slowly as the time to officially get up approached. “I didn’t. I had a medical issue yesterday so I didn’t get as much done as I wanted to.”
“Oh. Is everything okay, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I blurted it out. “I’m pregnant. It’s still early—I haven’t hit that three-month mark, so don’t tell anybody—but I had a bit of a scare yesterday. All the stress isn’t good for me right now. I just have to figure out how to balance everything.”
Bruce was silent for a moment. When he came back on, his tone was grave. “You should talk to Hunter about this. Remember my telling you that family was more important than a life of work? That includes this job, Olivia. You need to stay healthy. Tell Hunter what you have on your plate and see if he can organize things a bit better. I assume he knows about the pregnancy…”
“Obviously, yes.”
“Keep your hat on, I was just checking. As a father, I can tell you he is probably hellbent on trying to build an empire. That’s the second thing that went through my mind when I heard Mandy was pregnant. Right after the joy was terror that I wouldn’t be able to provide for the family.”
“I doubt Hunter is worried about money…”
“I had a nice little nest egg, too. Men think about pregnancy differently then women. Women have the home-court advantage in this. To us, it’s an abstract concept. We can see the effects of it, and we know it’s ours in theory, but it isn’t totally real until we can hold it in our hands. You feel it in your body—we just have to trust you that it isn’t gas.”
I snorted laughter. “Nice.”
I heard chuckling through the phone. “What I’m saying is women get ready by nesting, and men like me prepare by setting up its future. That’s all I knew to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what is on Hunter’s mind too. Anyway, congratulations. Hunter must be over the moon. A few things make much more sense, now.”
“Like what?”
“Nothing. Tell him about all this, though. About your workload. I know he wants you to succeed, and there is no one more OCD about business matters than he is. He’ll figure something out. Hopefully that will be making you choose…”
“Don’t start that again.”
Bruce laughed. “All right. Well, when you can, take a look at that email. We’re ahead of schedule, but I bet we’ll keep moving toward number one. I’d like to be ready when the tidal wave of popularity comes.”
I snorted. “You have a problem with confidence, anyone ever tell you that?”
“Like I said, the dream team. The game is sound, thanks to me, the play is addictive, thanks to you, and our business strategy is ingenious. Watch out, Angry Birds, we’re coming for you!”
I laughed in elation. “Okay, I’ll call you squealing again if we hit number one.”
“Look forward to your call.”
I paused a minute, didn’t hear his farewell, and said, “Okay, well…”
I still didn’t hear it. I pulled the phone away and saw that he’d disconnected. “Goodbye.” Rolling my eyes, I got up to get ready for the day. I couldn’t wait to tell Hunter.
As nine o’clock rolled around, I strolled toward my desk, trying desperately not to dwell on all the work I had to do. I needed to keep the stress down. As I dropped my handbag and set up my computer, Brenda came toward me with Hunter’s cup of coffee.
“Good morning. Everything okay?” She didn’t set the cup on my desk like normal.
I gave her a relieved smile. “Yes. I’m good. Just a scare.”
“Let me take this in to him and I’ll hear all about it. You scared the life out of me!”
I waved her away as I stood. “I’m fine, really. You don’t need to treat me like an invalid.”
“I wasn’t. Hunter said I should do the coffee duty from now on.”
I stuck out my hand. “He’s being absurd.”
She didn’t offer the cup. “Maybe, but he was being incredibly stern about it. Ridiculous or not, I’m not in the habit of crossing him when he’s in one of those moods. It’s not worth the hassle.”
I shook my offered hand at her. “Give it. I’ll take the wrath, the big ninny.”
Her look was wary as she passed it over. “This better not stick me in the middle of anything. Oh, hey—speaking of being caught in the middle. Hunter’s mom sent something here addressed to you.” She pointed to the corner of a white envelope sticking out from a blank notepad. “It came in after you guys left yesterday.”
“Are you hiding it?”
“Yeah. If she sent it here it means she wanted to bypass Hunter, right?”
Curious, I set down the coffee. That was a good point.
I fished out the envelope and found an invitation to her house dated for two weeks’ time. In it was a little note:
Dear Olivia,
I apologize for the late notice, but I didn’t receive an acknowledgment from Hunter. I worried you two didn’t receive the invite sent to your residence. Hopefully this one will find its way. Hope to see you.
Best,
Trisha
“She’s addressed it to just you, did you notice that?” Brenda hovered over the desk. “She thinks Hunter deliberately didn’t tell you about the dinner. He did that with Blaire all the time, so she had to invite Blaire separately.”
I looked up at Brenda as those words sank in. “Why would she want Blaire there, firstly, and why would Hunter be trying to keep it from me? He already told her about us. She was over the moon.”
Brenda gave a tiny shrug. More of a shoulder jerk, actually. She glanced at my stomach so fast it almost didn’t register. She covered it by walking toward her desk. “He’s a queer one where family is concerned.”
Since when did Brenda lose the opportunity to speculate when drama was involved? That last comment had seemed a little dour, too. “What do you know?”
She tapped the spacebar on her computer to bring up the picture. “That’s common knowledge. He has a colorful past, what with the maid and his dad and all that. Maybe he just wants to contain the potential crazy until he’s sure.”
I shook my head, mystified. “You know, don’t you?”
“That you’re pregnant? Yep.” She clicked her mouse in a nonchalant sort of way.
“How could you possibly know? We haven’t told anyone!”
Brenda gave me a leveling look. “I have been working for that man for years, Olivia. Years. You don’t make the cut by being blind and rational. You have to learn his moods, fit pieces of a greater puzzle together—hell, you have to be a little crazy yourself. I know that man about as well as I know my husband. If he didn’t pay so well, and throw so many perks at me, I would’ve quit a million times in the beginning. Trust me. I don’t need the head-wreck.”
“You’re grumpy and insane, I get it. But how did you know?”
She shrugged, turned toward me, and sipped her coffee. “He flipped yesterday. I’ve never seen him react that way to something, and he’s often in high-pressure situations. He treats you like a precious artifact usually, but even that has limits. Yesterday he left in a state of panic, and he came back relieved but overly determined. Something big is going on, and it’s got him all riled up. I did the math.”
“First of all, he didn’t panic at all. He was the strong one. Secondly, you’re full of crap. There’s no way you pieced everything together from that and an invite. He told you, didn’t he?”
She rolled her eyes. “He can hide things well, but you? When you don’t feel good, you slump against the desk. You don’t drink coffee anymore. You get hounded by Hunter if you don’t eat—c’mon. I might not be Sherlock, but I’m no dunce. I already suspected, and his freak-out clinched it. I’m a little pissed that you barely got morning sickness, though. I threw up all day with both pregnancies. Just not fair. But then, my husband is the easygoing type. He didn’t assu
me I would break at any moment.”
“Yeah, well, he didn’t have his dad steal his love and his fake baby, either.”
“True.” Brenda’s eyebrows rose. “How’s he been? He believes it’s his, I take it.”
“Yes, but he has moments of doubt. He doesn’t harp on it, but I can see the hesitation.”
“He got screwed over. I don’t blame him.”
“What should I do about the invite, though? Why wouldn’t he want to tell his mom? Because he is sure. We know for a fact that I’m pregnant, and he’s admitted that he knows it’s his.” Hurt overcame me. “I don’t like that he’s treating this like he treated Blaire. That’s not good.”
Brenda drummed her fingers against the desk. “I know him well, but I don’t know him that well, thank God.”
“That’s not helpful.”
Brenda gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Ask him. See how that goes.”
“Do I have the power to fire you?”
“This company had better hope not. I don’t think you know how a calendar works.”
I gave her a scowl, but she’d already turned back.
In trepidation, I walked into Hunter’s office. He glanced up, looked at my face, my stomach, the coffee, and then my heels, in that order. He turned toward me and stood, coming forward to take the mug.
To his disapproving expression, I said, “Hunter, I’m pregnant, not an invalid. I feel totally fine. I’m very calm.”
He steered me toward the chair in front of his desk and sat me down. He returned to his seat with his coffee. “I don’t want you walking in heels, Olivia. There’s no point. You don’t need to make things harder on yourself.”
“I love you, but you’re being ridiculous.”
Power and authority infused his smoldering bedroom eyes. He leaned forward slightly, pinning me with his stare. “No heels.”
The soft command sizzled down my spine and tingled my core. Facing the problem I always did with him, I lost the willpower to say no. “Okay.”
His eyes softened, a result of winning the overprotective war. “How do you feel?”
I mentally checked in with my abdomen, as I’d been doing all evening yesterday and all morning. I half held my breath, terrified I’d feel another pinch, or worse, full-out cramp. All was calm, though. If I kept myself calm and balanced, everything seemed fine.
“I’m okay,” I said in the face of Hunter’s serious expression. What Brenda had said about him being wound up yesterday gave me a whole new light on the situation. He might not show it, but he was just as terrified as I was. Worse, he couldn’t check in physically like I could. He had to sit in fear, and hope nothing went wrong, with only my occasional assurances. That had to be a tough position for a control freak like him. For any loving father, actually.
Regardless of the fact that it wasn’t something I’d ever shared with a man, I completely opened up about my female stuff. “No fresh bleeding, no pain. The pad was clear. I feel okay.”
He nodded and sat back, relaxing.
If only that was the only issue.
My mind went in two directions—one was the elation from my game, and the other was doubt over the invitation and what that might mean. I decided to explore the elation first. The other issue was squeezing my insides uncomfortably. “We’re number five in the charts.”
His eyes started to twinkle. He leaned back and threaded his fingers together in his lap. “I saw that. Great work. The response has been extremely positive.”
My mind stuttered on his phrasing. Bruce had used nearly those exact words.
“Did you talk to Bruce?” I asked suspiciously. It was like him to check up on me. Not that I minded, but I liked to catch him when he thought he was using ninja stealth.
“I’ve been following along. It helps me anticipate your moods.”
My stomach rolled. I was unable to push away the worry about him hiding me from his mother. Trying for an unaffected tone, I went for a logical lead-in, and mostly failed. “Speaking of moods, I got an invitation to a dinner your mom is having. She said she didn’t hear from you…”
Hunter’s look hardened. His broad shoulders tensed and his jaw clenched. He strapped on his business mask, his way of trying to distance himself from emotion. I was not making things easy on the poor guy.
“You used to do this kind of thing with Blaire,” I said softly.
He didn’t speak for a moment. Finally he said, “This isn’t the same situation as with Blaire. Not even remotely. It’s just…” His biceps flexed. He was uncomfortable and trying not to show it. Or maybe trying not to acknowledge it.
“You don’t want to tell your mom in case it turns out that this baby isn’t really yours, is that it? You don’t want to look the fool twice…”
Pain and regret flashed through his eyes for a brief moment. “This is not a reflection on you, Olivia. I love you. I’m happier with you than I’ve ever been in my life. However, it’s hard to confront certain issues.”
Relief consumed me right before a surge of emotion welled up out of nowhere. I threaded my fingers together, trying to clamp down on the heat prickling the back of my eyes. I knew what he was going through. I understood why he wanted to close this off. I just wished my deeper desire to celebrate this new life would get in line with logic.
“Okay.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. “It’s your mom, so we’ll do whatever you want. We can keep it a secret.”
Like an avalanche, a wash of emotion ran over me. Fear, worry, the feeling of inadequacy and of being undervalued blazed. Worst of all, the fear of being abandoned while in a life-changing and precarious situation rampaged.
I was losing the plot! Holy crap, where did all this come from?
A tear leaked out. I brushed it away quickly, hating that I wasn’t staying strong for him. That I was making this worse for him. My stupid hormones were going crazy!
“I’ll just politely decline.” I cleared my throat, trying to stop the quiver in my chin. “No problem. Okay, back to work.”
“Livy—” Hunter got up and came around the desk as I was trying to make a getaway. He wrapped me into his strong arms. “I’m sorry. Truly. Like everything, I need to go at my own pace.”
“I know.” I curled up into his arms, feeling his possession of me. Giving myself into his keeping once again. “Tell that to my hormones.”
He kissed the top of my head. “We’ll give each other some room to act out of character, then.”
“You might need to give me a bit more license in that regard, but yeah.”
“I’m proud of you. For your game. I played a little—it’s really addictive. You did a great job.”
“Not really, if you only played a little…”
He backed up and lifted my chin with a finger. His lips slid along mine. “I love you.” The kiss deepened, lifting my desire. His tongue danced in my mouth, light and teasing.
Expectation surged. Arousal raged through me.
I slid my hands down his hard chest and cupped his even harder bulge. “I emailed the doctor last night. We’re okay for sex.”
“There is no way I’m going to make love to you until we are absolutely sure, Olivia.” He nibbled my bottom lip. “We’ll talk about it tonight. Worst case, we can get to third base. Or is naked petting second base? I’m not clear on the bases.”
“I haven’t worried about bases since I was a virgin.”
“So…a few months ago, right? Right before you met me?” I felt his lips turn up into a smile. “I never got that chance. I’m happy to have you be my first in that respect.”
Warmth like I had never known unfurled in my chest. A love so profound that I didn’t know how to handle it moved through me. It was like his statement had me connecting with that time in my life when everything was new and a little terrifying. When I explored, edging slowly into intimacy. He’d just opened that door for us, and the effect was just short of soul-wrenching.
A wash of tears drenched my face. Completely the
opposite emotion, but exactly the same origin, I was out of control and riding a hormonal wave of crazy.
“Hey,” Hunter said quietly, looking down at me with concern. “What happened?”
I smiled through my tears. “I’d like that. Being your first-base runner.”
A small crease formed between his eyebrows. “These are happy tears?”
“Yes. Stop trying to understand. Just go with it. I am.”
He smiled, making me blink up at his handsomeness. “I love you, Olivia. And I am trying. I’ll make all this right. I’ll be the man you need.”
“Stop.” I wiped at my face. “You’re making the waterfall worse.”
He kissed me again, full of love and longing, before backing off. “I have a lot of work to do. You’re distracting me. I’ll see you later when I can touch you.”
My face heated, and then my body. I nodded without words and went out to my desk. It wasn’t until later that I realized I was in the same boat, but for an entirely different reason. I didn’t want to tell my mom, either. I knew she’d have her hand out almost immediately. Her pursuit of rich men would become the pursuit of her daughter’s favor so she could sidle up next to Hunter and his fortune. He hadn’t shrugged off marriage in the hospital, but he hadn’t mentioned it, either. A part of me worried that if he was confronted with where I came from, he wouldn’t be as open to my taking his last name. A bigger part of me wondered if he wanted to get married at all.
Chapter Four
“We did it! Oh my God, we did it!” I stood up from my desk with my phone clutched in my hand. I looked up at Brenda as she came down the hall with two cups for the afternoon coffee run. I pointed my screen toward her. “We hit number one!”
A cockeyed smile appeared on her face. She took her cup back to her desk, not commenting, leaned over her keyboard to type a few things, then turned toward me as her mug made its way to her mouth. That was it. That was her reaction—looking at me with a smirk while drinking coffee.
Forever, Please (Please #4) Page 4
