by Lauren Smith
“Are you mad at me?” Felicity whispered. It was the one question she had to ask, even if the possible answer scared the hell out of her. She curled her fingers into his shirt, keeping him close.
Jared stared at her lips, arching one brow as he spoke. “Mad? No. Shocked? Yeah. It knocked me on my ass, but…” He licked his lips, his voice low and husky, the sweet scent of scotch teasing her nose. “I’m scared out of my goddamned mind,” he admitted, and her heart jolted in fear until he spoke again. “But I’m happy, too. So happy, princess.”
At long last, he kissed her. The slow burn of that kiss melted away the icy-cold fears that had been clawing at her for days. The hollow fluttering panic that she might be facing parenthood all alone had been crushing her. Now, at long last, she could breathe. Jared lifted her up by the waist, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. She continued to kiss him as he carried her to the bedroom. He dropped her on her back and climbed over her. When she was caught beneath him on the bed, his hips wedged between her thighs, he gazed down at her.
“A baby,” he whispered.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded.
“The nurse in Colorado emailed me a video of the heartbeat and some pictures. Do you want to see?” Hope fluttered like nervous doves inside her chest.
“You have that?” His eyes widened. “Of course I want to see.” He slid off her body and lay beside her as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled through her videos until she saw the heartbeat label and then tapped the screen, handing it to him. They both lay there, her head on his chest while he watched the screen flicker to life.
“That thing fluttering there, that is the heart beating,” she explained. The rapid pulse thumped through the speakers, and it made her own heart race. She lifted her hand, resting her chin on his pectoral muscles so she could see his face.
He was gazing in rapture at the photo screen, and she saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly when the screen went dark.
“Do we know the sex of the baby?” he asked, his voice rough with emotions.
She shook her head. “Too early to tell.”
“God, it’s beautiful,” he said.
Felicity laughed. “I thought it look like a grayscale gummy bear.”
He was silent for a second before bursting out laughing. “Congratulations, princess. You just nicknamed the baby. Gummy bear.” He chuckled to himself.
“You can’t tell me you didn’t think the same thing.”
“All I thought was that it was perfect. Just like its mother.” He set the phone down and rolled her over again, his mouth slanting over hers as he threaded a hand through her hair. She arched her back, but winced from the pain of the skiing injury. It was still a little tender.
He broke the kiss, and she was startled by the fear in his eyes. “You could have been killed tonight. You and the baby. God, Felicity, I don’t know what I would’ve done if anything had happened to you.”
“But I’m fine. We’re fine.” She touched her abdomen, and he covered her hand with his, lacing her fingers through his.
“You’re never going back to that apartment again.” His tone brooked no argument.
“Jared, that’s my place. I have a lease—”
“I’m a fucking lawyer. I can break a lease in a heartbeat,” he growled.
“And just where would I go?” she demanded.
Jared brushed his fingertips along her jaw, impossibly tender, completely at odds with the fiery expression in his eyes. “You’re moving in here tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”
“But that’s not a permanent solution,” she reminded him. “We have to talk about what we’re going to do.”
“What do you mean?” The genuine puzzlement in his face surprised her.
“About us. And the baby.”
His eyes narrowed. “You aren’t going to give it up—”
“No!” she gasped. “It’s ours. I could never give it up or…” She shook her head. “What I meant is what happens in May? I sent off my application to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and I’m waiting to see if they want to interview me.”
She knew the moment when he put two and two together. The hand that had been stroking her cheek stilled.
“You still want to go to California,” he guessed.
“And you still want to stay here,” she guessed. That awful hollow pit was back in her stomach.
“And I want you and the baby.” He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Felicity held her breath and studied the fan of dark lashes on his cheeks until he opened his eyes again.
“We can be smart about this,” he said slowly. “When will you know about the job in Los Angeles?”
“In a few months.”
Jared resumed stroking her arm. “Then let’s not worry about the future until we know that this is what we have to choose from.”
She knew what he meant. It was a real possibility she wouldn’t get the job. Museum curators’ positions were highly sought after. She would be in tough competition against other candidates who had more degrees than she did, like PhDs. And if she didn’t get the job? She guessed she could stay in Chicago, but she’d be slim on job possibilities.
He caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile. “I know how self-sufficient you are, but just know this. I can support you and the baby if you choose to stay here and can’t find work immediately.”
She tensed. The idea of not paying her own way rankled, but he was sweet to offer to support her. She was a firm believer in women standing on their own two feet, but for the sake of the baby, she would be willing to consider his help. It also meant more time with the man she loved, something she had not thought possible even with the baby. She had honestly expected him to freak out more or be upset, but he’d wholeheartedly embraced the idea of being a father.
“The important thing is that you’re here with me, and now you and the baby are safe.” Jared curled his fingers under her chin, lifting it up, and she leaned into his kiss.
I can worry about the rest of this tomorrow.
26
I’m going to be a father.
Jared stared at the stack of papers in front of him, not really focusing on his work. He’d come into the office early since he hadn’t returned last night. The whole baby-bomb-dropping had been a huge distraction. He couldn’t stop thinking about the ultrasound video he’d seen last night. The little shape that vaguely looked like a gummy bear and the fluttering heart, that rapid sound. It had changed everything. Just like the night he’d walked into his room and seen Felicity asleep in his bed.
I’m having a kid.
Sure, it was years before he’d planned to be a dad, but now he couldn’t stop smiling. The woman he loved like crazy was having a baby…with him. He couldn’t wait to tell his parents and Tanner.
“Jared.”
He glanced up from the Worthington closing documents and found his boss staring at him.
“Mr. Pimms. I was just reviewing—”
“Jared, I need to see you in my office.” Pimms’s no-nonsense tone knocked the breath out of him.
Whatever it was, he didn’t think it involved a raise or good news.
“Okay.” He pushed away from his desk and followed his boss into the corner office.
Pimms straightened his suit and sat down, as regal as a king, and then he motioned for Jared to sit in front of him.
“It’s been made clear to me that you and my daughter are no longer together. I’ll admit, I was disappointed. But your work up until now has been excellent.”
The phrase until now had been emphasized enough that Jared suspected he was about to get reprimanded for something. He wisely kept his mouth shut. Pimms pushed a few papers idly across his desk.
“We conducted background checks for the Worthingtons on all known employees at Sabine’s before we signed contracts with Sabine’s company to have them do the interior design. Last evening, after you left, a secretary who was expensing plane tic
kets to get you home from Nebraska pointed something out to me.” He lifted unamused eyes to Jared’s face. “Your girlfriend works for Sabine. That’s a clear conflict of interest that you should have immediately declared to our clients. You failed to disclose the relationship, and we’ve been working on this deal for two months. You’re playing with the lines of ethics, Redmond. It’s also affected your work. Last night when you left, we found a lease in the title report on the hotel. It’s an old lease, but we need a release of that lease or it could cloud the title and delay the closing. We could lose the Worthington business. You and I both know how important it is to keep them as a client.”
Throughout Pimms’s speech, Jared felt his throat closing with panic. It was true. He’d failed to disclose his and Felicity’s relationship to the Worthingtons. Thad had known, but his dad didn’t. They should’ve been notified and asked to sign an agreement allowing Jared to continue as their counsel while dating someone with a business connection to them. Instead, he and Felicity had been hiding in their own private world, relishing the joy of a semi-secret love affair that clearly put his job at risk.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Pimms. You’re right. I should have declared my relationship to the client. And I can fix the lease-release issue immediately.” He slipped a finger under his collar and loosened it a tiny bit. Damned if he wasn’t having trouble breathing.
“Take my advice, Jared. A woman who makes you forget about work may be fun for a while, but she isn’t the sort of girl a man marries.”
Jared kept his mouth shut. He knew full well how Pimms viewed marriage. Love wasn’t necessary and certainly wasn’t preferred if it interfered with work. It was why he and his wife had divorced years ago.
“So have your fun and move on. If it interferes with your work again, I’m not much for third chances. That means no more running off when I ask you to work late nights, on weekends, or on holidays.”
Jared bristled, his control slipping. “Mr. Pimms, I have been a loyal employee. I’ve worked here since law school, and I love my job. My personal life is not a distraction.”
Pimms fixed him with a stare. “You can’t let every passing fancy ruin your career trajectory.”
“I left last night because my girlfriend was robbed. She was hiding in the bathroom, praying to God the man burglarizing her apartment wouldn’t hurt her. We only just found out she’s pregnant. She was upset and frightened, and I couldn’t refuse going to her.” He paused when he realized his voice had deepened and his tone was much louder than it should’ve been. He lowered his volume as he continued. “I love her, and I won’t just leave her alone when her life and the baby’s are in danger. I’m not a bastard.”
He didn’t regret the outburst. But he did regret that it could very well cost him his job, the job he told Felicity last night that he’d have to support her and the baby.
Pimms, as enigmatic as the Sphinx, stared at him for long seconds before speaking again. “Every man should have a fire in his gut, Jared. I’m glad you finally found yours. Just don’t let this interfere with your performance.”
Jared rose from the chair and halted halfway to the door.
“Is the partnership offer still on the table if I seal this transaction for the hotel?” His heart beat hard as he waited for Pimms to answer.
“Yes. I made a promise. But I want that release by tonight, Jared. I mean it.” The implied “or else” made Jared’s stomach turn.
Fuck. He could lose everything he’d spent seven years working toward. He could lose his job.
Jared nodded and left Pimms’s office. When he was back at his own desk, he called Felicity.
“Hello?” Her sweet voice made him ache to just leave and go home to her, but he was stuck here, fighting through paperwork for the rest of the night.
“It’s me. I’ve got to work late tonight.”
“But what about the doctor’s appointment? It’s at four o’clock.” He didn’t miss the worry in her voice. She’d told him last night she didn’t want to go to the appointment alone, and he’d promised her.
Hell. He’d forgotten all about the appointment. There was no way he could go, not after Pimms put his job on the line.
“I can’t go. I got raked over the coals by my boss for not telling the Worthingtons that I’m seeing you. It’s a potential conflict of interest.” He pressed the heel of one palm into his forehead as he leaned over his desk.
“You got in trouble for dating me?”
She had no idea how thin a line he’d crossed by dating her. Most people thought lawyers were grade-A assholes. No one knew that lawyers policed themselves pretty harshly on ethics, and dating someone on the other side of a transaction was a huge liability if he didn’t get his clients to consent to it in writing.
“I can’t even afford to talk right now. If I don’t get a problem with the title on the hotel cleared up, I’m done. Consider my ass fired.” Frustrated, he slammed his hand on his desk.
“Jared?” Her voice was heavy was concern, but he wasn’t in the mood to explain in detail how he was fucking everything up. It wasn’t exactly the sexiest of things to own up to in front of the woman he loved.
“Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up without waiting to hear her reply.
There was a lot he had to do in the next four hours or else he’d be in deep shit. He dug through the folder of the first title report, hunting down the troublesome lease. The paper was tucked in between two other documents. The date of the lease was old: 1938. Jesus, that was ancient. Why the hell did Pimms think it still mattered? The hotel had been closed since 1983. He scanned the document.
The hotel had apparently leased out the first floor to an Italian bistro, and the lease had an auto-renewal clause. That was why they needed a release. Even old, it could cloud the title and destroy the closing, just like Pimms had said.
“Fucking hell,” Jared muttered. How was he supposed to find someone to sign off on a release for a restaurant that probably went out of business in the 1940s?
He spent the next three hours scanning every major website containing public land records, but he couldn’t find a trace of the bistro’s owner. His nerves were frayed, and he felt sick. Pimms had made it pretty clear he was toast if he couldn’t get a release signed tonight. He rubbed his face in his hands.
I have to think of something. Felicity and the baby needed him. I have to get my shit together and figure this out.
“You okay, Jared?”
He glanced up and saw Shana leaning in his doorway. They’d been friends a very long time, and he’d never had a problem sharing his concerns about things before, but now he hesitated over what to say.
“Seriously, are you all right? You look like hell,” she said.
“I’ve got to find someone to sign a release for a bistro that used to be in the first floor of the hotel we’re working on for the Worthingtons.”
“Okay, well, we can make some calls tomorrow.” Shana stepped further into his office, placing her hands on the back of one of his client chairs opposite his desk.
Jared closed his eyes and rubbed them with his thumb and forefinger.
“This is serious, Shana. Your dad gave me an ultimatum. He’s pissed that I’m dating someone else. He thinks it’s affecting my work because I had to leave early yesterday.”
“I remember. What happened?” She came around the chair and sat down.
“Felicity walked in on a man robbing her apartment. She needed me to come over. She’s pretty shaken up. Because she got a look at the man, the police advised her to stay somewhere else.”
“Okay, I understand that,” Shana said. “But you didn’t come back?”
“I could have come back after I took her home, but she sort of dropped a bombshell on me—she’s pregnant. I was so unprepared. We’ve been careful. And I really am letting it affect my job. If I don’t fix this lease release, I’m out.”
Shana waved a hand. “That’s wonderful news about the baby, Jare
d. I’m happy for you.” Her eyes were shining, but he saw that her sadness was not out of jealousy, but a desire for her own family. “You need to ignore my dad. He’s being an idiot. Finding out that someone you love was in danger and then adding a baby to that? I’d be a mess too. Let me help with the lease. What info do you have?”
He handed the lease to her, knowing that her intentions were good, but she wouldn’t have any new strategies that he hadn’t thought of before.
Shana furrowed her brow and then tapped the paper as she set it down his desk.
“It looks like the bistro is a family-owned restaurant, so any heirs could sign, right?”
“Possibly.”
“Then you need to find an Italian family in Chicago, right?” She raised her brows, and then it hit him, the solution she was hinting at.
“Angelo,” he breathed.
“Angelo,” Shana echoed with a chuckle. “If this family is still around, he will know how to find them.” Angelo was a font of information about the other restaurants in Chicago, especially the Italian ones. He’d know what had happened to the bistro owners, or he’d know someone who would know.
Jared leaped out of his chair, the release papers in his hand as he came around the desk and impulsively hugged Shana.
“You saved my ass,” he called out before sprinting down the hall to the elevators.
For the first time in a long time today, he felt he could breathe.
Everything was going to be okay.
