Baby By Accident(19)
She missed how he’d been before.
She missed the tease, the laugh, the sparkle in his eye.
How awful was that? How despicable that she wanted the despised, wicked playboy back? She’d lectured herself for weeks, raged at herself. Still, the pain continued.
“He glares at me. Me. As if I did something wrong!”
Her friends turned to look at each other in amazement. Okay. She wasn’t the type of girl to rant and rave. Even with her friends, she behaved herself as a lady should. This wasn’t her normal. This wasn’t supposed to happen to her. Didn’t her friends realize she needed to let off some steam?
“He's rude and cutting, instead of smiling like he used to. I bet he expects me to quit now that he's got his way with my company.”
Suz waved a weak hand around in front of her as if trying to gather some air into her frozen lungs.
“Well, I won’t.” Lise slammed her arms together on her chest. “He can't make me, no matter what he does.”
Her bosom buddies' mouths were now opening and closing. Like goldfish. Except still no sound came out.
She glared at both of them. “Say something.”
Tracy shook off her stunned silence and looked at the other woman. “Can you believe it?”
“No. I can't.”
“But this must be true,” Tracy kept going. “Our girlfriend doesn't lie.”
“No, she doesn't.” Suz glanced back at Lise, her gaze fascinated. “And there is the pregnancy test. Our girl landed the best looking man—”
“Ruddy hell.” She instantly regretted telling them her secret and then asking them to comment. Instead of agreeing with her, they were dazzled by him. Like every other woman in England. “Never mind—”
“Our girlfriend,” Tracy cut right through her objections, “bedded the most gorgeous man in London.”
“Um.” Her other friend cocked her head to the side, a slight frown on her brow. “I'm thinking he's the most gorgeous man on the planet.”
“He's the worst man in the world—”
“You're right, S.” Tracy's grin came, sudden and blinding. “Damn, Lise. When you decide to go for it, you really go all the way.”
“Literally.” Suz's smile was no less broad. “And figuratively.”
“Stop.” Her harsh breathing filled the kitchen as her two friends stumbled into silence. “This isn't about his looks. This isn't a joke.”
“Kiddo.” Tracy's grin wilted into a pained grimace. “You're right.”
“Hey.” Her best friend’s gaze shone with regret. “We are just stunned at you finally taking a chance. Finally doing something wild—”
“And look where it's gotten me. I'm pregnant.”
Both of her friends rounded the counter and huddled beside her, their arms intertwining.
“We're here for you,” Tracy whispered. “Whatever you decide to do—”
“I'm keeping the baby. Raising it on my own.”
“Cool,” Suz said. “You're going to be a fantastic mother.”
“I’m not telling him.”
“Right.” Her other friend’s tone was bracing and cheerful. “He'd be a terrible father.”
“He might ask you when you start to show.” Suz frowned. “He might push for a test or something.”
“Hardly,” Lise snorted. She stamped down her conscience and focused on her resentment at his behavior towards her instead. “The man has no interest in babies. He’s going to assume it’s Robert’s. Even if the idea flitted through his mind that the baby might be his, he wouldn’t ask. He wouldn’t want to know.”
“You’re sure?” Suz still appeared concerned.
“Positive.” She scowled in defiance. At him. At her conscience. “This baby is mine. All mine.”
Chapter 5
There was something wrong with her.
Vico stared across the boardroom at the Princesse, in her usual place at the other end. Even after winning the battle for the direction of his company, he’d still found it impossible to unseat her or her influence. He now commanded almost as much respect as she held in her dainty hand. However, this hadn’t diminished the respect and affection the staff and board felt for Ms. Helton. They still wanted her here. They still believed in her. Thus, the stubborn woman still fought her fruitless campaign opposing his ideas.
The stubborn woman who currently looked like her best friend had recently died.
This had started…Vico drummed his fingers on the table… it had started about a month ago. The pallor. The dark smudges under her eyes. The weight loss.
He’d heard, through the office grapevine, of her broken engagement.