A chauffer picked her up at the condo and took her to Brock’s at six o’clock, but he wasn’t home yet. She wasn’t surprised. She’d worked for him long enough to know his first, second and third loves were Maddox Communications. He was the most dynamic, complex man she’d ever met and despite every reason she’d had to not get involved with him, she couldn’t stop herself. At the time that she’d fallen for Brock, she’d just been glad to get a piece of him.
Now, everything was a mess.
She sat in the den, which was far too fussy for her taste, and sipped a glass of orange juice and sparkling water. Tired from the day, she sighed, slipped off her shoes and closed her eyes. It seemed like seconds passed and then Brock was standing in front of her.
He studied her with a cryptic grin hovering on his lips. “I should have known you were pregnant when I had to wake you up to go home after we made love all those nights.”
Feeling her cheeks heat at memories of their intimacy, she straightened and pushed her feet into her shoes. “I have to be honest. For a while there, I was worried that something more serious might have been wrong with me.”
“But you’ve been thoroughly checked out?”
She nodded. “The doctor told me it’s not unusual to have a lack of energy. Supposedly that changes sometime during the second trimester.”
“Good,” he said and extended his hand. “Let’s have dinner. Then I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” she echoed, feeling a secret rush of pleasure followed quickly by caution. “Is this a good surprise or a bad surprise?” she asked as he led her into the sunroom.
“I think most women would call it a good surprise,” he said. “Don’t ask any more questions. You’ll know soon enough.”
During dinner, he only made vague references to his work. Elle felt a stab of loss over his previous openness with her. She’d never realized how much she appreciated the way he’d shared his thoughts and concerns about the company. Of course, she couldn’t blame him for being guarded since he’d learned she’d been spying on him. Still, the loss tugged at her. They would never be the same again. He changed the subject and asked her about her activities.
“You visited both your mother and your grandfather? I told you to rest.”
“If I’d rested any longer, I would have screamed,” she told him. “Can you tell me you would be happy to lie in bed all day long?”
A flicker of heat shot through his gaze. “Under the right circumstances,” he said.
She felt a surprising sliver of arousal but shook it off. Even during their affair, they’d rarely stayed in bed more than an hour or two. “I would like to see those circumstances,” she said.
The housekeeper poked her head inside the room. “Mr. Walthall is here, Mr. Maddox. He’s waiting in the front living room when you’re ready.”
“Ah, the surprise,” he said and glanced at her plate. “Are you sure you’ve had enough to eat?”
“Plenty,” she said. “I was told to try to stick with small, frequent meals.”
“Then we’ll make sure that’s what you get. I’ll tell Anna.” He stood. “Ready?”
“Brock, it’s not your housekeeper’s job to make sure I’m eating properly.”
“She’ll love it. My mother is on the twig-and-berry diet, so Anna will be thrilled at the prospect of fattening you up.”
She shot him a dark look. “I don’t plan to get fat. I just plan to be healthy.”
He shrugged. “That’s what I said.”
Not really, she thought, but didn’t say so as they turned the corner into the formal living room where a man sat with several large cases. He stood and extended his hand. “Mr. Maddox. Phillip Walthall. I’m happy we can be of service to you. And this is?” he asked, looking at Elle.
“This is my fiancée, Elle Linton,” Brock said. “Elle, Mr. Walthall is a jeweler. He’s going to show you some selections so you can choose something you’d like.”
“An engagement ring,” she said, unable to keep the dismay from her voice. She was still trying to pretend this wasn’t going to happen. How in the world would she be able to avoid it if she were wearing a ring all the time? “I don’t need one.”
“Of course you do.”
Mr. Walthall laughed. “Give me a chance to change your mind.”
Brock urged her to sit while the jeweler pulled out a tray of diamonds that made her blink. Although she and her mother had lived in a nice place, they’d been careful with their money. Her mother had always worked and Elle had attended a state college. She’d never envisioned wearing a ring that looked like it cost more than her tuition had. “These are all so big,” she said.