“She was extremely demanding. I knew it wouldn’t work,” he said.
Her heart sank to her knees. Elle turned to him. “And I’m not demanding,” she said. “I’m grateful. So maybe it will work.”
“Elle, come on, this is exactly what my mother wanted you to worry about,” Brock said, walking toward her.
She put her hands out in front of her. “No, no. I need a few moments. Hours, maybe.” She shook her head and fought the pain that wrenched inside her. “I know you married me because I got pregnant. But are you really counting on me to be the grateful little wife who doesn’t ask too much of you?”
“Of course not,” he said. “You always challenged me. That was part of the reason I couldn’t resist you. You affected me that way from the beginning. I broke all my rules for you, Elle. If I’d followed my own policies, I would have had you transferred. But being with you made me feel like…I’d found home.” He shrugged. “You can believe me or not. It’s your choice.”
She stared into his face and saw the raw truth. He loved her, even if he couldn’t say it yet. It shocked and comforted her at the same time. “I believe you,” she whispered, and flew into his arms.
He held her tight. “Listen, the next two weeks will be a crunch. But after that, you and I will take a break and go away.”
“The mountain cabin?” she asked.
“Anywhere you want,” he said and pressed his mouth against hers. He slid his hand to her belly. “I never had so much to live for before,” he said. “How’d I manage this?”
“You got lucky,” she said and smiled.
“Yeah, I did.”
Brock breezed through his morning, accomplishing tasks far faster than usual. Lunchtime came and he called Elle. She was eating a sandwich with her mom and planned to visit her grandfather that afternoon.
The latter gave him a twinge, but he ignored it. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
“Don’t work too hard,” she said, and the smile in her voice flooded him with warmth.
He roared through the afternoon. The only thing that stopped him was the sight of Logan Emerson walking into his office with a solemn expression on his face. “There’s been a leak.”
“About what?” Brock demanded, frustration soaring through him. He’d already eliminated one threat. What else could be at work here?
“The Prentice account,” Logan said. “Someone got your files and shared them with Golden Gate.”
Brock frowned. “I still don’t understand what information you’re talking about.”
“Did you take anything home?” Logan asked.
“A flash drive and one file, three weeks ago,” Brock said.
Logan lifted one brow. “Enough to give Golden Gate an edge.”
Brock pictured the flash drive and file sitting on his desk at home, right after he and Elle had gotten married. His stomach fell to his feet.
Elle put the final stamp of approval on dinner, which consisted of Brock’s favorite red wine, beef burgundy, potatoes, broccoli and bread. Even though one of the staff would gladly do it, she lit the candles on the table and arranged the roses herself. She had never felt more hopeful, more in love. Maybe, just maybe, it would all work out. Her heart skipping a beat, she took a deep breath and laughed at herself. Calm down, she told herself. This was just another night of married life. The best kind of married life, a little voice inside her said.
She heard the sound of footsteps and her heart raced again. Brock was home. She looked up, unable to keep from beaming at him. “Welcome home,” she said.
His face was blank, but anger blazed in his eyes. His mouth was set with bitterness, his jaw clenched. “When did you tell your grandfather about the new plans for the Prentice account?” he asked.
Elle felt her blood drain to her feet. She shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“Weeks ago, I brought home a file and a flash drive. I left it here for one day. One day,” he repeated. “Convenient for you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Brock,” she said.
“There’s no need to lie. You’ve got me. You’ve got our marriage. It’s not as if I can do anything about the fact that you stole information from me again. I just want to know when you did it. That’s fair, isn’t it?”
Elle felt nauseous. “I didn’t tell anyone anything after that day you came to my mother’s house. I don’t know what you’re talking about. You wouldn’t even discuss the new Prentice campaign with me. Don’t you remember?”