November Harlequin Presents 2(40)

She bit her lower lip. ‘What happened with that other person, the one who let you down? What did she do to you that was so bad?’

‘Her?’ He shook his head. ‘Don’t give her another thought. She was a bitch. She lied to me. She got pregnant, and—’

His mobile rang out alongside the bed, cutting off his words, and Maverick took one look at the caller ID and stopped. ‘Hold on, this is Nell.’

Tegan nodded blindly, too busy concentrating on what he’d said before the interruption to care.

She’d got pregnant.

She’d lied to him.

Those were the sins that had damned the woman. And those were the very same sins of which Tegan herself was guilty. Her heart plummeted to new depths.

There was no hope now.





CHAPTER TEN




SHE sidled out of bed to retrieve her clothes. She’d get dressed and be ready when Maverick finished his call to tell him straight, to tell him the simple truth she should have managed to spit out before now.

‘You’ve been away!’ barked his gran’s outraged voice.

‘To Italy, yes,’ he replied, leaning with one elbow against the window frame and gazing out into the night, feeling guilty that he hadn’t visited her today on his return. Hadn’t given it a thought. ‘I told you I was going before I left.’

‘Well, that doesn’t matter now,’ she reasoned, as if she didn’t believe him for a minute. ‘What does matter is I’ve sorted out the Christmas problem!’

Maverick sighed. If she banged on again about his parents coming for lunch, he was likely to put his fist through something, most likely the window.

‘So, what have you got in mind?’

‘And I don’t know why you didn’t think of it yourself. Or maybe you did, and you were keeping it for a surprise? That would be nice. I like surprises.’

‘What are you talking about?’ he said, rubbing his brow, rapidly losing patience.

‘Vanessa. We’ll ask that lovely Vanessa. She’ll come to lunch. She’d love to.’

He squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘You don’t think she might already have plans?’ He turned around, surprised to see her fully dressed and reaching for her sandals. He frowned. What was that all about? He’d expected she’d stay the night.

‘You haven’t asked her already, then? I told you you should have thought of it yourself.’

‘Gran, she’s my PA.’

Tegan looked up at him then, sandals in her hand, a question in her eyes, and he shrugged.

‘And that means she doesn’t celebrate Christmas? What codswallop!’ Nell continued. ‘Besides, I’ve seen the way you look at her, like a rutting elk. It’s high time you settled down. You’d be mad to let this one slip through your fingers.’

He had to hand it to Nell, she sure had a fertile imagination. But maybe she had a point. Morgan would be a good distraction on the big day, and maybe it would even cheer her up. She seemed a bit tense about something.

‘Okay, Gran,’ he soothed. ‘But I’ve got a better idea. We’ve got a big lunch planned for Christmas Eve with the Royalty Cove team. It’ll be a real party—you’ll love it. And I know Vanessa’s going to be there—yes, I’ll make sure of it.’ He promised he’d call by tomorrow, then snapped his phone closed and looked over at Morgan. She looked worried about something, no doubt wondering what Nell had been on about.

She took a shaky step closer. ‘Maverick, I have to—’

‘This Christmas Eve lunch with the Royalty Cove team—you are coming to that?’

She blinked. ‘Pardon?’

‘Christmas Eve. Nell wants a real Christmas lunch this year, so this is the best solution, so long as you’re there. She probably won’t even realise it’s not Christmas Day. She’ll just have a ball.’

Her head shook slowly from side to side. ‘I don’t think…’

‘You’d be doing Nell a huge favour. She’s been worried lately about my parents being missing from Christmas. Your presence will be a welcome distraction.’

She screwed up her face, turned it ceilingwards. ‘You can’t keep doing this!’

‘Doing what? Nell likes you. And you’ll be at the lunch anyway.’ He raised a hand to her shoulder and pulled her close. ‘And I wouldn’t mind you being there too, if that makes a difference.’

Yes, you would, she thought, given his previous speech about how little she meant to him—and how he sure as hell wouldn’t want her there when she revealed the truth.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t know if I can make it.’