"Thank God for that," he mumbled, logging off of his computer.
"Can I come in? We really need to talk."
"No, you can't. We're over, and there's no way in hell I'm taking you back, so-"
"You might after you hear what I have to say."
Rafael gave his ex-girlfriend a bewildered look. The notion of him reuniting with Cicely was laughable. He wanted to be with someone loyal and trustworthy, not an immature, attention-seeking girl. He had no desire to rekindle their flame. He had Paris now, and he didn't need or want anyone else. "Please leave," he said, struggling to control his temper. "I need to prepare for my next meeting, and my client should be here any minute now."
"Danica Lyons isn't coming."
"What do you know about Ms. Lyons?"
"I knew you'd never agree to see me, so I asked Danica to call on my behalf," she said, inspecting her manicure. "Danica is in my acting class, and we've become good friends over the past few months. When I told her my story, she agreed to help."
Rafael felt his eyelids thin and his nostrils flare. "You're something else, you know that?"
"What was I supposed to do? I was trying to be reasonable, but you left me no choice." Cicely's voice was strained, and she flailed her hands in the air. "You won't return my calls. And the last time I was here you refused to see me."
"I don't need this." Rafael scooped up the phone, pressed 9 and put the receiver to his ear. The sooner he got rid of Cicely, the better. His patience was growing thin, and he worried about doing something he'd regret. "I'm calling security. You can tell them your sob story while they escort you out of the building."
Rafael expected Cicely to turn around and storm out of his office, but she didn't move. She unbuttoned her jacket and when Rafael saw her burgeoning belly, the phone slipped from his grasp and dropped to his desk with a clang.
"That's right," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm eight months pregnant with your child."
Chapter 18
Rafael stared at Cicely with hard-eyed scrutiny. Disgust seeped into his pores, filled him with anger. Her words haunted him, echoed over and over in his mind.
Pressing his eyes shut, he shook his head. Rafael didn't believe Cicely knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was the father of her child. And as he listened to her complain about how awful her pregnancy was, he wondered if she'd concocted this scheme with her crafty mother.
Rafael heard a male voice fill the air and snatched up the phone.
"Hello? Mr. Morretti? Can you hear me?"
He quickly assured the security guard that everything was okay and hung up.
"Congratulations on your pregnancy," Rafael said. "I wish you nothing but the best."
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
He gave her a blank stare. What did I ever see in her? How could I have ever dated this scheming, manipulative woman for nearly a year? They'd met at the dog park, and while walking along the trails with their pets, discovered they had shared interests and hobbies. He'd been drawn to her bold personality, and in many ways she had reminded him of his old college sweetheart. Both women were strong, outgoing beauties who could light up any room. But that was where the similarities ended. Paris put her friends and family first-above anything else-but Cicely didn't have a loyal bone in her body. All she cared about was being famous, and she'd con-or betray-anyone to make it happen.
"We were never exclusive," he reminded her. "And you started dating an NFL player a few days after we broke up, remember?"
Cicely shrugged. "I'm a single girl with needs. I'll do what I have to do."
"Then I suggest you contact your ex, because I am not your baby's father."
"I'm due next month, which means I conceived sometime last summer before we broke up," she explained, her voice filled with pride. "Do the math. You'll see that I'm right."
"I don't believe you, and don't think for a second that your pregnancy changes things. It doesn't. I'm dating someone and I won't let you come between us."
A sneer claimed her lips. "I almost fell over when I saw pictures of you and that woman in The Washington Post." Jealousy showed on her face and seeped into her tone. "I don't know what you see in her. She's fake and pretentious, and from what I've heard a real-"
Rafael silenced her with a glare. "Don't go there."
"All I'm saying is she's not all that."
"She. Is." Arguing with Cicely was beneath him, but he felt compelled to defend the woman he loved. Paris was his world, his everything, and he wasn't going to let Cicely bash her. "Paris St. Clair is more woman than you'll ever be," he said, bursting with pride "She's smart, successful, beautiful and loyal."
"Oh, please. Get your head out of the clouds. No one's that great."
"Paris is." Talking about his girlfriend made him feel on top of the world. "You know what I admire most about her? She's an independent woman who doesn't need me or anyone else to take care of her. That's damn sexy if you ask me."
"Good for her," Cicely mumbled, making herself comfortable in one of the armchairs in front of his desk. "I didn't come down here to listen to you gush about how great your new girlfriend is. I came down here to talk about the well-being of our child."
"I'm not the father," he said, tired of repeating himself. "I always use protection."
As the words left his mouth, his mind flashed back to New Year's Eve. He'd had unprotected sex only once in his life-with Paris-and as the memories of that night washed over him his temperature soared. His desire for her was insatiable.
"The only surefire protection against unwanted pregnancies is abstinence," Cicely preached. "I'm 100 percent certain you're the father. A DNA test will prove it."
The thought froze in his brain, obliterating every other one in his mind. Cicely sounded confident, looked it, too. Damn, what if I am the father? Panic rose inside the walls of his chest, and fear spread through his veins. His throat closed up, making it impossible to speak, to breathe. How would Paris feel about me being a father? Would a baby be a deal breaker?
Hell, yeah, his conscience answered. There's no way in hell she'd stay with you!
Rafael pressed his eyes shut and pushed the thought to the furthest corner of his mind. He wasn't losing Paris again, and since he wasn't the father of Cicely's baby he had nothing to worry about. His heart quit pounding in his ears and his breathing slowed.
"I've been too sick to go on auditions, and my savings are running out...." She paused. "As the baby's father, it's your responsibility to take care of my financial needs. If you don't, I'll go public with my story."
"Are you blackmailing me?"
"I am doing what's best for me, and our baby."
"I don't owe you anything," he snapped. "This conversation is over. Please leave. From now on you can reach me through my attorney."
"Rafael, please, I'm...desperate," Cicely whined. "I only have a couple hundred dollars left in my bank account."
"Then ask your mother or one of your boyfriends for help."
"I can't. I'm too embarrassed."
Convinced she was giving an Oscar-worthy performance to gain his sympathy, he asked the question on the tip of his tongue. "What happened to the money you got from Celebrity Scoop magazine? I heard they paid you very well for the interview you gave about me."
Shame clouded her eyes. "Rafael, I never meant to hurt you."
"Then why did you slander my family in a national magazine?" he demanded, giving a voice to his anger. "I trusted you, Cicely, and you made me look like a fool."
"It wasn't my idea," she argued, her tone a desperate plea. "My mom contacted the magazine and gave the interview on my behalf."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't expect you to, but it's the truth."
Rafael narrowed his eyes. "How did the magazine get all those pictures of us if you had nothing to do with the interview?"
"My mom must have gotten them from my cell phone when I wasn't paying attention."
"You have an answer for everything, don't you?"
Her teardrop earrings tinkled when she shook her head. "It's not like that, Rafael. I'm not the monster you think I am. I had nothing to do with the exposé, I swear."
Rafael didn't know what to think, what to believe. He released a deep sigh and raked a hand over his hair. Cicely was a liar, a master manipulator, but his immediate gut feeling was that she was telling the truth. She wasn't a bad person, just misguided. Her screwed-up relationship with her mother had everything to do with her selfish, materialistic ways.