Seduced by the Heir(34)

"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.