The By Request Collection. Kate Hardy

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СКАЧАТЬ head. “That isn’t necessary.”

      “I’m going.”

      Chewing on her bottom lip, she nodded. “Fine. It’s next week. I went the other day for initial blood work. He said everything looked fine and gave me vitamins and my due date.”

      As Graham listened to her, he was already thinking about the time when the baby would arrive. All work would have to be put on hold. No way in hell was he missing the birth of his child.

      His child.

      Unable to stop himself, Graham reached out and eased her arms aside before placing his flat palm against her stomach. To even think there was a life growing inside of her, a life he’d helped create, absolutely humbled him.

      Eve stilled beneath him. When he glanced up to her face and caught sight of her wide eyes, he swallowed and stepped back.

      “I have no idea how to act,” he admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to upset you, but I want you to be aware how serious I’m going to take this.”

      “Honestly, I just want to figure out how to make sure our families won’t turn against us or this child. That’s all I care about. Anything between us doesn’t matter anymore.”

      A point he wholeheartedly disagreed with, but his actions would speak for him over time. He wasn’t going anywhere, and keeping Eve close would be simple. No way was another man moving in. Eve and this child were his. Period.

      Graham made sure that if there was something he wanted, nothing stood in his way. He may not want a family in the traditional sense, but letting Eve just put up a barrier between them was out of the question. His desire for her hadn’t diminished one bit. In fact, knowing she carried his child was the biggest turn-on he’d ever experienced.

      “How are you feeling?” He hadn’t even asked her. He’d jumped straight into wondering if she’d trapped him, to asking about paternity, to wanting to feel her still-flat stomach.

      “Fine.”

      The clenched half smile betrayed her. Graham tipped his head. “You can’t lie to me, Eve. You’re exhausted—you admitted that earlier. But how else are you feeling? Does the doctor think you can keep working all these crazy hours or should you be resting?”

      She stared at him, not answering, not even attempting to answer. Her eyes welled up once again and Graham waited. What had he said wrong? He had a million questions, but right now he wanted to know how she was feeling.

      “I know this is your child, but...” Eve’s words died away as she turned her back to him. Graham reached for her shoulders, but pulled back at the last minute.

      The only sound in the room was Eve’s shaky breathing. The lights of the Chicago skyline spilled in from the window. They’d shared some intense experiences in this office, but nothing compared to the intensity of this moment.

      “Why do you care?” she whispered.

      “Because you’re carrying a Newport.” Damn, that sounded heartless. Why was that his first response? Why did he have to sound so cold?

      Because he couldn’t let himself feel anything else for Eve. He had to remain detached. Their families made the Montagues and the Capulets look like besties and he couldn’t cross the emotional boundary with her. Granted, having a child together was crossing the point of no return, but that didn’t mean they had to set up and play house together. Plenty of children had parents who didn’t live together. Whatever the arrangement, Graham wouldn’t let his child ever want for love, stability or a solid foundation.

      Squaring her shoulders, Eve turned and swiped her damp cheeks. “Well, I have some emails to send. I’ll text you all the specifics about my doctor’s appointment, but if anyone sees us coming and going—”

      “You’re dismissing me?” Unbelievable.

      Her eyes didn’t hold the heat or the light he was used to seeing. Now she stared at him as if he were merely a business associate. “I have work. Surely you understand.”

      “I understand you’re trying to keep some ridiculous wall between us.” Anger bubbled within him. He didn’t know what he wanted her to do or say, but he sure as hell didn’t want this unfeeling Eve. “I’ll be at the damn appointment if I have to sneak in the back way.”

      Eve nodded and moved around him to settle back in at her desk. She wiggled her mouse until her screen came back to life. And right there was Sutton’s face smiling back, with his hand holding Eve’s. Graham had not only been dismissed, he was being mocked by a man who wasn’t even in the room.

      “We’ll talk later,” he promised, heading toward the door. “Don’t believe for one second this changes what we had going, Eve. I still want you, and if you’re honest, you want me, too. That passion isn’t something that can be turned off.”

      Her hands froze as she gave him a sidelong glance.

      “I’ll give you the space you want,” he went on, gripping the door handle. “But you better get ready because I won’t be far and I won’t wait long.”

      With that vow, Graham stormed out. Game on. Graham wasn’t concerned about how their families would react to the baby. He refused to allow anything other than complete and utter love and acceptance. No, what Graham needed to concentrate on was the fact he wasn’t done with Eve, in the personal sense that had nothing to do with their child.

      And if she thought he was going to walk away from her or their child, well, she was about to find out that a Newport always got what he wanted.

       Seven

      “What the hell is wrong with you?” Carson threw his cards down onto the green felt and leaned back in his seat. “You’re moping like a woman.”

      Graham wasn’t in the mood for company, let alone playing poker and chatting with his brothers. But when Carson had stopped by earlier, he’d apparently picked up on Graham’s doldrums right away and called for reinforcements, texting Brooks to come, as well. Now here they all were.

      Graham proudly laid down his royal flush and raked in the chips. Maybe he wasn’t in the mood, but he’d been on a winning streak. After sorting the chips by color and putting them away, Graham got to his feet and took his empty tumbler back to the built-in bar.

      “I’m done here.” Graham refilled his glass with his favorite bourbon. “I’ll go put on The Maltese Falcon.”

      They had an ongoing tradition that stretched back to a time when they lived with their mother and Gerty. Gerty introduced them to the Hollywood classics and insisted they watch them together. To this day, they continued to honor her tradition.

      Graham missed her. She was a strong woman, a woman who refused to let life knock her down, and she’d do anything to help others. His mother had been just as strong. A lump formed in his throat as he slid his fingers over the remote to start the movie. Each day seemed to be better than the last, but he knew he’d always feel the void from the loss of Gerty and his mother.

      Graham had so many questions now that his mother was gone. She’d been single, pregnant СКАЧАТЬ