Читать книгу The By Request Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 14

Four

He couldn’t touch her, taste her enough. When she hadn’t shown, he’d wondered if she was working, but then she hadn’t even replied so he’d panicked like some lovestruck fool. Considering he was neither in love, nor a fool, Graham hated how he’d let his imagination run away from him.

But then he’d gotten into her place, using the security code he’d seen her type in one other time, and every worry fled. Seeing her wet in that tub full of disappearing bubbles, he’d had one mission and that was to get his body on hers as soon as possible.

But he wanted to go slow. She looked positively exhausted, not that he’d ever tell her. He wasn’t an idiot when it came to women. Something about how vulnerable Eve looked resting in the bath stirred deeper feelings in him that he’d quickly tamped down, but he welcomed the rush of lust and desire.

He wanted her, he needed her and he planned on having her. Now.

Her bathroom was spacious, complete with a vanity island in the middle. Perfect. He scooped her up, sat her on the edge and stepped between her thighs.

Running his hands up her legs, over those rounded hips and over her waist, Graham wasn’t surprised when she trembled beneath his touch. Trembling was a nice start, but he planned on having her writhing, panting his name.

Her fingers curled around his shoulders. “We shouldn’t do this anymore,” she argued, but her words came out on a whisper, betraying her true feelings.

Graham slid one fingertip between her breasts and down to her abdomen. “And why is that?”

Eve sucked in a breath as her lids lowered. Yes. That was the reaction he wanted to see. Complete surrender.

“B-because. We want...”

Graham leaned forward, his mouth trailing along the path his finger had just traveled. “Oh, yes. We want.”

Her hands framed his face as she urged him back up to look at her. “We want different things,” she stated, her eyes holding on to his.

“Right now I’d say we want the exact same thing.”

“It’s not in here that I’m worried about.”

She had every reason to worry, but he meant it when he said he wouldn’t hurt her. Eve was innocent, but she may feel some of the aftershock of her father’s wrath. Everything that was coming down on them was a result of Sutton’s actions. If anyone was hurting Eve, it was her father. Couldn’t she see that?

“I told you to trust me,” Graham reminded her. His hand settled between her thighs. “No more talking.”

The second he touched her, she moaned. Leaning back on her hands, she offered herself up exactly the way he’d been fantasizing about all day. He’d wanted her in his penthouse with the city lights flooding into his living room, but this was fine, too. If anyone stopped by to visit, they wouldn’t see his car because she’d given him a bay in the second garage in the back of the house for such eventualities. This sneaking around only amped up his desire. Graham never backed away from a challenge and he damn well wouldn’t start now that Eve was having doubts.

The more his hand moved over her center, the more she let out those sexy little moans. Then she’d bite her lip as if she hadn’t meant to show how much she enjoyed what they were doing.

He wanted to bite that lip.

Graham continued stroking her as he leaned forward and took her mouth with his. She instantly opened to him, matching his need with her own. And that’s what made Eve so perfect in the bedroom. They had the exact same needs, they knew how to pleasure each other without a single word and neither of them expected anything beyond exactly this.

Eve tore her mouth away and shut her eyes as her entire body tightened. Watching her come undone was the sexiest experience of his entire life. She had no qualms about the noises she made, or the way her damp hair clung to the side of her cheek when she’d thrown her head to the side. This was Eve. His Eve.

No. Not his. She would never be his. This was temporary, no more.

The moment her body relaxed, Graham jerked her to the edge of the counter and unfastened his pants. He couldn’t wait another minute. He needed to have her and didn’t want her coming off the high she’d just had. She was everything he needed at this exact moment, and he refused to look beyond that. There was no future...not for them.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her breasts pressed up against his dress shirt and he didn’t even care that he was still technically fully clothed. That was the need he had for this woman.

Eve’s ankles locked behind him and Graham bent his head to claim that precious mouth once more as he joined their bodies.

Would he ever get enough of her? He kept waiting for this new sensation to wear off, but it had been several weeks now and he was just as achy for her as ever. There was a desire inside him that he hadn’t known before her. Part of him wondered if they’d still sneak around if their families weren’t the Newports and the Winchesters.

When Eve arched her back, pulling her mouth from his, he took the opportunity to capture one perfect breast with his lips. His actions were rewarded with another soft moan as she gripped his shoulders. Her body quickened the pace, and he was all too eager to join her.

When she cried out his name, it was the green light he needed from her to follow her over the edge. He held her as they trembled together, held her after their bodies had cooled and then carried her into her bed.

And Graham refused to even think about why he was feeling so protective of her right now. This had nothing to do with Sutton, Brooks or Carson. His actions had nothing to do with how worn she’d looked when he’d arrived.

No, this was only sex. Nothing more. It couldn’t be.

* * *

Eve finished the conference call with one of her father’s established clients in Miami. Even though she was taking Elite Industries into global territory, there was still a need to keep the current clients satisfied. Now that Eve was president, she intended to not only continue building on current relationships, but also adding to their Elite family. This business was all she’d known; she was molded to fill this role and she took every bit of it seriously.

Eve popped in another peppermint and willed the flavor to calm her queasy stomach. She’d read from multiple sites—and her doctor had confirmed—that peppermint would alleviate the queasiness.

Two days had passed since Graham had shown up in her bathroom. Two days since she’d had the opportunity to tell him about the baby. But there was that whole family rivalry standing between them, driving the wedge deeper with each passing day. Graham had urged her to trust him, but that word was too easily thrown around. And what had he meant by that? He’d implored her at her weakest moment, and damn if she hadn’t given in.

She wanted to trust him in more areas than just her body. She had to believe that he’d taken care of getting Brooks to stay away from the media. Dirty rumors could damage her family’s reputation. Something that would start a domino effect and impact Elite Industries.

She refused to allow Graham, Brooks or Carson to destroy the only life she’d ever known. The life she needed to secure for her child.

A light tap on her door had Eve straightening in her seat. Shoving the peppermint into the side of her mouth, she called, “Come in.”

The door swung open and Eve’s younger sister, Nora, stepped in. Nora in all her beauty and radiance. She’d fallen in love with hotelier Reid Chamberlain and the two were deliriously happy. Reid had also taken to Nora’s son and they were absolutely adorable together. Over the past several weeks, the trio had become inseparable. Eve was thrilled to see her sister find her soul mate. Being a single mother had to be so difficult, but Nora had always made life look like a breeze.

The tug on Eve’s heart had her cursing herself. She wasn’t jealous. Jealousy meant she wanted love, a man in her life. She didn’t need, nor did she want those things. Staying focused on Elite, and now this precious baby she carried, was all she had time for. Being a single mom would be difficult, but women did it every single day and, damn it, Eve wouldn’t fail. She refused to be intimidated by her fears.

“I hope you’re not busy.” Nora slid her plaid scarf from around her neck and dropped it, and her designer purse, onto the chair across from Eve’s desk. “I was out and wanted to swing by. I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

Eve pasted a smile on her face. “I’ve been busy. I got your text about the party.”

Nora beamed. “You have to be there, Eve. Grace won’t tell me her costume but swears it’s going to be awesome. Reid and I are thinking of either going as a Viking couple or as Superman and Lois Lane.”

“Sounds fun.”

Nora tipped her head to the side. “You’re bringing a date, right?”

Everything inside Eve stilled. A date. Probably not, considering that she’d only been with Graham for the past six weeks. Plus, they weren’t dating, not by any means. And with the way things were going in the press, there was no way in hell a Newport would be allowed inside a Winchester’s home. Well, Eve’s home didn’t count, but her sisters would never stand for Eve and Graham being an item.

Eve cringed. An item? They’d never been on a date. They snuck around, they’d created a child and now she had to figure out a way to tell him, considering they were definitely not an item. So, no. No date for her at the party.

“I’ve been a little too busy to date.” Too busy sneaking in time between the sheets with a Newport. “But I promise I’ll be there in costume.”

Nora rolled her eyes and dropped onto the other leather chair. “You work too hard, Eve. You need to date. There’s not one man you can ask to be your date?”

Well, there was a man, but...

“I don’t need a date,” Eve stated, propping her elbows on her desk. “I’m happy for you and Reid, but not all of us want that happily-ever-after. I’m building Elite and taking it into the next generation. It’s not easy work, so I haven’t had much social life.”

Okay, two days ago she’d done social life right on the vanity in her bathroom, but that wasn’t necessary to point out here.

A solemn look instantly came over Nora’s face. “Have you been to see Dad in the past couple days?”

Guilt ate away at Eve. She’d been busy building this company he’d left in her care. She wanted him to see how far she could take it before he...passed. But thinking about the inevitable had tears burning her eyes.

“I know,” Nora whispered, swiping at her own eyes. “I’m on my way there, actually. Grace was there last night and said he was having a good day. I hope he’s still the same when I get there.”

Their father was in his home being nursed by the best caregivers they could find. He was a man of dignity; he didn’t want his last days to be in a nursing home or hospital and Eve couldn’t blame him. She and her sisters were just fine with granting him any wish he had right now.

“Have you seen Carson?” Nora asked.

Blinking away the tears, Eve shook her head. “I haven’t.”

Their new half brother. To find out after all this time they had a brother was definitely a blow. Sutton had been known to have affairs, or so the rumor mill had spun it over the past several years, but now there was proof. Eve wasn’t quite sure how to handle Carson, but she did know he didn’t deserve any of her father’s holdings. He knew nothing of her father. They shared DNA only. There was no bond, there were no treasured moments. Not that any of that was Carson’s fault, but Eve wasn’t ready to embrace him just yet. And she certainly wasn’t ready to argue over her father’s assets while he was still alive.

“He’s requested to see father.”

Eve straightened. “What?”

“He wants to talk,” Nora clarified. “We can’t deny him, Eve. He has every right to see his father.”

Before he dies. The unspoken words hovered between them, driving home the point that their father was human. He’d cheated on their mother, now he was dying. He shouldn’t have to keep paying for his sins, and he shouldn’t have his name tarnished when his days were numbered.

And that brought Eve’s thoughts right back to Graham. Was Carson requesting to see their father because he was trying to gain ammunition for their media campaign? Every protective instinct welled up inside her.

“It’s a bad idea,” Eve told her sister. “He could be plotting with Brooks and Graham.”

“I don’t think that’s what he’s doing. Brooks hired a private investigator. If they want to dig up Dad’s past, we can’t stop them and I highly doubt Dad will give up any skeletons in his closet on his own at this point.”

Nora’s words sank in, and actually made sense. Still...

Graham had wanted her to trust him. Those words kept bouncing back and forth in her head and she truly wished she knew what the answer was.

“What does Grace think?” Eve asked.

Nora lifted a slender shoulder. “She’s fine with letting Carson in. She’s not as cynical as you are, though.”

“I prefer the term realistic,” Eve countered. With a heavy sigh, she nodded. “Fine. But one of us needs to be in the room.”

Nora nodded. “I agree. I’ll let Carson know and we can set up a time.”

“Wait.” Eve pressed her palms to her desk and eased back in her seat. “Have you asked Dad?”

“He wants to see his son.”

Those simple words were what this all boiled down to. Carson was Sutton’s son. The final say belonged to their father and he would never turn away family...especially a newly discovered son.

“Let me know when and I’ll make sure I’m there,” Eve told her sister.

Nora got to her feet and pulled her scarf back around her neck. After adjusting her navy cardigan, she grabbed her handbag and hooked the strap on her forearm.

“Try not to work so hard,” Nora said, a soft, caring tone lacing her voice. “You’re looking tired and you have assistants who can help.”

Eve laughed. “Wow, thanks for the confidence booster.”

Circling the desk, Nora embraced her. “I say this because I love you. Don’t let work rule your life like Dad did. Take time for yourself. Who knows? You may change your mind about that happily-ever-after but find your Prince Charming has passed you by while you were stuck in your office.”

Graham’s face instantly came to mind, but he was far from Prince Charming. He was more the evil villain with charm and charisma that made him impossible to resist. Besides, she didn’t need anyone to rescue her—prince or peasant.

“I promise to get more rest,” Eve assured her as she eased back. “Now, go on and see Dad. Tell him I’ll be by later.”

Once Nora was gone, Eve fell back into her seat. She was exhausted, and it was showing. She was going to have to take better care of herself. Her life wasn’t just about her anymore. She had an innocent child to care for, and she would do anything to keep her child safe.

Reliving the nightmare of losing a baby wasn’t an option. But fear had a crippling hold over her. Between the worry of miscarriage and telling Graham, she had some legitimate concerns. Would this be a replay of the last time? Granted, before she’d thought herself in love. She wasn’t as naive this time. But she still wanted Graham to be accepting of their child, wanted him to take part in the baby’s life.

She had to tell him. Tonight. There was no easy way to drop this bomb and she wasn’t a coward. No matter what happened after she told him, she’d be just fine.