Читать книгу The By Request Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 16

Six

Graham didn’t release her. He couldn’t even think, so getting his brain in gear to let go wasn’t happening.

Pregnant. How could one word cause such panic and uncertainty? And why did this room seem to be closing in on him?

His hands fell from her arms. Graham raked his fingers through his hair and attempted to pull his scattered thoughts together. Over the past six weeks they’d been intimate so many times. He had no idea when this had happened. All he recalled was that first time when they’d been in such a rush and she’d assured him she was on birth control.

“Say something,” she whispered.

“Did you plan this?”

Eve jerked as if she’d been slapped by his words. “I would never do that.”

Graham shrugged. “How do I know? Despite the past month and a half, I don’t know you that well.”

Eve’s cheeks pinkened with rage the instant before her hand came up in a flash and struck his face. The crack seemed to echo in the open office. Graham’s head jerked, but he didn’t reach up to touch the sting.

“You can’t blame me for asking,” he countered, refusing to feel sympathy despite the hurt in her eyes. “I assume this baby is mine.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I haven’t been with anyone else since we started seeing each other.”

He firmly believed that. Eve was too busy at work for fun and he occupied her evenings, save for the past couple. Still, a paternity test would be required considering he had quite a padded bank account. Someone like Eve wouldn’t be after a man’s money, though. But he would be smart about this. And being smart, he wouldn’t bring up the test right now or his other cheek may feel the same sting.

“I don’t expect anything from you,” she went on, crossing her arms over her chest. “In fact, maybe we should bring what’s between us to a close and focus on what’s best for the baby.”

Graham didn’t know what he wanted right now. His entire world had been flipped and control had never been so out of his reach. But he didn’t want to just end things with Eve, especially now.

“That won’t change the situation.” Graham struggled to keep his distance, but he needed to play his cards right. “I will be here every step of the way, Eve. Whether you want me around or not. This child is a Newport and I never turn my back on my responsibilities.”

“Is that what I am now?” she asked. “A responsibility?”

So maybe he hadn’t chosen his words as wisely as he’d intended. “You’re the mother of my child.”

He watched her shoulders relax as relief slid over her. But then Eve blinked and her gaze darted away. Was she worried he’d reject her and the child? Didn’t she know him at all?

Of course she didn’t. He’d even thrown that fact in her face moments ago. They truly didn’t know each other. And now they were going to be parents.

Brooks and Carson were going to...hell, he didn’t know what their reaction would be. But for now, he was keeping this information to himself.

What would Sutton say? Once the man found out his responsible daughter was pregnant by his enemy, would he change his mind and give up the secrets he was keeping about Graham and Brooks’s paternity? A plan started forming in Graham’s mind.

“Have you told your sisters?”

Eve shook her head. “I haven’t told anyone. I... I’m not sure they’ll take this very well.”

Most likely not. And he knew Sutton wouldn’t take it well, either. The man probably had higher hopes for his daughter and new president of Elite Industries than having a child by a Newport. But Graham was serious when he said he’d be there through everything. He may not have planned on having a child with anyone, let alone Eve, but he would never turn his back on an innocent child...especially his own.

A possessive streak shot through him as he stared back at Eve. This was why she looked so tired, why she was likely running herself ragged. She was scared of the pregnancy, worried about the backlash when the rest of their world discovered the truth. Again, he would be there. Nobody would hurt his child or the child’s mother, no matter what their relationship status was.

“Let’s keep this between us until we know how to deliver the news.”

Eve nodded. Her arms went around her waist, as if to somehow protect their child. “I don’t want our baby to receive backlash from either of our families. No matter what’s going on or not going on between you and me, please promise me you’ll protect our child.”

The urgency in her tone had Graham stepping toward her. “I promise.”

The vow came easily because he’d walk through hell to keep his child safe. Odd how he’d only known about this baby for mere minutes and already his priorities had changed. And one thing was certain: his child would have his last name, even if he had to marry Eve.

The idea made him cringe. Not that being married to Eve would be terrible, but he didn’t want to be married to anybody. Still, some marriages were made of lesser things. At least he and Eve understood the importance of each other’s work and they would both love this child.

“When is your doctor’s appointment? I want to go.”

Eve shook her 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.