“It was just what the doctor ordered,” she answered him. “I’m bushed though. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him, as she pushed the elevator button.
The second the doors opened she stepped in and quickly pushed her floor’s number. When it started to close, she breathed a sigh of relief, until Lucas jumped in at the last second.
“Is there something you needed to speak to me about?” she decided to throw out to him. “Or do you just follow all employees to their homes and act like a stalker?” she spat, no longer having any patience for the new game he’d decided to play.
“Stalker?” he questioned her. “I happen to live here too Amy or did you not notice my parking place?” he lifted his brow at her.
“You live here?” she asked dumbfounded. Why in the world would he live in the apartments when he could live anywhere he wanted? She looked at him without knowing how to reply to this latest information.
She hadn’t seen him around the building and she’d assumed he had his own parking place because he did a lot of business there with the clients that came and went.
“Yes,” was all he said in reply to her question.
“But why would you live in an apartment when you can have a house?” she let her curiosity overrule her need to not speak to him.
“I prefer the apartment because I’m a busy man and here I don’t have to worry about keeping up a property,” he said in explanation.
She just snorted quietly. Like he would have to worry about the upkeep anyway. He would hire minions to do any of his grunt work. He wasn’t the type of man who would pull the lawn mower out of the garage and take it for a spin around the yard. She shrugged and went back to ignoring him.
The door opened on her floor and he stepped out with her. That was when she figured out he was the one who lived in the other apartment on her floor. How had she not figured that out in the few months she’d been there already? They worked and lived in the same place and she had no idea he was living a few feet away from her.
She was going to have an even worse time sleeping now, knowing how very close he was to her and yet how very far away. Why couldn’t she get over the man?
She picked up her step and almost ran to her door. She was having difficulty with the lock, when he stepped up behind her and took the key. His body brushed hers and she just about jumped out of her skin.
He felt so good against her, if only for a moment. He took her key and slipped it into the lock, rubbing against her the whole time. His scent was surrounding her, making her miss his touch.
The door finally opened and she slipped inside, turning with her hand out for the key. He looked at her for a moment and slipped in, shutting the door behind him. How much was she supposed to take? Her willpower was slipping quickly.
“May I please use your bathroom? Then we need to talk about a few things.” He didn’t even wait for an answer. He just headed towards her bathroom. She leaned against the door and tried to strengthen her willpower. She could handle this. She handled it fine at work. Her apartment was no different, she tried to convince herself. She really, really wanted a stiff drink right then.
She rubbed her belly and smiled softly. Don’t worry little one, mama won’t poison you, she thought. She would just have to be strong.
Lucas took a deep breath walking to the bathroom. He could be civilized. Maybe they could even start some kind of relationship. He wasn’t very good with being in a commitment but he thought he was willing to try. He couldn’t stop thinking about her so there had to be something there worth pursuing. That was far more than many other people had going into something new.
He may have jumped to conclusions, thinking she would be after anything. He smiled to himself sheepishly. He didn’t normally admit to being wrong about anything, not even to himself. They would have a nice, reasonable adult conversation and then he could take her to bed without feeling badly about it.
Lucas was feeling pretty good about things as he walked into the bathroom. He finished up and then washed his face and hands in the sink. He turned around to leave and that’s when his world stopped turning.
He almost missed it. In her garbage can was a pregnancy kit box. What the hell? He’d never felt as scared in his life, as he reached for the box. He looked inside and found the little stick. There were two lines on it. What did that mean?
He quickly read the back of the box and time stood still. She was pregnant. Holy Hell, she was pregnant! Had she planned the pregnancy? How could she have? He couldn’t even think as he stood there staring at the pregnancy test. A few of his ex-girlfriends had tried to trap him into marriage by getting pregnant and he’d deftly avoided them. Somehow though, his assistant had gotten pregnant the one and only time they’d made love. He was angry with himself and even angrier with her. He knew it wasn’t logical but he couldn’t be logical at that moment.
Many women had tried to trap him into giving them his name and all the money that came along with it but none had succeeded, until now. Well, I better get out there to the future Mrs.
Anderson, he thought bitterly. Lucas took a few extra moments to compose his face before walking back out to her.
Amy was sitting on the couch when he entered the living room. She didn’t look up at him, which he was grateful for because he was having a heck of a time composing his own features.
“I’ll be right back. There are a couple of phone calls I need to make,” was all he said as he walked past her and through her front door. He didn’t look her way to see her face.
“I need to speak with my father, please?” Lucas asked without any preambles.
“One moment Lucas.” He was put through to his father a minute later.
“Hello son, how are you?”
“I’m getting married and I want to get it done this week. I’m busy with work so can you take care of the arrangements. Normally I would’ve my assistant do it but since she’s the bride I need someone else.”
“You’re getting married, to Amy? I’m so happy for you, son. She’s a real keeper. I’ll take care of all the arrangements. How about Friday evening?” He asked with no surprise in his voice. Lucas was taken back a little bit by his father’s attitude. He was in too much shock to be suspicious though.
“Friday will be fine. Amy’s pregnant so I want to keep this discreet please. Just you and mom and Amy and I,” he said cautiously. He knew his father’s love of throwing parties and he didn’t want a mass of people there to witness the charade.
Lucas finished speaking with his father and then called his attorney to draw up a prenuptial agreement, making sure he was protected.
The phone calls took him about an hour. He finished up and then drank a shot of bourbon. “Okay Amy, let’s get this over with,” he mumbled out loud to himself. He knew he was in for a fight once he told her they would wed.
He walked back down the hallway to her apartment and used the key he hadn’t given back to her to let himself in. Amy was still sitting in the living room. At first it looked like she hadn’t even moved, then he noticed the bowl sitting on the table.
Well, he guessed that her pregnancy hadn’t ruined her appetite. He took a closer look at her and didn’t see any differences at first. She was only a couple of months along after all. Then he did notice some changes. Her breasts seemed to be fuller, although she hid them well in her loose clothing. She also seemed to have a continual flush about her cheeks.
“Why haven’t you told me you’re pregnant?” he asked without easing into it. He believed you should always get straight to the point in a conversation. Why take time to beat around the bush, as the old saying went. If you wanted an answer then you should ask the question.
She hesitated for a few moments as she stared up at him, seemingly shocked he knew about her pregnancy. How had he found out? Then she realized he’d used her bathroom and she hadn’t yet emptied out that trash can. How could she have made such a foolish mistake?
Well it was easy to make that mistake, when she didn’t think he would be stepping into her apartment. Had she known he lived in her building she wouldn’t have left the kit anywhere it could’ve been spotted. She’d never had any visitors besides Tom though and hadn’t known she needed to hide anything.
“I didn’t see that it was any of your business. My job performance hasn’t been affected by it and in this day and age it’s nobody’s business if you’re a single mother or not. You can’t fire me for being pregnant.” She finally sucked in enough air to reply to his question. It wasn’t his concern, her eyes were shouting at him.
He stared at her open mouthed. None of his business? How the hell could she say that carrying his child was none of his business?
“You won’t be a single mother Amy, and you know that. I won’t allow my child to be raised as a bastard. He’ll have my name.” His voice told her his way was the only way they were handling the situation. If she didn’t like it then too bad.
“This isn’t your child.” Amy looked directly at him as she spoke those words. There was no emotion to her voice. He stared at her dumfounded. Not his child? What was she talking about?
He knew she’d been a virgin when he’d had sex with her. The timeline fit. Of course it was his child.
“If it’s not my child, then whose is it?” he decided to see what she would say. He was watching every move she made. There was no way she would be able to come up with some story out of the blue.
“I told you I was in a relationship. It progressed but he didn’t want the baby so we split up,” she lied to him. She’d rehearsed the story to herself many times over and said it with conviction. She wouldn’t even attempt to go into a custody battle with Lucas.
He saw the tiny flicker in her eyes as she lied to him. He knew she wasn’t telling him the truth.
He knew she was pregnant with his baby but he couldn’t figure out why she would tell him otherwise. What if he allowed her to convince him the baby wasn’t his? He couldn’t figure out what she would gain by that.
“What kind of game are you playing Amy? I don’t get it. We both know that the baby you carry is mine so why would you lie to me about it?” In his confusion he let down his guard somewhat and spoke to her puzzled instead of with anger.
“I’m not playing games with you Lucas. This is my baby and no one will take him or her away from me. I’m qualified to raise this child.” She said almost pleadingly. “I’m telling you the truth.
The child isn’t yours,” she was trying to will him to believe her words.
“Don’t worry Amy you’ll get to be a mother and a wife. We’ll be married Friday. I’ve already made all the arrangements,” he laughed without humor.
Lucas suddenly leaned down in front of her, trapping her between the couch and his arms.
“Don’t get me wrong though my dear fiancé, if you try to cross me, or run away with my baby, you’ll never see our child again. Do I make myself clear?” he whispered to her in a deathly calm voice.
