by Leslie North
He should have expected that. All this time, she’d agreed that whatever was going on between them shouldn’t come between him and his job. Now she was walking the walk.
Claire moved past him and plucked a candy out of a little jar she’d put on his desk a few meetings ago. She was already part of things, wasn’t she? That wasn’t good.
Or was it?
She sucked on the candy and leaned against his desk, looking like she owned the place. “So, let’s compromise.”
“I forgot what we were arguing about.”
She flashed him a smile so utterly charming that his body ached to dip her back on the desk and kiss her senseless. “You wanted to send someone else to China, and I disagreed.”
“How do we compromise on that? It’s not like I can only go halfway.”
“I think you should go all the way, and I’ll keep you updated on every little thing that happens. It’s mostly resting. Maybe an ultrasound, an appointment or two. I’ll put you on speakerphone if you want. But you can’t start making bad decisions for Preston, Inc. just because I’m pregnant.”
He studied her. The skirt was different in some subtle way he couldn’t quite put his finger on, and her top was looser. It was the twin of a top she’d hung in the coat closet of his office in case of a stomach emergency. She had the shirt in here, and the candies...she was here, in all of those things, and in her ideas.
“Anyway,” Claire said. “I think you should go. I can handle a few days of you traveling. I can’t handle you losing this deal.”
It stung a little, he had to admit. He’d thought Claire would want him by her side at all costs. But that had been a fantasy, hadn’t it? She didn’t need him. Not in the way she would if they were together. At the same time, he was impressed by the way she was putting the business first. That wasn’t part of her job description. She was doing it anyway.
“You’re very sexy when you talk like that.”
Claire flicked her gaze to the ceiling, fast as lightning, but her cheeks had gone pink. “Are you going to go to China, then? I won’t leave this office until you promise that you will.”
“Until I promise? Is that what this has come to? Fine. I promise. I’ll go to China. Do you have your purse?”
“It’s right here.” Claire went behind his desk and got it from one of the lower drawers. Yep—she’d moved in. She’d moved all the way in. To his house, to his office...to his life. “Why?”
“Because we’re leaving.”
Her laugh rang clear, like a bell. “For China?”
“For the house.”
“The workday isn’t over yet.”
“It’s over for me, right now.” He opened his office door. “Crystal, you’re good for the afternoon.”
“What?” His assistant faced him, a pen dangling from her hand. “Good for the afternoon? What does that even mean?”
“It means I’m giving you the rest of the afternoon off.”
Crystal’s eyes darted from him to Claire, and then she spun around and grabbed her purse from the hook by her desk. “Thanks. I’m leaving before you can change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change—and, she’s gone.”
“She’s going to wonder what we were up to in here,” Claire mused at his side. “It’s obviously a special occasion when you take off early.”
“Didn’t you know? It is a special occasion.”
Claire’s eyes lit up. “Really? What’s that?”
The day I might have fallen for you. “I think you look stunning today.”
She sighed, long-suffering, but the light remained in her eyes. “And you want to see me naked.”
“Yes,” admitted Archer in a serious tone. “The special occasion is that I very much want to see you naked.”
Claire nodded. “Okay.” She reached for the zipper on her skirt. “It is the office, but—” He almost choked, but when he reached for her arm, she dissolved into laughter. “Just kidding. I believe you said it was time to go back to the house?”
The zigzagging beat of his heart inside his chest felt out of control, yet so, so right. Claire’s suggestion that she strip down right here in the office had him painfully hard. He couldn’t get into that habit. Not here. Not at work, where anyone could walk by. Where his brothers could walk by. A few months ago, he’d have been furious about being in this situation, but now....his frustration bordered on hilarious. Why was she so sexy? And why was his house so far from the office?
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he said. “Let’s go before I have to call security.”
“Before you have to call security? On little old me?”
“Indecent exposure,” he intoned. “It’s very serious.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve been indecently exposed in front of you before.” Claire clapped a hand to her mouth. “Did nobody tell you? I’m pregnant with your babies.”
“Wow. Wow. Thanks for keeping it a secret.” They went out to the parking area, and he desperately tamped down the urge to wrap his arms around her and carry her out in front of everyone. “Got anything else to tell me?”
“Only that I can’t wait to get out of this skirt.” She winked at him and climbed into the passenger seat.
Archer couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
8
Archer handed Claire a glass of ginger ale, the ice clinking against the glass in a cheerful counterpoint to the anxiety on her face.
“This doesn’t seem like your best idea ever.” Claire shifted her weight from foot to foot. The chic cut of her maternity dress didn’t give away the slight swell of her stomach. She had more of a curve to her belly than he’d expected, but then he’d never seen anyone who was pregnant with twins. His twins. There it was again, that jolt at the center of his chest. It had been a pleasure to take Claire shopping for new maternity clothes. He wasn’t going to stand for her being uncomfortable if she didn’t have to be.
Except for right now. They both had to be uncomfortable, at least for a little bit. His mother’s birthday cookout was imminent, with everyone invited, business partners and well-to-do members of the community and everyone she could think of. It had been the next available family event. Archer would seize the opportunity.
“This is one of my top ten ideas.” He sounded confident, even to himself...and then his brothers filed into the room. Drew, who'd been doing his best to steer Preston, Inc. to new heights even when life threw him for a loop. His wife Penny held his hand as they entered the room; their whirlwind romance was the stuff of legend. Charlie and Stephanie followed. Their son, Jasper, was already tearing through the house to find Drew’s son Logan—Archer could hear their mother asking the boys not to stomp through the house. Her voice got closer.
“—a few minutes,” she was saying as she got to the door. “We're having a little chat.”
“This is more than a little chat.” Claire's cheeks were red. “And—hi! Hi. I'm Claire. It's so nice to meet you.”
Archer's brothers went around with introductions, both of them mentioning that they'd seen her at the office but hadn’t had the chance to catch her. Collette neatly interrupted the round of apologies by taking Claire's hands in hers and giving her a smile.
“It's so lovely to meet you,” Collette said. “We'll have to talk more later. People are about to arrive.” She said this last bit a little louder, so all of them could hear.
“It’s so kind of you to let me come to your birthday party,” Claire said. “Happy birthday.”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” laughed Collette. “Happy to have you here.” His mother was putting on quite the show. Collette stepped back and nudged herself between Drew and Charlie, a hand on each of their arms.
Archer's heart thundered in his ears. All day, he'd been zen about this—or at least he'd told himself he was. Now that the moment was upon them, he wasn't sure. He cleared his throat. Claire inched closer, and her nearness gave him courage.
"I wanted to get together
for a few minutes before the party started, because Claire and I have some news."
He drew in a breath, the faces of his family expectant and bright and—did he sense a little impatience? A flash of irritation moved across the backdrop of nerves brighter than lightning. “Because—”
“Spit it out, Arch," Charlie said with a laugh. "If you two are engaged—”
“I'm pregnant,” blurted Claire, shooting an apologetic look at Archer. “Actually. Yes. I'm pregnant. Archer's going to be a dad.”
Jasper broke the silence, laughing at the top of his lungs as he tore by the door to the sitting room.
“Seriously?” Drew's eyebrows were knitted together. "You spring this on us right before Mom’s party?”
Archer scoffed. “I’m pretty sure the family standard is to make grand announcements at dinners just like this one. Thanks for leading the way, Charlie.”
Charlie stood open-mouthed. “I—I can’t even say anything.” Anything morphed into a laugh. “I did announce that I was a father at family beach day. Congratulations, man.” He stepped forward and shook Archer’s hand. “You, too, Claire.”
Drew followed suit. “Sorry, Arch. Caught me off guard.” Suspicion gleamed in his eyes, but he shook Archer’s hand. “You never seemed like—” Drew shook his head. “Congratulations, Claire.” He bent to kiss her on the cheek.
“You guys are the worst,” Penny said, coming forward with Stephanie, the two women wrapping Claire in their arms. “Listen up, everyone—we are all so excited to welcome another little one into the family.”
“About that,” Archer said. “It’s twins.”
“What?” Stephanie shrieked, and the chilly anxiety in his chest melted away under the excited chatter from his sisters-in-law.
“Twins!” Penny clapped her hands. “I definitely won’t touch your belly, but—” She hovered her hands in front of Claire. “Twins. I can’t believe it. How do you feel?”
“Terrible,” quipped Claire, and he saw the truth of it under her laugh. “I’ve been very sick and very tired, and it’s a miracle I could make it over with Archer today.”
Collette embraced Claire last, her eyes narrow and businesslike. She patted Archer’s hand. “Congratulations to the both of you.” He half believed it. “Where are you from, Claire? Where are you staying? Come, tell me while we walk out to the party.”
Claire shot him a look that clearly said save me.
“Mom, I think Claire and I—”
“I want to talk to her for a few minutes, Archer.” Collette gave him a half smile that shut him up. “Claire’s going to be joining our family.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. Even if they kept things strictly professional—a co-parenting relationship only—she would be part of the family. Archer had a sudden vision of Claire coming to a cookout like this one with another man. His gut twisted. Better not to think of that now, or the hot, possessive feeling that had taken over his mind at the thought. They weren’t together like that. They’d agreed not to be.
“Twins, huh?” Drew came up next to him, and they left the big sitting room in the front of the house. The brothers led the group out to the backyard, where tables had been set up for the catered cookout. Their white tablecloths moved gently in the breeze, each weighted down with a low pink floral arrangement. It was as classy as a wedding reception. Would he have to attend a reception for Claire one day? Why couldn’t he keep those thoughts out of his head? “How are you doing with that news?”
“I’ve had some time to get used to it,” said Archer.
“And?”
“And I’m still not used to it.”
Drew laughed, but his eyebrows drew together with concern. “You’re sure about all this? I’m not entirely sure what all this is, since you only announced that Claire was pregnant.”
“I didn’t get that by you, did I?” The guests were beginning to filter in. Archer recognized a couple of people from the mayor’s office, old business partners of his father, and a woman who owned his mother’s favorite clothing boutique. “We’re not...together...like that.”
Drew gave a slow nod. “It was unexpected, then.”
“Yes, Drew, it was unplanned, as they say.”
His older brother shook his head. “Honestly, I had no idea you even had a thing for her. Whenever I saw you two in the office, it looked totally professional.”
Archer shot him a look.
“So it wasn’t totally professional.” Drew’s eyes were still dark.
“Just say what you’re going to say. Don’t make it awkward for the entire birthday party, or I’ll have to talk to one of the other two hundred guests.”
“It’s not a part-time thing.” Drew locked eyes with him. “Fatherhood. It’s not something you can do only on the weekends, or when you have a free spot in your schedule. It’s a full-time gig, and it’s forever.”
Archer knew this—of course he did. But all the conversations he’d had with Claire about putting his career first, about resentment, about giving the twins the best of everything—all of them collided in his mind in a flash of noise and thunder. It still felt surreal, but it wasn’t, was it? It was as real as anything.
“Got it.” He patted Drew on the shoulder. “Where’d Mom get to?” He turned around and spotted her on the back porch, standing stiffly near Claire. “You’ll have to excuse me. I think Mom’s interrogating the mother of my children.”
Collette Preston didn’t want to talk. She had questions, and she wanted them answered. Claire’s stomach clenched and ached, her heart beating fast. Keep a smile on. Everything’s going to turn out fine. She focused on the deck furniture. The most Claire and her mom had had growing up was a couple of plastic chairs for the communal patio at one of their apartment complexes, but the delicate chairs on Collette’s deck were a sleek silver and looked like they’d been polished to a high shine. The white cushions were as fresh and pristine as pillows at a fancy hotel. The ornately carved balustrade looked out over a lawn that looked like it had been cut with scissors. Absolutely even grass. Green and perfect, every inch. And Archer’s family looked like actors—all of them beautiful in their pastel designer clothes. Would Claire even fit in if someone snapped a picture? She doubted it.
“So you work for my son,” Collette said, eyes sharp on Claire’s, as if she was looking for any sign of weakness. Well, Claire had plenty of that. She’d been throwing up for weeks. She stood up straight anyway. “As a translator.”
“Yes,” she answered. “It was a totally random pairing from the agency, and it turned out that—”
“So the agency employs you, then. Not my son.”
“Um, yes. They’ve helped me get pretty good at communicating important information. That’s why our announcement was so smooth.” Claire laughed, but Collette didn’t.
“Plans?” Collette spread out her hands in front of her.
Claire did the same and gave her a shrug, heat pulsing in her cheeks. What was this? “I’m working on a certification to reach the next level in my career.” she said after a beat. “Maybe one day I can work full-time at one company. Or even start my own agency.”
“I meant your plans with Archer. Will the two of you get married? Has he discussed the possibility of a prenuptial agreement?”
Claire sighed and closed her eyes in a long blink.
“And that’s the end of that conversation.” Archer put a hand on her elbow and angled his body between the two women. Thank god. “Mom, I love you, but you have to back off.”
Collette held up her hands. “I’m only getting the lay of the land.”
“The lay of the land is that Claire is pregnant with my babies, and that’s all anyone needs to know at this point. I think your other guests would like to give you their birthday greetings,” he said pointedly, giving his mother a confident smile. Swoon. The feeling that surged through Claire was like a big gulp of expensive champagne. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was drunk on the way
Archer stood, so tall and confident, his lean muscles sheer perfection. His shirt set off perfect biceps that Claire wanted to squeeze, right here in front of everyone. Archer had the kind of arms that could hold her easily, sweeping her out of this situation without breaking a sweat. He ushered her away, out onto the lawn.
As soon as they were off the porch, the tension lifted away. Claire’s skin actually felt cooler. “Thanks for the rescue,” she said quietly to Archer. “I think she was insinuating that I’m in this for your money.” She huffed a laugh. “Honestly, I can think of easier things to do for money.”
“I should have stayed closer,” he said, his hand dropping protectively down to the small of her back. “That’s a classic play out of my mom’s book. You should have seen how she reacted when Charlie brought Stephanie to a family dinner.”
“Oh, so it went really well, then,” she joked, and Archer crackled a smile that made desire bloom low in her belly.
“This was excellent by comparison.”
Stephanie and Penny came up to them, eyes bright and faces apologetic. “We’re stealing you,” Penny said to Claire, and she found herself enveloped in their arms, moving quickly away from Archer. She looked over her shoulder to see Drew and Charlie hurrying up to Archer, both of them clearly wanting an update.
“She’s not so bad, once she’s had a chance to...” Stephanie dropped her voice, tossing a quick look over her shoulder. “...get over herself.”
“Next time, we’ll stay right with you,” Penny chimed in. “Collette will have to go through us.”
“Next time?”
“Of course, next time,” Stephanie said, confidence ringing in her tone. “You’re part of the family now, whether she likes it or not.” She cut a sideways glance at Claire, a small grin lifting one corner of her mouth. “Whether you like it or not.”