He leaned back in his chair, staring out the window. What would that feel like? To be completely alone in the world. No one to call when you had to make a decision. No one to bounce ideas off of. No one to share memories with. No one to make memories with. He sighed. He couldn’t be cruel under the worst of circumstances. He couldn’t be mean to Violet, but he really didn’t want her to end her pregnancy. Being sure she was pregnant was his first think to do.
If she wasn’t pregnant then he would know she was just scamming him. She was on her own. If she was pregnant, then he would take care of things. It was the least he could do. If the child wasn’t his, then he was giving himself good karma. If the child was his, he was going to make the boy or girl’s life easier than Violet ever had it.
Madge buzzed him. “Violet’s back.”
“Send her in,” he said.
The woman who was walking through his office door was not the woman who had stormed out of it. She looked bedraggled, cold and defeated. His heart went out to her. She must have had a bad day after she left him.
With her shoulders slumped, she dragged her butt to the chair across the desk from him. She was dripping wet and he’d have to have the carpet cleaned, but she didn’t need to be kicked when she was down.
Her gaze hadn’t traveled up to his yet.
“Violet? What happened?”
She finally looked at him and those normally sparkling green eyes were now dull. Someone had taken a piece out of her and Amedeo wanted to punch the person. “It started raining.”
“Why didn’t you go home?”
She snorted. “I don’t have a home.”
Shit. She’d already been evicted. He leaned forward, his hands flat on the desk. “Let me get you something to drink.”
He rose, then crossed to his bar. He poured her some tea. Handing it to her, he rested his butt on the edge of his desk. She gripped the mug as if it was her lifeline. He hated to see anyone this defeated. “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”
“I haven’t paid rent in three months. My clients haven’t paid me, so I had no cash. I’ve been evicted and my landlord tried to get me to sleep with him to let me back in.”
“Your landlord?”
Amedeo saw red. There was no reason to take advantage of her when she was down. The man was a monster and he’d have to have a talk with the brute.
“I didn’t do it, but I’d at least have my laptop so I could work.”
She sipped some more of the tea.
“We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
“You trying to get me naked, too? I really don’t need this.”
She stood. He put a hand on her shoulder. That’s when he noticed the dark spots under her eyes. She was exhausted.
“I need one thing from you before I can help.”
She looked up at him. “What?”
“I need to confirm that you’re pregnant.”
She sighed, her eyes falling closed. “Fine. I can pee on a stick.”
He handed her the pregnancy test, feeling like a heel for making her do it. He had to know for sure. A few minutes later, she came back, handing him the stick. She plopped back down on the chair, to wait for the results. Two lines. She was pregnant.
“Are you willing to have this baby?” Amedeo said.
“Yes.”
“Then you should move in with me, but let’s go back to your place and get your stuff.”
Her stomach rumbled. She put a hand on it, her face a study in embarrassment.
“We’ll eat first,” he said.
“I could use a little snack.”
“I’m thinking that you need more than a snack. Go sit on the couch. Put your feet up. I’ll order some food.”
She trudged to the couch, her body slumping onto it. Her eyes closed. She let out a little snore as he punched numbers into his phone. He ordered her food which would be delivered in a half an hour.
He went back to his work, glancing over at Violet periodically. She didn’t move. That’s how tired she was. He felt bad for her. She stirred when the food arrived. Stretching, she yawned. “Did I fall asleep?”
“You snored, too.” He imagined that if a blush showed on her dark velvet skin, she would have one.
“Food’s here.”
She noticed the bags on the table in front of her. She looked up at Amedeo. “Thank you.”
She dug into the food as if she hadn’t eaten in days. He wondered if maybe she hadn’t. That wasn’t good for the baby. They had to start thinking about the child growing inside of her now. It was a presence even if they couldn’t see evidence of it yet.
Chapter2
Violet couldn’t believe that Amedeo was taking her back to her apartment. They were in the back of his limousine. The man had someone to drive him. Everywhere. It wasn’t one of those long ones, but she’d bet he had one, too.
She wasn’t in her wet clothing. She was in one of Amedeo’s shirts and some sweatpants that someone had in a desk. Her socks and underwear were still wet, but she could live with that. Soon, she’d have some dry ones. Not that they would be clean. She hadn’t been to the laundromat in weeks. No one saw her, so it wasn’t a priority to have clean clothing. She worked mainly in sweats.
She had to admit that Amedeo helping her chafed a bit. She was not beholden to him. She didn’t like owing anyone anything. The next months would be hard for her. Being a loner, she’d never liked living with anyone. Even as a child, she’d dreamed of leaving her mother’s place. And she did as soon as possible.
Probably why her mother had died, but that was another day of guilt to deal with. Now she was bringing an unwanted child into the world. Well, Amedeo seemed to want the child. She was just scared she was going to screw the poor little thing up. She didn’t really want the baby to die. It had been a relief when Amedeo had asked her not to terminate the pregnancy.
The downside was depending on Amedeo. She’d found that men didn’t often do what they said they would. Like stay around. Be a grownup. Keep promises.
She felt like her skin didn’t fit right, but this was the choice she’d made. It had been the only one she could make. Amedeo studied his phone, maybe answering emails as if he did this every day.
He didn’t seem to be unnerved by her moving in.
They finally arrived at her apartment building. Never had a vehicle looked so out of place. Amedeo gave instructions to the driver who drove away after they climbed out.
“You ready?” Amedeo said.
“As I’ll ever be.”
With her stomach full, she thought she could do this. Amedeo held out his hand. She shook her head. No, that would be too much. She brushed past him into the apartment building. She stood by the landlord’s door.
“I admire your determination, but you can’t do this without me,” Amedeo said in her ear.
“And that will bother me forever.”
She stepped away, waving him toward the door. Amedeo knocked. Reggie answered, still in his boxers.
“What do you want, bitch?” he said.
Amedeo stepped between them. “You will not call her names. I’m here to pay her rent.”
Reggie took the cigar out of his mouth, his gaze going up and down Amedeo as if taking his measure. From the look on his face, her landlord found Amedeo lacking. This had been a mistake. What was she thinking? Amedeo was Park Avenue. Reggie was Harlem. Harlem could kick Park Avenue’s butt.
She didn’t want to watch that.
“Could we stop posturing and get this transaction over with? I’m cold and tired and feeling pretty cranky,” she said.
Amedeo glanced her way, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out more cash than she had ever seen at once. Maybe more cash than she’d seen in her whole life combined. If Reggie liked to fight, he liked money more.
“This should cover what Violet owes you. Now, go unlock her apartment. Don’t lock it again and we’ll have her moved out this week,” Amedeo said.
Regg
ie didn’t eye the money for long. He snatched it from Amedeo’s hand, then slammed the door on their faces. Amedeo threw her a look, his eyebrows raised. She shrugged. Reggie opened the door again. This time he had on ratty sweatpants.
“Fine,” he said.
He trudged up the steps. Amedeo was right behind him with Violet taking the rear. Reggio took the lock and the sign off the door, then he disappeared. Amedeo held out his hand. “Your key?”
“I can unlock my own door,” she said, brushing past him.
He stepped out of the way as she unlocked the door. For a moment, she wondered about the last time she’d cleaned the apartment. She’d bet Amedeo didn’t keep things a mess. He probably had a whole cleaning staff to keep his apartment germ free.
She opened the door. Her place wasn’t a complete pigsty.
“You have suitcases?” Amedeo said.
“Yes.”
Well, she had one. She never took trips so she didn’t need more than that.
“Just get what you absolutely need. I’ll have a moving company do the rest.”
She spun on him. “That’s not necessary.”
“Do you want to chance dealing with Reggie again?” She sighed. She didn’t. He nudged her further into the apartment. “Now, pack and I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“He isn’t worth getting upset about, Amedeo.”
“Leave it to me,” he said then left.
She hurried and packed as much as she could into a suitcase. Not that it would matter. When she started to show, she’d have to buy other clothing. With her suitcase full and her laptop in tow, she found Amedeo coming back up the steps.
“Is everything okay?” she said.
He didn’t look mussed at all. What had he done to Reggie? He held out his hand toward her suitcase. “Everything is fine.”
She pulled her bag closer to her.
“Violet, please let me take your suitcase. You’re pregnant and probably shouldn’t carry things.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’ll only ask nicely one more time,” he said.
She could see his grave expression and decided not to argue. He could win this small battle. He wasn’t going to be victorious in the war. Not if she had anything to say about it.
He took her suitcase then reached for her laptop bag. “I can handle the laptop. It isn’t heavy.”
“Violet.”
“Okay, fine.”
She handed him the laptop.
***
Most of the time Amedeo liked his job. Today had not been one of them. The power went out in the building for two hours, making it impossible to get work done. Then his server was having issues and the hosting company wasn’t giving him good customer service.
He had his IT department look into getting their own server. It had always chafed him that he wasn’t keeping that in-house. Now he wanted it. He also had the maintenance department look into hooking up a generator to the building.
He’d thought about it after a few hurricanes had come through New Jersey. He’d never done it, but now it was a top priority.
He loosened his tie on the ride home and he wanted to put on a pair of jeans. He mentally reviewed his refrigerator for what he could make for dinner and decided maybe takeout was a good idea. He’d have to see what Violet wanted.
His driver dropped him off at his house.
“I’m not going anywhere tonight, so take the night off,” he told him.
“Thanks, Mr. Killiano.”
“No problem. As always, keep your phone on in case of an emergency.”
“Yes, sir.”
Amedeo climbed out and looked up at his house. He loved this place. It was his sanctuary. Tonight it glowed with lights because Violet was here. He liked the idea that he wasn’t coming home to an empty house. He probably shouldn’t get used to that idea. She was only here temporarily.
He opened the front door to a wonderful smell. Beef something? Stew? He couldn’t quite place it, but his stomach rumbled at the scent. Dropping his keys in the dish by the door, he put his briefcase under that table.
He took in a nice breath through his noise. Damn. That smelled good. Better than takeout.
Walking into the kitchen, he found Violet stirring something on the stove.
“That smells marvelous.”
She jumped. “Hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will. I don’t have to cook it,” he said.
He dropped his now untied tie onto the counter. He’d get it later. He unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. When he looked up, Violet was staring at him. She shook herself, then put a plate in front of him.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Wine?”
She’d found his cellar and obviously opened one for him. “Sure.”
She poured him a glass, then headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to leave you alone. I have some work to do,” she said.
“Stay.”
She looked at him as if she didn’t believe he wanted her to stay.
“Please, Violet. I’d enjoy the company.”
She nodded, then slid onto a stool at the other end of the island in his kitchen. He’d situated it diagonally so it could be as long as possible. Ten feet. He was proud of that. When he cooked for his family they could gather here. He liked the warmth of having them around, though now that he was married, Dante was having them over to his place more.
When he finally told his mother about Violet, he’d invite her over. Might be easier to get to know his mother in this setting rather than her own house. Neutral ground.
He took a bite of the stew that she’d put over egg noodles. His eyes closed. There was some wine in it and some rich broth. The chunks of beef were large, but tender. The vegetables had just the right amount of give. This might have been the most perfect stew he’d ever eaten.
“Oh. My. God. Violet. This is really good. Really delicious.”
She smiled, looking a little shy, which was not how he’d ever seen her before. On the night they’d spent together, she’d taken as much as she’d given. Maybe because she knew she’d never see him again. That didn’t work out.
“Thanks.”
“Where did you learn to cook?”
“I learned from television,” she said.
“Ah, Food Network. Making cooks out of all of us.”
“You a big fan?”
“I am. My mother taught me to cook Italian, but I learned everything else from Bobby Flay and company,” Amedeo said.
He took a sip of his wine. It worked with the stew.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked. .
“I ate before. I was hungry.”
“Okay. You sure you don’t want seconds? You are eating for two.”
She licked her lips and it looked sexy beyond belief. “Well, maybe a little more.”
She put some stew into a bowl and ate with him. He liked the domestic scene. Who would have thought? Or maybe it was just Violet. He’d been enamored and had wanted to see her again. She hadn’t felt the same, since she’d only contacted him when she found out she was pregnant.
Well, he’d enjoy her company while she was here.
He could still date. He was taking care of her, not in a relationship with her. Still, he couldn’t bring a woman home with him while Violet was living here. That wouldn’t be fair.
“You don’t have to cook for me, though I appreciate it. I was too tired to do it myself tonight. It was going to be takeout.”
“I don’t mind cooking. I’m home and I have to eat also,” she said.
“Just remember that if you’re tired and don’t want to, just let me know.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“How was your day?”
“One of my clients finally paid me. The other two are holdouts.”
“What is your recourse if
they don’t pay?”
“I don’t really have any. I don’t have the money to sue them,” she said.
She looked down at her food. It must bother her that she didn’t have money. He wasn’t sure what she would let him do once the baby came, but he’d help her. He couldn’t just throw her out on the streets. Especially if she chose to keep the baby.
He’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
***
Violet was in the middle of some intense coding when she heard a noise. The front door. She glanced at the clock on her computer. He would be early. Damn. She needed a few more hours of quiet to get some work done.
He didn’t seem to like to leave her alone when he was home. She wondered if he had any friends because he hadn’t gone out after work this whole week.
She sighed. Then she listened carefully. Those weren’t his footsteps. Those sounded like high heels.
Thankfully, the kitchen was on the way to the front door. She picked up a knife on her way. Tiptoeing, she entered the hallway in time to see a coattail disappear up the steps. Shit. Should she call the cops?
Violet debated what to do. She’d left her phone by her computer in the office that Amedeo had set up for her. His was upstairs. Hers was off the kitchen. Worked well as long as he stayed in his office.
No time to go back for her phone. Hopefully she could find an extension upstairs to use.
She crept up the steps. When she arrived at the top, she listened. The person seemed to be in Amedeo’s room. His was next to hers. He’d insisted that should be in case she needed him in the middle of the night. In her mind, he was hoping for a booty call. Hadn’t happened yet, but her hormones going wacky had her thinking about it.
She shook herself. Her mind liked to take detours these days. Must be pregnancy. She contemplated what to do. With a knife in her hand, she strode to the door of Amedeo’s bedroom. She hadn’t been in here, but it was filled with dark wood. Very masculine, but very him.
She had no time to admire it before she stepped in. The shower was running. Had he come home? Was she going to walk in on him naked and soapy? The thought made her mouth dry.
No, those had been heels. Besides, he would have found her when he got home. He always did.
The Billionaire's Secretly Fake Bride (MANHATTAN BACHELORS Book 3) Page 27