His Secret Baby Bombshell

by Jules Bennett

  Wait. Why was she thinking of taking him anywhere as her date? They weren’t dating, they were...

  Eve dropped her head against her bath pillow and groaned. She didn’t know what they were exactly and that’s what annoyed her. She had her life all mapped out with color-coded tabs to tell her when and where to do everything. She prided herself on being efficient, planning everything and knowing exactly what was coming her way.

  What she hadn’t planned on was the onslaught of desire associated with Graham Newport. One look led to another, then to flirting, which was put on hold when they both realized her father had been involved with his mother. The second they knew Sutton wasn’t Graham’s father, all bets had been off, all warnings from family ignored.

  Eve hadn’t been able to get Graham alone fast enough that first night after the children’s hospital gala, and from the way he practically tore her dress off her, the feeling was mutual.

  That had to have been when she got pregnant. She’d only switched her birth control a week before, thinking it was a safe time since she wasn’t seeing anyone. They’d been all over each other before condoms were mentioned, but she’d assured him she was on the pill and they’d quickly had the “I’m clean” conversation.

  Thinking back now, Eve realized he would blame her for this pregnancy. She’d assured him she was covered, that they were safe. Well, he could blame her all he wanted, so long as this child remained unaffected by any wrath from the Newports.

  When her cell chimed again, Eve jerked from her relaxed position. Even though her body was calm and resting, her mind never shut off. She zeroed in on the screen and saw Graham’s name this time. Once again, she dried her hands and checked his message, cursing herself for acting like a teenager.

  Meet me at my penthouse. 30 min.

  Eve gritted her teeth. While some may go for the demanding attitude, she did not. Besides, she was exhausted. If she could sleep in this warm bubble bath and not drown, she would.

  Because she didn’t want him to think she jumped when he texted, though she did, Eve set her phone back down without replying. There was no reason to pretend that the thought of Graham didn’t have her body humming, but now she had to be realistic. She was expecting his child, and she was entering into a battle over her father... Sex couldn’t be the main thread that held them together at this point.

  Eve closed her eyes for just a moment, needing to push aside all the fears, all the questions, and just relax. Her doctor told her to try to take as much downtime as possible. Even if she could grab five minutes here and there, she would have to for the sake of the baby and her own health.

  All too easily she could let her mind drift into the worry of whether she was carrying a healthy baby, but she wanted to focus on the positive. Would she have a boy or a girl? Would her baby have Graham’s striking aqua eyes and her honey hair? One thing was for sure—this child would be strong-willed, determined and take charge, all qualities she and Graham possessed.

  Eve’s mind went to the nursery, and she instantly envisioned Nora and Grace helping her decorate. She could hire a decorator, but this wasn’t a kitchen or bathroom job. No, Eve would take a hands-on approach to her baby’s room.

  The water had cooled, but Eve was still content to just lie there and relax. The quiet of her home was a welcome reprieve. She’d been in meetings all day, had made numerous decisions regarding offices in several different countries. She wasn’t one to have idle time, but she had to admit this felt amazing.

  She definitely had to listen to her body, and her body was tired and in need of some downtime.

  “Eve.”

  Water sloshed as she jerked and opened her eyes to see Graham standing in the door separating her bedroom from the bath. Her heart beat out of control in her chest. He’d scared the hell out of her.

  She blinked, realizing she’d fallen asleep. The water chilled her now and she shivered as she started to get up.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping from the tub to reach for the towel from the heated bar. “How did you get in?”

  His eyes raked over her, causing her chills to multiply for a totally different reason. “You were supposed to meet me an hour ago.”

  Eve wrapped herself in the towel and secured the edge between her breasts. She’d been asleep that long? Maybe she was more tired than she’d thought.

  “First, I never agreed to meet you after you demanded it.” She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes when his gaze dipped to her cleavage. “Second, you didn’t tell me how you got into my house.”

  One slow step turned into two and suddenly he was in front of her. His fingertips trailed up her bare arms and shivers wracked her body. Without a word, he tipped his head to rake his lips lightly across her jawline. Eve fisted her hands at her sides. She wanted to clutch him and give in to what he was obviously offering, but she had to think with her head, too.

  “You smell amazing,” he muttered as his mouth continued to explore her skin. “I worried when you didn’t show up.”

  Eve cursed herself when her head tipped back. With this man, she didn’t have control over her body. The fact that he worried about her warmed her, but she couldn’t think like that. They weren’t in a relationship. In fact, last time she’d talked to him, they were more divided than ever.

  “Graham.” She pushed at his chest. “We can’t do this.”

  Her slight shove did nothing to budge him. Wrapping his arms around her, he met her eyes.

  “Brooks and I have an unspoken understanding.”

  Eve narrowed her gaze, waiting for him to elaborate. “And that’s him keeping his investigator out of my family’s business?” she asked when it was clear he wasn’t going to go into detail.

  “He’s staying out of this for now. I don’t want to talk about my brothers or your father.” He nipped at her lips. “Trust me, Eve. I won’t hurt you.”

  Trust him. Oh, how she wished she could. She had a secret she wasn’t ready to reveal and he wanted her trust. And he may not intend to hurt her, but he was hell-bent on destroying her father, which in turn would most definitely hurt her.

  With an expert flick, he had her towel open and gliding to the floor before she could stop him. Every intimate encounter before now had been frenzied, frantic, clothes flying and lips exploring. Something about this slow seduction in her bathroom seemed even more...intimate. Were they crossing a line or was she just reading into this?

  “Stop thinking,” he demanded in a whisper against her ear. “Feel, Eve. Only feel.”

  As if she had any other choice.

  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, betrayi
ng 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.