She watched Code work on projects around the house and often he’d look up at her with deep hunger in his eyes, promising another night of earth-shattering passion. Yet, Code kept an emotional distance from her. She felt his restraint in his every touch, the tone of his voice, the hard edge surrounding him that she couldn’t seem to breech.
Sarah had to go back to the hotel today. She couldn’t put off her duties any longer. Her sudden disappearance had only spurred speculation from the media. In the past, she’d been slapped with scandals that had marred her good name. She needed to make an appearance before the speculation got out of control. Robert had been especially demanding of her when she’d finally telephoned him. She’d defied his command to come back which only angered him more.
Sarah flipped the griddle cakes and watched them break into little bubbles as they sizzled. She couldn’t help smiling as she made breakfast for Code. He’d always loved griddle cakes. Part of her couldn’t believe that she stood here, half-naked in Code’s shirt, cooking for him, while the other part of her couldn’t believe how much being at Willow Bend with him had come to feel like home.
“Don’t wish it,” Sarah mumbled to herself.
He still hasn’t let down his guard.
Sarah didn’t know if she could trust him with the truth about the baby. She was cautiously optimistic, but hadn’t yet found the right moment to let him know he was going to be a father.
At one time in their lives, starting a family had been their ultimate dream.
“Something smells good,” he said and she turned to find him standing in the kitchen threshold, watching her. Sarah stilled, and her heart raced. It seemed every time he entered a room, the thump, thump, thumping beat out a rapid rhythm she couldn’t control.
Fresh from his morning shower, he was sexier than any man she’d ever known. Jeans hugged his slim hips and a shirt hung unbuttoned from his broad shoulders exposing a gloriously tanned and muscled chest. His hair dried in disarray, and he hadn’t seen a razor in days. Tiny love marks all over her body served as evidence.
She turned toward her task, picking up a plate and sliding the spatula under one round griddlecake. “They’re almost ready. Want to eat out in the garden?”
Sarah loved the burgeoning gardens outside. A newly restored lattice gazebo sat amid flourishing shrubs and flowers along a brick path ten yards from the back entrance of the house.
Code came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. “Not if it means you putting on more clothes.”
She filled the plate and set it down near the oven, giggling when Code nuzzled her throat. “Code, I’m trying to fix breakfast.”
She was the ultimate cliché, making breakfast dressed only in his shirt, barefoot and pregnant.
“And you’re doing a bang-up job, baby.” He fondled her breast.
Playfully, she shoved him away. “Go, pour the coffee or something.”
They’d had a two-day break from reality. Sarah rationalized it as trying to acquaint herself with the man he had become. Yet, they’d never spoken of the future, living only in the moment.
Code set the cups of coffee down on the table refusing to let her put on her clothes to eat outside. She laughed, bringing a tall stack of griddle cakes to the table. “You’re the most insatiable man I’ve ever met.”
He grinned and tugged on her hand until she landed into his lap. She anticipated his kiss, but a loud booming knock from the front door startled her. “Who could that—”
Code lifted her off his lap and rose before she could finish her thought. “Wait here. I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”
He headed for the front door, buttoning his shirt as he strode out of the kitchen.
Seconds later, Sarah heard volatile voices raised in argument. She couldn’t make out the words, recognizing only Code’s deep tone, the other voice being female.
Female?
Sarah headed toward the front of the house and stopped up short, seeing Code in the vestibule nose to nose with a gorgeous raven-haired woman. From her quick glance out the window she noticed a long, black limousine in the driveway.
“You’re wrong, Maria. I don’t want you here. We’re over.”
The woman’s dark Spanish eyes contrasted against the sleek lines of her white pantsuit and faux fur jacket, and burned with determination. “We were in love. Can you throw that away so easily?”
“It was a mistake. I don’t know how many ways I can say it.”
She put her palms flat on Code’s chest, caressing him. “Let me change your mind, mi corazon.”
Sarah’s gut clenched and jealousy caused a sharp gasp to slip out.
Both heads turned in her direction. The woman’s gaze fell on her with stunned surprise when she recognized Sarah. Most people who knew music did, some of her country songs crossing over to the pop culture. Sarah couldn’t say she hadn’t been in the forefront of entertainment news on many occasions.
The woman further scrutinized her noting Sarah’s state of undress. Her eyes darkened with anger and pain. In her haste, Sarah had forgotten she wore only Code’s shirt. Uncomfortable now, she shifted her feet from side to side.
Sarah glanced at Code who had the composure to introduce them. “Sarah Rose, this is Maria Marquez.”
“His fiancée.” Maria lifted a haughty chin.
“Ex-fiancée,” Code clarified.
Maria cast him an injured look and her voice softened with anguish. “Is she the reason you do not call me back?”
Code swept his gaze to Sarah then to the broken-hearted woman. “You tell me, Maria. I’m here with her and not you.”
Maria flinched at his tone as she seemingly made the same assumption based on Code’s claim. Another quick glance at Sarah, and Maria appeared convinced.
“No, it’s not like that,” Sarah blurted, furious at Code for his insinuation.
Code shot Sarah a warning glare then turned back to Maria. “You need to go home, Maria. We are through.”
True tears spilled from Maria’s eyes. “I see,” she said softly, unable to hide her hurt expression. “I was a fool.”
Sarah watched the scene, sympathizing with the woman who obviously was still in love with Code. She couldn’t believe Code’s harsh tone or the brutal way he’d dismissed her.
Maria turned on her heels quickly ready to leave, then spun around to heed Sarah a warning. “Do not trust him with your heart. He is cold…like stone.”
Maria exited with a regal gait, her head held high, but her wobbly shoulders as she retreated gave away her sobbing. They watched as her chauffeur opened the door, and Maria got into the limousine without so much as a glance back.
Once the car turned onto River Road, Code turned to her, his lips tight. “Sorry you had to see that, but it was good timing that you were here. Maria—”
“Good timing? That she saw you with another woman? That you rubbed salt into her wounds? That you probably broke her heart…again!”
“Getting engaged was a huge mistake. I’ve told her that a dozen times.”
“You were cold to her, Code.”
Like stone.
“She needed to let go.”
“You hurt her.”
“I’ve tried letting her down easy. She’s spoiled and headstrong and used to getting her way. She needed a reality check.”
A chilling shiver ran down Sarah’s spine. She buttoned her lips as trepidation steamed just below the surface. Seeing how Code handled his ex-fiancée convinced her she couldn’t tell him about the baby. She couldn’t possibly know how he’d react. She couldn’t fathom what sort of demands he would make. When care and tenderness were called for, Code had exhibited callus disregard. Unfortunately, she’d witnessed that trait in him too many times to ignore.
She couldn’t trust him with her precious secret.
“I need to go back to the hotel today.” Sarah stared at Code, daring him to defy her. “It’s time.”
To her surprise, he only nodded. “I’ll h
ave Jimmy pick you up in an hour.”
And just like that, the two days of bliss they’d shared was obliterated.
Twinkling Christmas tree lights and shiny ornaments greeted her when she arrived back at her hotel suite, bringing a bittersweet smile to her face. Sarah would’ve liked to spend this Christmas with her baby’s father, to have a quiet dinner in front of the tree and to contemplate the next yuletide holiday, which would include rattles and toys and all sorts of baby gear.
Now Sarah knew that wasn’t possible.
She took a long, hot bath, soaking away tension and stress. She’d tried to ignore Robert’s text messages and calls, but the man was persistent, so she returned his call and listened to his tirade about her leaving for two days.
“Do you know how hard it was for me? I get one phone call from you in two days. You take off with that, that…James Bond wannabe, ignoring my messages—”
“I called you as soon as I could,” she defended. “And asked for your patience. You knew I was okay. I’m entitled to some time off.”
“You mean away from me?”
“No, I don’t mean that at all. Don’t make this personal, Robert.”
“It is personal! You’re my responsibility.”
She was his meal ticket.
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut at that niggling thought. Her successes made Robert a very wealthy man, but he’d earned it, she told herself. He’d worked hard, though she didn’t always agree with his methods. Sarah had been young when she’d been introduced to the music industry and she’d let Robert call all the shots. It’s what he did best. But now, Sarah had some doubts as to his role in her life.
“Maybe it’s time I took more responsibility for myself, Robert. Maybe I—”
“Sarah, don’t talk crazy,” he interrupted, his voice laced with something she hadn’t heard before—alarm. Robert felt uncharacteristically threatened. “We’re a team, me and you. Maybe you do need to rest. I’ll come by later, and we’ll have dinner together. We really need to talk.”
Sarah wouldn’t argue. She was tired and distraught over Code. “Fine. I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll come for you at seven.”
She hung up the phone and climbed into bed, the bleakness of the cool, cloudy day matching her mood. Grateful for the reprieve, she knew she couldn’t escape seeing her manager tonight.
In the beginning, he’d pursued her like a man on a mission. But as a young girl, Sarah’s feelings for Robert didn’t amount to more than friendship and respect. With eight years separating their ages, at times she’d thought of him as an older brother and maybe a father figure, though she’d never admit that to him for fear of injuring his male ego. Thankfully, he’d given up his pursuit of her years ago and had concentrated his efforts on work.
Sarah’s mind drifted to the new life she carried inside and the reality of her situation struck her anew. “I love this baby already,” she whispered, surprised at the surge of protectiveness she felt.
She had to do what was right for her child.
If someone could just tell her what that was, she’d be eternally grateful.
Sarah managed to get two hours of sleep despite her worries, certain the demands of her pregnancy tired her out more than usual.
She rose and dressed for dinner in a light gray cashmere dress that hugged her body, lending comfort with soft warmth. She draped a leather belt along her waist and donned her favorite pair of black leather boots, leaving her hair down in curls.
When the knock came at seven o’clock, she opened the door, and Robert walked inside briskly, his face animated, his eyes alight and determined. “I’ve got great news, Sarah. I couldn’t wait to tell you about it. Are you rested and in a better frame of mind?”
Sarah narrowed her gaze. She wasn’t in a better frame of mind and something warned her that she wouldn’t like Robert’s good news. “For what? What kind of news?”
“A country-wide tour. While you were gone these past few days, not only did I fend off the press about your sudden disappearance, but I tentatively booked you for a four-month tour, starting in the spring. We’ll have lots of work to do, putting it all together, but it’s going to be—”
“What?” Her nerves jangling, her voice broke with irritation. Surely, he wasn’t serious? “What are you talking about?”
Robert glanced at his watch impatiently. “We’re going to be late for dinner. Let’s get going, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Sarah stood by the threshold of the front door, completely shell-shocked. “No, Robert. I’m not going anywhere with you until I make you understand. I never agreed to tour the country this spring. You know I’ve been leaning toward slowing down. I want—”
“This is just what you need,” he said, speaking over her, not really listening at all. “Trust me, Sarah.”
“Robert, I don’t want to go on tour this spring. I’ve told you I didn’t want to tour at all next year.”
Robert’s face fell and a deep frown pulled at the corner of his mouth. “You’ll change your mind. Let’s discuss this over dinner.”
“No,” Sarah said, folding her arms across her stomach, clear now about her priorities. “I won’t change my mind. I plan on taking time off after Christmas. I’d always planned on that, and you know it.”
“Sarah, this is good for your career. You’re on top now, and it’s my job to keep you there. A spring tour is just the thing to—”
“I can’t go!” Frustrated at Robert’s persistence, her voice rose to a falsetto pitch. Maybe if she weren’t pregnant she would have given in, because that’s what Sarah had always done in the past. She’d let her manager make her decisions. But this time, she put her foot down, literally and figuratively.
Robert caught her foot-stomp and arched a curious brow. “You can’t go? What does that mean?”
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted and immediately wished she’d held her tongue.
She hadn’t wanted to divulge her secret to him so soon. She’d wanted time to adjust to the idea. To tell the baby’s father first before she had to deal with her business manager.
Robert’s eyes went wide. “You’re pregnant?”
The words repeated back to her sounded strange. A lump formed in her throat. She swallowed and nodded. “Yes.”
“Who?” he asked, then shook his head and began pacing, contemplating. “Never mind. I know it’s Landon. Doesn’t matter.”
“Now do you see why I don’t want to tour?” Sarah put her hand to her belly. “I’m having a baby,” she said softly.
Robert eyed her for a moment, scratched his head then a spark entered his eyes. “You can still tour. We’ll get married. Hell, we’re always together anyway. I’ll raise the child as my own and we’ll tell the press we’ve been in love all along. It’ll not only save your image. but you’ll get tons of—”
“Robert! I can’t believe what you’re suggesting. I tell you I’m having a baby and all you can think of is how to explain away my pregnancy to the press? You’re worried about my image? What about what I’m feeling? What about the baby I’m carrying? And the baby’s father? He has a right to know. You’d actually secretly raise another man’s child as your own just to…just to—”
And then it hit her like a baseball bat to the head.
The realization made her dizzy. Her head spun. She looked him squarely in the eyes and saw Robert Gillespie for the man that he was.
Dozens of images popped into her head of his manipulations and the unyielding way he’d controlled her from the moment they’d met. It was all clear now and Sarah blamed no one but herself for allowing him so much control.
“Sarah, come on. It was a dumb move getting pregnant, and I’m offering you a way out. You know you can’t do this alone and—”
“She won’t have to.” Code entered her suite, his jaw tight, his expression chilling. He shot Robert a hard look of disdain.
Sarah cringed. None of this was happening the way she’d imagined. C
ode must have overheard most of the conversation from outside the halfway closed door. And Code’s cold blue eyes weren’t solely aimed at Robert. He glanced at her. “It’s my baby.”
It was a statement of fact. He knew. She nodded anyway as confirmation. Code glanced at her belly for a moment, his blue eyes softening, then flicked her a look of disgust.
She released the breath she’d been holding when he returned his attention to Robert. “You’re a first-class bastard, Gillespie.”
“This is between Sarah and me.”
“Like hell it is,” Code said, his voice laced with venom. “She’s carrying my child.”
“She didn’t tell you about it. You had to overhear it from the hallway.”
Code cursed and walked toward Robert with deliberate steps. Sarah stepped between the two men. “Stop this. It’s time I took control of my life.”
She turned to Robert. “You’re fired. We’re through, Robert. I want you out of my suite right now.”
“Sarah,” Robert said impatiently, as if she were a whining child. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do. Please leave.” Sarah stepped away from the two men, her nerves raw, her body trembling.
“I’m not leaving. You’re upset right now. We need to discuss this. Alone.”
“No, Robert,” she said shaking her head. “We won’t discuss this again. I’m sorry, but I won’t change my mind.”
“You ungrateful—”
Code grabbed Robert’s arm. “Shut up. I’m giving you a choice, you can walk out with me civilly right now, or we can do this another way. And believe me, I’m sorely hoping you get stubborn.”
Robert’s nostrils spread as he inhaled a deep breath and looked at her. Sarah glanced away. This was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life, aside from walking away from Cody all those years ago.
But her decision was made. And it had been a long time coming.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Robert yank his arm free and walk out, his head held high. Code was right beside him but before he exited the suite, he turned to her. “Don’t move a muscle, Sarah. I’ll be back. I’m not through with you yet.”
Do Not Disturb Until Christmas Page 7