He should know soon. Nicole expected the results any day.
“You’re full of surprises.” Paige set down the wine she’d carried in. “Any other secrets you want to tell me about?”
Looking away, he pulled out her chair. “I play the piano.” He gestured toward the table. “Have a seat and I’ll serve.”
“Me too. And the guitar. Joe plays the drums. We used to joke about starting a rock band. Unfortunately, neither of us can sing. Not that it ever stopped me from doing it.”
Scott let thoughts of Nicole fade from his mind. Wasting time on them wouldn’t make the possible situation go away. “Can’t be any worse than me. Both my sisters have great voices though.”
Over dinner, Paige filled him in on the craziness at work. He didn’t know how she did it. He wouldn’t make it a single day as a nurse. Some people might say the same about what he did; wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk wasn’t for everyone either. His cousins Jake and Brett were both perfect examples of that. They’d opted for careers that kept them away from Sherbrooke Enterprises and corporate America.
“Did you make this too?” She eyed the dessert he carried in after he cleared away the dinner dishes.
“Baking and I don’t get along. This I ordered and picked up on my way home.” He passed her a slice of the chocolate decadence cake before setting his plate down.
She didn’t waste any time reaching for her fork. “Mom and Dad want to meet you. When I saw Mom Wednesday, I told her maybe next weekend. Does that sound okay?”
For the second time tonight, he intentionally looked at something other than her. “Sure. Maybe —” The buzz from his intercom interrupted him. The only company he expected today sat next to him. “Be right back.” He kissed her check before heading for the kitchen and the closest intercom.
Could it be a cousin downstairs, or maybe one of his sisters? None usually stopped by unannounced, but maybe one had made an unexpected trip into the city. It couldn’t be Dylan or Callie. Both had visited his apartment enough times that all the security guards recognized them. The same was true for his parents. “Yes,” he said, pressing the button on the intercom.
“Mr. Belmont, there is a Nicole Sutton here asking to come up.”
Thanks to the open floor plan the security guard’s voice carried across the apartment.
“Is it okay to allow her upstairs?” the guard asked, and Scott wished he’d used the intercom in the bedroom instead.
Paige held her fork over her plate and stared at him. Looked like he was telling her everything tonight whether he was ready to or not. Damn, why couldn’t Nicole have called instead?
“It’s fine. Send her up.” He released the button and got ready for some questions.
Scott didn’t wait long.
“We’re having company tonight?” Paige’s forehead scrunched into a frown. “Who is she? The name sounds super familiar.”
“An ex-girlfriend.” There was no point in lying. It would all come out soon anyway. “We dated for a few months last summer and fall. I broke up with her in November.”
She put down the fork, a chunk of chocolate cake still on it. Scott took that as a bad sign.
“She won’t be here long. Promise.” At least he hoped.
His doorbell rang, ending any further conversation or questions, although he expected he’d get plenty when Nicole left. Put in a similar situation, he’d have a lot to say if Paige’s ex showed up at her house unexpectedly.
Tonight’s outfit resembled the one she’d worn on her last visit, except rather than extra short shorts, Nicole wore a tight black skirt that barely reached midthigh. She’d paired it with a belly-baring cropped white top and high-heeled sandals. No one would ever guess the woman had given birth a few weeks ago.
“Hi, I hope this isn’t a bad time.” She stepped inside before he invited her in. “I was in the area when I got Jordan’s call and figured I’d stop and see if you were home. Do you have any more of the wine I had Wednesday, because I’d love a glass? If not another kind will do.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. He still stood with his hand on the door handle. “Have you been cooking again? It smells amazing in here. What did you make tonight?”
“Paige and I were having dinner,” he said, the moment Nicole paused long enough for him to speak.
Nicole spun on her heel. “Sorry, if I’d known you had company I wouldn’t have come.”
“You’re here.” Scott released the door handle. “Let me introduce you to my girlfriend,” he said, unclenching his jaw and moving it from side to side. His teeth were never going to be the same again. He walked past Nicole, assuming she’d follow him.
When he got closer though, the expression on Paige’s face made him want to keep on walking. Yes, she was curious, but she was furious too. He had a good guess why. She’d heard Nicole’s comment about being there on Wednesday, a detail he’d never shared.
“Nicole, this is my girlfriend, Paige. I told you about her the other night.” He stopped behind Paige and put his hands on her shoulders. “Paige, Nicole Sutton.” He’d already mentioned she was an ex, so no need in reminding her.
“That’s why your name sounded familiar. You stared in Time Warriors with Anderson Brady.”
Nicole nodded. “Sorry to interrupt your dinner. I won’t stay long.”
Scott walked around the table and pulled out the chair he’d vacated for Nicole. Taking the seat beside Paige instead, he wrapped his hand around one of hers. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t curl her fingers around his. Instead, they stayed stiff.
Damn, Nicole had rotten timing. “Jordan got the test results?” Later he’d give Paige the full version of the story. For now a few quick answers from Nicole would suffice and get her out of there.
“He called while I was shopping.” She glanced at Paige and back at him. “Do you have any more of the wine? I could really use a glass, Scott.”
She needed wine? Couldn’t she spit out an answer and leave? “Yeah, sure. Paige, do you want some?” They’d finished their wine over dinner and opted for coffee with their dessert.
“No,” she answered, her voice hard.
“I’ll be right back.” He released Paige’s hand. Right away she folded her hands in her lap. He’d get himself a drink too. Something stronger than wine, though.
From the kitchen he saw Nicole lean forward and speak to Paige, her voice low so it didn’t carry into him. Whatever she was saying, he hoped it didn’t tick Paige off any further. Scott tossed back a shot of whiskey before joining the women and again reaching for Paige’s hand.
“Thank you.” Nicole accepted the glass, taking a healthy sip before she delivered the answers he needed. “Jordan got the test results from the lab this afternoon. Unfortunately, my instincts were right. Cooper’s not his son.”
Paige’s mug hit the table with a thud. Coffee sloshed over the top, filling her dessert plate and drowning her uneaten cake.
Scott raked his free hand down his face and wished he’d brought the bottle of whiskey over with him. He needed something harder than coffee on the table right now. “Not the answer we wanted, but at least we know.” While he’d hoped Jordan would turn out to be Cooper’s father, somehow he’d expected the news Nicole had just delivered.
“Will you have the test done soon?” Nicole again reached for her wine.
Paige’s hand slipped out of his. He should’ve told her everything as soon as Nicole left Wednesday night. “Monday morning.”
She took a business card from her purse and handed it to him. “This is the lab we used. They already have a sample of Cooper’s DNA.”
“I’ll call them first thing and get it taken care of.”
Nicole finished her wine in one long sip. “Thanks for not being a jerk about this, Scott. If I’d gone to Alastair before you, he would’ve made this difficult. I know he would’ve.”
Alastair Corey must be the other potential father, because he was the only big-name director in Hollywood nam
ed Alastair. It didn’t surprise him. More than once the guy’s name had been linked to some scandal or another involving women who were not his wife.
“My car’s waiting outside. Enjoy your weekend.”
Damn manners. He wanted to explain everything to Paige, not escort Nicole out. “I’ll walk you to the door.” Scott put the business card in his pocket and kissed Paige’s cheek. “Be right back.”
She’d sat through the conversation in silence. Should he take that as a good sign? Or did it simply mean she had great control over her rage? He couldn’t picture Paige angry. Yeah, everyone got upset, but he didn’t see her screaming at him. Nicole yes, Paige no.
Scoot stared at the closed door, his feet stuck to the floor. Get your ass back over there.
“She doesn’t dress like any new moms I know,” Paige said with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Scott stopped short halfway back to the table. He’d expected Paige to demand answers, not comment on Nicole’s clothes. “We need to talk.” In business meetings, he got right to the point. This seemed like a good time to do the same.
She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, sending his instincts buzzing. “You think?” The sarcasm remained in her voice.
When he reached the table, he considered his seating options before sitting next to her. “Since you heard the tail end of the situation, I’ll start at the beginning.”
“Good idea.”
Normally when they were this close, he’d hold her hand or touch her leg. As he began the explanation, he kept both hands on the tabletop, uncertain of how she’d react if he reached for her. “Before I met you in Virginia Beach last weekend, Nicole called wanting to see me. I told her it’d have to wait until I got back. Wednesday night she stopped by.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
Weeks earlier, she’d seen Nicole Sutton on a magazine cover announcing the birth of her son with her fiancé, another well-known Hollywood actor. So she’d recognized her right away. Paige had also disliked her immediately. Logically, she shouldn’t have. She’d never been in the same room with Nicole before tonight. Her heart hadn’t cared about logic. It’d only cared a gorgeous woman who’d dated and slept with Scott had intruded on their time together. Things only got worse from there.
When she heard Nicole mention a recent visit, her heart hit her lap. He’d had his ex-girlfriend—no, wait—incredibly sexy ex-girlfriend over and failed to tell her. Not what she wanted to hear.
Before she’d digested that news, Nicole dropped her next bombshell announcing Cooper wasn’t her fiancé’s son. Somehow even before Nicole asked when Scott would get the paternity test done, she’d known the reason behind Nicole’s visit.
“Nicole came to me before the third possible father.”
Yeah, she’d heard Nicole mention someone named Alastair. “Only three?” Great actress or not, the chick had rocks for brains if she’d cheated on Scott with two other men.
“She gets around,” Scott answered with disgust. “If you believe her story she started seeing Jordan in September. We were together until November. She had sex with Alastair in October too, in exchange for a movie role. Isn’t showbiz wonderful.”
People in Hollywood lived in their own crazy world. “Do you think the baby is yours?” Saying the words took all her willpower.
“I just don’t know. It’s possible. We used protection, but it’s not foolproof. And we had a condom break one night.” He rubbed his palms together, frustration written all over his face.
Were they really talking about him and his ex-girlfriend having sex? People didn’t have those kinds of conversations. Let it go. It happened. Move on.
“I should’ve told you all this Wednesday night, but I hoped Jordan would be Cooper’s father. Nicole did too. I screwed up. I’m sorry.”
“Yep, you did. Not that it makes it okay, but I kinda understand.” She didn’t want to voice the next question, but had to. Some conversations you couldn’t avoid. “What if the test comes back and you’re the father?”
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Joint custody. If Cooper’s mine, I plan on being in his life. When she’s not filming or on vacation, Nicole lives in Manhattan. According to my lawyer that fact should make the legal aspects easier to handle.”
She’d expected no other answer from him. It was part of why she loved him.
“It won’t change anything, Paige.”
“You might want to talk to your cousins who have children or something, because becoming a father changes your entire life.”
Reaching over, he took her hand. “I meant it won’t change things between us. At least not for me. Does it for you?”
I’m not sure. He hadn’t cheated on her. If the baby was his, Nicole had gotten pregnant before they met. However, if he and Nicole shared a child, maybe they should get back together. Try to make it work for the baby’s sake. If they did, they might go on to have a good marriage and many more children. Was it fair for her to stand in the way? Especially considering she might never be able to give him the family he wanted, something she’d yet to share. She’d hoped to get up the nerve this weekend. Now she didn’t see it happening.
“Paige, I love you. And no matter how this situation turns out, I’ll love you. You know that, right?” he asked, an indication she’d kept quiet too long.
She hated to lie, but for now, she’d tell him what he needed to hear because she’d never sort out her feelings tonight. It’d have to wait until she was alone. “I love you too. And you’re right, this doesn’t change anything between us.”
Chapter 13
Waiting and him didn’t do well. It didn’t help he’d learned a long time ago that with enough money you could get anything done in a shorter amount of time. No dollar amount could rush a paternity test. He’d asked.
Another couple days. He hoped, anyway. If it took much longer, he ran the risk of killing the motor on his treadmill and burning out his biceps. Reaching for his towel, he wiped the sweat from his face and left his home gym. As he passed the kitchen, he grabbed the mail he’d left there earlier. On the top sat an envelope with his cousin’s return address. Scott left the rest of the mail behind and tore open the envelope from Derek. Yep, an invitation to his cousin’s wedding, although he hadn’t needed to send one. At the engagement party, Derek had announced his and Brooklyn’s wedding would be Labor Day weekend, despite the protests from both Abby and Scott’s mom. Even his sister Courtney had chimed in that night, agreeing with the older women. Scott had no wedding planning experience, but disagreed anyway. While his cousins Callie and Sara had planned for over a year, his cousin Trent and his wife had managed to pull a nice ceremony together in about two months. No doubt with mom as well as Abby on the job, Derek and Brooklyn’s wedding would be as nice despite the limited time frame.
Scott tossed the invitation down and checked his watch. By the time he finished showering, Paige should be home from work. Hopefully, tonight she wouldn’t say she was too tired to talk. The past two nights their conversations had been short. On Monday when she claimed exhaustion he hadn’t questioned it, but she’d done the same thing the night before too. He realized it could be true. She worked twelve-hour days at a high-stress job. But she’d never done it before this week. If she was already upset with him, calling her on it might make things worse.
Although maybe a little quieter than usual, Paige had seemed fine all weekend. More than once she’d reassured him the situation with Nicole didn’t change things between them. Even so, he couldn’t stop thinking her reluctance to talk this week stemmed from the paternity test results, something he had no control over unfortunately. If he did, the test results would come back negative, and he’d again have Nicole Sutton out of his life.
A little voice kept telling him to be prepared for the opposite.
Showered and dressed, Scott finished a granola bar before trying Paige. When the call immediately went to voice mail, he checked his watch. Almost eight o’clock. Except for the nights when he’
d been abroad, he always made his calls around this time. And she always answered. At least a dozen reasons could explain why she hadn’t tonight. She could be in the shower. Or on another call. Maybe she’d left her phone at work or in her car. She could’ve forgotten to charge it, and the phone had no power.
Despite listing the possible reasons, his unease grew.
Moments later, Paige’s name came across the screen as his smartphone rang.
“Sorry, somehow I turned off the ringer,” she said after he answered.
“No problem, I’ve done it myself.” He had more than once, but his gut told him she hadn’t. At least not tonight. “Feeling better?”
She cleared her throat before she answered. “A little. I went to bed right after we talked yesterday. Didn’t wake up once, not even during the crazy thunderstorm I guess we had. Plan to do the same thing tonight.”
“Yeah, we got a similar storm here. I got the invitation to Derek’s wedding. Looks my mom couldn’t change his mind. It’s the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. The ceremony is at eleven with the reception right after. I want you to come with me. They’re keeping it on the smaller side. Just family.” When it came to Sherbrooke family events, smaller took on a whole different meaning. Regardless, this wedding would be nothing compared to his cousin Sara’s in June. “This weekend after we see your parents, I thought we could stop and visit mine. My plan is to get out of the city early Friday, so I should be there around two if there’s not much traffic.”
Falling For the Billionaire Page 15