LITMIR.BIZ

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he was already gone? That was the part that completely gutted her. He was very much alive, though his health was failing.

      Her hand slid down through the lavender-scented bubbles to rest on her flat stomach. Babies were a blessing. The innocence they injected into your life couldn’t be matched. Eve wanted to tell her father, wanted to be excited about this new life, but first she had to talk to Graham.

      Keeping their child from being a victim in this family war was going to be a struggle, but she refused to believe it was impossible. She knew Graham was loyal to his family—that much was obvious. But how would he react to this child? How would he treat her?

      She didn’t want him to hover, didn’t want him to assume she wanted him as a permanent fixture in her life. She had a plan, goals, a career that was taking off better than she’d ever anticipated.

      Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want this career at the expense of her father’s health, his life. She’d taken over as president when he could no longer run Elite Industries.

      When her cell chimed, Eve jumped. She should’ve left the thing in her purse, but she’d been carrying it around like a pacifier lately...because one day she’d get the inevitable call about her father.

      The cell lay on the edge of the tub surround. Eve glanced at the screen and saw Nora’s name. Worried this might have something to do with her dad, Eve dried her hands off on her towel and quickly read the text.

      Relief slid through her when she saw it was just a Halloween party invitation. Sounded fun. In terms of costumes, Eve could go as an overworked, worn down, emotional mess. Maybe she could go in her pajamas with bed hair to really play up the part.

      Eve shot back a quick reply to tell her sister she’d be there. Asking if Graham could come as her date probably wasn’t the smart thing to do.

      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

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