LITMIR.BIZ

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it,” she said fiercely as Gina cried into her shoulder. “I’m glad I was close enough to come when you needed me.”

      They rocked together, letting the tears flow, until Gina finally raised a tear-streaked face.

      “You okay?” Sarah asked, fishing a tissue out of her purse.

      “No, but...but I will be.”

      Thank God. She heard the old Gina in that defiant sniff. She handed her the tissue and hid a grin when her sister honked like a Canadian goose.

      “I meant to ask you about that, Sarah.”

      “About what?”

      “How you could get here so fast. What were you doing in Paris?”

      “I’ll tell you later. Let’s focus on you right now. And the baby. Who’s the father, Gina, and does he know he is one?”

      “Yes, to the second part. I was so wigged-out last night, I called him before I called you.” She scrunched up her nose. “He didn’t take it well.”

      “Bastard!”

      “And then some.” Her tears completely gone now, Gina gave an indignant sniff. “You wouldn’t believe how obnoxious and overbearing he is. And I can’t believe I fell for him, even for one weekend. Although in my defense, he gives new meaning to the phrase sex on the hoof.”

      “Who is this character?”

      “No one you know. I met him in L.A. My company catered a party for him.”

      The bottom dropped out of Sarah’s stomach. She could have sworn she heard it splat into the weathered boards. She stared at the snow-covered peaks in the distance, but all she could see was the surveillance video of Gina. At Dev’s house in L.A. Catering a private party.

      “What’s...?” She dragged her tongue over suddenly dry lips. Her voice sounded hollow in her ears, as though it came from the bottom of a well. “What’s his name?”

      “Jack Mason.” Gina’s lip curled. “Excuse me, John Harris Mason, the third.”

      For a dizzying moment, Sarah couldn’t catch her breath. She only half heard the diatribe her sister proceeded to pour out concerning the man. She caught that he was some kind of ambassador, however, and that he worked out of the State Department.

      “How in the world did you hook up with someone from the State Department?”

      “He was in L.A. for a benefit. A friend introduced us.”

      “Oh. Well...”

      Since Gina seemed to have finally run out of steam, Sarah asked if she’d eaten breakfast.

      “No, I was waiting for you to wake up.”

      “The baby...” She gestured at her sister’s still-flat stomach. “You need to eat, and I’m starved. Why don’t you go back to the hotel and order us a gargantuan breakfast? I’ll join you after I make a few calls.”

      “You’re not going to call Grandmama?” Alarm put a squeak in Gina’s voice. “We can’t drop this on her long-distance.”

      “Good Lord, no! I need to call Paris. I raced out so fast last night, I didn’t pack my things or check out of the hotel.”

      Or wait for Dev to hotfoot it back to the Hôtel Verneuil. Sarah didn’t regret that hasty decision. She wouldn’t have made the Swiss Air flight if she’d waited. But she did regret the anger that had flared between them.

      No need to tell Gina about Dev right now. Not when she and Sarah were both still dealing with the emotional whammy of her pregnancy. She’d tell her later, after things had calmed down a bit.

      Which was why she waited until her sister was almost to the exit of the wooden tunnel to whip out her phone. And why frustration put a scowl on her face when Dev didn’t answer his cell.

      She left a brief message. Just a quick apology for her spurt of temper last night and a request for him to return her call as soon as possible. She started to slip the phone back into her purse, but decided to try his hotel room. The house phone rang six times before switching to the hotel operator, as it had last night.

      “May I help you?”

      “This is Sarah St. Sebastian. I’m trying to reach Monsieur Hunter.”

      “I’m sorry, Lady Sarah. Monsieur Hunter has checked out.”

      “What! When?”

      “Early this morning. He told Monsieur LeBon an urgent business matter had come up at home that required his immediate attention. He also instructed us to hold your room for you until you return.”

      For the second time in less than ten minutes, Sarah’s stomach took a dive.

      “Did he...? Did he leave a message for me?”

      “No, ma’am.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Quite sure, ma’am.”

      “I see. Thank you.”

      The hand holding the phone dropped to her lap. Once again she stared blindly at the dazzling white peak. Long moments later, she gave her head a little shake and pushed off the bench.

      Gina needed her. They’d work on her problem first. Then, maybe, work on Sarah’s. When she was calmer and could put this business with Dev in some kind of perspective.

      * * *

      The scene that greeted her when she walked into the Rebstock’s lobby did nothing to promote a sense of calm. If anything, she was jolted into instant outrage by the sight of a tawny-haired stranger brutally gripping one of Gina’s wrists. She was hammering at him with her free fist. The receptionist dithered ineffectually behind the counter.

      “What are you doing?”

      Sarah flew across the lobby, her hands curled into talons. She attacked from the side while Gina continued to assault the front. Between them, they forced the stranger to hunch his shoulders and shield his face from fifteen painted, raking fingernails.

      “Hey! Back off, lady.”

      “Let her go!”

      Sarah got in a vicious swipe that drew blood. The man, whom she now suspected was the overbearing, obnoxious ambassador, cursed.

      “Jesus! Back off, I said!”

      “Not until you let Gina go.”

      “The hell I will! She’s got some explaining to do, and I’m not letting her out of my sight until...”

      He broke off, as startled as Sarah when she was thrust aside by 180 pounds of savage male.

      “What the...?”

      That was all Mason got out before a fist slammed into his jaw. He stumbled back a few steps, dragging Gina with him, then took a vicious blow to the midsection that sent him to his knees.

      Still, he wouldn’t release Gina’s wrist. But instead of fighting and twisting, she was now on her knees beside him and waving her free hand frantically.

      “Dev! Stop!”

      Sarah was terrified her sister might be hurt in the melee. Or the baby. Dear God, the baby. She leaped forward and hung like a monkey from Dev’s arm.

      “For God’s sake, be careful! She’s pregnant!”

      The frantic shout backed Dev off but produced the opposite reaction in Mason. His brown eyes blazing, he wrenched Gina around to face him.

      “Pregnant? What the hell is this? When you called me last night, all weepy and hysterical, you said you’d just come back from the clinic.”

      “I had just come back from the clinic!”

      “Then what...?” His glance shot to her

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