“How was the pool, Ms. Harper?” Fred asked her.
“It was just what the doctor ordered,” she answered him. “I’m bushed though. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him, as she pushed the elevator button.
The second the doors opened she stepped in and quickly pushed her floor’s number. When it started to close, she breathed a sigh of relief, until Lucas jumped in at the last second.
“Is there something you needed to speak to me about?” she decided to throw out to him. “Or do you just follow all employees to their homes and act like a stalker?” she spat, no longer having any patience for the new game he’d decided to play.
“Stalker?” he questioned her. “I happen to live here too Amy or did you not notice my parking place?” he lifted his brow at her.
“You live here?” she asked dumbfounded. Why in the world would he live in the apartments when he could live anywhere he wanted? She looked at him without knowing how to reply to this latest information.
She hadn’t seen him around the building and she’d assumed he had his own parking place because he did a lot of business there with the clients that came and went.
“Yes,” was all he said in reply to her question.
“But why would you live in an apartment when you can have a house?” she let her curiosity overrule her need to not speak to him.
“I prefer the apartment because I’m a busy man and here I don’t have to worry about keeping up a property,” he said in explanation.
She just snorted quietly. Like he would have to worry about the upkeep anyway. He would hire minions to do any of his grunt work. He wasn’t the type of man who would pull the lawn mower out of the garage and take it for a spin around the yard. She shrugged and went back to ignoring him.
The door opened on her floor and he stepped out with her. That was when she figured out he was the one who lived in the other apartment on her floor. How had she not figured that out in the few months she’d been there already? They worked and lived in the same place and she had no idea he was living a few feet away from her.
She was going to have an even worse time sleeping now, knowing how very close he was to her and yet how very far away. Why couldn’t she get over the man?
She picked up her step and almost ran to her door. She was having difficulty with the lock, when he stepped up behind her and took the key. His body brushed hers and she just about jumped out of her skin.
He felt so good against her, if only for a moment. He took her key and slipped it into the lock, rubbing against her the whole time. His scent was surrounding her, making her miss his touch.
The door finally opened and she slipped inside, turning with her hand out for the key. He looked at her for a moment and slipped in, shutting the door behind him. How much was she supposed to take? Her willpower was slipping quickly.
“May I please use your bathroom? Then we need to talk about a few things.” He didn’t even wait for an answer. He just headed towards her bathroom. She leaned against the door and tried to strengthen her willpower. She could handle this. She handled it fine at work. Her apartment was no different, she tried to convince herself. She really, really wanted a stiff drink right then.
She rubbed her belly and smiled softly. Don’t worry little one, mama won’t poison you, she thought. She would just have to be strong.
Lucas took a deep breath walking to the bathroom. He could be civilized. Maybe they could even start some kind of relationship. He wasn’t very good with being in a commitment but he thought he was willing to try. He couldn’t stop thinking about her so there had to be something there worth pursuing. That was far more than many other people had going into something new.
He may have jumped to conclusions, thinking she would be after anything. He smiled to himself sheepishly. He didn’t normally admit to being wrong about anything, not even to himself. They would have a nice, reasonable adult conversation and then he could take her to bed without feeling badly about it.
Lucas was feeling pretty good about things as he walked into the bathroom. He finished up and then washed his face and hands in the sink. He turned around to leave and that’s when his world stopped turning.
He almost missed it. In her garbage can was a pregnancy kit box. What the hell? He’d never felt as scared in his life, as he reached for the box. He looked inside and found the little stick. There were two lines on it. What did that mean?
He quickly read the back of the box and time stood still. She was pregnant. Holy Hell, she was pregnant! Had she planned the pregnancy? How could she have? He couldn’t even think as he stood there staring at the pregnancy test. A few of his ex-girlfriends had tried to trap him into marriage by getting pregnant and he’d deftly avoided them. Somehow though, his assistant had gotten pregnant the one and only time they’d made love. He was angry with himself and even angrier with her. He knew it wasn’t logical but he couldn’t be logical at that moment.
Many women had tried to trap him into giving them his name and all the money that came along with it but none had succeeded, until now. Well, I better get out there to the future Mrs.
Anderson, he thought bitterly. Lucas took a few extra moments to compose his face before walking back out to her.
Amy was sitting on the couch when he entered the living room. She didn’t look up at him, which he was grateful for because he was having a heck of a time composing his own features.
“I’ll be right back. There are a couple of phone calls I need to make,” was all he said as he walked past her and through her front door. He didn’t look her way to see her face.
“I need to speak with my father, please?” Lucas asked without any preambles.
“One moment Lucas.” He was put through to his father a minute later.
“Hello son, how are you?”
“I’m getting married and I want to get it done this week. I’m busy with work so can you take care of the arrangements. Normally I would’ve my assistant do it but since she’s the bride I need someone else.”
“You’re getting married, to Amy? I’m so happy for you, son. She’s a real keeper. I’ll take care of all the arrangements. How about Friday evening?” He asked with no surprise in his voice. Lucas was taken back a little bit by his father’s attitude. He was in too much shock to be suspicious though.
“Friday will be fine. Amy’s pregnant so I want to keep this discreet please. Just you and mom and Amy and I,” he said cautiously. He knew his father’s love of throwing parties and he didn’t want a mass of people there to witness the charade.