Page 60 of Vegas Baby

“There’s a fifty-fifty chance.” She put her own arms around his neck, body weak and limp. Snuggling close, she settled her head against his collarbone.

Chuckling, he exited the bathroom and she was met with the pungent scent of mint. “Grams makes her own mint herbal tea. I thought you could use a cup, along with your favorite meal, saltines.”

“Thank you, I’d like that, and a warm blanket. Does the fireplace work? I’m cold.”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” He brought her into the living room, the chalet-style vaulted ceiling lit with a soft glow of warm light. Moving to the couch, he set her down on the chaise end of the sectional. He retrieved the blanket from the back of the chair and placed it over her lap before handing her a huge mug of tea.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“Nice.” She sipped at the hot beverage, savoring the soothing coolness of the mint on her raw throat. “Except for the fire.”

“Right, the fire.” Lifting a small remote, he hit a button and the fireplace came to life. He took the seat next to her and wrapped his arm about her shoulders. Resting against his side, she watched the gas flames flicker across the room. The faint smell of the campfire clung to his shirt and he sported a scruff of beard. Sexy and kind, everything she wanted in a husband except for one important thing. He wasn’t in love with her.

“I plan on telling Grams about the baby tomorrow.”

Raina nodded, cupping the mug between her chilled hands. While Howler tried to play it cool, this was a big deal for him. “After meeting her, I know she’ll be thrilled for us. I couldn’t ask for better great-grandparents than Grams and Pop. I’m glad they’ll have a place in our child’s life.”

She lifted her chin, unable to resist inspecting his shadowed profile while he stared into the fire place. “Thank you for telling me about David. I know it’s painful.”

“It was a long time ago.” His arm tensed the slightest bit but he didn’t try to get up or move away.

“It’s sad the way our parents shape our lives. I was basically raised by nannies while Brandi and Miller jet-setted across the world. She was his mistress until she turned twenty-six and became too old for him.” Bitterness and sarcasm dripped from the comment, making her angry all over again. “He stopped coming to the house after my half-sister was born. Whether it was a coincidence or not, I couldn’t tell you. I used to blame myself because I was chubby and a bit obnoxious if you want to know the truth.”

Howler’s lips curled and he glanced down at her upturned face. “You were obnoxious?”

Licking dry lips, she nodded, aware of how his eyes followed her actions. “Miller tends to forget anyone is in the room but himself. He accused my mom of making me fat to get revenge on him.”

Hooded eyes widened and he inhaled a telling breath. “What. A. Douche.”

“Yes, he was. Still is, as you’re well aware. It took me a long time to realize he was the problem, not me.”

“You handled him like a champ in the office. He didn’t know what was coming.”

“Miller is easy to read.” Unlike Howler. While Miller was a narcissist, her husband was an observer. He picked up micro cues, little things like the purple sticky notes or the outfit she wore the first time they had met.

“It’s obvious you dislike him. Why are you working for him?” he asked.

“Good question. It’s complicated. Once he left, Brandi sent me to boarding school, one Miller was forced to pay for. She was his first mistress and pre-NDA. Of course, I was already born and his name was on the birth certificate so he didn’t have much of a choice.” Boarding school had been a turning point for Raina, an escape from her chaotic home life with a flamboyant mother who loved to be the center of attention and often was. “Out of the blue, he contacted me on my sixteenth birthday and insisted I go out to dinner with him.”

“Bet that was fun.”

“Loads.” She nodded, laughing at his accurate statement. Raina had been tempted to deny Miller’s request but had changed her mind at the last minute. She had a few choice words she’d wanted to say to him and she wanted to say them face to face. “He started to talk about himself non-stop, asked me questions but answered them himself, you know, the typical Miller stuff. Then he started to tell me this story about how he was a self-made millionaire--”

“You said he was a trust fund baby.”

“He was. He’s also a pathological liar. I called him on it and told him to stop trying to bullshit me. I knew the truth, and he knew I knew the truth, so what was the point?”

“Did he get pissed?” Howler shifted in his seat, his jean-clad leg bunching under her weight.

If it wasn’t for the morning sickness, she’d have him out of those pants by now, his hard, naked body stretched out beneath hers. She sipped at the tea, needing to settle her stomach before she could even think about touching him. “You’d think so but no. He actually laughed and tried to take credit for my intelligence.”

He nuzzled her ear with his nose, lips caressing the sensitive flesh. She found it hard to concentrate on the conversation at hand and was unsure why she even bothered. She had plenty of time to share her past with him. A lifetime.

“After that, I figured I’d never see him again but apparently Miller decided that he liked me and he wanted to be a part of my life. He sent me gifts and came to see me whenever he was in town. Luckily that wasn’t a lot.” After years of neglect, he started paying attention to her and while part of her hated him, he was still her father. Deep down, she’d wanted him to love her even though she knew that Miller wasn’t truly capable of love. “He paid for my college with the caveat that I had to work for one of his companies. I chose the Pioneers.”

“So the key to getting on Daddy Douchebag’s good side is honesty? I’ll remember that during my next negotiations.” He tongued her earlobe, sending shivers up her spine and into her core.

“You’re going to use your knowledge for evil?” She arched her neck, aching for more. Her stomach was feeling much better but other parts needed to be quenched. Raina set the cup on the side table before she twisted her body closer to his side. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and rested her head on his chest. “I’m going to have to up my game.”

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