Page 8 of Secret Match
“Wait.” Serenity let out a small laugh before she said, “TheMr. Sexy? As in, the father of your child, Mr. Sexy?”
“Sh…” She glanced around her empty office and turned the phone off speaker, then brought it to her ear as her heart beat faster. Hopefully no one was outside her door. She whispered, “He doesn’t know that.”
“Is he in the room?” Serenity asked.
She ignored the racing of her pulse and swallowed, forcing herself to sit back as she said, “No, he’s in the conference room with Victoria.”
Serenity’s voice sounded crystal clear when she asked, “Are you going to tell him you’re pregnant?”
Her lips pursed. If she told him, he might not care. Most men wouldn’t. It’s not like she and Gio knew each other. But she remembered when Serenity had been in a similar position, and her now husband had demanded they marry.
Flutters grew in her tummy, and it wasn’t just the baby. Kiwi sat straighter as she gazed at her door. He was out there, so close to her now. “I’m considering it.”
Serenity said, “As you told me, “go and get yours” so if you don’t tell him, I will.”
Drat. Why had Kiwi thought she was being a friend when Serenity was just shy? This wasn’t good. She tensed. “No, you won’t. Don’t lie, Serenity.”
Serenity laughed softly and Kiwi wasn’t sure she believed a word even as Serenity said, “I’d consider it payback. I’m positive I’m meeting this guy tonight where you can’t stop me from talking with him.”
Her best friend was way too sweet and unassuming to do anything bold. Kiwi was the opposite and somehow they clicked because they made up for each other’s weaknesses. She found her pocketbook in her desk drawer and checked it for her makeup. “We both know I lovingly pushed you. There is no relationship possibility with Mr. Sexy.”
Kiwi freshened her pink lipstick and made sure her mascara and eye shadow were still flawless. She loved bronze colors for her skin tone.
“There’s not?” Serenity asked. “You just told me he’s a Morgan, so my own husband’s half-brother.”
True, which meant if Gio wanted to stop her from raising the baby on her own, he could. She looked up at the ceiling, hoping for divine guidance on what she should do next. “The Morgans have more half-brothers than any other family. Seriously, this Mitch Morgan never heard of a condom.”
The sound of the new age symphony Serenity played as background music made Kiwi wish she was someplace with all those relaxing oils instead of in a high-rise building, wearing heels she’d designed before she was pregnant as Serenity said, “And who’s judging the dead man? You’re pregnant.”
This had happened because of the fake nails she’d worn for fashion week in Paris. Her short nails were much easier to work with, but right before she’d left for Paris, she’d wanted to seem sophisticated. One long nail had caused the accident. “Ours ripped in half and it was my fault.”
Serenity no longer had background noise. She must be back in her office as she said, “What? I don’t want to think about this. They don’t… whatever. Look, tell him he’s going to be a father. If you don’t want to, I can at the family party.”
In the distance, Kiwi saw the conference door open and close. Victoria’s body appeared in the hall and then went back in the conference room. This meant Kiwi was about to see Gio again. She fluffed her short, curly hair. “The meeting just ended. I have to go.”
She hung up the phone once Serenity said goodbye and slipped it into her purple satchel that also had her laptop in case she needed to work. Her hips swung as she crossed the office again, passing the conference room, and headed toward the lobby.
Her heels clicked on the black marble in the lobby when suddenly she heard Gio behind her as he said, “Kiwi, there you are, as radiant as I remembered.”
“Let’s go, Casanova.” She waved for him to join her. Lunch wasn’t erotic, and it was a good time to have a realistic, rational conversation that had no feelings involved.
The plan should be easy, but the zip in her skin from his brief touch made her pause.
The last thing she needed was to relive the past. As they walked through the lobby, she asked, “How did the meeting go?”
“Not bad.” He held the glass door for her, signaling to his limo driver to come pick them up.
Without a word, he led her to his waiting limo and she didn’t object.
The humidity was enough to steal her energy if she stayed out in the damp heat. Once the door closed, he told the driver, “We want Italian, overlooking the Atlantic.”
“I’ll make a reservation,” the driver said.
Whatever service he used clearly took customer service to the next level. She shifted in her leather seat and Gio closed the screen between the driver and the backseat.
Now they were truly alone. She hugged her waist with one hand and hoped he didn’t see how her body had already changed. “Are our companies merging rather than battling it out?”
Gio shrugged without indicating his feelings. “My father said Morgans never publicly fight Morgans.”
