Page 48 of Playing the Game
My phone rings, startling me from my thoughts. I glance at the screen and a number from the hospital shines up at me.
Fear sparks in my veins. “Hello.”
“Hey, temptress. Where are you?”
“Jami, I got scared when I saw the number.” My gaze stays on his son’s name hanging on the wall. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, but I wouldn’t mind some company.”
“Okay. I’m leaving your place now.” I turn and get ready to leave.
“What are you doing at my house?”
I hesitate and look back into Aricin’s room. Losing Jami’s baby hits me suddenly, and a longing spreads throughout my chest.
“Dori, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I just think we need to talk.”
He releases a heavy breath. “About what?”
I waver for a moment, but I need to do this. “About us.”
“What about us?”
CHAPTER 11
HUNTER
I ride the elevator down,dreading this trip. But the sooner I find out if Isabella’s baby is mine, the better off I’ll be.
The doors open on the floor below mine. My breath catches in my throat as Dorothy comes into view.
We haven’t spoken since last night, even though she was fired this morning. Guilt has me paralyzed. I haven’t been able to bring myself to pick up the phone and call her to check in.
“Oh. Hi, Hunter.” She hesitantly steps on with Jamison’s laptop case and duffle bag hanging from her shoulder.
Trey, one of her security team members, is by her side. I step aside to give them some room.
“Beauty, it’s good to see you.” My initial response is to lean in and kiss her, but I stop myself. “I’ve been thinking about you. How are you?”
“This morning sucked, but I’ll be okay.” She shuffles to the other side of the elevator and motions to my carry-on. “Are you going out of town?”
Not how I wanted to start a conversation with her.
“I am. It’s only a day trip, so I’ll be back tomorrow.”
She seems to force asmile. “That’s short.”
“Yeah. It’s not work related.” My rib cage tightens as the space between us grows heavy.
Dorothy’s smart, so I’m sure she’s put two and two together. She lowers her head and stares at the ground. Trey looks at something on his cell phone.
Honesty was working for us before, so I decide to be brave. “I’m going to California to do a paternity test.”
Her gaze comes to mine, full of questions. “I hope you get the results you want.”
“What I want is for us to work out the issues that have come between us.”
