Page 7 of Cinderella's Secret Baby

“And what? The damage is done,” he snapped.

“To the wedding? Why? This isn’t your fault. You didn’t know.” She blinked incredibly naive blue eyes.

“I knownow. Everyone does.” The press was going to have a field day. The clock in his head was warning that he was losing his chance to get ahead of this. The feeding frenzy had likely already started. Despite his best security precautions, there had been several boats on the water. He would bet at least a few guests or staff were already texting or posting. This was a situation ripe for one of those real-time threads that went viral.

The groom’s sidepiece just showed up. Her dad brought his proverbial shotgun.

Hunter slapped a hand to his lapel, double-checking he hadn’t been on a hot mic this entire time.

What would be said about this relationship? Nothing flattering. Amelia wasn’t the sharp-witted, confident woman he’d met last summer, the one with straightened blond hair, cat’s-eye liner and long tanned legs beneath a saucy skort.

She’d become a disheveled and distressed new mother. Her complexion was wan, and she had dark circles under her eyes—standard for new parents from what he’d heard, but it made her look extra vulnerable, and that faded T-shirt and her bargain yoga pants screamed neglect on his part.

She looked hellish, really, but there was still a clench inside him that he was fighting to ignore.Want. The baby weight made her curvier, which he found intriguing. The huskiness of emotion in her voice kept calling up the sensation of her soft cries spilling against his ear. From the second she had appeared, some animalistic part of him had growled with satisfaction at being near her again.

No. She had just turned his life into a mile-long train wreck. This woman was dangerous. She was everything hedidn’twant.

“What?” Amelia’s gaze grew apprehensive as she realized he was staring at her. She pressed back into the love seat, cradling the baby closer.

A knock at the door had him snarling, “Busy.”

“It’s me,” Vi said.

Amelia sucked in a worried breath, perhaps expecting Eden, but he swung around to let his sister in.

“Eden needs to know what’s going on.” She looked at Amelia with curiosity. “The B-Team is assembled online when you’re ready.”

Hunter would have given up his firstborn to never hear those words again, he thought with dark irony, but he was grateful Vi had put their PR bomb squad on standby.

The clock had run out. Decisions had to be made.

He squeezed Vi’s arm and left.

CHAPTER THREE

AMELIAWATCHEDVIENNAclose the door and lock it. She came toward her, then leaned over her to drop the blinds down the window behind her.

Amelia snorted. “Are youhidingme?”

“I’m protecting the newest member of our family.” Vienna’s brows went up with indignation. “If it’s true? Please be honest, because I’m about to bond with my niece or nephew.”

Now that Amelia was clued in, she saw Vienna’s resemblance to Hunter in her tall bearing and dark brown hair. She had his high cheekbones and darned if her cupid’s bow of a mouth wasn’t exactly like Peyton’s. That’s where she had heard her name. Remy had said it last year.What does Vienna think?

Peyton was fully charged after her nap and meal. She was digging her toes into Amelia’s stomach and pushing her little arms against Amelia’s chest, causing her downy head to bobble against the hand Amelia kept protectively cupped behind her neck.

Vienna was looking at Peyton with hungry wistfulness, so Amelia turned her and sat her in her lap.

“It’s true. This is Peyton. She turns ten weeks on Tuesday.”

“Oh.” Vienna’s tension melted as she sank to a crouch before them. “Hello, sweet pea.” Vienna beamed at Peyton and touched the baby’s hand, gently clasping tiny fingers when Peyton reflexively closed her fist around her finger. “You’re just the most perfect thing, aren’t you?” Her thumb stroked the back of Peyton’s dimpled knuckles.

Amelia’s heart turned over at how tender Vienna sounded. It gave her hope they might—Well, it was probably a stretch to imagine they could become friends.

“Pleaselet her know I didn’t mean to ruin her special day.”

“Eden?” Vienna’s expression cooled and became unreadable. “It’s better she knows before they marry.”

“Does that mean—?” Amelia’s heart lurched. “She still wants to marry him?” That was good, wasn’t it? Then he wouldn’t blame her for ruining his future.

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