Page 69 of Irreplaceable

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

“Hey!” Harper was slightly breathless when I opened the door to the hotel suite.

I’d given her a key so she could come and go as she pleased, but she only came when I specifically invited her. And she continued to insist on knocking, never letting herself in, despite the fact that she’d visited several times the past week. We’d eat dinner, watch movies. And while she seemed to have thawed a little since our Italian dinner date, her walls were still mostly impenetrable.

We hadn’t kissed again, though I wanted to. This past week had been torture, and I had a feeling this weekend at her parents’ wouldn’t be much better.

We’d successfully managed to keep our relationship a secret, and I knew a big part of that was due to Nico’s help. He facilitated our meetings and found places we could go without being discovered. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I was enjoying this blissful window for now.

“Ciao.” I kissed Harper on both cheeks. “Sei bellissima.”

“Grazie. We should probably get going.”

“Yes. Show me your secret passageways.” I slung my bag over my shoulder and gestured for her to lead the way since she’d insisted on driving us to the Alondra Valley. I’d offered to hire a car. Hell, I would’ve hired a helicopter if I thought she would’ve let me.

She started laughing, and she seemed lighter than she had all week. Happier. “Was that supposed to be a euphemism?” she asked over her shoulder.

“No.” I tilted my head to the side. “Though I wouldn’t mind seeing those either.”

She rolled her eyes and continued on. The closer we got to the exit, the slower she seemed to move. I was beginning to wonder if she was having second thoughts.

She stared up at me after we’d exited the rear of the hotel. “It’s not too late to back out.”

I frowned. “Is something wrong, uccellina?”

An emotion flashed through her eyes, and then she buried it. “I look… God,” she huffed and peered down at her stomach. She was barely showing, but it wasn’t as flat as it had been either. “I haven’t even told them I’m pregnant.”

I placed my hands on her hips. “You look beautiful.” She did—glowing, radiant, sexy. Damn, I’d never considered how sexy a woman would look carrying my child. Not just any woman—Harper. But she also looked nervous, fidgeting with her dress, struggling to get comfortable. “And I imagine they’ll be thrilled about the baby, even if they are a bit surprised.”

She sniffled and swiped angrily at a few tears. “I don’t know. I just… You’re being so nice about this and everything. I expected to do this alone, and—” She waved a hand in front of her face. “Gah. I cry over everything.”

“We’re in this together,” I said, desperate to comfort her.

“Together,” she repeated, though I got the feeling she didn’t quite believe me. It only made me more determined to prove her wrong. I wasn’t going anywhere.

I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“A baby.” A smile flitted at her lips before it vanished again. I ached to see her smile, hear her laugh. For now, this would have to suffice. “I’m nervous,” she admitted, and I softened.

“I know. But the sooner we tell them, the better.”

She nodded, and she looked so small that I pulled her into a hug. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight me. She stood there and allowed me to comfort her.

“Thank you,” she said, the words muffled by my chest. I could feel her relax, and it made me happy.

“You good?” I asked when she pulled back.

“Yeah.” She smiled, and I believed her. I followed her down the street until she stopped next to a dated champagne-colored sedan.

“This is your car?”

When Harper had insisted on driving to the Alondra Valley, this was not what I’d had in mind.

“Yeah. Why? What’s wrong with it?” she asked, opening the driver’s side and climbing in.

“It’s just not what I pictured.” I was trying to keep an open mind as I put my bag in the trunk before joining her.

“I know. I know. It’s not the sexiest car,” she said, firing up the Toyota Camry that had to be fifteen years old. Maybe twenty. “But it’s reliable and cheap to maintain.” She patted the dashboard.

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