Page 21 of The Devil Gets His Due

His eyes graze over me before he looks away. “It wasn’t a complaint.” His voice is deeper than normal, gravelly. And I see a flash of something from our brief past—unapologetic hunger in his eyes, his hand sliding inside my dress, the sound of panties tearing.

That’s why I couldn’t find them the morning I left. Hetorethem. He tore them and he wasn’t the least bit sorry. I feel a tiny spark in my core, one I immediately extinguish.

But…huh. I would not have guessed he was the type.

He swallows. “Weren’t you going to have to clear that room out for the baby anyway?”

I suppose telling him I hadn’t thought that far ahead won’t especially help my case here.

“I was kind of hoping a Saudi prince would just buy me a house between now and the delivery, but I guess that window is closing.”

“Pretty sure that window already closed,” he says, with a glance at my stomach.

Unbelievable. In less than five minutes he’s said my clothes won’t fit and that no Saudi prince would be interested in buying me a house.

“Well, you’re certainly doing astellarjob of persuading me thus far,” I say dourly. “Why the fuck would I let you live with me?”

“Because I’ll pay your rent the whole time I’m here. I’ll buy everything you need for the baby and help you get it all set up. Think about all the shit you could buy with that much extra money.”

“You don’t even know what the rent is.”

Amusement flickers somewhere behind his unmoving mouth, his unreadable eyes. “I’ll manage.”

If I trusted him, I’d be willing to hear him out, but there’sgotto be a catch, some mean little legal trick at play here—eminent domainor something that will mean I can’t kick him out when the time comes.

“Why? Because nothing about this offer makes sense to me.”

His tongue slides between his lips. “I guess saying I don’t trust you to make responsible decisions for our child wouldn’t be a compelling argument?”

My eyes narrow. “I hope you’re not in sales because you’re terrible at it.”

“Based on the sheer number of purses you own, I’m assuming I don’thaveto sell it. You probably haven’t got a penny saved. Look, I want to be a part of my child’s life, even before he or she is born. I don’t want to miss this. And I’m worried I’ll always feel like I’m on the outside, given the situation, if I’m not invested from the start.”

Ugh.It’s the kind of appeal that’s impossible to say“no”to.

I move my bread plate out of the way so the waiter can place my steak there, and the sight of fries makes me lose my train of thought.

I spear a piece of steak into my mouth along with a single fry and let the flavor explode on my tongue. “Ohmygod,it’s so good,” I groan.

For a millisecond, his face is feral, all sharp bones and glittering eyes before he swallows. “You shouldn’t let yourself get that hungry.”

Already the lectures begin. “Sometimes my job means I don’t have time to get downstairs for lunch. The baby will survive. You think cavewomen had breakfast, lunch, and dinner?”

His mouth opens to argue before it closes again. And that’s why it will never work. Because currently, he has to cooperate with me, but once this child is born, he’ll have no reason to be polite.

He’s not even allthatpolite right now.

“Your company is really just going to let you work from here all that time?” I ask. “It’smonths.”

One corner of his mouth lifts. “I think it’ll be okay.”

God. I’m going to have to put up with his smug face for four months. Four. And we will kill each other. How am I the only one seeing this?

“Doesn’t it make more sense to, I don’t know, save your leave up?” I argue. “You can come back after the baby is born. Nothing is evenhappeningnow.”

His eyes darken. “Everythingis happening now.”

I sigh. “I don’t know, and you’re not going to push me into deciding anythinghere, so let me just enjoy my steak.”

---