Page 23 of A Baby to Make Her His Bride

She snorted. “I don’t know if that’s what the etiquette books advise, but okay.”

Eden didn’t seem to be holding a grudge against Amelia for destroying her wedding to Hunter, though. The one time Vienna had been able to catch up with her, Eden had sounded really happy that she had married Remy. The fact that Vienna had been invited to Micah’s wedding told her Micah didn’t blame her for Hunter’s actions. Maybe Hunter and Amelia’s well-wishes would be a nice gesture that would close out that episode once and for all.

“I’ll release a statement of support right away,” Hunter said, veering back to the business at hand. “Are you sure you don’t want extra security right now? Where are you?” he asked again, clearly not letting it go.

“Can I keep it redacted for the moment?” She didn’t glance at Jasper. “My lawyer knows where to find me if it becomes relevant. I don’t trust this phone.”

“This isn’t a secure line, either,” he grumbled, gaze lifting off screen. “And Amelia’s waiting for me on the beach, so I should go. Call me foranything. You hear me?”

“I will. Give Amelia my love. And kisses for Peyton.”

“She’s covered in sand right now, so that’s a big ask,” he said dryly.

“I insist, then. And—” She hesitated, unable to remember the last time she’d told him this, but hearing how close Jasper and Amelia were made her wish for a better relationship with her brother. “I love you.” She ran the words together.

He recovered quickly from his shock and offered a gruff, “Love you, too, Vi. I’m always behind you. I hope you know that.”

“I do.” She was even starting to believe it. “Bye.”

CHAPTER SIX

VIENNACLEAREDHERthroat after she ended the call, visibly moved by her brother’s support.

Jasper brought her wine to her.

“Thanks,” she murmured as she sipped.

“Did you really think he would object to your divorce?” He was still astonished by that.

“No?” She grimaced. “Hunter has never let me down, but he’s deeply invested in the company, emotionally and financially. He fought hard to pry Irina’s fingers off it and is still repairing the damage she did. I’ve always seen my role as support. I’m supposed to make things easier for him, not harder.”

By staying married to a man who had lied to her about one of the basic building blocks of marriage...? Either you wanted children or you didn’t. There was nothing wrong with either choice, but partners had to agree because there wasn’t much room for compromise in a game changer like that.

“I should check in with my PR team. It’s a secure connection, don’t worry.”

He waved at her to go ahead and went back to the lemon pesto chicken he was throwing together.

When he’d woken with her in his arms, he’d still been reeling from how profoundly she was affecting him. He was a normal person who cared about people in an abstract sense. He wanted human rights for all and a clean planet and regularly gave to crowdfunding and emergency response charities and blood donation clinics. He would help an old lady cross a street, but the only people he really cared about—the people he would take a bullet for—were his father and sister. And niece, obviously. Saqui’s family, too, he supposed.

He was starting to feel protective of Vienna, though, which didn’t make sense given how recently he’d met her. He had been tempted to stay in bed with her, not simply for the sensation of her naked warmth snug against him, but because he wanted toknowshe was safe and warm and comforted.

Disturbed by that realization, he had slipped away and come downstairs, where his idle glance at the headlines had jolted him.

She hadn’t been wrong to hide from the coverage. That had been his first thought. He’d been skeptical of the lengths she’d gone to, escaping to a secret home and having her husband served his papers in her absence. It had seemed like a lot of subterfuge for something that was fairly routine in this day and age.

Not for a Waverly, apparently. The headlines were disgustingly sensationalized, none of them flattering or empathetic to a woman who simply wanted to leave a bad relationship. Notably, her husband wasn’t vilified. He was barely mentioned. No, she was the focus and it was all slanted to tear her down.

Appalling as those stories were, there had been a part of him that was relieved to see her divorce made public, given he’d left her sleeping in the bed they’d wrecked. It was that primitive possessiveness rising in him again.

She’s not his. That man doesn’t deserve her.

And you do?a cynical voice asked him, deep in his psyche.

A chill wafted through his chest and he dismissed it. Vienna had made clear that she wasn’t looking for another committed relationship. He wasn’t in a position to offer one, either, so this affair—light and temporary—was a win-win.

If his circumstances were different, though...

They weren’t, he reminded himself. He was fighting to get his life back and she was clawing her way into a new one. The broader question was, would this affair continue now that she was facing all she did?

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