Page 26 of A Baby to Make Her His Bride

“I had a physical before I went to Chile. I haven’t been with anyone except you.” He looked over his shoulder, brows lowered in consternation.

“Then it’s not a problem. Is it?”

He didn’t look reassured, but his hands relaxed slightly. He restlessly swept them up and down his thighs as he looked forward again. “No. I guess it’s not.”

A cool breath of premonition lifted the hairs on the back of her neck. She opened her mouth, not sure what she needed to ask, but he rose abruptly.

“I’m going to shower.”

He didn’t invite her to join him, she noted with a pang, so she didn’t follow him. She went to her own room, pensive as she pulled on a sundress.

This affair was thrilling and wonderful andtemporary, she reminded herself. It needed to remain a physical thing, not become an emotional relationship. Not deeply emotional, anyway. Jasper could easily take over her life if she let herself fall for him.

She probably would anyway, she realized with a wobbly sensation inside her. She was already wondering if he would ask her to come back here after she went to Germany. He hadn’t said anything more about his plans for Orlin Caulfield and REM-Ex, but it was very clear that he would lie in wait as long as he had to. It bothered her that he was here all alone.

She wondered if there was anything she could do for him while she was away. She would have to ask him because people like Micah Gould and Remy Sylvain were as well-connected and powerful as Hunter. Maybe they could help.

A crunch of gravel outside had her dropping her hairbrush to peek out the window she had left open to let in the night air.

An SUV parked where the late morning light penetrated the trees and painted the driver in dappled spots as he stepped from behind the wheel.

Neal? What the hell!

She could hear the water still running in the en suite, but didn’t yell to Jasper, not wanting Neal to hear her talking to anyone. She flew down the stairs, rushing out the front door to meet her ex on the walkway to the front doors.

Neal Briggs had the handsomeness of a man with wealth—not classically good-looking, but polished and tailored to highlight his assets, the primary one being his money. His gym membership went mostly unused, but he skied and golfed to keep his weight down. He saw his barber monthly, paid his dentist to keep his teeth white, and kept his jaw shaved clean. He bought a new suit every season, but today was dressed casually in knee-length shorts and a green polo shirt with a designer logo on the pocket.

“Hello, darling.” He removed his aviator sunglasses in a move she was sure he’d been practicing since seeing his first action star do it, back when he was twelve.

“How did you find me?” she demanded.

“My heart led me to you, of course.” He spoke through a grimly satisfied smile.

She had never been afraid of him. He was a man who got what he wanted by saying what he had to, but she faltered briefly as she realized he was incredibly angry.

“I’m serious.” She stood taller. “I want to know how you found me. Did Steven tell you?” If so, Hunter’s assistant was very freaking fired.

“Mr. Chow remains loyal to the crown, don’t worry. No, I bought some handy little stickers last year. They help you keep track of things that are easily misplaced.” Neal held up his phone.

“Youtrackedme?” She had removed a tile tag from her keychain before coming away, but it hadn’t occurred to her to go through her luggage or purse looking for devices that Neal might have planted. Her brain exploded over how invasive this was. “That is stalker level awful, Neal.”

“Relax,” he scoffed. “I wouldn’t have had to use them if you had told me where you were going, would I?”

“I don’t have to tell you where I’m going! We are separated.Divorcing. Kindly get back in your car and drive out of my life or I’ll call the police.”

It was a bluff. Her thoughts immediately leaped to Jasper. She couldn’t actually call the police. That would risk exposing him.

Neal saw her falter and snorted, mistaking her hesitation for a lack of mettle.

“Nice try, but we are not divorcing, Vienna. We had a good thing going with living apart and I’m willing to continue that, after our very public reconciliation, of course. Let’s go inside and talk about how this will play out.” He crowded up to her, trying to scoop his arm behind her back to bring her with him toward the front door.

She shoved his hands off her, pushing away and coming up against the rail on the walkway. Her reaction only allowed him to slip right by her into the house.

“Get. Out,” she demanded.

“Who rented this place for you?” He glanced at the desk where Jasper’s laptop sat closed and charging. “Chow? Hunter? I couldn’t find anything on your credit card statement.”

“Mycard?” She had opened new ones and hadn’t used their joint accounts in months. “How do you even have access to that?”

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