Page 26 of Claim

Fuck it. I was still designing a kickass, sexy as fuck dress for my very pregnant and beautiful sister.

Glancing up at Eva, I rolled my eyes. “We’re not hiding anything, Mom. Eva is happy to be pregnant.”

“What about the pictures? One day your child will see them and learn when they were conceived.” She shook her head and then pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Don’t you think the fact the wedding happened a few months before the baby’s birth would give it away?” Eva shot a glare over my shoulder. “My kid’s going to know their mom and dad had sex before marriage.”

“Eva,” my mother exclaimed, getting to her feet with irritation written all over her face. “I’d expect a response like that from her, not you.”

“Oh, Mom, haven’t you figured out Finn Hughes corrupted Eva, and now she says all the wrong things? Just like me.”

“Sophia, really. Sometimes, I don’t know what to do with you.”

I would have thought my mother’s exasperation comical if I hadn’t known she was one hundred percent serious. She honestly couldn’t understand how I’d turned out the way I had.

I should want a rich and powerful man to give me security and children, someone who aligned with my social standing and place in society. And to attract those types of men, I needed to behave as if I were a proper lady with grace and decorum. I shouldn’t attend wild parties, walk the runways of various fashion weeks around the world, or find articles about me published on gossip sites and pages.

“Let me handle this,” Eva whispered, setting a hand on my arm, and then said. “Mom, do me a favor and review the menu you requested for the cocktail reception you’re hosting with Dad next week. I want to ensure everything is up to your specifications before placing any orders with the vendors.”

Leave it to my big sister to play interference, as always. But then again, no one could handle our parents the way she could. Where I took the blunt approach, she maneuvered in strategic finesse.

Technically, I possessed the same skills. However, I chose not to utilize them when it came to my family.

“Don’t think I don’t see through you, Eva Morelli.” My mother’s tone lightened, and she gave her a slight nod. “Since both of you are determined to ignore my advice, I’ll let the two of you finish the fitting.”

When she moved to the door, opened it, and paused, I waited to hear whatever last statement she had to make. Of course, Mom always had to get the last word.

“Sophia.” Her green eyes locked with mine. “I know you think I’m old-fashioned. But I have my reasons. Sometimes you have to play by the rules given to you, not the ones you wish you had. You’re still my child, and I want the best for you.”

With her head held high, Mom left the room, and all I could do was stare at the now-closed door.

“I only want her to accept me.”

Eva sighed. “The foundation of every Morelli kid’s pain.”

“I’m not what she thinks I am.” Why the hell had I said that?

“None of us are.” She rubbed her very round belly. “Would anyone have believed I’d find myself in this predicament?”

I smirked, “I only hoped you had some wild side hidden in you. At least I know you aren’t a blessed virgin in your thirties anymore.”

“Oh, that was lost before I hit my twenties,” Eva muttered as if a memory flashed before her eyes.

“Is that right?” I hummed. “Do tell me more while I tailor this gown into something that gives you the aura of a sexy fertility goddess on your wedding day.”

The last thing I wanted was to put shadows in Eva’s eyes when we were here in honor of something beautiful.

Eva pursed her lips and gave me a beaming smile. “Let’s leave all ghosts in the past and keep our focus on the fertility goddess part. I do like the sound of that.”

“One gorgeous deity coming up.” I moved behind her to make a few tweaks to how the fabric lay across her lower back.

The design of the dress fit Eva’s personality—elegant, classy, and timeless.

She’d never fit entirely into a daring modern look, but she’d push it a little bit just for the right effect.

I peeked at Eva, who still held her hand against her bump.

She held so many secrets. She rarely shared any of hers with anyone but my brother Leo. They had a bond I envied.

---