“I only laid down two.”
“A million dollars says I get to make as many rules as I want.”
“Fair enough.”
“Third,”she repeated, “this is to be a marriage in name only. We will not live together. We will not attempt to present to anyone outside of this agreement that it is anything that it is not. No public displays, no handholding and, most importantly, no sex.”
Ouch.He’d been told no before… every man has, at least once. But to be told apreemptiveno… well, that stung a little. “No problem,” he retorted. “It never crossed my mind. You aren’t my type.”
It was her turn to flinch. “I’m not your ‘type’? Whattypewould that be?”
“You’re too uptight. Your blouse is buttoned up so high, I’m surprised you can breathe. You look as if smiling aches a bit, and laughter would bring you physical pain. I bet you grind your teeth in your sleep.”
“According to the terms of our agreement, you’ll never get to find outhowI sleep,” she shot back smartly.
He’d asked for that. “Anything else?”
She paused, as if thinking. Then she said, “I think that covers it. You stick to your end of the deal, and I will stick to mine.”
“Then, a deal it is.” He lifted his drink to hers and they clinked glasses. When they were done with their drinks, silence fell again, and Dustin realized that this meeting was over. They had barely touched their food, and his unsettled stomach wasn’t sure if it was hungry or not. He signaled to Bea for the check and boxes to pack everything away. Even if he wasn’t interested, Aaron and Kim would enjoy the treat.
As Bea placed the check squarely in the middle of the table, Chantelle reached for her purse almost automatically, like a drone. He stopped her, resting his hand gently upon hers. Her hand was warm and soft. He didn’t say a word, but she withdrew and let him pay. He had the impression that it wasn’t often that people around her didn’t just sit back and allow her to buy them things, even something as simple as tapas and a drink.
He felt a little sorry for her.
They walked into the evening air side by side, with Dustin feeling Bea’s frankly curious stare at the back of his head.
Then he turned to Chantelle to suggest they speak again the next day, but hadn’t even opened his mouth when he realized that she’d gone ashen. “You okay?” Was she hungry? She hadn’t had a bite.
She didn’t answer, but her eyelashes began to flutter, scaring him. “Chantelle!”
Before his eyes, she began to deflate, slowly, listing to one side. His hands shot reflexively out to her, grasping her before she could slide any farther.
She shook awareness back into her head, pressing her fingers to her temple. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“You aren’t fine. You looked about to faint.”
“I’m just tired—”
“You’repregnant.”
“Yeah. And dizziness is part of the package.It’sfine, dammit.Just a little vertigo.” She pointed at a long, sleek, dark gray vehicle in the parking lot. “My driver’s waiting for me. I’ll just go home and lie down.”
He nodded, but as he fell into step next to her, she gave him a surprised look. “You don’t have to walk me over. I’m not an invalid.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not a decent human being,” he reminded her.
As he continued to walk her back to the car, she didn’t argue.
Chapter 6
The nausea, she’d expected. It had started almost as soon as she found out she was pregnant. The first time it happened, she was having lunch with Dennis’s wife, Samantha. They weren’t exactly friends, but as sisters-in-law they occasionally met for a bite to catch up. But the vertigo that attacked her now as she got out up from her desk, or the feeling that she was on a rolling ship the moment her feet hit the floor in the morning… that was weird. Why did the floor suddenly begin to slant? Why did it feel as if she was walking up a slope, when all she was doing was navigating the twenty-odd feet between her desk and her private bathroom?
When Sienna had stepped into her office and found her standing at her desk, grabbing onto its edges as if it was the only thing holding her up, she’d rushed to her side, chided her gently for not hitting the intercom to summon her, and driven her to the hospital.
Sienna had that ‘I’m gonna fight you all the way if you say no’ look in her eyes, but Chantelle wasn’t about to argue. To be honest, she was scared. She was glad she had someone like Sienna looking out for her, bullying her when she needed it. This whole pregnancy thing was new to her, and it took a lot of getting used to. Especially knowing that she was now responsible for another person.
Sienna had shanghaied her into getting into the car, saying soothingly that it probably was nothing, but better to be sure, for her own peace of mind. Trying to keep her calm and not worry too much. But Chantelle knew deep down that something was wrong, and for the sake of her baby, she certainly wasn’t going to drag her feet.