"I'd say it's about damn time."
They grinned, all their joy radiating around them. He took her hand, leading her up the hall, presumably to the elevators. As he walked by me, his eyes caught mine and he cocked his head to the side. He looped his wife's arm in his as he changed direction and approached me.
Panic slid up my spine because I knew Max would not want this.
"I saw you earlier with my brother. I didn't realize he was bringing a plus one,” Sam said.
I stood and shook the hand that he extended.
"I'm not his plus one." I was his wife and the mother of his child. Of course, I couldn't say that, so I went with the same excuse I'd been using all along. "I’m a social media marketing manager. I was consulting with Mr. Clarke."
Sam’s expression turned quizzical. "Really? He never said anything." He looked at his wife, grinning. "Then again, I've been preoccupied."
"Congratulations on your wedding,” I said.
"Thank you," they said in unison.
Sam studied me for a moment longer and then said, "Well, if you'd like to join the party, you're welcome to. But right now, my wife and I have a honeymoon to celebrate."
I smiled and nodded. "Of course. Congratulations again."
The door from the ballroom opened, and Max strode out. He stopped short when he saw me, his gaze going from me to Sam and back again. I couldn't read his expression, but it wasn't good. Anger? Panic?
He strode up to us. "What's going on here? I thought the two of you would be naked by now." It was clear he'd worked to make his tone light even though his green eyes bore darkly down on me.
"We’re heading that way. I didn't know you’ve been consulting with a social media manager. When I'm back from my honeymoon, I'm going to want to hear more about that." Sam’s tone was light, but his expression suggested he thought something was going on with Max. I wondered why Max hadn’t told him or any of his family. Yes, it was embarrassing to end up accidentally married in Las Vegas. But everything he’d said about his family made them seem like they’d be supportive.
Max’s jaw tightened. "It was something I was looking into, but I don't think it's going to work out."
I felt the words like a punch to the gut. Sam and Kate jerked, their eyes widening as they looked at me and then to Max. Max had essentially told them that he wasn't going to do business with me right in front of me. To everyone else, that would have been rude. But Max was seething, and that was probably the nicest way he could manage to say it without revealing the true nature of our relationship.
I turned to Sam and Kate again. "It was lovely to meet you. Congratulations again. I can see you two are going to be very happy."
Sam wrapped his arm around Kate, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss. "At last, eh, babe?"
"At last,” she said. Whatever reservation she’d had before was clearly gone. They'd come through the difficult times and were now on the road to their happily ever after. For a moment, I wondered if Max and I could manage that, but I quickly dismissed it. Sam and Kate had loved each other before, and this was their second chance. While I loved Max, we were never technically in a relationship.
Sam and Kate walked away. Max watched them for a moment and then he turned his dark green eyes on me, his hands on his hips. "Why the hell are you still here?"
"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you."
He looked toward the ballroom door, presumably to make sure nobody he knew could hear us. He leaned closer to me. "I know what you did, Amelia. I don't know what pisses me off more, that you were capable of doing such a terrible thing or that I was so stupid as to be taken in."
I shook my head and reached my hand out to touch him, but he backed away like I had a communicable disease. "It wasn't me, Max. My father... I told you how he was—"
"I heard you, Amelia. I know you and your father are out to take my money, but you can rest assured that I will ruin the both of you before that will happen."
I saw the vehemence, the truth of his words, in his eyes.
My heart was thundering in my chest. The urge to run was acute, but I couldn’t leave until he knew about the baby. "I have something I need to tell you."
He pointed his finger at me. "There's nothing you can say that I want to hear." He turned to walk away.
"I'm pregnant."
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Max