Dylan sat down at his desk as morning breezes blew in through the window, the fresh ocean air a jolt stronger than caffeine to rouse him out of his sleep haze. Each morning he’d scan his mind, hoping to get a glimpse of the time he’d lost, hoping his memory would be restored. It wasn’t happening today.
He opened the drawer, pulled out his checkbook and wrote out a check for a larger sum of money than he’d normally sent Renee over this past year. The monthly checks weren’t a fortune, but enough to help her get by and make sure her two children were fed, housed and clothed. She was in worse shape than a single mother. She had a lousy ex-husband who threatened to take her kids away from her on a regular basis and Renee needed to supplement her meager earnings as a waitress in order to provide for her family.
She seemed to be in a constant state of crisis.
Dylan had long ago forgiven Renee for breaking his heart. But the fault wasn’t just Renee’s. He’d allowed himself to be persuaded to run away with her. He’d been crazy in love, young and impulsive, and so willing to do whatever Renee wanted to keep her happy. They’d been in a theatre production together in high school and had lofty notions of success. Later, at the age of nineteen, she’d convinced him to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He’d gone with her with eyes wide-open, understanding the risk, but when his success didn’t come fast enough for her and Renee’s so-called contacts in LA had dried up, her disappointment was hard to live with.
Then one day, he’d found her in the arms of another man, a director of a small theatre, an older man with a colossal ego who’d convinced her they were one step away from fame. That hadn’t happened and she’d made one bad decision after another. While Dylan’s career had finally launched through patience and perseverance, she’d given up on her dreams, becoming cynical and bitter, and wound up marrying someone who worked in the industry. Dylan had lost touch with her completely until last year when she’d reached out to his sister and asked if she could put her in touch with Dylan.
It was a pained conversation when they’d spoken, but Renee had touched something deep and tender in Dylan’s heart as he remembered the young, vivacious girl she’d once been. She’d pleaded with him for forgiveness and he gave it willingly. She’d never once asked him for a handout, but after learning about her situation with an alcoholic, abusive ex-husband and hating the thought of her kids suffering, he’d started sending her checks.
“Knock, knock.”
His head snapped up and he found Brooke dressed in a stretchy blue workout outfit standing at the threshold of his half-opened door. He gave her an immediate smile. “Hey, kiddo. Come in.”
Once a week, he and Brooke exercised together in his gym on the second floor that overlooked the Pacific Ocean.
“Morning, bro. Ready for a workout?”
“Just about.” He placed the check in an envelope and wrote out Renee’s name on the front before sealing it. “You don’t have to do this, Brooke. I can mail it.”
“It’s not a problem, Dylan. I know where Renee lives.”
“It’s half an hour out of town.”
“Listen, I’m no fan of Renee’s, but if she needs this pronto for her kids, then it’s no big deal for me to put the check in her mailbox. This way, she’ll have it earlier.”
Dylan ran his hand along his chin. “Her daughter needs corrective eye surgery. She’s in a panic about it.”
“It’s a good thing you’re doing,” Brooke said.
He didn’t do it for accolades and no one besides his sister knew about this. Renee was part of his past, a onetime friend and lover. She needed help. Wouldn’t he be a hypocrite to volunteer to help other charities and not help someone he knew personally who was in need? Why not give her a hand up?
“You have a big heart,” his sister said.
“I can afford to.”
“Yes, but she hurt you badly and I don’t forgive as easily as you do.”
“I didn’t forgive her for a long time.”
“But eventually you did. And she scarred you, Dylan. It was a betrayal of the worst kind.”
“I’m hardly crying over it anymore.”
But he’d lost his faith, and trust didn’t come easily for him. He’d once believed in love, but not so much anymore. He hadn’t come close to feeling anything like it since his last happy day with Renee. And then a thought rushed in and Emma’s face appeared in his mind. He’d always liked Emma, and she was, after all, the mother of his child. Dating her was a means to an end. He was going to marry her and give the baby his name. At least he trusted her. As a friend.
Brooke took the check and plopped it into her wide canvas tote. “Let’s go burn some calories.”
An hour later, Brooke sipped water from a cold bottle, a workout towel hanging around her neck. “Inspiring as always,” she said, glancing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the low-lying clouds beginning to lift. It was going to be a blue-sky day.
Dylan set down his weights and sopped his face with his towel. “It’s not half bad.”
“You ready to talk to me about Emma?”
“Emma?” He sat down on a workout bench, stretched his legs out fully and downed half a bottle of water in one gulp. “What about Emma?”
She snapped her towel against his forearm. The painless rap and smirk on her lips had him grinning.
“Duh...” Brooke sat down next to him. “What’s going on between you two?”
“Nosy, aren’t you?”
“Concerned. I love you both.”
Dylan flashed to the last night he’d been with Emma and the surprising, explosive way she’d responded to him. He’d taken liberties, but none that she hadn’t wanted, and the feel of her skin, so soft and creamy smooth, the taste of her lips and plush fullness of her body against his, had him thinking of her many times since then. “I’ve asked her to move in with me, Brooke. She said no.”
“You can’t blame her for that,” Brooke said. “She’s struggling with all this, too. And you know her history. She’s—”
“Stubborn?”
“Independent is a better word. And just because you’re a celebrity doesn’t mean every woman on the planet wants to live with you.”
“I’m not asking every woman on the planet, Brooke. I’m asking the woman who’s carrying my child.”
“I know,” she said more softly. “Give Emma some time, bro.”
“I’m not pressuring her.”
“Aren’t you?”
“We’re dating.”
Brooke laughed. “Really? Like, in flowers and candy and malt shop hookups?”
His sister could be a pain in the ass sometimes. “Malt shop? I hadn’t thought of that. Besides, little sis, isn’t that what you’re doing with Royce?”
Brooke’s smile christened her flushed face. “Royce and I are much more sophisticated than that. We do art shows and book festivals and—”
“Intellectual stuff, huh?”
“Yeah, so far. We’re still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage.”
“Good, take it slow.”
“Says the man who just asked a woman he’d never dated to move in with him.”
“You’re forgetting...that we—”
“Made a baby? Well, seeing as neither one of you recall much of that night, I say it’s good you’re starting out by dating. S...L...O...W and steady wins the race.”
Dylan wasn’t going to take it slow with Emma. No way. But Brooke didn’t need to know that. She got defensive about Emma, and normally he loved that about his sister. She was loyal to her friends, but this one time, there was just too much at stake for Dylan to back off. He wouldn’t give Emma a chance to run scared or go all independent feminist on him. He didn’t want his child being raised in a disjointed home.
He had the means to provide a good life for both Emma and the baby. And the sooner she realized that, the better.
* * *
Emma tossed a kernel of popcorn into her mouth and leaned back in her maroon leather recliner seat, one of twenty in Dylan’s private screening room. “I must admit, when you said you were taking me to the movies, I wondered how you would pull that off. I mean, it’s not as if you can simply walk into a movie theater and not get noticed.”
“Comes with the territory I’m afraid. Life has changed for me, but I’m not one of those people who complain about their fame. I knew what I was getting into when I started in this business. If I was lucky enough to succeed, then I wasn’t going to cry about not having anonymity. I have a recognizable face, so I’ve had to alter a few things in my life.”
“Like not being able to pop into a grocery store or travel unnoticed or window-shop?”
“Or take my date to a movie,” Dylan added.
Emma laughed. “But you adapt very nicely.”
“I’m glad you think so. So, what movie would you like to see? Chiller, thriller, Western, comedy, romance?”
“I’m at your mercy. You decide. You’re the movie connoisseur.”
Dylan picked an Oscar-nominated film about a boy’s journey growing up and took the seat next to her. Wrapped chocolates, sour gummies and cashews were set out on a side table and a blue bottle of zillion-dollar water sat in the cupholder beside her chair.
“All set?”
She nodded. “Ready when you are.”
Dylan hit a button on a remote control and the overhead lights dimmed as the screen lit up. Emma relaxed in her lounger and focused on the movie. They shared a bag of popcorn, and by the time they got to the bottom of the bag, her eyes had become a teary mess, a few escapees trickling down her cheeks from the poignancy of the film, its depiction of the heartfelt joy of family life, the struggles and cheerful moments and all the rest.
Picking up on her emotion, Dylan placed a tissue in her hand. She gave him a nod of thanks, wiped her watery eyes and focused back on the screen. It wasn’t hormones that wrecked her heart this time. Whenever she witnessed a real family in action, the ups and downs and the way they all came together out of love and loyalty, she realized how very much she’d missed out on as a child. Though she was proud of the fact she hadn’t let her childhood hinder her in any way. It had only made her more determined to seek a better life for herself, and now for her child.
Dylan reached over the lounger and took her hand. She glanced at their entwined fingers, his hand tanned and so very strong, hers smaller, more delicate, and she welcomed the comfort, the ease with which they could sit there together and watch a movie, holding hands.
The movie ended on a satisfying note and Dylan squeezed her hand, but didn’t let her go. They remained in darkness but for the yellow floor lamps lighting a pathway around the room.
“Did you enjoy it?” he whispered.
“Very much.”
“I didn’t realize you’re such a soft touch.” His thumb rubbed over the skin of her hand in round, lazy sweeping circles.
“Only when it comes to movies.”
“I find that hard to believe. You’re soft...”
Her breath caught as she gazed into his heart-melting eyes.
“Everywhere.”
Oh, boy.
He turned his body and leaned in, his mouth inches from hers. “I’ve been thinking about the other night. If we hadn’t been interrupted, what would have happened?”
It wasn’t really a question he expected her to answer. She thought of that night, too, so often. Wondering what if?
And then his lips were on hers, his mouth so exquisite as he patiently waited for her to respond, waited for her to give in. “Dylan.”
“It’s just a kiss, Em.”
He made it seem so simple. “Not just a kiss,” she insisted, yet she couldn’t deny the temptation to kiss him back, to taste him and breathe in his delicious scent.
“This is what people do when they’re dating,” he whispered over her mouth.
“Is it?” Kissing Dylan wasn’t anything ordinary. Not to her. It was the stuff of dreams.
“Yeah, it is,” he said. “I want us to be more than friends, Em.”
She wanted to ask why. Was it all about the baby, or had he somehow, after all these years, miraculously found her appealing and desirable? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she chickened out. She didn’t dare, because in her heart she already knew the truth.
He swept his hand around her neck and caressed the tender spot behind her ear. She closed her eyes to the pleasure and breathed deeply, soaking it in. His gentle touch and the power of his persuasion weren’t anything to mess with. She could stay like this for hours, unhurried, just enjoying being the sole focus of his attention.
“I think we already are, Dylan. I’m having your baby. That puts us on a little higher level than friends.”
“Maybe it’s not enough,” he rasped, and with a little tug, he inched her closer until their mouths were a breath apart. “Maybe we need to be more.” And then he kissed her.
“What if that’s not possible?”
He swept into her mouth again and deepened the kiss, his tongue working magic until her entire body grew warm and tingly. Her nipples pebbled and she gasped for sustaining breath.
“It’s possible,” he urged, rising from his seat and reaching for her hands. He seemed attuned to the exact moment when her body betrayed her. With both her hands in his, he gave a gentle yank and she came to her feet to face him in the soft glow of the floor lamps. “Let me show you.”
Dylan was an expert at seduction; what he was doing to her now was solid proof. He took her face in his palms, looked deep into her eyes and then kissed her for long-drawn-out moments. Until her heart sped like a race car. Until her knees went weak. Until the junction of her thighs physically ached. It was too much and not enough. She was dizzy when he was through kissing her. Dizzy and wanting more.
“It’s your choice, sweet Emma,” he said, planting tiny kisses over her lips, his hands roaming over her body, taking liberties that she freely offered. She moaned a little when he touched her breasts and then gasped when he cupped her butt and pressed her firmly against his rigid, hard body so there was no doubt what he was about. He whispered softly into her ear, “We can take a walk on the beach to cool off, or walk into my bedroom upstairs and heat things up. You know what I want, but I’ll abide by your decision, whatever it is.”
She was out of breath. Her fuzzy mind told her to stall for time. As ardent as his kisses were, she couldn’t wrap her head around him wanting to make love to her. It had once been her wildest dream. And yes, they’d done the deed already, but that wasn’t really logged into her memory bank. Or his, either. “Is this what usually happens on your first dates?”
He laughed and took her into his arms, squeezing her tight as if she was a child asking an adorable question. “You know me. You know it’s not what I do, Em.”
Well, no. She’d never really quizzed him on his methods of seduction. How would she know how easily or often he took his dates to bed? He’d been in enough tabloids to wallpaper his entire mansion with the stories they’d concocted. And his sister defended him on every front. He’d even sued a few papers that had stepped over the line and had won his cases.
So, if she was to believe him now, then he was truly attracted to her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen your bedroom, Dylan.”
He smiled then and nodded, and the next thing she knew, Dylan was lifting her in his strong arms and carrying her out of the screening room.
And up the stairs.
* * *
She roped one arm around his neck and laid her head against his broad shoulder as he marched to the double-door entry of his master suite. She felt featherlight in his arms, tucked safely into his embrace. He gave the door a nudge and pushed through, entering a massive room with an equally large bed. It faced wide windows that angled out with a magnificent view of the Pacific. Right now, only stars and a half-moon lit the night sky, but she heard the roar of the waves and smelled the brine of the sea coming through an opened terrace slider.
She wasn’t sure about any of this, but lust and curiosity won over any rational sense inhabiting her brain at the moment. She’d done this before with Dylan, but now both were aware, both would remember. It was key. Monumental. Dylan would be in her life one way or another and she wanted this memory. Sane and rational or not, she simply didn’t have the will to deny them both this night.
She did, after all, have secret dibs on him.
He lowered her down, her body flush against his until her feet hit the floor beside his bed. He let her go then, taking a step back to lock eyes with her and lifting his black polo shirt over his head. A rush of breath pushed from her lungs. His upper body was ripped and bronzed, his shoulders wide, the muscles in his arms bulging. He’d been working out hard for this Navy SEAL role and he had her vote. Hands down.
“We’ll take this slow,” he said.
Slow? She was on her first official date with him and about to get naked.
He reached for her and placed the palm of her hand flat against his concrete chest. His breath hitched and she lifted her lids to find the gleam in his eyes bright and hungry. Slowly, she moved her hand along the solid ridges that made up his six-pack and tiny coarse chest hairs tickled her fingers. He was amazing to touch, almost unreal. She’d never been with a man like Dylan before. It scared her, how absolutely perfect he was.
What was his flaw? Everyone had one, but she couldn’t find it here, now.
He took her other hand, put it on him and encouraged her to explore. She did, running her hands over his shoulders, to his back and then returning to his torso. In her exploration, her fingers grazed his nipples and they grew taut from her touch. It was a turn-on, just seeing how she affected him.
He stood there, allowing her to know him, to feel his skin, absorb his heat and become familiar. She took her time, meeting his eyes once in a while, but mostly keeping a vigil on the beauty of his body.
He kissed her then, suckling her lips in a heady way that said he was ready to move forward. To take the next step.
“Should I undress the rest of the way?” he breathed over her mouth. “Or is it your turn?”
Fair is fair. She turned around and offered him her back. He didn’t hesitate to unzip the long gold zipper on the little black dress she wore. The zipper hissed as it traveled all the way down to the small of her back. A shot of cooler air hit her as he pressed his hands to her shoulders and helped her shimmy out of her dress. Free of the fabric that pooled at her feet, he bestowed tiny kisses along her neck. Slowly, he turned her around and his eyes met hers once again, before drifting down her body over the slope of her ample breasts encased in her black lace bra, to her tummy that bulged slightly and the matching thong she wore. He rode his hands along her naked thighs and a tiny moan squeaked from her mouth.
“You are soft everywhere, sweetheart,” he said, slipping his hand over her hip and edging up to her stomach. His palm against her growing belly, he stopped his exploration and bent on one knee to bestow a kiss there.
Her eyes slammed shut as Dylan worshipped their baby. It was a beautiful moment, so tender, so gentle, wiping away her fears. She couldn’t fault him for anything. This situation was out of their control now. Maybe she’d been too hard on him, too rigid in her stance. He had a right to love their baby and want to share in the joy. She could give him that. She could try this dating thing, go in with an open mind and heart to see where it led.
He rose up then and stared directly into her eyes. “Our child will be beautiful like you, Emma. Inside and out.”
Laying her hand flat against his cheek, scruff facial hair rough against her fingers, she whispered, “You’re going to make a wonderful father, Dylan. I have no doubt.”
Longing filled his eyes and he smiled. There was a moment that seemed to change everything; a newer intimacy and understanding passed between them in that moment.
And then Dylan reached for her again, pressing her fully against his hot, delicious body. Skin to skin, he kissed her for all she was worth. The next thing she knew, she was naked and they were on his bed and tangling in his sheets. Going slow was a thing of the past, and easily forgotten.
While one hand sifted through her long hair, his mouth created a dampened trail from her chin, along the base of her throat and farther down past her shoulders, until her breasts fairly ached for his touch. He came over her then and didn’t disappoint, giving attention to one, then the other. Her back arched, the rosy nipples pointing up, hardened and sensitive, while white-hot heat scurried down past her belly, reaching her female core. A shudder ran through her, a beautiful sensual tremor as Dylan continued. She squirmed beneath him, the pleasure almost unbearable.
His mouth was masterful, his hands ingenious. When he moved, she moved and they were in sync, their bodies humming along together at a pace that suited her. She was in heaven, a bliss that she’d never encountered before. And it only got hotter when his hand slipped down past her navel, his fingertips teasing and taunting, edging closer to that one spot that would send her soaring.
She was damp and ready, and when he finally dipped into her soft folds, a tiny plea, a cry of pleasure, escaped her lips and she did, in fact, soar. The pressure, the light stroking growing firmer and more rhythmic worked her into a frenzied state. Dylan knew how to please. His kisses muffled her soft whimpers, his mouth devoured hers and his body radiated enough warmth to heat all of Moonlight Beach.
She reached a climax quickly. “Dylan, Dylan,” she breathed, grasping his shoulders, clinging on, her heart pounding against her chest. He didn’t let up until she shattered completely and was fully, wonderfully spent.
With glazed eyes, she watched him get up and remove his pants and briefs. Through the faint light streaming into the room she focused on the entire man, stark naked, virile and majorly turned on, and could only think, “Wow.”
Before he climbed back onto the bed, he grabbed a golden packet from the nightstand, ripped it open and offered it to her as he lay down next to her. “For your protection.”
There’d been someone before her. Probably Callista. And she was grateful for his concern, even though she was already pregnant with his child. She took it in her hands as he waited for her to slip it on him. The act was intimate, perhaps even more so than what had occurred just seconds ago.
She swallowed hard. When she was finished putting on the condom, Dylan wasted no time taking her back into his arms. “This all feels so new, sweet Emma.”
“For me, too,” she whispered, but there was no more room for small talk. Dylan was towering over her, using his thighs to move her legs apart. She was ready, watching him, his gorgeous face so determined, his body so in tune with hers, moving ever so slowly, nudging her core and finally, finally pushing forward, staking his claim.
She wound her arms around his neck and welcomed him. It was a glorious greeting, one that she’d always remember. Yet he took it slow, cautiously moving, giving of himself and making sure she was okay throughout.
He felt good inside her. As if she was home and where she belonged. As if she’d waited all of her life for this one moment. Safe. Secure. Happy.
But not loved.
She shoved those thoughts from her mind and concentrated on the amazing man making love to her. His blond hair was wild now, spiking up in sexy disarray. His chest heaving, his labored breaths fully accentuated his power and grace as he moved inside her. Muscles rippled and bunched. Skin sizzled and sensations ran rampant. Then those intent blue eyes locked on hers as he uttered her name and carried them both up, higher and higher.
Until the last thrust touched the deepest part of her.
She fell apart at the exact moment he did. In unison, they cried each other’s names. He held on, allowing her to draw out the pleasure. And then he collapsed upon her, bracing his hands on each side of the bed to accept the brunt of his weight.
Looking at him now, she whispered, “Wow.”
He grinned. The sexy man who’d just fulfilled her truest fantasy appeared to be quite satisfied. “Yeah, wow.”
Rolling away from her, he landed on his back beside her. He took her hand and interlocked their fingers, staring out the window at the starry sky, listening to the pounding surf. She sensed him straining his mind, trying to recall that one night they’d shared before. “Anything?” she asked.
He gave her a quick noncommittal smile. “Everything.”
She was taken by his sweet answer and the way he rolled over and kissed her. But he didn’t remember anything from the blackout night. Nothing they did up until this point had triggered a memory.
“It doesn’t matter if I remember or not. We’ve got this night and many more to come. We’ll start out new, from here.”
“I agree. It’s a good plan.” It was. She shouldn’t dwell on the past any more than he should.
He laid his hand over her belly in a protective way. “New is good, Emma. Trust me.”
She would have to trust him.
From now on.
* * *
“So everything looks good, Dr. Galindo?” Dylan asked, his face marked with concern. They were sitting in the office of Emma’s ob-gyn.
“Yes, Mr. McKay, the baby is healthy and Emma’s exam was right on point,” the doctor said. She glanced at Emma and smiled. “All looks good. Be sure to continue to take your prenatal vitamins, and see me again in one month.”
“Okay,” Emma agreed. “I will.”
“Do either of you have any further questions?”
“Just that,” Emma began, “this isn’t public knowledge, and we both expect our privacy to be respected.”
Dr. Galindo gave Dylan a knowing look. “Of course. We honor every patient’s privacy.”
“Thank you. Where Dylan goes, news seems to follow.”
The thirtysomething doctor smiled. Her eyes had repeatedly traveled to Dylan during the course of the consultation. Emma couldn’t fault her. Dylan was A-list. He was hot and sought after and just about every woman from age ten to one hundred and ten ogled him. “Rest assured, your privacy will not be an issue with my office.”
“I appreciate that.” Dylan rose from his seat and shook the doctor’s hand. “Thanks.”
Emma noticed that his taut face had relaxed some as he led her out of the building and into his car. She, too, breathed a sigh of relief. “That went well.”
“Yeah,” he said. “The baby will be here in less than seven months. Hard to believe.”
“For me, too. I’m grateful the baby is healthy. It was pretty cool hearing the heartbeat.”
“It was awesome.”
“I’ll be big as a house soon.”
“You’ll look beautiful, Em,” he said and started the engine.
“You’re really okay with all of this, then?” she asked. He’d taken the news well and never once balked or hesitated when she’d revealed her pregnancy to him. It had been full steam ahead—they were having a baby together. Emma didn’t quite understand his immediate acceptance, though she’d been grateful for it.
“I...am. I’ve always wanted to be a father. Just never found the right—”
He caught himself, but Emma knew what he was going to say. He’d never found the right woman to carry his child. Well, that decision had been taken out of his hands. She wasn’t the right woman, but he was stuck with her. And she supposed that he was making the best of it.
He’d been attentive and had taken her on a date every night since that first one. One night they’d gone for ice cream at a local creamery, a place that Dylan’s friend owned. They’d snuck in the back way and had taken a corner table, Dylan disguised in a Dodgers ball cap and sunglasses. The next night they’d gone to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Dylan scoring front row seats, and they’d gone in through a VIP entrance. Each time they went out, Dylan’s bodyguards weren’t far behind. It was kind of eerie knowing their every move was being watched, but as Dylan explained, it came with the territory.
She enjoyed her evenings with Dylan. And each night after their date, they’d wind up in bed together—sometimes in his gorgeous master suite and sometimes at her tiny apartment. They were growing closer each day, and getting to know one another on a different level. Dylan was kind and tender and as sexy as a man had a right to be. There were times when they were making love that she’d actually have to gasp for breath and remind herself this was really happening.
She had fallen in love with him. Truly and madly, and it had probably happened the night of their movie date. She’d always been halfway in love with him as a teen, but this was different. This was based on actually knowing him and spending time with him. It probably hadn’t hurt that her orgasms were off the charts when they made love. Or that he was the father of her baby. Or that they shared a hometown history together.
But every morning, when she’d wake in his arms, he would plant a bug in her ear. “Move in with me, Em. We could have all our nights and mornings like this.”
It was a tempting offer, one that she debated for long moments, but ultimately always refused because, like it or not, she wasn’t ready to give up her independence. To give Dylan her one last means of defense against heartbreak. He wanted to keep his baby safe and close at hand. She understood that, and it was a noble gesture, but what did that say about her relationship with him? It was what Dylan was not saying to her that fueled her resolve to stay out of harm’s way.
“I don’t understand why you don’t want to, Em,” he’d say. And she’d shrug her shoulders and shake her head. This was new to him, this constant rejection. He wasn’t conceited or arrogant, but he’d been used to having women fall at his feet, she supposed, and he didn’t understand her reluctance.
“I just can’t, Dylan,” would be her answer.
After the doctor’s appointment, they went to lunch at a little private beach eatery and sat outside on benches facing the ocean. She had chicken salad and he had halibut in drawn butter. Afterward, Dylan dropped her off at the office. “Don’t work too hard,” he said, giving her a kiss.
“Never,” she said, and he tossed his head back and laughed. He knew she was a workhorse, never settling until things were perfect and under control. He would tease her about that all the time. “You, either,” she shot back.
“I won’t. I’ll be learning my lines for tomorrow’s shoot. Which reminds me, the next two days will run long. We’re having night shoots. I won’t be home until after your bedtime. I’ll miss you.”
She smiled. “Me, too.”
His eyes dipped to her belly. “Take care of the little bambino.”
“Always,” she said, placing her hand there protectively. Touching her stomach and greeting the little one, warming to him or her and the idea of a baby, had become a habit.
She climbed out of the car, waved goodbye, and then he was off. She wouldn’t see him for the next few days. Maybe that was a good thing. She watched him drive into the traffic stream before stepping into the office.
“Hey, how did the appointment go?” Brooke asked, gazing up from her desk.
“Wonderful. Everything is good.”
Brooke grinned. “Great. I can’t wait to find out if it’s a boy or girl. I’m making up a shopping list and already have three my-auntie-is-the-best outfits picked out. Now, just gotta know if I’m buying blue or pink.”
Brooke was definitely going to spoil the baby. “It’ll be fun finding out.”
“Yeah, but for now, I’m just happy knowing the baby’s healthy.”
Brooke rose from her desk and approached her. “Things are working out with Dylan, aren’t they?” she asked. “I mean, you sound happy. You look happy and well. I know you’ve been dating, hot and heavy.”
“Hot and heavy?” Emma’s laughter sounded a little too high-pitched even to her ears and Brooke caught on immediately.
“Wow, so it’s true. You and my brother are hooking up.”
Well, yeah, she supposed they were. He’d asked her to move in with him several times, but never with any true sense of commitment. Was that what she was waiting for? Some hope, some sign that he wanted her, and not just because she was going to give birth to his child? Maybe what she wanted from Dylan was impossible for him to give. “Brooke, I have no name for what’s happening between Dylan and me.”
“At least something is happening.” Excitement sparkled in Brooke’s eyes.
“Maybe you should concentrate on your relationship with Royce,” Emma countered, giving her BFF a wry smile.
“Oh, believe me, I do.” Brooke giggled. “We’re heading to hot and heavy, too.”
“Wow, you two are moving fast.”
Brooke sighed. “I know. It’s crazy, but we’re in tune with each other on every level.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. Now, on to work issues. We’ve got the Henderson anniversary party on Friday night and then we’ve got Clinton’s seventh birthday party in Beverly Hills all day Saturday. Which one do you want to confirm?”
“I’ll take Clinton’s party. I’ve made special arrangements for the petting zoo and the cartoon characters to show up and I’ve got the cake and food already set. I’ll double-check it’s a go, and you can make your confirmations for the anniversary gig.”
“Okay, sounds good. It’s going to be a busy weekend. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“I’m sure.” Emma had been operating at 90 percent and feeling better every day. Dylan had been keeping her plenty busy at night, too, exhausting her in a good way. She’d been sleeping soundly and waking feeling sated and refreshed, but the thought of not seeing him for the next few nights suddenly cast a shadow of loneliness on her perspective.
How odd. Usually she valued her downtime and enjoyed being on her own.
“Oh, yeah,” Brooke said, making a face. “I almost forgot to tell you, Maury Allen called today. Seems his event planner for Callista’s big birthday bash had a family emergency and he can’t continue the work. He wants us to take over. It’s in two weeks.”
“You told him no, didn’t you?” Emma held her breath.
Brooke scrunched her face even more. “Well,” she squeaked. “I couldn’t do that. He used Dylan’s name as a reference and made it seem like my brother recommended us to him. He’s Dylan’s boss and he said everything’s pretty much done. All we have to do is show up and make things run smoothly.”
“Brooke!”
“I know. But he took me by surprise and I didn’t think I could worm out of it.”
“Couldn’t his planner get someone else from their company to step in?”
She shook her head. “They’re all booked solid. And we’re not. His secretary is overnighting the signed vendor contracts and the itinerary so we know what’s planned.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “That’s just wonderful.”
“Sorry.” To Brooke’s credit, she did seem genuinely apologetic. “You don’t have to go. I’ll get Wendy or Rocky to help out.”
“Knowing Callista, it’s going to be a giant production. You’re going to need me.”
Brooke ducked her head and looked sheepish. “I think you may be right.”
Shoulders tight and arms crossed, Emma leaned against the wall and sent a disgruntled sigh out to the universe. “I guess I was destined to go to this thing.”
“Destined? What do you mean?”
“Dylan asked me to go to Callista’s party as his date. He said he wanted company in his misery, but I flat out refused. The woman barely gets my name right.”
Brooke chuckled. “Just call her Callie, like I do. You know what they say about payback.”
“I can’t do that. She’s our client now.”
“Her father’s our client.”
“It’s practically the same thing,” Emma said. “She’s got him wrapped around her diamond-ringed finger.”
“True, but I wish I could be there when she...”
Brooke’s expression was way too mischievous for Emma’s curiosity. “What?”
“When she finds out you’re carrying Dylan’s child.”
“Brooke! You’re not going to say a thing. Promise me.”
She glanced at Emma’s belly bump and smiled. “I promise. But maybe I won’t have to say anything. Maybe she’ll find out on her own. Now, that would be worth the price of admission.”
Emma couldn’t suppress a smile. She grinned along with her friend. “You’re wicked.”
“Yes, and that’s why you love me.”