The Heiress's Pregnancy Surprise (Heirs to an Empire 2)

The noise was spectacular. She didn’t recognize the singer on stage. He was good, though loud enough one had to shout to talk at all. Within twenty steps she’d stopped six times to greet people with more excitement than she felt, while Jacob tried to keep a neutral expression. She saw him struggle when she introduced him as “my dear friend Jacob,” to a recent Oscar winner, who’d worn an Aurora gown to the awards the previous year.

He pressed a glass of water into her hands and took a drink of his own. “Hydrate,” he ordered again, and she obeyed, because the cold water tasted so good. But it wasn’t long before she had a champagne glass in her hand. Jacob stayed just behind her, at her hip, still drinking water. Probably because he was on duty.

But she was safe. She knew it. Those emails were nothing, and tonight’s party was invitation only. Right now her biggest enemy was fatigue and hunger. And she could make it a few hours.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room.” She leaned over and tilted her head up so he could hear her. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll come with you and wait by the door.”

She met his gaze and shook her head. “Please don’t. It’ll look as though you’re...possessive. Like you can’t let me go to the bathroom by myself. I promise I’m okay.”

“I’ll wait for you outside the ballroom doors, then.” He offered a compromise and she could live with it. “I can see anyone who goes in or out.”

“Jacob...”

“Indulge me, Charlotte. We don’t know who sent those emails.”

She sighed. “Fine.”

It was good to slip out of the crowd for a few moments and head to the slightly quieter ladies’ room. She locked herself in a stall and took three minutes to deep-breathe. There were others in the room, and their conversations came and went, and when Charlotte finally felt slightly restored, she flushed the unused toilet and unlocked the door.

At the mirrors she touched up her hair and lipstick, then let out a huge breath and prepared to face the party again.

Outside, wearing a broad smile, was Mark Church, holding two glasses of champagne.

She stopped. Tonight was the first time she’d thought of him in months, and now here he was. “Mark.”

“Hello, Charlotte.”

Oh, the way he said it was so warm and familiar. It made her remember the good times, but the memories were quickly tainted by the reminder of his betrayals. She’d been young and foolish, but trusting him had taught her a valuable lesson. So she smiled because it made sense to let bygones be bygones. “I didn’t realize you’d be here tonight.”

“I managed an invitation.”

Of course he had. That was how he operated. And now, some of his clients were the highest-paid models in the world. It burned that she had to maintain a cordial relationship, but the truth was, it was good for Aurora to not burn any bridges.

He offered her the glass of champagne. “How about a toast to old times?”

She took it and lifted an eyebrow. “I was twenty-two and very, very green,” she said, a veiled way of saying she’d been naive and foolish.

“Maybe we’re both older and wiser now?” He smiled his charming smile, and she smiled back. Politely. Thankfully, she felt nothing but regret and relief seeing him now. No lingering attraction, no pain. Just regret that she’d been so gullible and relieved that it was truly behind her. Now if she could just extricate herself gracefully...

She saw Jacob out of the corner of her eye and waved him off with a subtle flick of her hand. He paused, but his eyes never left them. Suddenly she was glad of it.

“Cheers,” Mark said, and touched the rim of his glass to hers.

She drank because not to would have been even more uncomfortable. The bubbles fizzed on her tongue and she swallowed, wondering if the alcohol would help her relax.

“I haven’t seen you since...” He frowned. “Since the charity event in London.”

“Three years,” she said, pasting on the smile that she’d worn all damn day.

“Amazing how we keep missing each other, in all that time.”

It wasn’t amazing at all. Charlotte generally stayed on her side of the Atlantic. And rekindling anything with Mark wasn’t on her agenda.

“Isn’t it?”

“You’re looking gorgeous. Even more beautiful than you were then. I take it that’s an Aurora design?”