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

“Sure. At first, I figured you would be a spoiled rich girl, coming to New York to party for a week. Which you are, but I’ve discovered you’re not a party girl. Not like some of the people back there.” He shook his head.

“Oh, so judgy,” she replied, sipping the tart lemonade. “There’s nothing wrong with working hard and playing hard, and everyone in that room knows how to work hard.”

“Point taken,” he said, pointing a fry at her. “But you...you get a look in your eye. You’re driven by something.”

Wow. That hit a little close to home. She took a long drink of lemonade and avoided his probing. “Aren’t we all?” she said instead.

His gray gaze held hers. “Yes, I think we are.”

She wondered what drove him. Transitioning from soldier to security was a logical step, but why? Or more precisely, why now? He was maybe mid, late thirties. He said he’d been wounded, but clearly that was not an issue now. So why had he quit?

But then...none of her business. And she suspected if she’d ask, that was the answer she’d get, too.

She grabbed two more french fries, but he reached at the same time and their fingers touched.

He pulled his back quickly and a sliver of something zinged through her stomach. She looked up but he was busy crumpling up his napkin and tidying up. Interesting. A little jolt of attraction, and not just on her part. He’d reacted as if her fingers had burned him.

“So that guy back there, Mark. I take it you guys were a thing at one time.”

“We were, regretfully. I think every woman, at some point in their dating lives, meets one guy who breaks their heart and steals their innocence about the fairy tale of true and perfect love. That was Mark for me.”

He sat back, eyebrows raised in surprise. “He did all that, and you were just...so poised.”

“He got the better of me once. He won’t again.”

“What happened?”

“He wanted my connections more than he wanted me. He also wanted connections with some other major players. None of us knew about the others. Until... Well, I guess I was the last one to figure it out. I was only twenty-two.”

Jacob made a sound of disgust in his throat.

“Exactly. I overheard gossip about him sleeping with all three of us. I honestly thought I was going to be sick. When I confronted him about it, he said that this was how the game was played.”

“And you said?”

“I said I wasn’t into games, and that we were over. I’m sure I seemed very strong and decisive. Inside I was a wreck. I’ve managed to avoid him ever since. Until tonight.”

“And he propositioned you?”

“He’s greasier than that burger I just ate.”

Jacob laughed then, a rich, warm sound that reached in and thawed all the frozen places inside. Second surprise of the night: Jac

ob Wolfe was actually quite likable when he was being human.

“Anyway, enough of my sordid romantic past. I’m full,” she announced, and wiped her fingers. “Shall we go?”

“Of course,” he answered, and sent her a genuine, warm smile. Oh, she was going to have to watch out for that.

The ride to the apartment was short, and it seemed they barely got in the car and then they were at the tall gray building. The park loomed to the left, across the street, tree branches bare and snow still covering the grass. She loved Central Park, but right now it looked cold and uninviting.

Unlike the Aurora Inc. apartment. It was warm and bathed in mellow light from lit lamps. The housekeeper had been in during the day and made everything shipshape. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief and wilted a little, unbuttoning her coat.

To her surprise, Jacob slid the coat off her shoulders and took it to the hidden closet where he carefully hung it up. When he turned back, she was watching him, as an awareness settled in the air.

Oh, my.

“Do you always wear black and white?” he asked suddenly.