“Karma maybe. Not to me, but now I know what my half siblings really felt like all these years and it sucks.” She looked up at him with damp eyes. “For us he was a good dad. Until he wasn’t.” She drew a deep breath. “Then I went to Mom’s. And though I told her she should have expected as much from my dad, I mean, cheaters cheat … I also said I’d be there for her while she puts her life back together.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He reached out and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. “You have a big family that loves you. I know you’ll all figure it out.”
But suddenly he sensed that wasn’t what she wanted or needed. She needed someone in her life who would put her first. Who’d never hide things from her or treat her like a child.
She needed him.
After the Colorado trip, Ethan had settled into himself. He’d seen what kind of life his brother had built and realized that he wanted the same thing. He thought he’d tried to create that life with Mandy but they were too different. They were both so work focused, their personal lives fell by the wayside. And then Mandy just fell apart and he’d been either unaware or powerless to stop it.
And he realized he could have those things with Sienna. The only thing holding him back now was how much she valued her family. She seemed to need them around her as much as she needed the air she breathed and his life, his business, his family were in New York. Unlike Parker, he couldn’t pick up and move. KTT was a New York based corporation.
“I worked out a new charity function with Avery,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “It’s going to be amazing. We’re going to help women whose kids have cancer. I’ll explain more later but I know it’s going to be awesome.”
He groaned, her words merely confirming what he’d already thought. She was so firmly entrenched here, asking her to leave would be difficult if not impossible, but he didn’t want to lose her. Somehow he was going to have to figure something out.
He pressed his lips to her hair and breathed in her scent, his cock hardening the longer she sat on his lap. But he wanted her to eat, both for herself and for the baby, otherwise she’d get light-headed and dizzy. He never wanted a repeat of her passing out in his arms.
“Come on,” he said, placing her back in her seat. “Eat.”
She grinned at him probably because she knew exactly what he was doing and why. Without arguing, she dug in to her food, making him feel better knowing she had her evening meal.
“Have you thought about whether it’s a boy or a girl?” she asked, taking him off guard.
He shook his head. “No.”
In the beginning, he’d barely let himself acknowledge the idea of a child at all. Now? “A healthy, happy baby will do just fine.”
Her smile took his breath away.
“Well, we’re in agreement there. Does that mean we can be surprised?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
“You got it.” His heartbeat increased at the idea of an actual child. His child. Their baby.
Suddenly, he couldn’t wait.
* * *
Ethan sat in his office, noting how the summer seemed to fly. He’d spent every free minute when he wasn’t working with Sienna getting to know everything about her, watching her grow bigger with his baby… and falling further in love.
He’d gone home to New York a couple of times to handle business issues there, and while gone, he’d missed her like crazy. Something had to give because they were starting to wrap up his company’s part in the security of the stadium.
As if on cue, his phone rang and he answered, knowing it was Sebastian. “Hey,” Ethan said.
“Hi.”
“How’s everything at home?” he asked. “Ashley and Sierra okay?”
“All good. No worries. Listen, I just spoke to our supervisor on your pet project. He says things are progressing faster than anticipated. I think everyone was on edge from the California mess and built in extra time, just in case.”
“Probably,” Ethan muttered. For the first time, the mention, even indirectly, of Mandy’s betrayal didn’t gut him the way it used to. It had happened, and miracle of miracles, he’d gotten over it. As for the stadium, he knew just how quickly things were moving, and his stomach cramped at the thought of leaving Miami. Or more to the point, leaving Sienna.
“I was thinking of taking a flight down and checking things out,” Sebastian said, unaware of Ethan’s conflicted feelings.
His brother’s words took him by surprise. “Sure. Come see things for yourself. You’ll be happy with the results.”
“Good. Does the day after tomorrow work? Ashley’s busy with a private client and things are quiet at the office.”