Double Dare

Immediately, a hubbub broke out.

“A baby!” said a hushed voice. “Oh my god!”

“She looks it,” nodded another. “Look at her waistline, she’s got to be at least five months along.”

A third voice rose above the rest.

“Is it a boy or a girl? Where are you living? When will the baby be born?”

Katie handled it all with the grace of a professional, never letting go of that sweet smile.

“We’re keeping the sex of the baby a secret for now,” she murmured while shooting a loving glance at Mason, slipping her small hand into his. “And of course, I’m living with my fiancé. No wedding date yet,” she said, answering the inevitable, “but soon, I promise. Isn’t that right Mace?”

I swear the big man was stunned Katie was so quick on her feet, thinking of everything before it actually happened. And she was perfect for the role too, with the genuinely adoring smile, her body language comfortable and at ease, topped off with the burgeoning belly. We’d done our job well, and I mentally gave myself a pat on the back.

Mason looked like he’d been hit by lightning, but the alpha caught himself and immediately slipped into role.

“Of course,” he rumbled appreciatively, eyes glued to Katie’s ripe form like he was a man in love. “My bride to be is staying with me, she’s left the dorms at Union, and we’ll let you know the sex of the baby when the time is right,” he assured the reporters. “But for now, let’s not keep a pregnant woman on her feet.”

And with that, he literally bent and lifted the brunette into the air, her curvy, lush form snuggled against that broad chest. Shit, they looked perfect together, like a Mr. and Mrs. already, staring into one another’s eyes, the world melting away to just them.

But never one to waste time, Mason strode to the waiting car and deposited Katie in the backseat before circling to the other side. Pausing for a moment with the door open, he called out to the wolf pack.

“Major Enterprises is thriving,” he said with a low chuckle. “You can bet your ass on it.”

And with that, the car pulled away from the curb, tires screeching, the couple’s heads outlined in the rear window like a pair of lovebirds. I whistled under my breath. That had been a performance and then some, both by my man and the woman we’d picked up. But now that the main attraction was gone, the reporters descended on me like a swarm of wasps.

“Mr. Smith,” they cried, voices cacophonous. “Mr. Smith, what’s going to happen after the baby’s born? Is Mason Major going to step down? Are you going to become President and CEO?”

I frowned instinctively. Why would Mason leave the company? That was fucking weird, I didn’t want to be at the steering wheel by myself. Where was this coming from? But smoothing my expression, the answer came out like a PR professional.

“Of course not,” I said glibly. “Mace and I have been at the head of this billion-dollar business for twenty years. You think he’s gonna give up just like that? And leave me at the head of the empire? I don’t think so, dude’s getting married, not going underground.”

But the reporters were relentless.

“What about parental leave? Is he going to take the three week paternity leave offered to all male employees?”

I was stunned for a moment. We consider Major Corp. to be at the forefront of employment practices, and yeah, offering leave to our male employees was part of our “commitment” to family values. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time because what guy takes off work when they have a baby? That was like saying, “Oh I was sick and had to stay home,” when actually you were watching ESPN all day.

But now, confronted with the possibility that my buddy might have to take parental leave just to keep up Major’s image of being “family-friendly” was confounding. Shit. This was new, but I forced myself to smile nonchalantly.

“We’ll see,” I rumbled, giving nothing away. “We’ll see.”

And with that, I too got into a black car, the door slamming behind my big form. Thankfully, the interior was blessedly quiet, and I could hear my own thoughts after the riot outside.

“Where to?” asked my driver.

“Home,” I growled. “Take me home.”

With a screech of tires, we were off into the busy Manhattan streets. I looked out the window moodily. Shit, the farce was going so well, almost too well. Katie and Mason appeared perfect, like a couple head over heels in love, a baby already on the way. It was so perfect, I should have been ecstatic, but instead, all I felt was confused. What the hell was wrong with me? Pulling up the apartment building, I strode into the lobby, ignoring the concierge while waiting for the elevator, a dark look on my face.