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But Graham wasn’t ready to give up what he and Eve were doing. Why should he? He’d never experienced anything like Eve before and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Sutton Winchester’s will come between them. He’d find a way to make everything work, play the peacemaker and get the job done. Isn’t that what he excelled at?
“We didn’t agree on anything,” Graham stated. “Eve and I are adults. I know where my loyalties are and I won’t let anything stand in the way of getting Carson what is rightfully his and getting Sutton to tell us the name of our father. But attacking him in the press isn’t the way to go. We need to go in with a milder approach, for a stronger impact.”
Brooks quirked a brow. “And how do you suggest doing that?”
Pulling in a breath, Graham turned from the window. “Stop the press war and put a hold on the legal proceedings.”
Brooks opened his mouth, but Graham lifted his hand. “Leave this to me. We want Sutton to suffer, but not necessarily his daughters. They’ll be hurt, but we can make it less of a blow to them. Sutton is still alive, so as long as he is, we go straight to him. Play hardball with him. Introduce the evidence Roman has discovered and let Sutton make a choice. Tell him we’ll go to the media with all the facts, and the lineup of women claiming to have a child by him, or he can put Carson in his will as a beneficiary and give him his share. I’m demanding he give us the name of our father no matter what he chooses to do about the other issues. I refuse to back down on that.”
Brooks raked his thumb back and forth on his glass of bourbon, considering all the options. Graham knew he could make this work. He knew Eve would see his side so long as they quit attacking her father. Damn, but he admired her loyalty. Graham just wished she didn’t have to be so faithful to such a bastard.
“We’ll try your way.” Brooks came around the bar, leaned an elbow on top and shot Graham a look. “But you better remember what team you’re fighting for.”
Graham nodded. “I never forget who I’m fighting for. Carson and you are my top priorities.”
Brooks nodded. “Good. I have another topic I want to discuss.”
“Does it require more bourbon?”
With a shrug, Brooks crossed the room and took a seat on the leather sofa. “I want to talk to Sutton. In person.”
Inwardly cringing, Graham glanced toward the ceiling and wondered why he was surprised. Brooks was a man on a mission. He was determined.
“You want to leave the girls out of this, fine. For now,” Brooks added, aiming a hard look at his twin. “But the three of us—Carson, you, me—we’re going to talk to Sutton. He’s growing weaker every day and I know it may be cruel to go to him and put the pressure on, but we have to try.”
Their mother had passed just months ago, taking the secret of who fathered them to her grave. Graham had no idea why she didn’t tell them. At first, he’d thought for sure Sutton was their father and she’d been afraid, ashamed. But the DNA test had come back, proving Sutton had only fathered Carson, leaving Brooks and Graham confused and hurt.
While they yearned to know who their father was, Graham was elated that old bastard wasn’t his. Not to mention the fact that it had left the path wide open to seduce Eve the night of the charity ball for the children’s hospital. He’d gotten the results right before the gala. Eve had shown up wearing a body-hugging gold gown. That honey-brown hair she’d piled perfectly on top of her head came tumbling down all around him when he’d finally gotten her to his penthouse. They’d barely survived the cab ride.
“I’ll go with you,” Graham stated, pulling himself back into the moment. He needed to be strong for his brothers, needed them to know they were a team. “Sutton isn’t as strong as he used to be.”
Brooks sent a malevolent grin. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
* * *
After a long day, exhaustion finally won. Eve nearly wept as she submerged herself in the soaker tub in her master suite. All the symptoms of her first pregnancy had come back full force: the need to rest at all times, the nausea that slammed into her with no warning, the emotions that were all over the place. Just trying to keep herself in check at work today had been trying. When someone from a newly acquired company in Barcelona offered condolences for Eve’s father, she nearly lost it. Thankfully they had only been chatting on the phone and not via video conference because the tears welled up in her eyes and flowed, but Eve managed to clear her throat, offer thanks and keep her tone neutral.
Why were people acting like he was already gone? That was the part that completely gutted her. He was very much alive, though his health was failing.
Her hand slid down through the lavender-scented bubbles to rest on her flat stomach. Babies were a blessing. The innocence they injected into your life couldn’t be matched. Eve wanted to tell her father, wanted to be excited about this new life, but first she had to talk to Graham.
Keeping their child from being a victim in this family war was going to be a struggle, but she refused to believe it was impossible. She knew Graham was loyal to his family—that much was obvious. But how would he react to this child? How would he treat her?
She didn’t want him to hover, didn’t want him to assume she wanted him as a permanent fixture in her life. She had a plan, goals, a career that was taking off better than she’d ever anticipated.
Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want this career at the expense of her father’s health, his life. She’d taken over as president when he could no longer run Elite Industries.
When her cell chimed, Eve jumped. She should’ve left the thing in her purse, but she’d been carrying it around like a pacifier lately...because one day she’d get the inevitable call about her father.
The cell lay on the edge of the tub surround. Eve glanced at the screen and saw Nora’s name. Worried this might have something to do with her dad, Eve dried her hands off on her towel and quickly read the text.
Relief slid through her when she saw it was just a Halloween party invitation. Sounded fun. In terms of costumes, Eve could go as an overworked, worn down, emotional mess. Maybe she could go in her pajamas with bed hair to really play up the part.
Eve shot back a quick reply to tell her sister she’d be there. Asking if Graham could come as her date probably wasn’t the smart thing to do.
Wait. Why was she thinking of taking him anywhere as her date? They weren’t dating, they were...
Eve dropped her head against her bath pillow and groaned. She didn’t know what they were exactly and that’s what annoyed her. She had her life all mapped out with color-coded tabs to tell her when and where to do everything. She prided herself on being efficient, planning everything and knowing exactly what was coming her way.
What she hadn’t planned on was the onslaught of desire associated with Graham Newport. One look led to another, then to flirting, which was put on hold when they both realized her father had been involved with his mother. The second they knew Sutton wasn’t Graham’s father, all bets had been off, all warnings from family ignored.
Eve hadn’t been able to get Graham alone fast enough that first night after the children’s hospital gala, and from the way he practically tore her dress off her, the feeling was mutual.
That had to have been when she got pregnant. She’d only switched her birth control a week before, thinking it was a safe time since she wasn’t seeing anyone. They’d been all over each other before condoms were mentioned, but she’d assured him she was on the pill and they’d quickly had the “I’m clean” conversation.
Thinking back now, Eve realized he would blame her for this pregnancy. She’d assured him she was covered, that they were safe. Well, he could blame her all he wanted, so long as this child remained unaffected by any wrath from the Newports.
When her cell chimed again, Eve jerked from her relaxed position. Even though her body was calm and resting, her mind never shut off. She zeroed in on the screen and saw Graham’s name this time. Once again, she dried her hands and checked his message, cursing herself for acting like a teenager.
Meet me at my penthouse. 30 min.
Eve gritted her teeth. While some may go for the demanding attitude, she did not. Besides, she was exhausted. If she could sleep in this warm bubble bath and not drown, she would.
Because she didn’t want him to think she jumped when he texted, though she did, Eve set her phone back down without replying. There was no reason to pretend that the thought of Graham didn’t have her body humming, but now she had to be realistic. She was expecting his child, and she was entering into a battle over her father... Sex couldn’t be the main thread that held them together at this point.
Eve closed her eyes for just a moment, needing to push aside all the fears, all the questions, and just relax. Her doctor told her to try to take as much downtime as possible. Even if she could grab five minutes here and there, she would have to for the sake of the baby and her own health.
All too easily she could let her mind drift into the worry of whether she was carrying a healthy baby, but she wanted to focus on the positive. Would she have a boy or a girl? Would her baby have Graham’s striking aqua eyes and her honey hair? One thing was for sure—this child would be strong-willed, determined and take charge, all qualities she and Graham possessed.
Eve’s mind went to the nursery, and she instantly envisioned Nora and Grace helping her decorate. She could hire a decorator, but this wasn’t a kitchen or bathroom job. No, Eve would take a hands-on approach to her baby’s room.
The water had cooled, but Eve was still content to just lie there and relax. The quiet of her home was a welcome reprieve. She’d been in meetings all day, had made numerous decisions regarding offices in several different countries. She wasn’t one to have idle time, but she had to admit this felt amazing.
She definitely had to listen to her body, and her body was tired and in need of some downtime.
“Eve.”
Water sloshed as she jerked and opened her eyes to see Graham standing in the door separating her bedroom from the bath. Her heart beat out of control in her chest. He’d scared the hell out of her.
She blinked, realizing she’d fallen asleep. The water chilled her now and she shivered as she started to get up.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping from the tub to reach for the towel from the heated bar. “How did you get in?”
His eyes raked over her, causing her chills to multiply for a totally different reason. “You were supposed to meet me an hour ago.”
Eve wrapped herself in the towel and secured the edge between her breasts. She’d been asleep that long? Maybe she was more tired than she’d thought.
“First, I never agreed to meet you after you demanded it.” She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes when his gaze dipped to her cleavage. “Second, you didn’t tell me how you got into my house.”
One slow step turned into two and suddenly he was in front of her. His fingertips trailed up her bare arms and shivers wracked her body. Without a word, he tipped his head to rake his lips lightly across her jawline. Eve fisted her hands at her sides. She wanted to clutch him and give in to what he was obviously offering, but she had to think with her head, too.
“You smell amazing,” he muttered as his mouth continued to explore her skin. “I worried when you didn’t show up.”
Eve cursed herself when her head tipped back. With this man, she didn’t have control over her body. The fact that he worried about her warmed her, but she couldn’t think like that. They weren’t in a relationship. In fact, last time she’d talked to him, they were more divided than ever.
“Graham.” She pushed at his chest. “We can’t do this.”
Her slight shove did nothing to budge him. Wrapping his arms around her, he met her eyes.
“Brooks and I have an unspoken understanding.”
Eve narrowed her gaze, waiting for him to elaborate. “And that’s him keeping his investigator out of my family’s business?” she asked when it was clear he wasn’t going to go into detail.
“He’s staying out of this for now. I don’t want to talk about my brothers or your father.” He nipped at her lips. “Trust me, Eve. I won’t hurt you.”
Trust him. Oh, how she wished she could. She had a secret she wasn’t ready to reveal and he wanted her trust. And he may not intend to hurt her, but he was hell-bent on destroying her father, which in turn would most definitely hurt her.
With an expert flick, he had her towel open and gliding to the floor before she could stop him. Every intimate encounter before now had been frenzied, frantic, clothes flying and lips exploring. Something about this slow seduction in her bathroom seemed even more...intimate. Were they crossing a line or was she just reading into this?
“Stop thinking,” he demanded in a whisper against her ear. “Feel, Eve. Only feel.”
As if she had any other choice.
Four
He couldn’t touch her, taste her enough. When she hadn’t shown, he’d wondered if she was working, but then she hadn’t even replied so he’d panicked like some lovestruck fool. Considering he was neither in love, nor a fool, Graham hated how he’d let his imagination run away from him.
But then he’d gotten into her place, using the security code he’d seen her type in one other time, and every worry fled. Seeing her wet in that tub full of disappearing bubbles, he’d had one mission and that was to get his body on hers as soon as possible.
But he wanted to go slow. She looked positively exhausted, not that he’d ever tell her. He wasn’t an idiot when it came to women. Something about how vulnerable Eve looked resting in the bath stirred deeper feelings in him that he’d quickly tamped down, but he welcomed the rush of lust and desire.
He wanted her, he needed her and he planned on having her. Now.
Her bathroom was spacious, complete with a vanity island in the middle. Perfect. He scooped her up, sat her on the edge and stepped between her thighs.
Running his hands up her legs, over those rounded hips and over her waist, Graham wasn’t surprised when she trembled beneath his touch. Trembling was a nice start, but he planned on having her writhing, panting his name.
Her fingers curled around his shoulders. “We shouldn’t do this anymore,” she argued, but her words came out on a whisper, betraying her true feelings.
Graham slid one fingertip between her breasts and down to her abdomen. “And why is that?”
Eve sucked in a breath as her lids lowered. Yes. That was the reaction he wanted to see. Complete surrender.
“B-because. We want...”
Graham leaned forward, his mouth trailing along the path his finger had just traveled. “Oh, yes. We want.”
Her hands framed his face as she urged him back up to look at her. “We want different things,” she stated, her eyes holding on to his.
“Right now I’d say we want the exact same thing.”
“It’s not in here that I’m worried about.”
She had every reason to worry, but he meant it when he said he wouldn’t hurt her. Eve was innocent, but she may feel some of the aftershock of her father’s wrath. Everything that was coming down on them was a result of Sutton’s actions. If anyone was hurting Eve, it was her father. Couldn’t she see that?
“I told you to trust me,” Graham reminded her. His hand settled between her thighs. “No more talking.”
The second he touched her, she moaned. Leaning back on her hands, she offered herself up exactly the way he’d been fantasizing about all day. He’d wanted her in his penthouse with the city lights flooding into his living room, but this was fine, too. If anyone stopped by to visit, they wouldn’t see his car because she’d given him a bay in the second garage in the back of the house for such eventualities. This sneaking around only amped up his desire. Graham never backed away from a challenge and he damn well wouldn’t start now that Eve was having doubts.
The more his hand moved over her center, the more she let out those sexy little moans. Then she’d bite her lip as if she hadn’t meant to show how much she enjoyed what they were doing.
He wanted to bite that lip.
Graham continued stroking her as he leaned forward and took her mouth with his. She instantly opened to him, matching his need with her own. And that’s what made Eve so perfect in the bedroom. They had the exact same needs, they knew how to pleasure each other without a single word and neither of them expected anything beyond exactly this.
Eve tore her mouth away and shut her eyes as her entire body tightened. Watching her come undone was the sexiest experience of his entire life. She had no qualms about the noises she made, or the way her damp hair clung to the side of her cheek when she’d thrown her head to the side. This was Eve. His Eve.
No. Not his. She would never be his. This was temporary, no more.
The moment her body relaxed, Graham jerked her to the edge of the counter and unfastened his pants. He couldn’t wait another minute. He needed to have her and didn’t want her coming off the high she’d just had. She was everything he needed at this exact moment, and he refused to look beyond that. There was no future...not for them.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, her breasts pressed up against his dress shirt and he didn’t even care that he was still technically fully clothed. That was the need he had for this woman.
Eve’s ankles locked behind him and Graham bent his head to claim that precious mouth once more as he joined their bodies.
Would he ever get enough of her? He kept waiting for this new sensation to wear off, but it had been several weeks now and he was just as achy for her as ever. There was a desire inside him that he hadn’t known before her. Part of him wondered if they’d still sneak around if their families weren’t the Newports and the Winchesters.
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