VEGAS follows you home (38 page)

"You should go," I whisper, feeling the tears pool in my eyes.

He steps forward and I step back. The motion repeats until my back is against the living room wall, his damn eyes burning through me.

"Answer me," he growls. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

I nod.

"But not until after you and your pathetic lawyer tried to tear me down, right?" he sneers.

"I didn't know about the medical information until it was too late. I would never have allowed Alfonso to—"

"Why?" He presses closer.

My hands come up, pressing against his chest.

"Step back, Damon." I turn my head, closing my eyes to fight the tears.

"Answer me."

"Because I wouldn't do that," I say in a harsh hush, trying to make sure Alex doesn't overhear.

He draws his lips in thoughtfully. "We have things we need to discuss."

"I'm expecting company," I blurt. "We can talk another—"

"Daddy!" Alex runs into the room. "Yous here." He wraps his chubby arms around Damon's leg.

Damon leans down, lifting Alex into his arms and smiling.

"Hey, buddy. I've missed you so much." Damon hugs him tightly to his chest.

With him distracted, I slip out from between his body and the wall. Damon reaches out, grabbing my wrist.

"We aren't finished talking." His eyes glow with a savage inner fire before turning back to Alex.

"You wanna go get your pajamas for me while I talk to Mommy? Can you show me what a big boy you are?" Damon sets Alex on his feet.

Alex nods furiously, running off to his room. He's learning so quickly how to do things, wanting to prove he's a big boy. I have to wonder if it’s Damon’s male influence that has created the sudden need for independence.

Damon pulls me back to him and I look up.

"No more secrets, Olivia."

"No more secrets, Damon."

A muscle twitches in his jaw before his lips crash onto mine.

His lips are soft yet hard, demanding yet giving. For a moment, I'm lost in the kiss, but then I push away from him.

He pulls us to the couch, sitting me down, before kneeling before me again.

I tense as he places a hand against my stomach and leans in close.

"Hello in there. I'm your Daddy." Both of his hands come to my stomach, caressing.

Tears of guilt, sadness, and mixed feelings roll over my cheeks.

Alex runs back into the room, wearing mismatched pajamas with the shirt on backwards.

"Did it," he announces proudly.

Quickly, I wipe the tears from my face. Damon turns to him.

"Such a big boy," Damon chokes out.

Damon, unwilling to leave, and Alex demanding his father's attention, is still in my apartment when Felicity and Lorna arrive.

"Sorry," Lorna apologizes upon entering. "Our dinner reservation got messed up, so we were at the restaurant much later than expected."

"Are you okay?" Felicity places a perfectly manicured hand on my arm.

Nodding, I open my mouth to tell her Damon is here.

"He fell asleep on the floor playing cars." Damon enters from the hallway and stops just inside the living room. "I put him in bed."

"Okay, thank you." I nod and step toward the hall.

"No need to thank me. It's what a father does." His eyes move from me to Felicity and back.

With his presence at my back, I know he's following me, closely.

Leaning down, I kiss Alex on his head before righting myself.

Damon's hands come to either side of the crib, caging me in front of him.

The heat of his breath warms the back of my neck, the side, and then the lobe of my ear.

"We will speak later about all of this, Olivia." He straightens, taking the heat of his body with him.

I bite my lip, so as not to call out to him.

When I step back into the living room, Damon is gone and Felicity launches question after question.

Two days later, after Alex is already asleep, Damon returns with a folder and determination on his face.

"Alex is already in bed," I say as I answer the door.

He half smiles.

"That's probably best, since we have things to discuss that need your uninterrupted attention."

Stepping further into the living room, he motions to the folder in his hand.

Suddenly, air can't fill my lungs fast enough. Anxiety grips my chest the way I imagine a demon possession feels.

"Damon, it's late." My argument sounds weak to my own ears.

He turns, facing me with hard eyes.

"Take a seat, Olivia, we have things to discuss."

Exhaling any fight I could muster, I take a seat on the chair opposite my couch.

Damon sits on the couch, laying the folder onto the dark wooden surface of the table between us. My fingers flex, wanting to grab the folder and tear through it.

"I'm aware you have been awaiting my response to your proposal regarding custody." He pauses, waits for me to nod, then continues. "Well, I have decided to counter your offer with one of my own."

I take a deep breath, holding the oxygen in my lungs.

"I propose a pausing in our dissolution of marriage."

"The filing has already been made," I interrupt.

"Yes, but it is not yet filed, which means we can place a hold on the filing."

I open my mouth, but he puts a large palm up, stopping the words from leaving my mouth.

"You agree to a hold and sixty days of relationship and marital counseling."

Unable to form words, I stand and go to the kitchen for a glass of water. My throat is so dry, I almost chug an entire glass. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I place the glass in the sink and return to my seat.

Damon sits, forearms to knees. His head raises to watch me settle back into the chair.

"And if I reject your offer?" I squeak.

He smirks.

"Then, given the newest development," he waves toward my barely there belly, "I will contest the divorce and can drag this out into something uglier than necessary. Neither of us wants that, do we?" He watches me with smug satisfaction in his eyes.

"You already agreed to the dissolution. It's documented that—"

"That was before my knowledge of our unborn child," he says, his words cool and confident.

"I could say I just found out." The words just slip out in defiance against his attitude and demeanor.

"And I can petition medical records from the clinic you visited." One brow raises over his bright eyes.

At the challenge, every muscle in my body stiffens.

"What exactly are you proposing?"

The determination on his face transforms to a satisfied smile on his lips and in his eyes.

"Dissolution is placed on hold. Sixty days of relationship counseling, living separately, visitation established with mutual agreement. You can think about it and bring your visitation suggestions to the next arbitration." He shrugs. "I don't think I'm asking for too much."

"Just two months more of marriage," I snap, harsher than intended.

"It's better than two or more months of court dates and legal fees, don't you agree?"

Furrowing my brow, I think of the first bill sitting on the desk in my bedroom. The amount won't break me, but it's enough to make his statement sting. He could afford a full team of lawyers and their support staff twenty-four hours a day if he so desires. I, on the other hand, am currently trying to buy the bakery and apartment from the owner.

Holding my head high, I meet the intensity of his stare. The warm tingling in my belly is unexpected. Unwilling to let him see the affect he has on me, I fight, trembling.

"Sixty days of waiting, not sixty days of living together as a family, correct?"

"Correct."

"And how many counseling sessions are involved?"

"We can let the counselor decide what they feel is best."

"What kind of custody agreement are you thinking?"

He smiles victoriously, knowing he's already won.

"I would like a couple days to determine my schedule and then discuss what works best for the both of us."

Damon places his long fingered hand on the envelope and pushes it toward me.

"A copy of my proposal is inside. Read it thoroughly. At our next arbitration, we can discuss and finalize."

"Our next—"

"It will be in three days. I've had my lawyers reach out to yours, but, given the hour, he won't be able to discuss it with you until tomorrow."

Damon unfolds from the couch, steps around the table, and offers me his hand.

Thinking he's going to shake on the deal, I grasp his hand.

Long, warm fingers wrap around mine, pulling me to my feet and to his chest. His strong arm secures around my back, holding me to him. My free hand presses to his chest, feeling the wild beat of his heart.

My body surges with hot, tingling desire. Tightening my thighs does little to counter the traitorous lust my body is pumping through me.

Releasing my hand, he cups my face.

"Please try, Olivia." His hot breath wafts over my face.

I open my mouth to respond, but his tongue silences me.

Our tongues battle for entrance and my fingers curl around the lapels of his jacket until my knuckles ache. He pulls us closer together. The feel of my breasts pressed so tightly against his chest is both torturous and exhilarating. Damon breaks the kiss, instantly waking me from my hunger-filled haze. Shock quells the lust, but leaves me in blank amazement and shaking.

Damon's thumb brushes over my flushed cheek.

Forehead pressed to mine, he whispers, "Ask me to stay."

And I almost do.

My body screams to claw at his Armani suit like it’s Christmas wrapping paper.

Pressing my hands to his chest, I push six inches of space between us and take a deep breath.

"You should go," I puff out in labored breaths, keeping my eyes focused on the floor.

He stiffens before stepping back further.

"I meant what I said, Olivia."

Raising my eyes, his gaze of determination catches me once more.

"Please try."

Before I can respond, he is gone.

On weak legs, I cross to the door and lock it.

"The past three days went by too quickly," I whisper to Alfonso.

He nods, opening his mouth to respond, but is silenced by the entrance of the arbitrator.

"Good morning." He takes a seat at the head of the long table, spreading out folders, legal paper, and a pen in front of him.

"I've had an opportunity to review the new petition." His eyes rise from the open folder, focusing on me. "Miss Harlow, you are in agreement to stop proceedings in the case of your dissolution of marriage?"

"Yes," I croak.

"And, Mr. Knyght, you confirm agreement to this?" He turns toward Damon.

"Yes, sir."

"I see you both agree to marriage counseling while separated, which I'm glad to see, given the two children involved." Stern eyes make pointed contact with Damon and then me. "I suggest you both take the counseling seriously and the advice provided to heart. You have a young son and a baby on the way that needs you both to make a real effort."

A tingling sensation settles into my fingers and heat fans over my chest.
What am I doing?

"As for custody during this time of separation, I suggest Alexander Harlow spend Sunday to Wednesday with his mother. And since Mr. Knyght has recently acquired a residence in Pittsburgh, he spends Thursday through Saturday with his father."

The second my eyes flash to the lock onto Damon’s, my brow furrows with confusion.

Pittsburgh residence? When did he move here?

"Now, the arrangement is my suggestion. I realize you both have work schedules and some adjustments may be necessary. I'll require an adjusted agreement within a week or I'll file my suggestion. Do you both understand?"

He looks between us both and we nod in understanding.

I flex my fingers, feeling the edge of panic creep into my stomach.

"I would like a copy of the counseling schedule to include in the file if possible."

"Of course." Damon smiles.

"Any questions or objections at this time?"

"No, sir," is the united response.

"Okay. Well, unless there is a change, this is our last meeting. Best of luck to you both." He stands from the chair and leaves as quickly as he arrived.

Damon and his lawyers stand, shaking hands and speaking quietly.

Alfonso places a hand on my back and leans into the side of my face.