Diablo Blanco Club: Unfair Advantage (32 page)

Drawing a deep breath, she rose, collected the papers and the necklace, and stepped into her husband’s office. He glanced up, a warm smile lifting his lips as she shut the door behind her. When he would have moved to stand up, she motioned him to stay seated, crossed the room, and placed the letters and case on the papers in front of him.

His eyes shot to her throat, then back to the case. “I thought we went over this—”

Mattie put her hand over the case. “We did. You weren’t listening.”

The crease in his brow evidenced his frustration. “No?”

“I don’t want it,” she clarified again. Ignoring the expression in his eyes, Mattie tapped one of the documents. “I wanted to get your approval on the necessary job description for my replacement.”

“Replacement?”

“I would offer it to Dana, but the amount of travel involved would keep her away from home.” She ignored his question.

“Wait.” His firm tone stopped her practiced speech. “Why would you need replacing? The babies aren’t due—”

“For six months,” she finished. “I know, but it’s going to take at least two months to get me moved, and I want to make sure whoever takes over for me—”

“Moved?”

“I want the marketing manager position at the Sydney office.”

“No.” This time, Bryce shot to his feet, fisted hands planted on the desk as he leaned toward her.

From the glint in his eye and the tension in his body, Mattie didn’t doubt for one second he wouldn’t hesitate to leap over the desk if she made a move to leave. She didn’t. Standing her ground, as she had in the many discussions they’d had before and after they’d married, she raised her chin and fought back. “Yes. I’m more than qualified for the position, and I think I’ve earned it.”

“You’re my wife…”

“I’m your cover story.”

“You’re carrying my babies.”

“No.” She shook her head. This was definitely where their opinions were going to collide. “I’m carrying
my
babies. You just happen to be the biological contributor.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?” This time he didn’t stop himself from striding around the desk and closing in on her.

Mattie swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain where she stood. The urge to drop her gaze and beg his forgiveness pounded through her. Damn it, she loved him that much. It was killing her to know she had to leave, and the bastard was too blind to see it. It was that blindness, that wall of indifference, that made her realize she couldn’t remain. She didn’t know what it was, but something kept him from loving her, and no matter what she did, it would always be that way.

The warmth of his palm settled over their…
her
babies. “These are my babies.” His other hand lifted her left hand to stroke his fingers over the platinum wedding band and engagement ring. “And you’re my wife. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Tell me you love me.” She held his gaze. “Say it, Bryce, and I’ll stay.”

“You love me.” He avoided her demand by stating the obvious.

“Yes. I’ve loved you for years,” she admitted. The heat of tears pressed against her eyelids. She couldn’t blame the hormones zipping through her body. Even if she weren’t pregnant, facing this uphill battle would have made her break down. “But you don’t love me.”

He didn’t protest. There was no denial or argument in his clear green gaze.

“And if you can’t love me, despite everything we’ve shared, how can I ever expect you to love our children?” Pulling free of his hold, she wiped at the tears wetting her cheeks. “Once you’ve approved the job description”—she forced her voice not to shake—“I’ll have Brenda in HR post it internally. There are a few candidates I’ve checked out that I think can handle the position.”

“No.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the expression on his face resolute. “You can get this crazy scheme out of your head, Lawrence, because there’s no damned way I’m letting you leave. No damned way you’re traveling halfway around the world with my children.”

“You don’t own me, Bryce.” Her finger shook as she pointed at the case on his desk. “Just because you’ve finally decided I’m worthy enough to wear your collar doesn’t mean I’m interested anymore.”

“You love me,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

“But I don’t want to,” she lied. “I’m done, Bryce. Finished. Tired. I may go to my grave loving you, but my babies and I deserve better than what you have to offer.” Ignoring the need to go to him and soothe the stunned look from his face, Mattie turned, walked to the door, and paused. Eyes focused on the polished mahogany and knuckles growing white as she gripped the knob, she added, “I can have my things out of your home by the end of the week.”

* * *

“Where the hell is your head, Halsey?” Richard demanded as he dropped into the chair facing Bryce’s desk.

“What do you mean?” Bryce focused on his friend’s disgruntled expression and forced his thoughts away from the path they’d been wandering since Mattie’s departure an hour earlier.

“What do I mean?” Richard shook his head and leaned forward. “I’ve had Mark Conlin bitching at me about not being able to get Mattie on the phone. Your dad griping at me about how you’re throwing away the board’s support. Dayton and David and Ben wondering why you and your wife haven’t been back to the Club.”

“We’re working some things out,” Bryce hedged. The blue velvet box mocked him from the center of his desk.

Richard noticed it. He shook his head and rubbed at his closed eyes. “You did something stupid, didn’t you?”

“I have no idea what—”

“Damn it, Bryce, I just had Ian King on the phone demanding to know why your wife is contacting him about the marketing department in Sydney.” His gray eyes reflected the frustration in his voice. “What reason would Mattie have to start looking at moving halfway around the world if you didn’t go and pull some boneheaded stunt? Not that Ian wouldn’t love to have Mattie working with him. He repeatedly assured me of that. But it would be like throwing a guppy in with a great white.”

“What is it with you and Mike and the fucking shark analogies?” Bryce snapped. Shoving back his chair, he paced to the windows overlooking the warehouses. Farther toward the ocean, the hulls and skeletons of various ships in different stages of construction dotted the landscape, while others rocked on thick anchor chains in the bay.

“Probably because you’ve been circling around her like a shark around its prey for the last eight years,” Richard offered. “If anyone even hinted at getting close, you’d run ’em off. And now that you finally have her, you’re letting her go?”

“I’m not doing anything. She is. She’s walking away, just like every damned woman walks away,” Bryce growled. He forced himself to ignore the pain centered in his chest. It had nothing to do with Mattie leaving him.

“No, my friend, she isn’t walking away. You’re pushing her away.”

Standing beside him at the window, Richard watched him. Bryce could feel his gaze on him, but he refused to turn. “I did everything I could think of to keep her, Rich. I married her. I showed her the pleasure in submission.” He shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. “I even poked fucking holes in the condoms and her diaphragm to make sure she got pregnant.” Meeting Richard’s gaze, he asked, “How is that pushing her away?”

“Did you tell her you love her?”

“I don’t.” The pain in his chest made a liar of him.

“She isn’t your mom or Miss Helen, Bryce.” Richard’s hand gripped his shoulder tight. “They didn’t choose to leave. They died. Mattie is still here. Don’t fuck it up, my friend, or another Dom will be more than happy to take care of her.”

* * *

It was all so familiar. The grave, his father in a dark suit, the dull thud of moist earth striking the coffin, but something was wrong. Gray threaded his father’s hair as he stood beside him, while Michael was grown, no longer a little boy, and taking up a position at his right shoulder. The soft weight of a child filled his arms.

In his sleep, he twisted in the covers. No, it wasn’t right, Bryce thought as the dream continued. The mop of chocolate curls and bewildered green eyes looking up at him didn’t belong to his younger brother, but a little girl. His little girl.

And Mattie was gone.

His heart beat faster as he stared down into the grave, recognizing the white magnolias disappearing beneath the soil filling the pit. Lawrence loved magnolias, especially traditional white ones. But this wasn’t right… Across from him, he spotted Lyssa and Richard both focused on him with sad eyes filled with sympathy.

Again he shook his head. No. It was Helen, not Lawrence.

“She’s so pretty.”

He heaved a sigh of relief. Her voice sounded beside him. It was all right. He knew she wouldn’t have gone and left their little girl behind. “Damn it, Lawrence,” he whispered, turning to glare at his wife.

His heart slammed against his ribs. She was there, but not there. Her image shimmered in the sunshine, hazy, indistinct. Her dark brown eyes were sad as she smiled at him before her pale hands eased his little girl from his arms.

“No.” He tried to hold tight, but she slipped away. “Lawrence?”

“She’s so pretty.” Mattie smiled again, her gaze focused on the tiny replica of herself before tear-filled eyes met his. “It’ll be all right, Bryce.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You’re supposed to stay here. Damn it, Mattie, you can’t do this.”

“You’ll be fine, Bryce. You have what you want.” She nodded to his father and brother. “You have your family and the company.”

“We had a deal, Mattie.”

“She wasn’t part of our deal, Bryce.” Her fingers smoothed over the springy curls as the baby snuggled against her. “Love wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Stay.” Her image shimmered, out of focus.

Shaking her head, Mattie stepped away. “Babies need love, Bryce. You don’t want that. You never wanted it.” Nodding, she smiled. “It’s okay. She’ll be with me.”

“No, you need to stay here.” His voice cracked. “Both of you need to stay here.”

“Why?” She stepped closer, her breath whispering across his lips, her fingers reaching up to wipe the rain from his cheeks.

Rain? He glanced up; there were no clouds.

Her demand came again, quiet, curious, pulling his attention from the blue sky. “Why?”

“You love me.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers, stroked the pale pink cheek of his little girl. “You both love me,” he repeated.

A single raindrop splashed onto Mattie’s cheek as the hope faded from her eyes. Licking it away, the salty taste made him realize it wasn’t rain, but a tear. And not from her. From him. Even as his fingertips found the evidence on his face, Mattie was fading, his little girl as well.

“We’ll always love you, Bryce, but that’s no reason for us to stay.”

His eyes drifted to the headstone, not wanting to believe. The pain arrowing through his soul sent him to his knees. Her voice whispered through his mind as he finally took in the names carved into the gray marble.

“We’ll always love you, Bryce.”

Beside him his father and brother watched him, their heads shaking in bewilderment. “You have your company, Bryce. What else do you need?”

“Mattie!” The words burst from his lips as he sat up in bed. His chest heaved, his heart pounded, the darkness swallowed his cry, but the dampness of his cheeks and the trembling of his hands as he buried his face in them terrified him. Beside him, the bed was empty, as it had been for the last week.

Throwing back the covers, Bryce stumbled to the connecting door and pushed it open. The wash of moonlight through the open curtains outlined the body beneath the mound of covers. The cold sweat coating his skin made him shiver, but the pounding of his heart began to settle. The knot twisting in his gut smoothed out, but not enough to send him back to his bed. Just seeing her there wasn’t enough.

Crossing the floor in four long strides, Bryce eased beneath the blankets. She murmured a protest as the chill of his flesh came into contact with the warmth of hers. Curled on her side, she had one hand tucked beneath her pillow and the other cradling the curve of her stomach. The warmth of her body against his surprised him. In the week she’d refused his bed, he was sure she would have reverted to her habit of wearing an oversize T-shirt or pajamas to sleep. Tucking himself up against her back, he was careful to slide his left arm beneath her head while his right smoothed over her hip. Coasting along the soft flesh until he reached her hand, he took a moment to investigate the changes his babies had created.

The soft curve of her belly was firm beneath his fingers. He wondered how soon before the little ones inside started making their presences known with tiny kicks and jabs. Not for a moment did Bryce doubt that one, if not all, of the babies was a girl. “My Lawrence would never do anything as mundane as giving me a boy the first time out,” he whispered into the darkness.

The scent of sleep, moist skin, and a hint of magnolia clung to Mattie. Even as he shifted against her, tucking himself in closer, she adjusted to his movements, allowing one of his long legs to settle between hers while the firm jut of his arousal pressed against her backside. A week of denial had him aching more than he’d expected. Even in his first days at university, when the women were just beginning to get to know him, Bryce had never felt this desperate for the touch of a single, specific woman.

The smooth feel of her skin against his palm stirred the need for more. Easing up from her rounded belly to the heavy fullness of her breasts, Bryce investigated the differences to be found. Her heightened sensitivity was evidenced in the speed with which her nipples firmed beneath the caress of his fingertips. Even asleep, Mattie responded to his touch. The cheeks of her ass wriggled against his cock even as the first telltale dampness pooled against the thigh pressed against the heart of her body.

Shifting again, Bryce moved her leg so it rested along his while he pressed his erection into the moist tunnel he’d been missing. With the first firm stroke, Mattie’s eyes fluttered open, her body arched beneath him, deepening his penetration, before she appeared to become aware of his actions. Two more thrusts and tears filled her eyes.