The Rules (25 page)

He said her name softly, but she swung around as if he’d yelled it. Eyes wide, she clutched a box of gourmet cheese straws and stared at him.

Her reaction seemed completely out of whack to the situation at hand, except when Gavin’s gaze descended below her breasts, he realized why she had such a strong response.

His eyes shifted back to hers. “You’re pregnant.”

All Terri could do was stare. His mouth was slightly ajar, and his light brown eyes had widened to the size of quarters.

“It’s mine, isn’t it?”

Not knowing what to expect, Terri placed an arm across her stomach, and her fingers tightened around the handle of the small red basket she carried. “Leave me alone.”

“That answers my question.” His mouth tightened and nostrils flared. “More
fucking
secrets, Terri? How long did you think you could keep something like this from me?” he demanded, his voice raw.

“Indefinitely,” she shot back, defiant.

Dammit. Why did she have to have to come here tonight, craving expensive items like gourmet cheese straws dipped in creamy gelato?

“You never planned to tell me?”

“You told me we were done, and I accepted your decision.”

His eyes narrowed. “What game are you playing?”

“I’m not playing a game.”

They both kept their eyes on a woman who passed by them, her gaze lingering on Gavin. She looked about to speak—perhaps because she recognized him—then thought better of it and hurried past.

Gavin waited until the woman walked out of earshot before he spoke again. “That child you’re carrying is a goldmine. You know it and I know.”

“I don’t want your damn money or anything else from you. Is that really so hard for you to believe?”

“You expect me to believe you’re different from everyone else in this world?”

“I don’t give damn what you think. You can go fuck yourself.”

Fire flared in his eyes, and for tense seconds, they simply stared at each other.

“You have some explaining to do,” Gavin said.

“I don’t owe you any explanation,” Terri snapped back. What right did he have to be angry at her? She hadn’t approached him. He approached her.

“We need to talk.” He tugged the basket from her hand. “What else are you getting?”

She wanted to yell and scream. Kick him. She wanted to be left alone, but instead angled her chin higher and faced him squarely. “I’m done shopping. This was the last item on my list.” She tossed the box of cheese straws on top of the other groceries.

Without another word, Gavin stalked away, fully expecting her to follow him. Arrogant ass.

Beautiful ass
, she thought, albeit reluctantly, her gaze lowering to his tight behind.

She trailed after him and at the cashier’s stand, he shot her a dark look when she pulled out her purse to pay for the items. Immediately, she tucked the wallet back into her bag and stood silently fuming beside him.

At the end of the transaction, he paid for the groceries and in his hand carried the two paper sacks by the handles, his platter of antipasti, and marched out of the market.

Sulking, Terri shot daggers at the back of his head. Who did he think he was? They were done. She wasn’t good enough for him or his precious family. Her past would embarrass him. His words still stung.

You know who I am. You know who my family is.

He’d dumped her without giving her a chance to work things out. His so-called love had been frail and conditional, and she was disgusted with herself for the moments of weakness when she’d groveled and even worse—admitted she loved him.

“Are you going to talk to me?” she asked.

His long strides led them to a black sedan parked near the beginning of a row of cars. As they approached, a driver hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door.

Terri stopped a few feet away. “I’m not leaving with you.”

“Yes, you are.” Gavin didn’t even turn in her direction.

“No, I’m not.”

He swung around. “Get in the car. This isn’t up for debate.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“To your apartment. Wherever the hell that is,” he said derisively.

“My apartment is perfectly fine. It’s not a condo at the Four Seasons, but it’s all I could afford after I pawned a lovely ruby necklace that some asshole gave me.”

His head jerked back as if she’d slapped him. She’d wanted to hurt him, and clearly did, but immediately regretted her petty revenge. The necklace had been a glaring reminder of their relationship and she’d not only wanted to get rid of it, she’d needed the cash while she figured out what to do. Then she found out she was pregnant.

Terri glanced at the driver, who carefully kept his eyes averted during their argument, staring at an object in the distance.

“I don’t want anything, Gavin.”

“Everybody wants something.”

“Not me.” The only thing she’d wanted, dared to reach for, was his love. But he had callously withdrawn it.

With extra care, Gavin set the platter on top of the car. He took a deep breath and then walked over to where she stood, looking down at her with such fury in his eyes, her insides quaked. When he spoke, his tone was low enough that the driver couldn’t hear, but the perfect pitch for Terri to pick up every word. “There’s something you need to understand right now. That baby is half mine, a Johnson, and will have all the privileges that come with that name. I’m worth billions. There’s no way I’m going to have my child out in the world, struggling while I’m driving around in chauffeured cars and eating the finest cuts of meat money can buy. I told you before I don’t take no for an answer, and I meant it. Get in the goddamn car. Now. Or I’ll drag you in.”

He turned again and disappeared inside the dark interior of the sedan with all the foodstuffs. Terri stood there a few more seconds, partly to annoy him, but partly because she didn’t want to go with him.

His face had been stony during their entire interaction. The Gavin she used to know smiled and laughed and teased. She wanted him to make an appearance, because she missed that Gavin. To her shame, she needed him.

Cheeks burning, she glanced at the chauffeur, whose erect posture and politely averted eyes must come from years of practice. She was angry, too. Angry that Gavin thought he could railroad her and take over her life after such a long time apart.

But she was no fool. She gathered up the courage necessary to handle him and what was to come and joined him in the back seat.

****

Terri stared at Gavin as his eyes scanned the new efficiency she rented in the same complex she lived in before.

“How far along are you?” He spoke in tight, clipped tones.

“A little over four months,” Terri answered.

“You can’t raise a baby here. Certainly not my child.”

Terri crossed her arms over her swollen stomach. “I’m not staying here much longer. A cousin of mine in Tampa is going to let me stay with her for a while.” Since she couldn’t risk returning to Atlanta, she called her closest cousin, Tracy, who offered her guest bedroom to Terri without judgment or reservation.

“You’re moving to Florida?” Gavin asked, a peculiar note to his voice.

Her eyes sought his, but she couldn’t read anything in his expression. His face remained stoic and emotionless.

“That’s the plan. I can’t afford to stay in Seattle and raise…” She took a deep breath. “Raise two children. I’m not pregnant with one baby.” Her fingers spread protectively over the lives in her womb. “I’m having twins.”

His nostrils flared. “Like me and Ivy.”

“And me and Damian.”

Gavin paced the floor. “There’s only one solution.” He stopped pacing and faced her. “We have to get married.”

Laughing, Terri shuffled back a step and watched his eyes darken. “Is that your idea of a proposal?”

“Under the circumstances, that’s the best you’re going to get,” Gavin snapped.

“Well, I don’t want to marry you, and I’m sure your precious family wouldn’t want me to be a part of it. So forgive me, but I’ll have to pass on the enticing offer. You want to take care of your kids, fine. But I’m moving to Florida to get what little support I can from my cousin, and I’m not marrying you.”

After the callous way he dismissed her, it never crossed her mind that he’d want to have anything to do with children made up of half her DNA. For her part, she never thought she would refuse a wedding proposal from the man she loved. With Gavin, she could have everything she ever wanted—a home, a husband, a family. But it would all be a lie, a front. Because he didn’t love her anymore. And the pain of it, to live through that, would be unbearable.

Instead of ranting and raving, Gavin spoke in a suspiciously calm voice. “Understand that you cannot keep my kids from me.”

“I have no intention of keeping you apart, but this isn’t a package deal.”

“I’m afraid it is. Johnson men don’t have baby mamas. Our children will be born within the confines of marriage. That’s the way it’s always been and that won’t change with me.”

“You can strut around beating your chest all you want, but we’re not doing this. You can’t make me.”

“I have no intention of making you.” He continued to speak in the same deceptively calm voice.

Terri eyed him suspiciously. “You don’t?”

“Absolutely not. You’ll make the right decision all on your own.”

Terri swallowed. The hard look in Gavin’s eyes worried her. Instinctively, trembling fingers covered her burgeoning belly while she waited for him to expound on his statement.

“You have three choices. I shouldn’t even mention the first one because it’ll never happen. You try to take my kids from me—emphasis on try—and I hire the best legal team money can buy to not only obtain full custody, I’ll have you stripped of your parental rights.”

Shocked, Terri took a few steps back and reached for the counter to hold her up.

“Or you could marry me and we raise the children together.”

“And the third choice?” Terri asked in a trembling whisper.

“After you give birth to my children you walk away, a free woman. I’ll raise my kids with the help of family and nannies.”

My children. My kids
. He was already cutting her out.

“I’ll never give up my babies.”

His face remained cold and emotionless. “Then all you have to do is marry me.”

“I thought we were friends,” Alannah said, disappointment in her face and tone.

“We are, but I needed time alone. And I couldn’t tell you about my pregnancy and risk you telling Trenton or Gavin.” Terri had effectively disappeared after she and Gavin broke up. She left her job and didn’t return Alannah’s calls. But she’d missed her friend.

Now they sat at their favorite brunch spot. The fall weather was nice enough that they could sit out on the porch and enjoy the meal.

“I understand, I guess.”

Terri sipped her orange juice but continued to ignore her strawberry French toast. The meals here were delicious, but neither of them had much of an appetite and hadn’t touched the food on their plates.

“I don’t care about your past. I hope you know that,” Alannah said earnestly.

Terri blinked away the tears. She should have placed more trust in their friendship. “I do. Thank you.”

“You were very brave. I don’t think I could have done what you did.”

They both reached across the table and held hands.

“What are you going to do about Gavin’s marriage proposal?” Alannah asked.

“I haven’t made up my mind. I don’t like the idea of getting married for the sake of a child—or children, in our case.” She placed a hand on her belly. Their conversation last week rested heavy on her mind.

“He was upset you didn’t tell him you were pregnant.”

“Why would I tell him anything? We were done. I…I couldn’t, Alannah. After the way we split, I didn’t have the strength.” Terri shook her head. “If I told him and he rejected us, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” The thought of him dismissing her and their children had been a possibility too hard to face.

“I’ve known this family for years. They’re loving and kind and work really hard. Your children will be part of that family. And…” Alannah fidgeted in the chair and looked uncomfortable.

“What?” Terri prompted, releasing her friend’s hand.

“They’re very powerful.”

“I know.”

“They’re going to do everything in their power to make sure your children want for nothing.” Alannah spoke with a heaviness in her voice, the words weighted with hidden meaning.

“We don’t have to get married for that to happen.”

“Don’t you want to get married?”

“Not like this. I want to get married for love. I want…” Clenching her teeth, she stared at her plate.
I want the fairytale
.

“You won’t have a choice.” The words were spoken quietly, but were no less of a warning.