Page 81 of Irresistible Temptation
I wasn’t sure if I had heard her right just now.
Had she saidpregnant?
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, feeling my breathing begin to quicken as I looked at Juliet for answers.
She sighed exasperatedly, flinging her hands up in the air as she glared at me.
“What do youthinkI mean by that?” she asked, before settling her hands on her hips. “I should punchyouin the face for being such an idiot.”
It felt like the walls were closing in on me just then, swallowing me whole, as I free-fell down the seventy-two-story building. I gripped my desk tightly, my knuckles turning white, as I tried to steady myself. Juliet sat back down in the leather wingback chair and put her head in her hands, her blonde hair spilling through her fingers.
“I-I…” I didn’t even know where my sentence was going, just that I needed to say something.
Mia groaned just then, stirring on the black plush rug strewn across my office floor. At least she had a soft landing. I glanced over my desk at her before reaching for my phone. It looked like she had gone back to sleep. I dialed down to security.
“This is Chester Brandfield,” I said firmly. “I need security up on the top floor. Bring the cops with you.”
I hung up the phone and settled into my desk chair, the leather groaning slightly. I took a deep breath and looked at Juliet, who still had her head in her hands as she looked down at the ground. I wanted nothing more than to lift her face and just look at her. I had missed the hell out of her the past few days. But I knew I had lost that chance when I had shut her out.
“How long have you known?” I asked softly.
She peeled her face from her hands, but didn’t look at me. Instead, she looked out the window behind me, her eyes distant.
“Juliet…” I tried again, unable to take the sadness strewn across her face.
I had never seen her look like this. It was almost unbearable, especially when I knew I was the reason for it.
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered eventually. Her eyes falling from the New York skyline and down to her lap, where her fingers were tangling together.
“Please,” I said, gently pleading.
“You don’t have to have anything to do with the baby,” she said sharply, looking up at me. The glassy look in her eyes didn’t match the sharpness in her voice.
“Wh-what?” I asked, raising my brows high on my forehead.
“I won’t even ask for child support.”
“Juliet…”
“You can pretend it never happened.” She clutched her hands tightly, her gaze falling once again to her lap. I swore I saw a tear fall.
I stood from my office chair, rounding the desk toward her.
“Don’t.” She put up her hand. “Don’t, Chester.”
I stopped in my tracks. My heart felt like it was cracking. She wanted nothing to do with me, when right now, it felt like she should need me most. Hell, I neededherwith this news.
A baby,I thought to myself, as if trying out a new word. I was no doctor, but we must have conceived the night at the club. The day we met. It had been reckless, yes, fueled by passion and lust, but I never thought it would land us here.
“I’m quitting, Chester,” said Juliet, reaching across my desk for the wrinkled letter of resignation. She slid it toward her, peeling a corner and lifting it from the dark wooden surface. She handed it to me. It was the closest we had been to touching in a week, and my fingers twitched at the mere inches that separated us.
She quickly pulled her hand away, as if feeling the same distance between us that I wanted to desperately close. She reached up and tucked a pale blonde strand of hair behind the crook of her ear. Looking down at Mia on the floor next to her, she sighed tiredly.
“I’m sorry I knocked out your new assistant. These pregnancy hormones are a little intense.” She let out a soft laugh, the first sign of the Juliet I knew, but it was short-lived as she stood up to leave, with plans to walk out of my life for good.
Just as she turned for the door, it swung open and one of the security guards from the building strode in, followed by two police officers. Juliet backed up quickly, giving them space and nearly tripping over Mia who was coming to.
“Mr. Brandfield,” said the security guard with a stern nod as he looked around the room.
