Page 26 of The B-Team

“Shut up and let your lawyer do the talking.” Abasi might as well have suggested Evan flap his arms and fly. He rested his head back on yet more tile and closed his eyes.

There was a moment of blessed silence, and Abasi began to hope that Evan had worn himself out, but then the young man wailed, “Why is there so much tile in here?”

All Abasi could do was fold his arms to keep from throttling his teammate.

CHAPTER TEN

“Are you sure you aren’t having contractions?” Harvard curled a hand around Rachel’s belly with such care that it made her want to cry. A sure sign that her hormones were running rampant.

“I’m sure.”

They were in the back of one of the TayFor company cars, the privacy partition securely in place between them and the driver as they drove through Central London. She wasn’t surprised to find the car waiting for them when they were released from the detention center. Her company lawyers had ensured it was on standby, and thinking ahead was one of the reasons they were very well paid.

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Harvard’s smile was wide, lighting up his face like a beacon that called to her.

“Or her,” she reminded him.

He gazed down in wonder at her bump, as he’d done so many times since she found out they were pregnant. “I hope they have your hazel eyes.”

She trailed a finger down his cheek. Even after years together, she still felt wonder that he was hers to touch. “And your skin tone. Ebony skin with hazel eyes…”

He chuckled. “I think I need to take you to an art class.” He linked their hands together and pointed at them. “This shade of brown and this shade of cream don’t make ebony, Princess.”

“I want them to look like you,” she said, allowing herself to be vulnerable in a way that was possible only with him. “I want everyone to know that this is your baby.”

His eyes sparkled. “Because there might be some doubt about the father?”

“Because I’m so in love with you that I want the world to see what our love made and know it was all about you. Only you. I couldn’t have made this life with anyone else.”

Harvard sucked in a breath. “Damn, Rachel, you can’t say things like that to me when we’re not alone because now I can’t show you what it means to me.”

His eyes darkened as he reached up to cup her cheek. Slowly, he leaned in to press a deliberate, luscious, propriety kiss against her lips, and it was as though he’d set a match to flash paper. Flames of desire swept through her so fast that it made her giddy. She curled her hands around his shoulders, pulling him closer, feeling those strong muscles of his under the cut of his jacket. Wishing he was naked beside her.

“Damn,” he whispered when he broke their kiss. “We should’ve headed straight home instead of going to see this guy.”

“We can still do that. Fitzwater’s uncle will still be there in a couple of hours.” And she wanted him so desperately.

Harvard brushed her hair back from her forehead, using the same reverent care he always used, making her feel loved with his every touch.

“I don’t think you’d be able to concentrate on my lovemaking while your friends are still locked up. Trust me, if I did, I’d tell the driver to turn around in a heartbeat.”

Rachel pouted in disappointment. Something she never did. “Pregnancy’s turning me into someone I don’t recognize. If I’mnot sex-crazed, I’m being nice to people. Today, I was actually worried that I wasn’t polite enough.” She groaned, her head hitting the back of the leather seat. “I’ve lost my edge.”

A deep, rumbling laugh made Harvard shake as he pulled her against him. “You’ll never lose your edge. I can promise you that. You’re just as scary now as you were the first day I met you. Or, I should say, the first time you rejected me.”

“Promise?” She looked up at him, knowing there was a pitiful excess of desperation in her gaze.

“Oh yeah, you have my word on this. You are still my sexy Queen of the Damned.” He kissed her forehead. “And people still scatter out of your way.”

“Good.” Rachel snuggled closer. “I feel like I’m losing myself, and I don’t like it.”

“Don’t worry. I know who you are, and if you need reminding, you can just ask me. I promise I won’t let you down.”

That made her feel much better because Harvard always kept his word.

Hugging her belly, she contemplated her future—which was approaching much faster than she would have liked. “We should probably think of some names.”

“I thought you wanted to see the baby before we did the name thing?”