Chapter 3
“Are you going to sit there staring at me or tell me what’s on your mind?” Mia asked mildly as she looked at Simon from across her desk.
“There are legal implications,” he said slowly as he stared at her. He always knew that she was beautiful and feisty, which had turned him off the minute he'd seen her.
He remembered the first time he'd come into the adjoining office several years ago and had seen the coolly beautiful woman looking up at him as he walked in.
“Where's Adrian?” he'd asked with a frown.
“You are Simon, Sebastian’s friend and the company’s lawyer. I'm going to let you know right now that I won't admit anyone into his office without an appointment, I don’t care who you are.”
He'd stared at her in shock and she'd stared back at him. The intercom had sounded just then and she'd responded. “You may go on in,” she said once she hung up.
He'd told Sebastian that she was very rude and he didn't like her. He remembered that his friend had laughed at that and told him, “She's a pain in the ass but she's the most efficient person I've ever seen. We buck heads every single day and I'm afraid that I always come out the loser. She stays.”
“Of course there are. You are a lawyer,” Mia he said mildly, bringing him back to the present.
*****
Mia finished sending
off the emails and turned to look at Simon. It was the middle of the
day and she'd sent down for some plain chicken soup from the kitchen.
Her nausea wasn't so bad but she was still unable to tolerate a lot
of things. She kept some fruits and sweets on her desk because every
so often she felt the nausea coming on. She was six weeks pregnant
and would be delivering in September. Although she trembled at the
consequences of what they'd done she was hoping that Sebastian would
be awake and there with her. “I don’t need money,
Simon.”
“Sandra told me.” He stared at her for a
moment. “Sebastian's going to wonder if I don’t draw up
some sort of paper.”
“And what paper would that be?”
she asked him coolly as she plucked a grape from the bunch and
crunched on it. “Something to say that I relinquish all rights
to my child? Or that I will not demand any money from this
arrangement? That I won’t ask him to marry me because of this?”
She looked at him with raised brows. “I'm a big girl, Simon,
and went into this with my eyes wide open. I know the deal and the
fact that Sebastian's an extremely wealthy man.”
“This opens him and the company up to a lot of lawsuits,” Simon said.
“It does. But
did you not hear? I'm in this for love,” she said airily.
“How
can you be so cavalier about the whole thing?” Simon asked in
exasperation.
“Cavalier?” Mia mocked. “I'm not sure I would use that word. I get sick every single day since I've been carrying this baby. It's now officially a baby, by the way. I've spent the last almost five years of my life loving a man who thought of me as nothing but his very efficient assistant. I had to sit here and see the parade of women come and go while I could only do my job. Cavalier is not the word I would use, honey.”
He stared at her for a minute and then got to his feet. “I see you know what you are doing,” he said slowly.
“I do.” She looked up at him. “I doubt you'll ever understand and to you I might look and sound pathetic, because let’s face it Sebastian isn't the easiest man to get along with, but he has my heart and I'm a one-man-gal, so I'm stuck.”
He shook his head at that. “There's going to be hell to pay.”
“I suspect so.”
*****
Mia stripped off all her clothes and stood in front of the full-length mirror to stare at herself. She lifted her hands and scraped her hair on top of her head to give herself a full examination. It was too early for her to start showing yet. She was slender so she suspected that it was going to be in her six month before she started showing. Her stomach was still flat and if it wasn't for the pre natal vitamins and the nausea she was experiencing she wouldn't believe that she was pregnant.
Her large, dark brown eyes wandered over her naked body critically. She had full breasts, which she'd always despaired about because they drew too much attention to her bosom. She'd inherited her looks from her mother and the smooth cocoa brown complexion as well. She wasn't hung up on different skin tones but rather focused on people themselves. She'd never in any way thought that the fact that a person was white and had money meant that that person was better off than others who weren't!
Her mother and Uncle Beres had brought her up to be confident in herself and in her abilities to do anything she wanted. She was also aware that she was beautiful and that men looked at her with second and third glances. She was determined and had a one-track mind when it came to affairs of the heart. She'd been involved with one guy when she was in college and they'd parted amicably because the relationship hadn't been going anywhere. When she fell in love with Sebastian she'd known without a doubt that if it wasn't him then it wouldn't be anyone else. She dropped her hands and turned sideways, pushing out her belly to get an idea of how she would look when she started showing. With a self-deprecating laugh she moved away from the mirror and went into the bathroom to take a bath.
*****
“Here's the thing, Sebastian,” Mia said softly as she sat at the edge of the bed and looked at the still form there. It was the end of January and he was still in the coma. The doctors had told them that his brain activity was strong so nothing was wrong with that part of him. “The doctors tell us to keep talking to you and that you might be hearing everything being said to you. In that case I want to tell you the progress of what's going on. I'm not going to tell you about the progress of the company other than to say that your sister's doing a very good job of running things. I'm here to tell you that our child is healthy and growing inside me nicely.” She took a deep breath.
“I have every confidence that you'll wake up, and when you do you're going to be very mad with us but I don’t care. I've loved you for so long that loving you has become a big part of me and this was something that I'm happy I did.” She closed her eyes briefly. “You're going to be mad but when you feel the child moving inside me, you're going to be happy I did what I did. Maybe not happy, but grateful that I'm actually giving you an heir.” She laughed shakily. “Who am I kidding? You're going to be furious! But you'll get past it.” She touched his arm briefly, feeling the warmth of his flesh. “You will.”
*****
“Come with me!” Sandra urged her one day in the first week of February. “It’s one of the biggest functions of the year with hundreds of businessmen and women from all over the world attending. It’s a meet-and-greet and common ground for people in business to get a feel of one another, but it's more than that! It's also a charity event where millions of dollars are being donated to various charities. Sebastian—”her lips wobbled for a moment “—My brother is so good at these things. He would put on a tux and would end up being the center of attention. I used to watch him and wonder how he did it.”
“He hated it,” Mia told her.
Sandra looked at her in surprise. “That’s not true.”
“It is true.” Mia leaned back in the chair and looked at her friend in amusement. They'd gotten closer since the pregnancy and Mia would often spend the night at the manor on the weekends. She'd ventured into Sebastian’s suite of rooms one night but had quickly left, feeling like an intruder. “I told you I happen to know your brother very well. He did it because he had to, Sandra, not because he wanted to. He would spend the week leading up to the function taking it out on me. ’The damned report wasn't accurate!’ ‘What the hell were you thinking sending that call to me?’ ‘You're incompetent.'.”
Sandra stared at her.
“And what did you do?”
“I would tell him that he
was a grown man and if he didn't want to go to the damned function
then he shouldn't go,” Mia said with a laugh.
Sandra shook
her head as she looked at her. “And what did he say?”
“He would look at me with those amazing grey eyes of his and I would stand there and look back at him and then he would order me out of his office. When he was leaving for the day to go get ready for the function I would tell him to knock'm dead. The only reaction I could see was the stiffening of those broad shoulders of his.”
Sandra looked at her
and burst out laughing. “You really know him.”
“I
told you,” Mia said smugly. “You'll be fine.”
“Please
come.”
“Sandra, honey, I love you like a sister but
I'm in agreement with your brother here. I hate the crowd and
meaningless conversations.”
“Please don’t let me suffer alone,” Sandra pleaded.
“Take Simon
with you.”
“He's going out of town for the
weekend.”
Mia sighed. “Okay, fine. But I'm not driving
myself.”
“I'll have one of the drivers pick you up.”
Mia shook her head. “Okay, I’ll go.”
*****
“How's the pregnancy going?” Beres handed her a cup of tea and sat at the dining table with a cup of coffee in his hands. “How far along are you?”
“Barely two months,” Mia sipped the herbal tea and tried not to grimace at the taste. “The nausea isn't too bad now and I'm actually eating—just not chicken or beef.”
“I wonder what your mother would say about all this.” he murmured as he stared at her.
“She would say that she supports me, Uncle B, you know that.” She stared at him. “What’s up with you?”
“I don’t want to see my baby girl hurt.”
“Your baby girl is a grown-ass woman who can take care of herself,” she told him.
“You're still
my baby girl,” he said gruffly. “Maybe Sheila and I gave
you too much freedom and inspired too much confidence.”
“And
that’s a bad thing?” Mia asked with lifted brows.
“You think you
can do anything. This thing you did is something that might not work
out,” he pointed out.
“What do you mean?”
“Suppose the
guy decides to take the child away from you? It would be his right,
honey, as he didn't give consent. What if he decides to take the
child from you and wants to have nothing to do with you? This man has
a vast amount of money and could tie you in legal battles until
you're broke.”
“Uncle B! Come on, stop trying to scare
me!”
“Someone should!” he said firmly. “Look,
I know you're in love with the guy but he hasn't shown one ounce of
interest in you in the years you've been there. What makes you think
he'll do so now if he wakes up.”
“Sandra and I did
this because we were thinking long term and we were being practical
about it. There's a chance that he might not wake up and if that
happens at least there will be an heir to inherit the company. I was
thinking about me when I agreed to do it. Sebastian will never be
able to ignore the fact that I'm pregnant with his kid. I'm
determined, you already know that Uncle B. I've stood by and done
nothing while he went through meaningless relationships because of my
stupid code of ethics. I never get involved with an employer or
anyone I work with but this was not about getting involved, it was
not about having a fling. This is about being in love with this man
and knowing that I will never love anyone the way I love him so the
rules have changed. I'm not going to allow him to ignore me again.”
Beres leaned forward and stared at the determined glint in her eyes and smiled. “You are your mother’s child.”
*****
Mia stared at herself in the mirror, admitting that she'd never looked better. The dress was a cross between silver and blue and sparkled in the light. The bodice cupped her generous breasts and molded the flesh like a second skin. Thin straps with jeweled designs held it in place. The skirt billowed out and covered her feet with a swath of material that floated around her when she moved. Her hair, which had been professionally styled, was to one side of her face and went past her shoulder in a thick fat curl. She was wearing dangling silver earrings and bangles at her left wrist. Her shoes were a strappy black Romano’s original and she was thankful she didn't have to walk too far in the cold or her toes, encased in nude stockings, would be in danger of freezing in the February cold. She grabbed her black cashmere jacket and headed out the door.
“Thank you,” she smiled at the girl who took her jacket from her, and holding her skirt up she went into the large ballroom of the hotel where the function was being held. She saw Sandra as she stepped into the crowded room. Ignoring the admiring glances thrown at her she made her way over to where the woman was.
“You look great,” Mia said with a smile as she admired the emerald green dress she was wearing.
“You look better than great,” Sandra said as she stared at her friend. “How did my brother never see you?”
“He had blinders on.” She linked her hand in the woman’s arm. “I know I can't drink but let’s mingle and see if I can find something to eat. I'm starving!”
*****
Surprisingly, she had fun. She talked to a number of people, some of whom she remembered coming by the office to meet with Sebastian. It was halfway through the night when she noticed the guy staring at her. Her eyes met his once or twice and she turned away but she was sitting down for a little bit as Sandra went off to speak to some people when he came over.
“Hi.” His
voice was deep and hypnotic and if she hadn't been in love with
Sebastian and pregnant with his child she would certainly be tempted.
He was tall and had dark hair and green eyes and was easily one of
the most attractive men she'd ever seen. “My name is
Gabriel—”
“Bryant,” she supplied in
amusement. “The entire world knows who you are.”
He laughed softly as he took a seat next to her. “I had no idea I was so well-known.”
She lifted her brows at him. “Gabriel Bryant, the only son and heir of the vast Bryant Holdings, the company who has interests in various software companies, hotels, airplanes, department stores. Have I left anything out?” she asked him dryly.
“That’s
pretty much it.” One thick brow lifted. “I'm afraid that
you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know your name.”
“Why
would you?” she asked him mockingly. “I'm nothing but a
lowly assistant. My name is Mia Gooden. I'm Assistant to Sebastian
Bell.”
His brows lifted. “We're acquaintances and I was so sorry to hear what happened to him.”
Mia shrugged. “He'll
survive.”
“Are you here alone?”
She looked at
him and smiled. “Are you trying to pick me up?”
“Is it working?” he asked her with a charming smile.
“I'm afraid
not.” She looked around the room at the number of women there,
most of them looking at him. “But you have your pick of most of
the women in the room.”
“I like a challenge,” he
told her softly, his green eyes wandering over her face.
Mia laughed at that, she couldn't help it. “I'm sure you do, Gabriel, but I'm afraid I'm off limits.”
“You're
involved?”
“So to speak,” she told him lightly.
He picked up a slender left hand and noticed the lack of ring there. “This guy is slipping and doesn't deserve you.”
“Because he hasn't put a ring on it?” she asked in amusement as she pulled her hand away from him.
“Yes.”
“Early days yet
Gabriel.”
“It means that I'm not too late.”
“Does this kind of thing work for you?” she asked him.
“Usually.” His tone was amused as he stared at her. She could tell he was rather enjoying sparring with her. “I take it that it’s not working for you?”
“No.” She eyed him quizzically. “Let me guess, you're the kind of man who always gets the girl. You walk into a room and everyone stops as soon as you come in. You start a conversation and they all take notice. Even if you're saying something trivial like what the weather is like it's as if you're saying the most profound thing in the world. I know the type Gabriel Bryant; you're a typical alpha male and you don’t have to go seeking attention, it seeks you.”
He stared at her for
a moment and then laughed. “Now you've gone and done it.”
“Done
what?”
“Made it so
interesting that I cannot just walk away,” he murmured. “You're
not only beautiful but you're smart and you seem to know me.”
“I'm
a very good judge of character. It’s my super power,” she
told him dryly.
“How about I take you away from here and we go on my yacht?” he suggested softly.
“OMG! A yacht?” She clapped her hands on her cheeks and widened her eyes.
“Why do I get the feeling that you're far from being impressed?”
“You're not only handsome and charming but you're smart.” She got to her feet.
“See, we're
getting somewhere. You think I'm handsome and charming.”
“Just
making an observation.” She waved at him as she walked away.
*****
Mia leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. She'd taken off her shoes and eased the cramp in her toes. She smiled as she remembered the conversation she'd had with Gabriel Bryant. He certainly was charming and handsome and she'd enjoyed sparring with him. She frowned as she thought about Sebastian. For one insane moment she felt as if she'd cheated on him, which was ridiculous. He'd never even touched her briefly on the hand. As a matter of fact, as far as she could remember Sebastian had gone out of his way not to have any physical contact with her at all. She bit off a sigh as she thought about it. Maybe she was a fool after all.