“Don’t make excuses for what I wasn’t supposed to hear,” she told him, tipping her chin. “I’m flattered you want to marry me, but I think I’ll decline. You see, I already made a fool of myself for one man I conceived a child with. I don’t intend to do so again.”
Graham started to step forward, but when she held up a hand and squared her shoulders, he stopped. The sheen in her eyes, the fact that she was fighting back tears, told him he’d completely ruined everything.
But he wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Marriage isn’t a terrible idea, Eve.”
“For us? It’s a terrible idea.”
“Why?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she pursed her lips as if choosing her next words carefully. Damn, she looked beautiful this morning. With her tousled hair, bright eyes, face devoid of any makeup, Eve was stunning. And she was pulling away. He couldn’t let her end what he’d worked so hard to complete.
“I told you I loved you,” she started, blinking away the tears. “I meant it. I didn’t expect the words in return if you weren’t feeling the same way. I understand. But to know you only want to marry me because of our baby, it’s just so archaic. Did you think I’d keep your child from you?”
Graham didn’t care what she wanted. He took a step toward her. “I didn’t know what would happen, Eve. All I know is I’m going to be a father and I can’t miss that. I can’t.”
Emotions he hadn’t fully grasped came rushing at him. “I grew up without a father,” he went on, still slowly closing the gap between them. “I’ve wondered for the past thirty-two years who my dad is, if he wanted me, if he even knows I exist. It’s an empty void that I may never fill.”
He stood so close now, Eve tipped her head back to look up into his eyes. The need for her understanding was so great, he had to find the right words. Any charm or wit he normally used to get his way wasn’t possible here. All he could do was hope for the best when he opened up with complete and total honesty.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?” he asked. “I can’t let my child grow up without me. I don’t want another man raising what’s mine.”
Eve’s jaw clenched as she closed her eyes and pulled in a breath. “Do I look like I have men lined up outside my door?” she finally asked, glaring back at him. “Apparently you don’t know me at all. And all I hear is how you want to give this child a name and treat him or her like your property. That’s not how this works and that sure as hell isn’t how a marriage should work.”
“Eve—”
“No.”
She backed away and held out both hands. Just as she did, she started to sway. Graham reached for her, but she pushed him away. She held her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. Alarmed, he waited to make sure she wasn’t going to get sick or pass out. He was a complete ass for...well, everything. He remained close, though, in case she needed him. Not that she’d take his help now.
Moments later she pulled herself together and smoothed her hair from her face. “I’m going back to Chicago as soon as I call my pilot to come get me. Elite has a private helicopter at our disposal.”
“I’ll take you.”
She was going. There was no stopping her. She’d erected walls he couldn’t penetrate, not when she was so angry, so hurt. But he’d continue to chip away because he wasn’t lying. There was no way he’d let his child grow up without a father.
“I’d rather call my pilot,” she told him.
Eve turned on her heel and headed toward the stairs. Graham couldn’t take his eyes off her. He silently pleaded for her to understand where he was coming from, why he was so adamant about marriage.
With her hand on the post, she turned to look over her shoulder. “You know what’s sad? I thought you brought me here because you cared about me. I was naive enough to think you might have stronger feelings for me, that you wanted to get closer to me. Not because I was pregnant, but because of me.”
Graham couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.
Eve dropped her head between her shoulders, her grip tightening on the post. “You were using me all this time. I should’ve listened to my family when they first told me to stay away from you. But I defended you.”
Now she turned to face him, her cheeks pink from tears, from anger. Graham hated himself at that moment. He hated the way he’d portrayed himself, the way he’d let her down when he’d promised that no one would hurt her again. He’d destroyed her. Destroyed the light in her eyes, the smile she so freely gave.
“I won’t keep you from your child.” Her voice shook, her chin quivered. “But I won’t marry you, and from here on out, we’re nothing to each other.”
Without another word, she went up the stairs. Graham listened as the bedroom door clicked shut. The gentle sound seemed to echo through the spacious house. It symbolized everything that had just happened. She’d put a barrier between them, and as he stood on the outside, he couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he could ever fix this.
When he left her alone to pack, and then leave the cabin, Eve was even more hurt. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. He’d given up. Clearly he only wanted the child and she was an absolute fool to have believed otherwise.
But what hurt the most was that she still loved him. Well, she loved the man she thought he was. He’d been so caring, so amazing these past couple of weeks, but one overheard phone call had revealed the truth.
Eve had been home only a day, but she’d called her sisters and her father for a family meeting. Dr. Wilde had told Eve that Sutton was resting, but he was having a good day and to come on by. Grace and Nora were meeting Eve at the Winchester estate.
As Eve stood outside the front door, she fought back her nerves. Had it only been two nights since she was here for a party? A party announcing her sister’s engagement. A party Graham had crashed, and then he’d taken her...
No. There would be no more thinking along those lines. Whatever they’d shared in the past was best left there. Their affair had started out so fast, so intense, there was no way it could’ve lasted or even morphed into something with deeper meaning. Eve cursed herself for getting so caught up in romanticizing the secret of it all.
Gathering up her courage, she let herself in and headed straight to her father’s study. Grace and Nora were already there. Grace adjusted the throw on her father’s legs and Nora glanced up, catching Eve’s eye. A soft smile from her sister was all Eve needed to get through this. Having Nora here was a huge help since she already knew.
Grace glanced up when Eve shut the door. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “You sounded strange on the phone.”
Eve met her father’s questioning eyes. “I’m fine, but I have something I need to tell you all.”
Grace straightened, taking hold of their father’s hand. “You’re scaring me. Are you sick, too?”
“What? No.” She hadn’t meant to scare them. “I’m pregnant.”
Silence. Not a word was said as her sisters and father just stared back at her.
“I’m at seven weeks,” she went on, in a rush to fill the dead air. “The doctor has assured me that everything looks great, but I’m scared.” There, she’d said it. “I need your help and support, no judgment, please. I can’t deal with it right now.”
“Because Graham is the father?” Grace asked.
Eve bit