Blush (12 page)

“Remember Zane, my mate who’s the gun Aussie Rules footballer?”

“Yeah.” Reid searched his memory banks, vaguely recalling meeting the strapping Aussie when he visited LA with Jack five years earlier. “He’s the one who can get a girl just by looking at her, right?”

Jack laughed. “Yeah, though here in Oz he can’t walk down the street because guys mob him too, he’s that good at kicking around the footy.”

“Something happen to him?”

Jack snorted. “Nothing bad ever befalls that lucky prick. Nah, he’s about to land in Vegas and I thought once he gets settled you could give him the grand tour?”

“Love to, but I’m at the airport about to head back to LA.” As Reid caught sight of Chantal striding toward him, with a reluctant Adele lagging behind, inspiration struck. “Hey, how about I get Chantal to show him around? She just arrived with Adele and if all goes well, she’ll be heading back into town alone.”

“Chantal playing tour guide for Zane?” Jack wolf-whistled. “Wow, those two are an explosion just waiting to happen. Two hardheaded, go-getters? Brilliant idea.”

As Adele spotted him and stalled, Reid gripped the phone so tight it almost cracked. “Gotta go. What flight is the big guy on?”

“DL893.”

Reid tore his eager gaze off Adele long enough to check the overhead arrivals board, to see Zane’s flight had landed and was disembarking in the gate opposite.

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks, mate.” Jack cleared his throat. “And good luck. I know what it feels like to be blindsided by a woman. Schmucks like us don’t stand a chance.”

“Too right. Later.” Reid disconnected and strode toward Chantal and Adele, torn between wanting to pick Adele up and never let go, and berating her for putting them through this.

“Here you go, Slick.” Chantal slung an arm around Adele’s shoulders and nudged her toward him. “My present to you.”

Adele elbowed Chantal in the ribs and Reid grinned. A grin not matched by Adele, who continued to glower at him.

“Thanks.” Reid dropped a kiss on Chantal’s cheek and held out a hand to Adele.

Predictably, she ignored it. Not a problem. He had all the time in the world to break down her resistance. He wouldn’t give up on her, not this time.

“Think you could do me another favor, Chantal?” Reid said, glancing over at the passengers disembarking nearby and spotting the tall, blond Aussie footballer cutting a path through the crowd. “There’s a friend of Jack’s who has just arrived and we were wondering if you could show him around town a bit?”

Chantal’s crimson glossed lips pursed in disapproval. “What do you think I am, a freaking babysitter?”

“Zane’s a good guy.” Reid hid a smirk. “Won’t hurt you to take pity on an Aussie tourist his first time in town?”

Chantal shook her head. “No way.” She gently shoved Adele toward him. “Here’s the first and last favor I’ll be doing for you.”

Reid shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Too bad. Zane’s heading this way and he’s looking a little lost.”

Chantal’s curious gaze swung left and Reid registered the exact moment she caught sight of Zane.

Her mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. “That’s him? The tall, tanned, freaking unbelievably gorgeous one?”

Reid nodded. “Don’t worry, it’s okay, I’ll get someone else to show him around—”

“Like hell.” Chantal squared her shoulders and smoothed a hand over her red dress. “It’d be plain churlish of me to refuse doing you another favor.”

“And doing yourself one,” Reid said, risking a wink in Adele’s direction.

Adele’s lips twitched and it was the first sign she may be thawing a little.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Reid held up his hand and called out, “Zane. Over here.”

The Aussie glanced across, a small puzzled frown creasing his brow before he spotted Reid. He strode across the concourse toward them and Reid could’ve sworn every woman within thirty feet stopped to watch the footballer. Including Adele. Reid wanted to kill the guy on the spot.

“Hey Reid, how’re you going?” Zane held out his hand and Reid shook it. “Jack mentioned you might show me around but I didn’t expect a welcoming party.”

Before Reid could respond, Chantal stepped forward. “Actually, I’m the welcoming party.”

Zane’s eyes widened in appreciation as a slow, easy grin spread across his face. “Lucky me.”

From what Jess had told him, Chantal didn’t take kindly to cocky guys who acted like they owned the world and every woman in it.

From the way Chantal was staring at Zane—like she’d been presented with her favorite dessert on a platter—Jess had been way off.

“I’m also your tour guide, so want to get started?” Chantal stepped closer to Zane and Reid wouldn’t have been surprised to see electricity arc between them.

“Yeah, let’s get started,” Zane said, his smooth, low tone leaving no one in listening distance under any illusion that he wanted to get started with Chantal in an entirely different manner.

Good. The faster Reid got rid of them, the faster he could convince Adele to get on the jet with him.

“And this is my girlfriend, Adele,” Reid said, earning a filthy glare from the woman herself.

Zane nodded and said, “Hi, how are you?”

“Fine thanks,” Adele said, sounding anything but and trying to make eye contact with Chantal, who hadn’t torn hers off Zane yet. “Chantal, can I talk to you a minute? Because I’ll need a lift back to the city—”

“No you won’t,” Reid and Chantal said in unison, and Zane joined in their laughter while Adele continued to glower.

“Let’s go collect your luggage and leave these two lovebirds alone,” Chantal said, her speculative gaze never leaving Zane.

“Sounds good to me.” Zane couldn’t take his eyes off the statuesque blonde either and all Reid could think was
you poor schmuck.

“Chantal…” Adele said, her tone low and full of menace, but her partner in crime gave them both a breezy wave.

Zane laughed. “Good to see you again, Reid.” He nodded at Adele. “Nice meeting you,” he said, before falling into step beside Chantal, the striking couple striding through Las Vegas Airport like they had places to go and people to see.

“This sucks,” Adele said, crossing her arms like a sulky kid.

Reid chuckled. “If you think this is bad, wait ’til I get you on the jet bound for LA.”

“As if.” Adele took a step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

For the first time since he’d devised his plan, Reid’s confidence faltered. If he couldn’t get her on the plane to LA and show her firsthand he meant business…

“I’ll take a cab back to town,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at the nearest exit.

“Please stay. For our baby’s sake. For
our
sake.” He touched her forearm, expecting her to flinch. When she didn’t, he took it as a good sign. “Everything got screwed up at your place and I need a chance to make amends.”

Adele sighed and subtly eased her arm away. “There’s nothing to make amends for. We never had a relationship in the first place.”

“Because I fucked up,” he said, earning a wry grin for his blunt assessment of the situation. “But that’s why I need you to come to LA with me. A short trip, there and back. To sort a few things out.”

Adele’s eyes narrowed, as if she suspected his motives. “What things?”

If he told her the entire truth now, she wouldn’t board the jet. So he had to play this a different way, had to appeal to her maternal side.

She may not give a shit about him but he knew she would protect the baby whatever the cost. She’d told him as much when she said she didn’t want him being a part-time parent hiding his kid away because of his career.

He admired that about her. She’d be a great mom. And he intended to be right alongside her as they raised their kid.

“We’re having a child together and I want to be involved.” He took hold of her hand, hanging on tight when she tried to extricate it. “For our baby’s sake, we need to sort out a whole range of issues and I’d rather clear the air now so we can be proactive together.”

As expected, her stony expression softened at the mention of their baby. “Why LA?”

Damn, he knew she’d push for answers. And this was the one question he hadn’t come up with a foolproof answer for. So he winged it.

“Because I’ve seen your place. I know where you’ll be raising our child. But if you’re to trust me to be a good father, I want you to see where I’ll be parenting.”

Surprise widened her eyes, where he glimpsed a hint of admiration.

He held his breath as he watched indecision war with suspicion across her expressive face, before she gave the slightest nod.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

“Great. Let’s go.” Reid clenched her hand tighter to stop from pumping the air in victory. “We’ll be back tonight.”

She baulked. “Why would you be coming back to Vegas tonight?”

Because I’m never leaving you again
, he wanted to say.

Instead, he shrugged. “Business.”

Though this time, it would be business of the heart.

Adele had been blaming a lot of things on pregnancy hormones lately.

Forgetting to close the fridge door and leaving the OJ on the bench. Staring at the easiest of spreadsheets blankly, clueless how to make sense of the numbers. Having mind-blowing sex with Reid when he arrived on her doorstep.

But the biggest pregnancy brain blunder had to be agreeing to accompany him to LA.

What was she thinking?

This is your fault,
she mentally telepathized to her baby as she cradled her belly, as she followed Reid into his swank office on Rodeo Drive.

Thankfully, he’d left her alone on the private jet, answering emails and fielding calls, as she’d had a glimpse into how crazy busy his life must be. This, from the guy who wanted to share dual parenting roles?

Ideally, she never wanted to see Reid again, for no other selfish reason than it broke her heart whenever she did. But she couldn’t keep him from his child, not when he was making such a concerted effort since he’d stumbled on the truth.

She admired him. Despite what an illegitimate baby would do to his political aspirations—she still couldn’t quite accept he would walk away from it all—he seemed hell-bent on having an active role in raising their child.

Though considering he’d barely learned the truth and had known of the baby’s existence for less than twenty-four hours, he probably hadn’t thought it through yet.

Ultimately, that’s why she’d boarded the plane.

Because she wanted to sit down with him, on his turf, and ensure he knew exactly what he was letting himself in for. And how the kind of negative publicity he would face could affect their child.

She didn’t want her baby to be labeled at best, ridiculed at worst, for bringing down a possible senate candidate.

Reid’s dedication to his job, and the way he’d first presented a possible relationship to her—as their secret to keep—spoke volumes. His work meant everything to him. He had grand political goals. And a guy heading for the senate didn’t have room for an illegitimate baby in his campaign plans.

“Can I get you anything? A drink? Snack?” Reid propped his butt on his desk, ankles crossed, the epitome of a cool businessman.

But his clenched jaw and the way his fingers gripped the edge of the desk were a dead giveaway he was nervous.

“No thanks, I’m fine.” She sat on a sofa, clasped her hands in her lap and waited.

He may have wanted her on his turf but now that she was here, Reid seemed clueless how to proceed.

She glanced around his huge office: the designer chrome and glass furniture, state of the art computer systems, suede sofas, mini-bar and a partially open door displaying a bathroom. And tried to imagine what this posh office in LA’s swankiest street could possibly have to do with his grand plans for their baby.

“Why did you bring me here, really?”

He blew out a long breath and gripped the desk tighter. Looked like they both needed an anchor as they navigated a newly topsy-turvy world.

“Because I wanted to show you I’m not bullshitting.” He blew out a long breath, stepped around his desk and hit an intercom button. “Dallon, come in here please.”

A strange mix of confusion and foreboding made her stomach churn as a six-four giant in a pinstripe suit entered the office, smartphone at the ready.

“Something I can do for you, Mr. Harper?”

Reid gestured at Adele. “Dallon, meet my girlfriend Adele.”

Adele stiffened. It was the second time he’d called her his girlfriend today and she was far from that. Besides, she couldn’t be. Not when her past could ruin everything for him.

Dallon managed a brusque nod in her direction that she returned.

Reid stood behind his desk, shoulders squared, and Adele’s apprehension increased.

He looked like a guy bracing for battle. A guy about to make a monstrous mistake.

“Dallon, there was a confidential document I emailed you from the plane and asked you to hold off on opening ’til I got back.”

Dallon nodded and tapped at his smartphone. “Yes, I have it right here—”

“I want you to distribute it to our party leaders and hold all calls for the next hour.”

Confusion crinkled Dallon’s fake-tanned brow. “Can I ask what it’s in reference to?”

“It’s my resignation.”

Adele felt faint as Reid’s declaration sunk in.

He couldn’t…he wouldn’t
…

Reid stared directly at her and grinned, triumphant.

He just did.

Dallon blanched. “Your resignation? But…you can’t…I mean—”

“Please don’t second guess me.” Reid held up his hand to stop his babbling PA. “I’m still your boss until that letter goes out, so please do as I say.”

Dallon shot an incredulous glare her way. Yeah, like this was all her fault.

And as the PA strode out of the room and Reid continued to stare at her like he expected a cartwheel or two, the reality hit her.

Reid
had
done this for her.

Shit.

She stood and barged toward him. “What the hell have you done?”

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago.” He met her half way, reaching for her, but she shoved him away. “Hopefully, this will prove to you I’m serious about us having a relationship and our baby having a stable home.”