Worth the Scandal (22 page)

“But—” She couldn’t do that. To step into his world, to do things on his terms would be a sign of weakness. Once she let him take over, she’d be at a disadvantage and probably never regain her footing.

“No arguments. We’re doing this on my terms.” He plucked the words right from her brain. “I mean it, Tessa. I’m not in the mood to play nice. I wouldn’t go against my wishes, if I were you.”

“Don’t you dare threaten her, you no good bastard,” Gina muttered.

She could always count on her big sister defending her, and she loved Gina for it. “It’s okay Gina. I’ll go with him.” She shouldn’t but she didn’t have a choice. “I need to gather supplies for the baby first.”

“I have a taxi waiting outside. I’ll buy you new ones.” His impatience was clear.

“She has her favorite blanket and pacifier. Please, let me get her things.”

Reluctantly he nodded and they all went up the stairs, Alex right behind them, Gina in the middle as a buffer. Nerves bounced in Tessa’s stomach, and she felt like she was going to be sick. This was all her fault. She’d let this happen. But how could she have told him?

Maybe she should’ve run away farther. Australia. New Zealand. On the other side of the world still probably wouldn’t have been far enough. They had Worth locations in Australia. There were Worth Luxury stores everywhere.

He
was everywhere. She couldn’t escape him no matter how hard she tried. If he wasn’t haunting her thoughts and dreams, wasn’t a constant reminder when she stared at her daughter’s sweet little face every day, then he was striding into the store she worked at like he owned the damn place. Now that he’d found her, she was afraid he wasn’t going to leave until he had what he wanted.

Charlotte.

They entered the flat and she went to her bedroom, taking Charlotte’s baby bag from Gina as she did so. She gathered a few articles of clothing, a pile of diapers, all the while Charlotte was lying in the middle of the bed and kicking up her heels. Completely unaware of the change that had just occurred in their lives.

Dropping the bag on the floor, she went to the bed and stripped Charlotte of her clothing and diaper. She held the sweet little bundle of naked flesh close to her, cooing in her ear, smoothing her hand over her downy-soft head, down her back. She smelled sweet, nuzzling at the spot where Tessa’s neck met her shoulder and tears formed in her eyes.

She couldn’t let this baby go no matter what. Charlotte belonged to her. She would fight to the very death for her child.

And if she had to fight against Charlotte’s father, then so be it. She was strong. She was determined.

She was ready to go into battle.

Chapter Seventeen

 
“I want to know everything.”

Tessa swallowed hard. “Everything?” Her voice squeaked. Sitting so close to Alex in the back of the taxi as they headed to his hotel, it reminded her of the past. When she rode with him everywhere during the relaunch tour, the many things that had happened in the back of the car…

Her skin warmed and she looked down at Charlotte, who slept contentedly in her arms. He hadn’t asked to hold her, look at her, nothing. She was merely a commodity to him and nothing else.

“Everything, Tessa.” She adored the way he said her name, even when he was frustrated and angry with her. God, she was sick. “When did you move? When did you discover you were pregnant? And why didn’t you tell me?”

Oh, the hard questions. No problem, she’d answer each and every one of them with brutal honesty.

If only she could gather the courage.

Taking a deep breath, she started in. “After you fired me, I went to live with my sister.” She saw him wince when she used the word fired, but she didn’t care. He needed to be reminded of his brutal behavior toward her.

“I made sure you received a generous severance pay.” He sounded strained.

“Yes, you did. I took that money and moved to London with it.” She refused to thank him, refused to grovel at his feet. What did he expect from her, complete submission?

She used to be that girl but not any longer.

“Your sister came with you.” He paused and turned his attention to the window, watching the lights of the city pass by. “To help you care for the baby?”

“I didn’t know I was pregnant until we were already in London. Gina and I decided to leave New York together, like taking an adventure. It had nothing to do with my pregnancy.”

“So you left without a job, without any sort of plan. Just packed everything up and moved on a whim.”

She could hear the judgment, knew he probably thought her completely stupid. “For once in my life, I decided to be spontaneous.”

He slid a glance toward her. “So what happened between us—that wasn’t you being spontaneous? Did you deliberately plan on getting pregnant?”

Her mouth hung open, so full of fury she could hardly find the words to speak. “I—I cannot believe you would say such a thing.”

“I’ve been with plenty of women.” Arrow straight to her heart with that particular statement, the bastard. “And I’ve never impregnated any of them.”

“That you know of.” She edged closer to the door, clutching Charlotte as tight as she could without disturbing her. She’d told Alex she didn’t want to ride in a taxi without Charlotte’s car seat but he’d shoved her in, not allowing her to argue.

She hated him. For his hurtful words and negligent attitude, she hated him with all her might.

She also loved him…

“Trust me.” He cocked a brow and even through all the hate and anger she couldn’t deny he was so handsome he made her entire body ache. “I would’ve known. They would’ve demanded money. A piece of the Worth fortune.”

“I didn’t come after you for money,” she pointed out.

He studied her with his steely gaze. Assessing her, judging her, no doubt. “True. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever been with.”

She didn’t know if she should be insulted or flattered.

“Why are you working at that little lingerie shop? Surely, you could find something better.”

Oh, that was definitely an insult. “I love working there. Simone has been nothing but accommodating with me and my schedule.”

His jaw tightened. “I cannot believe you work at such a place. You’re worth so much more. They must pay you a pittance.”

Again with the backhanded compliments. Why did he always have to confuse her so? “She’s been very loyal to me. Simone adores Charlotte.”

He glanced at the baby in her arms quickly before he looked away. “You could’ve worked at any fashion house in London. You have the experience.”

“But then they would’ve had to call for references and you would’ve known where I was.”

He stiffened his shoulders, his broad back like a thick, endless wall. Unapproachable, impossible to climb. “You hated me that much that you never wanted me to find you?”

The man was impossible. “You were the one who fired me. You kicked me out like I was a traitorous, lying bitch. You wouldn’t even listen to me.”

Alex faced her once more, his eyes full of misery. “I was wrong.”

“I know you were.”

They stared at each other, the tension between them thickening. Confusion swamped her, along with a heady dose of lust. Why did she feel this way about him, after everything he’d done? She should hate him. She had enough reason to hate him ten times over.

Yet he was the father of her child. The man she fell in love with so completely who ruthlessly tore her heart out and stomped all over it. He looked at her now as if he wanted to beg her forgiveness. His saying he was wrong was unheard of.

Alexander Worth was never, ever wrong.

“I—” She didn’t know what she wanted to say but something needed to be said. To crack this buzzing sexual tension building between them. “I think we’re at the hotel,” she finished lamely.

The taxi screeched to a halt in front of the grand hotel, jolting the baby and waking her up. She immediately started to fuss and Tessa rocked her in her arms, trying to soothe her. No doubt she was hungry. Tessa’s breasts ached at hearing her daughter’s whimpers and she knew she needed to feed her soon.

Glancing out the window, she stared up at the gorgeous building. “Claridge’s?” It was one of the most iconic and luxurious hotels in all of London.

“Of course. Only the best for a Worth,” he said dryly as a hotel porter opened the door for her.

She climbed out of the car as best she could what with the baby in her arms. Two hotel employees rushed toward the car after her exit, gathering her meager belongings. Alex exited the cab and rounded the car so he could stand beside her. “I called while you were getting your things. They’ll deliver your belongings to the suite so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“I need the diaper bag.” She ran after the porter who had it slung over his arm, jostling a now crying Charlotte in her arms. She finally caught up with the man and tugged on his arm. “Sir, could I please have the bag?”

“But of course, miss.” He handed it to her without question, his eyes wide as he looked from her to Alex who somehow magically appeared at her side. Again. “My apologies, Mister Worth.”

“No need. It was an honest mistake.” He nodded at the porter who then turned on his heel and scurried away.

“You intimidate people just by looking at them.” She was in awe of his quiet power yet it also disgusted her. It made her feel like every other poor little regular minion, enraptured with the presence he so effortlessly yielded.

“Are you trying to find fault with everything I do?” He hurried to keep up with her as she strode into the hotel lobby.

“Yes.” She glanced about, looking for the elevators. She needed to get Charlotte to a room and quick so she could feed her. Her cries were growing louder, drawing the attention of the guests milling about the lobby. “What floor are you staying on?”

“The penthouse.”

“Of course,” she muttered and shook her head. “Is there a separate elevator or do you use the same one as the common people do?”

“No special elevator.” He paused, looked ready to say something else but she wouldn’t give him the chance. “Tessa, wait.”

She’d already taken off toward the elevators, hating how everyone looked at her with thinly veiled disgust. Had none of them ever seen a fussy baby before? Were none of them parents? They looked at her and Charlotte like they were alien creatures who had just landed in their midst.

Alex kept calling her name but she ignored him. Didn’t slow her pace until she finally got to the elevators where she waited amongst a group of elegantly dressed couples. They all appeared ready to attend a party, the women gorgeous and dripping in jewels and the men in black tie.

“Alexander Worth, is that you?” one of the women screeched as he approached.

Tessa kept her head bent, trying her best to calm Charlotte. The woman draped herself over Alex who looked very uncomfortable as he tried to escape her grip. She didn’t feel sorry for him. No, more like she wanted to kick him in the shins and run for cover.

Why did he have to know everyone? And why was she always left feeling like an awkward little fool? He probably didn’t want any of these people to see her standing next to him clutching a baby. They would talk, gossip would spread around London and soon the rumors would fly all over the world.

Turning, she kept her back to them and her ears wide open.

There was much idle chitchat amongst the group and Alex as they waited for the elevator. Luckily, Charlotte had quieted down. Alex never once acknowledged them, let alone mentioned them. She couldn’t blame him but there was that teeny trickle of shame coursing through her. That perhaps he was embarrassed to have them discovered. Unmarried, young and clearly unsophisticated, his former employee who once worked directly under him and she was the mother of his first child?

It was all so—sordid.

A ding sounded and the elevator doors slid open, a gob of people spilling out before they all walked in. Tessa hurried in first and stood at the back of the car, Alex closer to the front. The car quickly emptied, the group who knew Alex getting off on the third floor where the banquet rooms were. One by one, the people stepped off until finally, they were the only two in the elevator.

Well, three, counting Charlotte.

“You didn’t want to be seen with me,” he said the moment the last person stepped off and the doors shut.

“I thought you didn’t want to be seen with me. We’re your dirty little secret, after all.”

“I don’t think that…”

“Give me a break. How would you explain us to your friends, hmm? ‘Oh, let me introduce you to Tessa. She recently gave birth to my daughter who I only just learned exists. You see, Tessa used to be my assistant and we had a torrid little affair until I fired her for betraying me.’ Does that sound about right to you, Alex?” She glared at him.

“Everything is so black and white for you, isn’t it?”

She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to say that. “You’re the king of black and white. There are no shades of gray when it comes to the way you conduct your life. It’s either one thing or another. This side or that side. Talk to your brothers, talk to your business associates and the board members. They’ll all agree with me.”

His skin turned pale. He looked shaken, and she couldn’t help the surge of satisfaction that pulsed through her. He deserved to hear the truth.

The elevator stopped with a soft ding and he turned toward the wall, pushing his keycard into the slot so the doors magically slid open. He stood back, allowing her to go first and she did so, tucking Charlotte close, wishing like crazy he would acknowledge her.

“What if I told you I was trying to change my ways?” His velvety soft words curled around her, and she slowly turned around. He stood in front of the now closed elevator doors, his entire body tense. They were in a tiny entry, the door to the suite shut. The space felt very tight, especially with Alex’s overwhelming presence taking over.

“I would say I have a hard time believing that.”

He took a step toward her. “What do I have to do to prove myself? To earn your forgiveness? To regain your trust?”

She blinked. Charlotte’s hunger forgotten, her shoulders sagged at his overwhelming words.