The By Request Collection

When someone knocked at the back door, Eve nearly cried. Only one person came and went via the French doors overlooking the outdoor living area. The door was conveniently located by the garage Graham used.

She peered down at her attire and shrugged. He’d seen her in her suits, in a ball gown and in her birthday suit, but he’d never seen her in sloppy, I-want-to-be-left-alone mode.

Circling the kitchen island and bypassing the breakfast nook, she reached the French doors. Only the soft glow from the motion lights illuminated Graham’s broad frame, slashing a streak of light across one side of his face. His eyes pierced her straight through the glass. There was an intensity to this man that her body couldn’t deny. She hated how, even now, especially now, she didn’t want to deny him anything. But if she didn’t watch out, she would end up hurt. Right now, she had to focus on her baby.

Flicking the lock, she opened one of the doors. Because she knew he wasn’t just here for a quick visit, she stepped aside and let him in.

The second Graham was inside, she clicked the lock back into place. When she turned, his eyes raked her, as they always did. She shivered, but was too tired to even appreciate her instant arousal. There had to be some sort of stop button where this physical relationship was concerned. Shouldn’t they focus on how to make this parenting thing work? The time for selfish desires and needs had come to an end.

“If you’re here for—”

He held up a hand. “I’m not.”

When he took a step forward, closing the gap between them, Eve waited for his familiar touch. But he simply held her gaze and offered a gentle smile. “I’m here for strictly innocent reasons.”

Eve laughed, waiting for him to deliver the rest of the punch line. When he only quirked a brow, she sobered. “Innocent? Honey, you don’t have an innocent bone in your body.”

Honey? Had she seriously just used that term? Exhaustion had obviously stolen her common sense.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but really. Why are you here?”

Graham took her elbow and guided her through the house. Her house. As if he owned the place. And she was allowing this to happen. Then he led her up the stairs, toward her bedroom, and pulled back the pristine white duvet on her king-size four-poster bed. Eve darted her eyes between the inviting bed and the confusing man.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

Graham took her hand and ushered her into bed. “I had no plans until I got here. But now that I see you’re practically swaying on your feet, we’re going to relax.”

“We?” Eve slid into bed because the temptation was far too great for her to fight.

“That’s right.” Graham picked up the remote, hit a few buttons. The flat screen slid up from the entertainment island that separated the bed from the sitting area. “I’m going to watch a classic with you.”

Okay. So if she had all of this straight in her head, Graham had just appeared at her back door not looking for sex, but to watch a movie and...snuggle?

Eve continued to stare as Graham as climbed into bed beside her and began studying her remote. After several minutes of muttering under his breath—something about his law degree being useless—he finally figured it out. Instantly the room filled with music as the movie popped up, and Eve had to brace herself. He was legitimately here to watch a movie. They were in her bed...completely clothed.

“You’re still staring and you’re going to miss this opening,” Graham said without looking her way.

Her gaze went to the large screen and she instantly recognized An Affair to Remember. It was one of her favorite movies. But how did he know? They’d certainly never discussed such personal things.

“Why are you doing this?”

Graham sighed, paused the movie and glanced her way. Those striking blue eyes pierced her heart. But she couldn’t have her heart involved, not with him, not now. Her emotions were simply all over the place. She couldn’t act on any temporary feelings.

“I love old movies. I want to do absolutely nothing right now but watch one with you. We both work too hard, and now we’re having a baby. Maybe it’s time we get to know each other.”

Without another word, he took the movie off pause, turned the volume up and reached for her hand. The detail-oriented nerd in her wanted to know what was going on. Was this a date? Albeit a warped version of one. Was this some ploy to get her to fall for him? If so, he was doing a damn good job. Did he truly want to get to know her?

Eve attempted to concentrate on the movie, but between exhaustion and the way Graham’s thumb drew lazy patterns over the back of her hand, she was having a difficult time.

What was Graham up to? The man was ruthless in a courtroom, if his reputation around Chicago was any indicator. He could’ve easily had her undressed and beneath him had he tried, because denying him was nearly impossible. Yet he seemed all too happy to lie here, hold her hand and do absolutely nothing.

Graham Newport was playing some sort of game and if she didn’t figure out the rules soon, she was going to find herself on the losing side. And that was not an option because she’d end up hurt. Eve had been dealt enough by the hand of grief to last a lifetime and she wasn’t looking for more.

* * *

Graham knew she’d fallen asleep within the first ten minutes of the movie. Her hand had gone lax beneath his and she even began to snore quietly. He found himself watching her and smiling. Okay, this little plan of his had backfired in a major way.

He’d come here for one reason—to start his plan of seduction. Getting her to trust him, to maybe even develop stronger feelings for him, was a must for making sure they came to a mutual understanding where their child was concerned. And when he asked her to be his wife, he was determined that she’d say yes.

Graham refused to get into a tug-of-war with her over the baby. He refused to allow his child to be a pawn in any family feud, let alone between him and Eve.

But the second she’d opened the door and let him in, he’d seen just how tired she was. She was struggling to keep her eyes open. Was she not sleeping well at night? Was she not feeling well because of morning sickness? Was she working too hard?

Knowing Eve, she’d put 110 percent into her day as usual and then dragged herself home to rest in private. He knew she was trying to figure out what he was doing here, why he’d shown up and hadn’t stripped her and made love to her right away. Every part of him wanted nothing more than to peel her out of her T-shirt and leggings. She’d looked damn good dressed down.

And that was a problem. Seeing Eve in an evening gown was heart-stopping. The way a killer suit hugged her hips nearly had him begging. But when she was just herself, makeup-free and wearing casual clothes, she was the most dangerous. He wanted to think this side of Eve was only for him, that she didn’t expose this part of herself to anyone.

He shouldn’t want to get more deeply involved with her, but he was a selfish bastard. He wanted all of her. She was the mother of his child and she was his. He didn’t give up on anything he wanted, and he’d never wanted anything more than to be a father.

This realization hit him hard. Never before had he thought about having a child, yet now he could think of little else. He may not have had a father figure growing up, but he knew the love of a parent. He knew how to put his own needs aside to care for a child and make sure they had a secure life.

The movie had ended, and the room got dark. Graham turned off the TV, sliding the screen back into the island. Silence filled the room, save for Eve’s soft snores. Pale light from the hall lamp gave enough of a glow for him to see. Graham reached across the bed and smoothed the silken strands of hair from her face. Instantly Eve startled awake. Her heavy-lidded eyes locked onto his.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Eve blinked and sat straight up against her mound of pillows. “I never make it through a movie on a good day, let alone when I’m already tired.”

“Are you not sleeping well?” Concern had him scooting a bit closer. There was too much space between them, literally and figuratively.

“I’m sleeping fine. That’s the problem. I want to sleep all the time. The doctor said that was normal in the first trimester.”

A wave of relief washed over him. He knew absolutely nothing about pregnancies, so hearing any morsel of doctor’s advice was comforting. He needed to start reading anything and everything he could get his hands on about this. He wanted to be able to connect with her, to comfort her, and somehow show her that he was there and she wouldn’t be doing this alone.

“Maybe you should cut back a bit each day at work until this trimester passes.” Her bored glare was all the answer he needed. Not that he thought she’d readily agree, but still. “You’ve only got a few more weeks. Then, when you’re feeling better, you can add those hours back on.”

“Can I?” she asked, her tone mocking. “I’m so glad to have your permission.”

Raking a hand through his hair, Graham came to his feet and rounded the bed. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m worried about you.”

“About the baby,” she corrected.

“Fine. I’m worried for both of you.” And he was. Only a total jerk would ignore the mother’s needs. “I want what’s best for both of you.”

Eve stared up at him. A red crease mark from her pillow marred the right side of her cheek, but her eyes were actually refreshed. Her ponytail had slid to one side of her head, random strands had escaped and hung down one side. Yeah, he knew nobody got this view of her, and part of him puffed up with conceit that he was the one here with her.

“I can’t do this with you.”

Confused, Graham lost focus on her sexy, disheveled look. “Excuse me?”

She waved a hand in the air. “This...whatever this is. Your attempt to get to know me or vie for some affection. I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m not playing games now, Graham. We’re having a baby—that doesn’t mean we have to be a couple.”

Why did those words feel like a slice to his...what? Heart? His heart wasn’t supposed to be involved. But he sure as hell didn’t like that she was so quick to put him on the back burner. That wouldn’t work with his plan, not one bit. But he wasn’t about to give up. He’d barely gotten started.

“Maybe I want to make sure we stay on the same track,” he retorted. “Perhaps I want to stay friends with the mother of my baby so we can make this child’s life as amazing as possible without turmoil.”

“Are we friends?” she asked. “Seriously. We have amazing sex and we’re both workaholics. That’s about all we have in common. Can a friendship be built on that?”

Graham shrugged. “I’ve had friendships built on less.”

Eve seemed to study him for a moment before her eyes darted down to her lap where she toyed with the hem of her oversize tee. “It’s getting late,” she whispered.

If she thought he’d take that as a cue to leave, she didn’t know him. Obviously that was the entire point of his being here. Why did this seem so forced? Why had everything seemed so easy up until very recently?

Because sex was easy. It was all the emotions that made the struggle real.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked, needing to hear her say it, but refusing to beg for anything. He eased a hip onto the bed next to her. “Do you want me to leave you alone and simply wait for texts about our child? Because you have to know that’s not my style. I’m not a man who waits for anything. When I want something, I take it.”

Her mesmerizing eyes slowly came up to his. “And what is it you want? The baby, I know. But we’re a package, Graham. Don’t you see that? I don’t even know how we’re going to make this work. You and I aren’t together, our families hate each other and your brother is so angry and hurt, he’s ready to destroy my father given any opportunity.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and the sight was something Graham wished he never had to see. “Right now, all that matters is this child. Not your father, not my brother and not this fight. I don’t want you worrying about this, Eve. It’s not good for the baby.”

She burst into tears. Full-on, hands-over-her-face sobbing. What had he said? Obviously the wrong thing when he was only trying to help. No wonder men and women never seemed to be on the same page. They weren’t even in the same book.

Clearly words were getting him nowhere and he wasn’t about to leave when she was so upset. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her against his chest as she continued to cry. Stroking her back, he attempted some comforting words, but he doubted she could hear them.

Moments passed and Graham had to wonder if there was something else that was upsetting her. Surely this wasn’t just him. But with all the weight of everything coming down on her, she was bound to break. He didn’t want her broken, but if she had to lean on someone, he wanted it to be him. No other man would be coming in here, not when she was carrying his child.

Eve wasn’t weak, she wasn’t vulnerable, yet right now she was having a moment. He wouldn’t embarrass her by asking what he could do. She wouldn’t want anyone coming to her rescue. He may not know much about her, but he recognized pride. Actions always trumped words anyway, so he’d show her how he cared instead of just talking about it.

Finally, Eve eased away, wiping at her damp cheeks with the back of her hands.

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” he interjected when she opened her mouth.

“I’m not.” She offered a soft smile. “You should’ve left me to have my meltdown. I can’t believe you stayed.”

“What kind of jerk do you think I am? I’m not just going to leave.”

Closing her eyes, she blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to think right now or what your angle is, but I don’t think you’re a jerk.”

His angle? Simple. He wanted his child to be raised with the Newport name. He wanted her to willingly give him rights, and if he had to marry her to get them, then he would. Being around Eve was no hardship and his ache for her hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

Before he could comment, her stomach growled. Graham laughed. “Hungry?”

She wrapped her arms around her waist as if to ward off any other sounds. “Actually, I was going to get something when you knocked. Then you guided me up here and the bed was so inviting. I haven’t eaten since early lunch.”

Graham came to his feet. “Stay here. I’ll get something.”

Eve rolled her eyes. “I’m not bedridden. I can make myself something to eat.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’m here.” Graham stepped back when Eve swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Stubborn, aren’t you?”

Even with her red-rimmed eyes and pink-tipped nose, her smile was like a kick to his chest.

“A trait we both possess. Sounds like we’ll have a strong-willed child.”

Graham smiled. The idea of his child being strong, independent and a go-getter was absolutely perfect. A healthy combination of mother and father...he’d never given it much thought, but their child would be a perfect Newport.

Eve got to her feet and attempted to readjust her hair. Finally, she jerked the ponytail holder out and gathered up the fallen strands. In a flash, she had the mass of hair piled back atop her head.

“You don’t have to stay,” she told him. “I’m just going to make a quick sandwich and go to bed.”

“You’re trying so hard to get me out of here.” He tipped her chin up and stepped in closer, so close the heat from her body warmed him. “I’m going to make sure you eat and then I’m going to make sure you’re all settled in. We’ll make small talk—we may even share a laugh. We can talk about the weather or we can talk about the baby. Up to you. But I’m not leaving, Eve. I’m going to be here, so you better get used to it.”

“Is that a threat?” she asked with a soft smile.

He kissed her, hard, fast, then released her. “It’s a promise.”

Nine

Eve rolled over in bed, glanced at the clock and closed her eyes again.

Wait. She jerked up in bed and stared at the glaring numbers. How did it get to be so late? Sleeping in had never been an issue for her. She always showed up before anyone else and got a jump start on her day. At this rate, she was never going to make it into the office on time.

The sudden jolt of movement had her morning sickness hitting her fast. She rushed to the en suite bathroom and fell to her knees.

She’d had worse mornings, but still, she didn’t like this feeling one bit. How could she remain professional if she was showing up late and looking like death?

Once she was done, she wiped her face with a cool, damp cloth and realized two things: one, it was Sunday so she wasn’t late for anything. And two, there was a glorious smell coming from the kitchen and overtaking her home.

Surprisingly, whatever that scent was, it didn’t make her more nauseous. If anything, her stomach was ready to go. This roller coaster of emotions and cravings was extremely difficult to keep up with.

Eve thought back to last night when Graham had made a simple grilled cheese sandwich and cut up an apple for her. Then he’d practically patted her on the head and sent her to bed, saying he’d lock up.

So, either he’d stayed and that was him in the kitchen, or one of her sisters was here. She highly doubted Nora or Grace had come by just to do some cooking, so she had to assume Graham had made himself at home.

Considering that she’d just tossed her cookies, so to speak, she opted to brush her teeth before heading down. By the time she hit the bottom steps, her mouth was watering. The magnificent aroma filled the entire first floor. Suddenly her belly growled and she had no idea how she could go from sick one second to hungry the next. Pregnancy sure wasn’t predictable.

Heading down the wide hall toward the back of the house and the kitchen, Eve tried to figure out what to say to Graham. She’d seriously had a meltdown last night. He’d been so concerned about the baby, about her. But she hadn’t been able to control those insane emotions.

Years ago when she’d thought herself in love, she’d have given anything for her boyfriend to have cared about her, about their baby. But she’d endured the first trimester and part of the second alone. Then she’d struggled through the miscarriage, the D & C, the grieving. All of it on her own. She’d pushed her sisters away because nobody could fix her broken heart. Nobody could bring back her baby and she wanted to be left alone.

Graham was most likely worried about his place in their child’s life. He wasn’t the type of man to sit back and let someone else raise his child. Still, the fact he’d stayed last night showed the type of man he was. He could’ve walked away.

So what did this mean? Did he want more than just shared parenting? Did he want to try at a relationship?

Good morning, shoulders.

Freezing midstride, Eve stared straight ahead to the sexiest cook she’d ever seen. She’d seen Graham countless times with nothing on, but finding him in just his jeans standing at her stove was like some sort of domestic porn. Seriously. This was calendar material. Forget the firefighters, sign Graham up. The way those back muscles flexed and relaxed as he did...whatever it was he was doing.

There was a man cooking in her house. The sexy, hot father of her baby was cooking in her house.

This sight alone was enough to make her want to strip and see if they could make use of that kitchen island, but she’d promised herself no more. She needed to focus on so many other things and her sex life was going to have to take a backseat for a while. What a shame, when she was facing such a delectable sight.

“You’re just in time.”

He didn’t turn around as he spoke, just continued to bustle about getting breakfast ready as if this were the most normal thing in the world. As if he belonged here.

Eve couldn’t move from the doorway. Between last night and this morning, she had no clue what Graham had planned next. Not one time did he try to get her undressed. Maybe he didn’t find her as appealing as he used to. Perhaps pregnant women were a turnoff. Granted, it wasn’t like she felt sexy at the moment.

No matter, she wasn’t looking for more. At this point, her only hope was that she could keep the peace in her family when they found out she was carrying a Newport’s baby.

“Why did you stay?”

Graham froze, plates in hand. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he held her with his intense stare. “Because someone needs to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

“So you’re my keeper now? I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

She didn’t mention the fact that he was younger than her. There was no need to state the obvious. But the fact that he’d stayed out of pity didn’t sit well with her. Maybe she’d gotten her hopes up too high to think he’d stayed simply because he cared.

“I’m not saying you can’t.” He dished up some type of casserole and...was that fried apples? “It’s the weekend. I wanted to stay and make you breakfast, so I did.”

She wanted to argue, but the second she took a seat at the island and he placed that plate in front of her, she had no idea what they’d been on the verge of bickering about.

Eve stared down at her plate of food, which looked like it came from some cooking magazine—not the kind featuring light cuisine, either. Then she glanced at Graham, who was scooping up his own servings.

“You cook?” Okay, that was a stupid question. Clearly elves weren’t involved. “I mean, this is more than just oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. Where did you learn this?”

Graham set his plate down and went back for two large glasses of orange juice. After putting everything on the island, he took a seat on a stool next to her.

“My grandma Gerty taught us all about cooking. It may have seemed like punishment at the time, but looking back I can see she did it out of love, and as a way to bond.”

The wistfulness layered with the love in his tone told her this grandmother was one special lady. Eve pierced one gooey apple with her fork. The buttery, cinnamon sugar flavors exploded in her mouth. She prayed this food stayed with her. This was definitely too good to waste.

“Tell me about Gerty,” Eve said, forking up a bite of some egg, sausage and cheese casserole. “Is she still alive?”

Graham swallowed and shook his head. “No.”

That one word, full of sadness, had Eve pausing with her fork midway to her mouth. “Oh. Um...sorry. I didn’t think.”

Graham barely spared glance look her way. “No reason for you to be sorry. She passed away several years back. But she was like a second mother to us. Mom met Gerty at a coffee shop. Gerty was retiring, but she’d already taken a liking to Mom. The two were close and Mom moved in with Gerty because she needed help.”

A single, pregnant woman. Eve’s fork clattered to her plate as she thought of the parallel between Graham’s mother’s situation and hers. Did he see it? Is that why he was so adamant about helping her? Did he want to make up for the sins of some faceless man? Graham was so loyal, so noble where his family was concerned.

“Don’t go there.”

Eve jerked her gaze to Graham, who had shifted on his stool to face her.

“Don’t let your mind betray you,” he added. “I’m not pitying you because of my mother’s circumstances. I’m sure she was scared being single and pregnant, but that’s not why I’m here.”

Resting her palms on the edge of the counter, Eve tipped her head. “Why are you here? What do you want, Graham? Just say it.”

His aqua eyes sparkled, and his lips pursed just slightly, reminding her of what she’d been missing out on the past few days. “Maybe I want to get to know you more. Maybe I think you need to know me better, as well. We need to be strong together, for the sake of our baby and our families.”

Eve couldn’t agree more, but the way he looked at her said he wanted more than just pleasantries. Could she deny him? Probably not, but she did wholeheartedly agree with him that they needed to work together.