Unbidden, her mind conjured images of them touching him … God, maybe the other guys were in there too, and it was some sort of orgy. That’s what they’d alluded to.
Her stomach churned. The good thing was that all she felt was mild disgust. No soul-wrenching jealousy, like she used to feel when imagining Blake with other women.
Yes, she had done the right thing.
It was finally time to move on.
Think of something else.
Jannie squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the vanity as a wave of nausea and dizziness overtook her. This had happened throughout the pregnancy, and not much helped but waiting for it to pass.
She slapped the faucet handle and listened to the rush of water as it gurgled into the sink. With trembling fingers, she cupped her hand under the stream and leaned forward to splash water on her flushed face. But a cramp gripped her belly, and she took a few steps back to sink onto the toilet lid.
Deep breaths. In, out …
Saliva pooled in her mouth. She swallowed and willed herself to suck in lungfuls of air, holding each breath and slowly releasing it. Thankfully, the pain passed, and she rose again on shaky legs.
She found the disposable terry hotel slippers and, kicking off the shoes that painfully pinched her swollen feet, slipped them on with a sigh of relief. Hoisting her carry-on onto the luggage rack, she congratulated herself for packing a nightgown and her favorite fuzzy Donald Duck robe. She needed a shower, but she didn’t trust her physical state. If she had a bad dizzy spell in there alone …
She grabbed a bottle of water from the minibar, unscrewed the cap, and drank deeply, quickly draining it. She swore she could still smell that mystery fresh cologne on her hand.
Nick.
Talk about the ugly duckling. The man had morphed into a swan, a stunningly beautiful black swan, at that.
A vision of those hands of his flashed across her mind. It occurred to her that if he were attached in any way, he wouldn’t have asked her to dinner. Unless he was a cheater, and something told her he couldn’t have changed that much. The Nick she knew was a gentleman.
Her stomach rumbled, and she pressed a hand to her belly. She knew she should eat a snack, at least, but the very thought of food sent her into a fresh wave of nausea. No way anything could pass her lips right now. She quickly tossed Ian’s pillows onto a nearby armchair, then grabbed her own goose down one and settled on the bed.
•
The setting sun glowed in orange and gold hues when Jannie’s eyelids drifted open.
She stretched. Her entire body felt relaxed. She hadn’t slept so soundly in months, and for a moment, she didn’t know where she was.
Vegas. The convention.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
Crap.
She had a little over half an hour to get ready for the cocktail party. Throwing the covers off, Jannie sat up.
Too quickly. A wave of dizziness slammed over her, so strong that she had to lie back down. She pressed a hand to her swollen belly. She’d been looking forward to feeling fetal movement by now, but no such luck. The twenty-week ultrasound had shown that the twins shared an anterior-facing placenta, so she didn’t expect to feel anything for some time.
And she refused to worry.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Yes?”
“Courier with your luggage, ma’am.”
Rising carefully, Jannie threw on her robe and went to get her lost suitcase.
She thanked the man and tipped him. She unzipped the case and quickly rifled through the contents. Satisfied that nothing was missing, she grabbed the hangers and hung all her clothes at once, then took out the packing cubes.
“There.” She tossed them in a drawer.
