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Gavin took in my face before his eyes moved down the length of my body. I covered my belly with my arms protectively, crossing them in front of me and hoped it was sufficient to hide the growing bulge. He had a curious look on his face when he met my gaze again.
“I spoke to Lila, while you were in the restroom,” he said. “She invited me to join you. I hope that's okay?”
I shot a look in Lila's direction and she waved, a knowing grin on her face. I scowled at her. I would have given her the finger, but that probably would have been more than obvious.
“Oh yeah? That's great,” I forced another smile.
Gavin took my hand in his, which made my pulse race. My heart was beating so hard, I was sure he could feel it through my hand. We walked back to the table together and Lila put her phone away, giving me a wink as we sat down. She'd received my message. She knew I'd been trying to slip away, and that's also probably why Gavin was now sitting at our table.
“Lovely to see you again Gavin,” she said. “And my, what a coincidence.”
However, there was something I could see in her eyes. Something I was having a hard time figuring out. It was kind of a look that said this was far less coincidental than she claimed. Now, though, wasn't the time to ask about it.
It was something I'd have to deal with later. The waitress came back with our drinks, “A beer for you,” she said, handing Jason his drink, “A mai tai for you, and just a water for you, miss.”
As she put my water down, Gavin looked at me and cocked an eyebrow, but no one said anything.
“And, Mr. Lemar, would you care for your usual?” she asked him.
Gavin nodded. “That'd be great,” he said. “Thanks, Suzie.”
“Anything for you, boss,” she said before turning to walk away.
Chapter Eleven
Gavin
She was every bit as beautiful as I remembered her to be and my breath caught in my throat the moment I looked at her. Josie's auburn hair was longer now than it had been the last time I saw her. Now, it reached nearly to the middle of her back, and wasn't done up like she'd had it before.
Her natural curls were a bit wilder than the tame ones she'd sported last time, but I liked them better that way. She wore less makeup, which meant her true beauty shone through. Her freckles weren't hidden by concealer, and her clear skin looked clean and soft.
In most every way, she looked remarkably the same. And yet, something was different about Josie. I noticed it when she rushed into the bathroom. My first thought was that she'd put on a little weight. It wasn't until she was standing before me, though, that I noticed all that weight was centered in her belly. She had a bump. Now she was sipping water and avoiding eye contact with me.
I could do the math. If she was pregnant, the timing would mean it’d be mine. Unless she’d slept with other men around the same time. But I knew her better than that. The truth of the matter was that she’d been a submissive little virgin. I was the first and likely the only man she’d slept with during that time. Hell, I may still very well be the only man she’s slept with, period.
“Congratulations,” I remarked to her, my tone a little sharper than I’d intended.
I found myself angry at her. Had she planned to keep my child a secret from me? She looked over at me, her eyes growing large.
“What do you mean?” she asked lamely, speaking slowly.
“You know what I mean,” I said, trying hard to keep my cool.
“I don’t…” she stammered.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stood up, pushing the chair completely back from the table and it tipped backward onto the floor with a loud clatter. People turned to look, watching closely. Not one to create a scene, though, I took her hand and tried to keep things from escalating.
“Sh,” I said. “Sit down, Josie.”
I expected her to listen, as she was so submissive the last time I saw her. This time, though, she quickly pulled her hand back from mine and narrowed her eyes at me.
“I don't need you,” she hissed a moment before rushing away.
She hurried out of the restaurant, but I wasn't about to let her get away that easily. Not this time. I followed her out, chasing her down the corridor, calling her name over and over again. I knew she could hear me, but she refused to listen.
“Josie, listen,” I said, grabbing her hand just as she stepped into an elevator.
I stepped inside with her and pushed the Stop button. The doors were closed behind us, but we weren't going anywhere. She had to face me now. There was nowhere she could run.
