had enough of an appetite to even think about food lately.”
Her friend frowned a bit, reached for her ice blended mocha and took a sip. Her gaze fixed on Julia until she squirmed uncomfortably.
“You haven’t been feeling well ever since you went to see your folks,” Amanda said.
“Can you blame me?” Julia forced a smile and told herself she’d be fine. She’d be great. She had her work, she had her baby and soon she’d have her very own husband, complete with prenup, baby contract and suspicion.
“No,” Amanda said, “who can blame you? I’m just saying, the wedding’s coming and you really should pay attention.”
Julia closed her folder, sighed and leaned back into her chair. The café was crowded at lunchtime, and the noise level was such that Julia felt safe enough talking about what was really bothering her. “It’s not the wedding or my parents,” she said, leaning in a bit closer. “It’s the fact that I’m moving in with Max in a few days.”
Amanda laughed. “Honey, you’re marrying him.”
“I know, I know.” Julia frowned and told herself she was being foolish. “But living with him is a little …”
“Exciting?”
“I was going to go with ‘unnerving.’ “
“Why?”
“Because of the way we’re getting married,” she said. “And the fact that he still doesn’t believe me about the baby.”
“Well, he’s an idiot. We already decided that.” Amanda went back to her lists.
“I know, but how’m I supposed to convince him that he is the father?”
“You may not be able to until the baby’s born. Then you can do a paternity test.”
“So that leaves me with seven months of my husband thinking I’m a liar.”
Amanda closed her folder, picked up her mocha and idly twirled the straw through the thick, pale brown liquid. “You know I’m with you, no matter what, right?”
“Of course.”
She smiled. “And you know I’m completely excited that you’re letting me take over your apartment when you move in with Max …”
“I know.”
“But,” Amanda said, leaning forward to pat Julia’s hand, “if you’re really worried about this, don’t do it.”
“What?” Julia glanced across the room when someone laughed too loudly. Then, looking back at Amanda, she said, “I have to.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve already faced the worst part. You’ve told your parents.”
“And the blackmail?” Julia shook her head slowly, despite being grateful for what Amanda was trying to tell her. God knew, after the afternoon with her parents, Julia was even more thankful to have Amanda’s unswerving support. But the simple truth was, she had to marry Max. Otherwise, her child would be the subject of vicious gossip before it was even born. And she wouldn’t allow that. “I appreciate it, sweetie,” Julia said. “But I have to marry Max.”
“Getting married for the wrong reasons is so not a good idea,” Amanda said softly.
“Marriage for any reason isn’t usually a good idea.” A deep voice resonated from just behind Julia and she swiveled to look up at the man staring down at her.
“Hello, Max.”
Six
“Okay,” Amanda said, grabbing her drink and standing up in one smooth move. “That’s my cue to hit the road.”
“You don’t have to go on my account,” Max said, already dropping onto the couch beside Julia.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got lots of calls to make,” Amanda told him, then shifted her gaze to Julia’s. “We’ll talk later at home, okay?”
“Sure, see you later.” Julia watched her friend leave, then turned her head to look at Max, who was studying her carefully.
“Your friend trying to talk you out of this?”
“She’s worried about me.”
“Should she be?” He ran the tips of his fingers down the length of her arm, and even through her linen shirt Julia felt heat, a heat that began to slide through her veins.
“Good question,” she said, and shifted slightly, drawing her arm back and away from him. How could she think when he was touching her?
“Is there an answer?” He eased back, the sides of his black suit jacket falling to either side of him, displaying what she knew to be a rock-solid chest and abdomen hidden beneath the custom-made dress shirt.
She lifted her gaze to his and blew out a breath. “I don’t know. Max, Amanda’s my friend. She’s trying to be supportive, letting me know she’s on my side no matter what.”
“She knows what’s going on?” he asked. “The baby?
The blackmail?”
“Yes.” Julia glanced around the coffee shop, checking to see who was watching them. Who might be listening. She knew darn well that whoever was behind the blackmail had to have overheard her and Max talking about the baby in here. When she looked back to him, though, she let the worry go. The blackmail had already happened. What more could this person do to her? “I told her everything.”
“Including the name of the father of your baby?” he wondered aloud, his gaze narrowing slightly.
“Max …” Irritation spiked inside her and Julia fought the distinct urge to kick him in the shins. Honestly. She’d lived her whole life by the rules. She’d maintained the sophisticated facade that life in society demanded. She’d never stepped out of line, always done just what she should.
And the minute she met Max, all that had disappeared. Not only had she slept with him right away, she’d gotten pregnant. Not only was she being blackmailed, she was marrying a man she hardly knew. Not only was he the father of her child, but she couldn’t make him believe she wasn’t a liar. And now, the well-behaved, always discreet Julia Prentice wanted to kick a man and scream at him in public, and the only thing keeping her from doing just that was what was left of her self-control.
“Wow,” he mused aloud, a barely concealed chuckle in his tone, “you just had quite the talk with yourself, didn’t you?”
“What?”
He sat up, braced his elbows on his knees and locked his gaze with hers. “Your face. It’s so easy to read, it’s ridiculous. You don’t keep secrets well, do you.”
“No, I really don’t,” she muttered, disturbed a little at how easily he could read her. But then she told herself it didn’t matter, since even reading
