“I know exactly what she looks like,” Ethan muttered.
Ethan disconnected the call without another word. Keeping an eye on Robert Anderson’s daughter would be no problem at all...considering she was the mother of his child.
Seven
Harper smoothed a hand over her belly, which wasn’t flat and never had been. But she couldn’t wait to feel the baby bump, the little kicks—she’d even heard women discuss baby hiccups.
Despite being dealt the blow of a child when she wasn’t even in a committed relationship, she wasn’t sorry she was going to be a mother. Sure, the timing wasn’t the best, but she couldn’t help but wonder how Carmen would’ve reacted to the news of being an aunt.
Having a baby was exciting...this morning queasiness, not so much.
Ethan came back to the table, and she prayed her berries and croissant stayed down. She’d been feeling a little saucy this morning when she donned her bikini, but yacking all over the place would surely ruin her sassy vibe. Just when she was sort of getting the hang of this newfound confidence...
Every thought vanished when she saw Ethan’s face.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He hesitated a moment before grabbing his cloth napkin and placing it in his lap. With a forced smile, he nodded.
“Just some interesting developments with work. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“It’s awfully early for work to already be catching you off guard.”
“Time means nothing in my line of work,” he informed her. “With things running on two coasts, plus my acquisition in France, I work all hours.”
Harper smiled. “Then maybe you better get that coffee back, because you look like you need something stronger than juice.”
His eyes raked over her, and she couldn’t help but tremble.
“I’m sure it’s nothing a sexy woman in a red bikini couldn’t cure.”
A wave of dizziness hit her that had nothing to do with his charming words. Harper closed her eyes and pulled in a slow breath, willing the moment to pass.
“Harper?”
His firm yet gentle grip on her arm had her shaking her head slightly.
“Give me just a minute.”
He didn’t say another word, but she heard his chair scrape against the concrete floor and the next instant she was swept up into his strong arms. Harper didn’t protest as she laid her head on his shoulder, but she kept her eyes closed. The nausea seemed to be subsiding, but she wasn’t so independent that she’d turn down the most romantic gesture known to woman.
When he laid her down, Harper lifted her lids and focused on his face, which was so, so close to hers.
“Okay?” he asked, obviously worried.
“It comes and goes,” she stated, settling into the sofa cushions. “No need to worry. The doctor said this was normal. It’s just annoying.”
“You looking like you’re ready to pass out isn’t normal to me.”
Aww. He cared. His instant reaction wasn’t an act. She wasn’t used to someone other than her sister showing concern for her, and as independent she was, there was no way she could deny that having someone care made her feel special.
“I assure you, I’m fine.” She patted the side of his face. “But this is adorable.”
Ethan’s lips thinned, his brows drawing in as he eased back and stared down at her. “I?
?m not adorable,” he grumbled.
Harper closed her eyes and rested her arm across her forehead. “Well, I think so. I’m feeling better, by the way. The dizzy spells just started yesterday, and they don’t last long.”