“Yamila.”
“You’rekidding, right?” His confusion was being overtaken by rising alarm. “What aboutYamila?”
“Youdon’t remember lying next to her when she answered your phone and told me youwere too busy fucking her to take my call? How messed up were you?”
He sethis cup down so hard coffee splashed over its sides. “What the fuck are youtalking about?”
“Andthe video? She called my cell and sent that revolting piece of trash to myemail. Are you denying it, Mr. All-Nighter?”
“Imight if I knew what to deny! What video?”
“Look.I didn’t invite you here to rehash Yamila. That’s history, just like our …fling. What I needed to tell you is I’m pregnant.”
If hehadn’t been seated, he’d have fallen over. “How?”
“You’renot serious.”
Heshook his head and dropped his voice. “I thought you had an IUD?”
“Whichcomplicates things. The doctor’s not sure she can remove it. And there’sanother complication.” She took in a sharp breath. “I’m not sure it’s yours.”
Bam!Her words werelike a double-barreled shotgun blast to his chest. Heat rose inside him, and itwasn’t a good kind of heat. “Who the hell have you been sleeping with?” It cameout a little harsher than he intended.
Shearched her eyebrows at him as if she thought he was dumber than dirt. “Myex-husband? That little ‘incident’ with the anniversary wine?”
Afigure appeared at their table. “Excuse me. Are you Beckett Miller?”
Beckettswung his eyes to a scrawny, dark-haired kid whose big brown eyes danced withhope.
“Heplays peewee for Arvada,” a woman said behind him. “He’s always been a big fanof yours. Me too.”
“I playdefense.” The kid grinned.
Beckettextended his hand and put on his game face. “Defense, huh? How’s that going?”
Andieexcused herself, and Beckett’s eyes tracked her to the restroom. He chatted afew minutes and signed some piece of paper for the kid even as his mind spun,trying to order everything Andie had just said: pregnant, Yamila, video, fling,history, not sure, Adrian. After he wished the kid good luck, the mom slippedhim a business card and winked on her way out. He stuffed it under his saucerbefore Andie slid back into her seat.
“Sorryabout that. Comes with the territory,” he said.
“Yes, Iknow only too well. So are you keeping her card?”
He slidit back out, ripped it up, and flung the pieces. They fluttered onto the tablelike the New Year’s confetti that had rained down on them during a happiermoment. “That answer your question?”
Sheseemed to appraise him.
“I havequestions,” he said. So many. She nodded, so he forged ahead. “What’sthe drill? How often are doctor’s visits? I need to work out my schedule.” Shegaped at him, horrified. “Right. Moving on. If I get a DNA test, is there a wayto compare it to the baby’s before he or she is born? And why the hell are youcrawling around on roofs in your condition?”
“It’sfine to be on roofs; it’s just a zygote at this point.”
“Technically,it’s an embryo, and I don’t give a shit how fine you think being on aroof is because that’s my embryo you’re carrying.”
Sheblew out a breath. “Could be your embryo, and only half, Mr. Biology.And don’t worry your pretty head. I want nothing from you. I won’t be crimpingyour lifestyle. I just thought you had a right to know.”
Atleast three steps behind, he was trying to catch up, feeling for all the worldas though he were hanging from a roller coaster car that had tossed him overthe side. He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “You’ve held a trial and sentencedme without letting me defend myself. Why? All this time, I’ve been apologizingwithout a goddamn clue what I was apologizing for. And what if I want youcrimping my lifestyle? Hell, I’ll marry you, if that’s what you want.”
Shesnorted. “Wow. Mr. Romance. Not interested.”
“Thatdidn’t come out the way I wanted.” He wiped his hands on his legs. “Look,Andie, humor a clueless bastard here. Can we back up? I want to know everythingYamila did.” She must be at the center of this nightmare.
“I toldyou. She answered your phone and said you were … busy. Later, she sentme a video. A video of you screwing her.”
His jawclenched. “I want to see it.”
Hereyes narrowed. “Why? Did you lose your copy?”
“I’ve neverconsented to anything like you’re describing, so I don’t have a copy to lose. Ineed to know what I’m fighting here, and I want a chance to defend myself. Youowe me at least that.” He opened and closed his fists on his thighs.
Sheplaced her hands on the table and looked at him with an arched, expectanteyebrow.
He letout a puffed-cheek exhale and straightened in his seat. “Yamila’s been stalkingme for months. My attorney told me to keep anything I get from her—voicemails,cards, emails—in case I need evidence against her. I’ve been building a file,and I need to add that video, whatever the hell it is, so my attorney can stopher. You asked about restraining orders once. I didn’t want to say anythingbecause I didn’t want to … I didn’t want to scare you off. I guess I’ll have toget one now. She’s gone too far.”
Silent,Andie cinched her arms over her chest, so he continued.
“Shefollowed me to Vegas. I found out from the producer that Yamila pulled stringsto get herself hired when she got wind of the campaign. I swear, I had no ideauntil she showed up, or I’d have bailed.”
Andiestared at him, expressionless. He kept going.
“I keptmy distance, figuring I wouldn’t rock the boat because it was only a coupledays. When I was on the phone with you and thought room service was outside mydoor, it turned out to be Yamila up to her old games. She was making a scene,so I pulled her into the room before her big mouth could get us into thetabloids and ruin my chance with the Flyers. She was totally fucked up. Icalled the handler and told her what was going on, and Yamila went off. Ithreatened to call security if she didn’t leave. She started crying and beggedme not to. She seemed to calm down, and she asked to use the bathroom.”
Heexpelled a large breath. “She
