Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IN RETROSPECT, IT was a good thing Colt slept in the guest bedroom.
Between the two of us, he was definitely the one who could inhabit it and make it look as if it hadn’t been touched in ages.
The master bedroom, on the other hand, looked happily lived in.
Dirty clothes hamper, bedding wrinkled and unmade, hair ties on the nightstand, clothing, shoes, and accessories in the closet.
And it was a good thing, too. The lunch date with Charles and Vivienne was the perfect time for the henchmen outside to snoop around in here.
If Colleen hadn’t been in her yard planting more flowers at the time, they undoubtedly would’ve ransacked our house during the last Lamaze class.
Until the next one on Thursday, this was the only time Colt and I would both be out of the house for a guaranteed amount of time.
Despite Colt’s obsessive checking and rechecking of the house, we managed to make it to the restaurant ten minutes before we were supposed to meet the Gauthiers.
True to our suspicions, none of the goons stationed outside our home had followed us.
What was the point when they knew where we were going?
Since I was still new to Detroit, I didn’t have to feign interest and curiosity as I took in the bustling restaurant.
While the outside certainly set the tone with modern gray brick and a tasteful sign, Lovers Only sported hanging lights like bright bubbles over the tables.
Blue and pink chairs alternated at the different tables, with a bar overlooking the front windows leading to the street outside, and a charming alcove further in the restaurant.
Somehow, it was both laid back and the fanciest burger and sandwich joint I’d ever been in.
A large menu hung over the ordering counter, boasting cocktails as well as milkshakes.
We hadn’t even scouted out a table amidst the lunch rush before Vivienne, Charles, and their beefcake boy band filed into the restaurant.
Today, rather than the five-man bodyguard ensemble, the Guathiers were only accompanied by the professional and the bodyguard I’d dubbed Bulldog, a massive wall of a man with jowls that shook with the slightest shake of his head.
Three guards left unaccounted for. Probably scouring and bugging the house.
I cast a curious glance at the bodyguards before returning Vivienne’s enthusiastic smile.
She wore a loose pink blouse belted over her insanely small bump, black leggings, and ankle boots.
With her platinum-blonde hair styled in loose waves, she looked like she’d just stepped off the cover of Maternity Monthly .
With my loose polka-dotted shirt and maternity jeans, I felt much less glamorous.
Let the record show, though, that I was wearing real pants, even if I wanted nothing more than to slip into some leggings.
Despite the fact the jeans could stretch all the way up to my chin if I tried, they still managed to feel like they were sliding down my butt.
How they managed that, I’d never understand.
At least I had my lucky cow socks on, faintly stained with coffee though they were. Between them and my power under-ensemble—the only matching and attractive pair of bra and panties I owned—I was ready to take on anything. Even a drug maker and his supermodel wife.
“You’re early!” Vivienne gushed, pulling me in for a hug. Or as close to a hug as two pregnant women could give. Let’s just say it involved a lot of shoulders, leaning, and little else. Oh well.
I inclined my head toward Colt. “He’s allergic to being late, remember?”
Vivienne laughed and pulled Colt in for a hug as well. Charles stood a socially acceptable distance away, offering us polite smiles and handshakes. It was better than nothing, I guess. Hopefully that meant we hadn’t already failed the test.
“It’s so good to see you again.” Vivienne practically vibrated with excitement, taking me by the arm as we took our place in line.
Hired Bodyguard Guy swept the place from front to back while Bulldog stayed by Charles, blocking any view of or access to him from the window. Maybe they all knew what they were doing after all.
“I hope you don’t mind that I picked a burger place,” she continued. “I’ve been craving red meat something awful lately. And tomatoes. So, this seems like the best of both worlds, right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Was I supposed to be experiencing pregnancy cravings, too? I’d settle for something I craved all the time, pregnant or not. “I’ve actually been craving fries and milkshakes, so this is perfect.”
“Ooh, I think this means our little beans will be best friends, don’t you?”
I smiled, catching some of her contagious excitement. “I sure hope so! It helps if their parents are already friends, doesn’t it?”
She nodded vehemently. “What are you guys having?”
I looked between her and Colt, unsure. “For lunch or the baby?”
All he offered was a shrug. Helpful.
Thankfully, Vivienne thought this was hilarious, since a giggle escaped her. Yep, a full-grown woman giggled. And it was incredibly endearing. “You’re funny! How about for both, then?”
Colt fielded this one, since Charles showed no interest in interacting with him independently.
“We’re waiting to be surprised as far as the gender is concerned.
As for lunch,” he glanced at the menu, the light catching his dark eyes and chiseled features, “I’m tempted to try the Boss Tom burger.
” Now his eyes found mine. “What would you like, babe?”
Babe? That was new. Whether it was his subtle ode to our strange situation or simply a common pet name for the sake of our cover, I couldn’t say. What I did know was that it was way too hot in this restaurant now. Probably a side effect of getting closer to the grills behind the counter, is all.
Unable to hold eye contact with him for some stupid reason, I turned to Vivienne. “What would you recommend?”
“Oh, you can’t go wrong with any of the choices here.
But my personal favorite is the Burlington hamburger with a side of power salad.
” She patted her stomach. “Though I’m afraid I’ll have to take the salad to go.
Little man is really starting to crowd my stomach, so I just don’t have the room I used to.
” She winked at me. “Though I don’t have to explain that to you, right? ”
I shook my head good naturedly. “Not at all. I understand exactly what you’re saying.”
And by that I meant I had no idea what she was talking about.
Though I supposed it made sense, considering growing a mini human probably squished the other organs just trying to mind their own business. Did this mean I couldn’t reasonably order a burger, fries, and a milkshake without rousing their suspicion?
This lunch date just got a bit less fun.
“I think I’ll try the Burlington burger, too,” I finally decided.
“And fries and a shake,” Vivienne added. “Don’t ignore your cravings just to eat like the rest of us.”
What. A. Saint.
I grinned, ecstatic my supposedly limited stomach space wasn’t enough of a hindrance to limit my options. “Exactly. And if I can’t finish it all, I’m sure Colt will help me.”
I shot him a smile, my eyes hopefully conveying the message touch my milkshake and you die.
His lips twitched, eyes twinkling with a little too much mischief for my taste. “As long as you don’t steal any of my fries, you’ve got a deal.”
Ha! I made no promises.
“You two are so cute together,” Vivienne cooed, inadvertently making my shoulders tense before I could stop myself.
Charles narrowed his gray eyes at me, seeming to zero in on my reaction.
Crap . Time to sell it like my life depended on it. Because it might.
I slipped an arm around Colt, a shiver rippling up my spine at the feel of lean muscle under his shirt.
The memory of him mid-workout slammed into my brain like it seemed determined to do since that morning.
Between that and the memory of his flirting demonstration, my mind was filled with way too many unwanted thoughts about Colt lately.
Thoughts that I normally shut down the second they dared dip a toe into my stream of consciousness but would actually be helpful at the moment.
This time I didn’t fight the confusing memories.
And I most definitely did not notice how Colt had worn a blue and peach striped button-up instead of his usual white, or how the colors made his freckled skin glow and his dark lashes pop.
No, siree. I was all business as I leaned into him as much as the belly would allow.
For a split second when our eyes met, his mirrored the burning intensity he’d shown when he’d flirted with me. It stole my joking retort from my mouth and replaced it with a breathy, “Yeah, I’m a lucky woman.”
Colt tightened the embrace, pulling me closer and placing a kiss to the top of my head.
Okay, that was unexpected. And it sent a thrill through me that I tried to hate. Apparently, it had been so long since I’d had any romance in my life that I was desperate for whatever physical contact I could get.
“Yes, you are,” he teased.
I responded by cuffing him on the chest like the hopeless romantic I was. “This is where you respond by saying how lucky you are, too.”
In reality, I wasn’t sure I could’ve stomached him getting mushy-gushy. His reaction alleviated the tension settling in my gut with the feigned romance and pressure to succeed. Between that and how unbalanced I still felt since confiding in him, it was too much at one time.
“See? Adorable.” Vivienne looped her arm through Charles’s, looking up at him with all the love leading ladies in rom-coms hoped to have in their lives. “Don’t you agree?”