Page 18

CHAPTER 18

ON THREE

EMORY

The restaurant's valet hasn't even driven off with my truck yet, when Kayden stretches his arm out in front of me, holding it there. I'm not sure if he's having a cramp or trying to bar me from going into the restaurant. I hope it's that. I'd love to turn around and leave.

After a few seconds, I hear my truck pull away behind me, and I give in and ask the obvious question. "What's this?"

"My hand."

I look at it. He's holding it palm-side up and his fingers are open. "It's definitely a hand, and it appears to be attached to you. So yes, it is your hand."

"Take it."

"And do what with it? Is it worth something on the black market? Because I really could use the money."

"Hold my hand."

I look down at it again and then back at him. For just a second, I think there's a warmth in his blue eyes that can't really be there."You want me to hold your hand for this?"

"Do you want to?"

A piece of me does. It's only a speck, but it's there, and I hate it for existing. This is what happens when I go too long without being with a man. Ten months, and I obviously get desperate for contact.

Kayden just watches me. He's really going to make me answer, and I don't know what my answer will be. But then he cracks a smile. "For appearances. For the team. No other reason."

"Right. Appearances."

I put my palm on his, and he weaves his fingers through mine. It feels so warm compared to the cold of my skin. I squeeze it, but only because of the warmth.

Everyone is already sitting around the white cloth-covered table when we make our way to the private room at the back of the restaurant. I give them all my best quiet, demure wave—since I'm already pretending to be something I'm not, I might as well go all the way—and that triggers a round of oohs as my ring catches the room's warm yellow light.

"That's such a pretty ring," Lily announces for everyone else's sake. She's already seen it several times, but definitely not because I was showing it off. As I sit beside her, she hugs me, whispering, "I hate you. I bet Brant a foot massage you wouldn't show up. Do you know how gross his feet are?"

"That's what you get for not having faith in your best friend," I hiss.

"I made the bet because I know my best friend so well, and I know she would hate something like this." She leans back just enough to squint at me while trying, and failing, to raise a single eyebrow. "How did Kayden convince you to come tonight?"

"Other than giving me a ring I can sell in a few months to help pay off my student loans? Maybe being engaged to Kayden has taught me that I actually enjoy being around athletes."

"Mm-hmm, I know better than that."

I don't get a chance to put on the innocent act I've spent years honing because Kayden slides his hand back into mine. "So, when are we going to tell them, Ginger? "

"Shouldn't we wait until we order, baby?"

"There's no ordering," Sammy pipes in. "It's the chef's tasting menu."

"Oh, that's so nice." Kayden and I look at each other in mock surprise. Just then, the servers come with the first course. As our waitress sets our dishes in front of us, she flashes a tiny smile that only we can see.

"Are you sure none of your teammates have any allergies?" I ask Kayden under my breath.

"Yes," he whispers back. "You're sure Lily doesn't?"

I give a subtle nod and then pick up my fork.

It's not long before I hear a few sniffles around the table. Then a few coughs. But when I look around at the others, they put their best game faces on and smile at me, not letting me know anything is wrong. Meanwhile, Kayden and I make a point of enjoying the food. It's not hard. This really is incredible.

Based on the slumped shoulders and partially eaten plates around the table, it seems that the others might disagree.

To my left, I see Lily already has drops of sweat dotting her forehead. "You might want to just nibble the rest of the courses," I whisper. Then I turn to Kayden. "So, baby, are we ready?"

Kayden gives me a quick nod and we both stand. "On three?"

I try to force every bit of adoration I can into the smile I give him. "On three."

"One, two, three." We count together, pretending to stare at each other like the other person is the center of our worlds.

"We want you all to be in our wedding party!"

"Emory is pregnant! I'm going to be a daddy!"

"Kayden!" I swat his shoulder a little harder than I intend. The sharp thwack cuts through everyone's gasps. "We weren't going to tell anyone yet!"

He takes a step back, rubbing his shoulder. "But you just said you wanted to tell them?— "

"That we want them in the wedding, jackass! Not… this." I rub a hand over the top of my belly.

Kayden's jaw drops, and he looks around at his teammates. Some of him are mirroring his expression. Others are beaming. "Please forget I said anything. This was all just a joke. Haha. Yeah? Okay? A joke. It's going to be a total coincidence if we just happen to have a baby in seven months."

"Are you serious?" I ask him. "That's the best you can come up with?"

"I'm sorry, baby." He drops to his knees and plants a kiss on my belly button. "And I'm sorry to you too, baby." I have to bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from erupting in laughter.

"Em?"

"Shh, Lily. I'm having a moment here."

"But you can't have a?—"

"Lily, please!" I whip to face her and give her a quick wink. "I said I'm having a moment with the love of my life and the father of my child."

"Oh my god, you two." She drops her head into her hands.

I yank Kayden up by the lapels of his jacket. "Now what?" I hiss loudly enough that the others can, no doubt, hear me. "I hadn't even told Lily yet, and she's my best friend!"

He leans so close I can feel his breath whirling over my cheeks. So close I wonder if he'll try to kiss me.

"They know I'm always joking," he whispers loud enough that the cooks can probably hear him in the kitchen. "Trust me, they'll think it's a joke."

"Kayden…"

"Babe, I got this. I won't let you down." He sweeps his lips across my cheek, and a flash of heat blooms out from the touch. "I didn't forget your rule," he whispers just for me. "You can trust me."

Maybe he's not the arrogant jerk I thought he was, but I'll never trust him. I know his type .

"Hey guys? So my fiancée doesn't think my joke was very funny. She's really not pregnant." He looks back at me and shrugs. Then he drops his gaze to my stomach. "Just pretend I have one of those?—"

"Neuralyzers," I finish for him.

"Neuralyzers from the Men in Black movies, and let's erase the last couple of minutes from your memories? Please? Emory is not the kind of person I want to make mad. Especially when I want to start working on baby two as soon as we can."

"Kayden!"

Oh, I-I didn't mean baby two," he stumbles over the words. Damn, he's good at pretending. "Because that would imply a baby one, which… doesn't exist? I just meant in general. Like sex? I just meant I want lots more sex with my fiancée. Oh good, the next course is here."

I slap his shoulder for real this time. Then I sit down, holding a hand over my belly as I do. One benefit of being overweight is that I already have a convenient bump there, but mine's mostly made of nachos and poor metabolism. "I can't wait. Those oysters in the first course were so good. I've never had them raw before."

"Oh god!" Jonas practically slams his hands on the table. "Emory, it is not for me to interfere, but in my country, pregnant women are forbidden raw shellfish to eat. You could?—"

Kayden waves his hands frantically to cut him off. "Jonas, stop. Just a joke, remember? Does anyone know how to say 'please don't utter another word or my fiancée will murder me' in German? Poppy? You always pretend to be the expert on translation apps."

"You were wrong about the translation of the sign. It has been two years, da? Time to admit." Nikita shakes his head at Kayden. "Hate translation, not translator."

"That's not a saying," Kayden retorts. "And it would be a stupid one if it were. Stupid like your translation app."

"Hey boys? Let's just focus on the food instead of fighting about… whatever you're fighting about. I don't know why—be cause I'm certainly not pregnant in the teensiest little bit—but I've really been craving steak recently, so this looks amazing."

I feel Lily press against me, "Are you pretending to carry a vampire baby?"

"What? Dogs need extra protein when they're pregnant. Humans are probably the same, right? And it's not like any of these guys would know better anyway, so play along."

She sighs. "You're bad enough on your own. With Kayden, you two are over the top."

I barely have time to enjoy my first bite before Sammy breaks. "Oh my god!" He lunges for his glass of water like his mouth is on fire. Because it is.

It's amazing how easy it was to bribe the chef to sprinkle ground ghost pepper on each of the plates except two. Bribing the servers to make sure Kayden and I got the untouched plates was just as easy.

"You don't like this course?" Kayden asks as he takes another bite. "Poppy seems to be enjoying it."

Across the table, Nikita's face is a brilliant tomato red. "Yes…" he blows out a breath, probably trying to cool his tongue. "So good."

"I agree." I smile as I cut another piece. Just as I'm about to lift my fork, Jonas reaches over the table and covers it with his hand. "Stop! You must not eat that while you are… uh…" tears stream down his cheeks.

"Jonas." I roll my eyes dramatically. "You don't have to worry about me. I love a little spice. Isn't that right, baby?" I glide a finger down Kayden's arm to his hand. Somehow he's even able to fake getting goosebumps.

"My girl likes it very spicy." His words rumble in his chest and cause my breath to catch.

"Mmm, say that again."

He leans in until his forehead is pressed against mine. "My girl." I press a hand over my belly, which is suddenly feeling strange. Maybe I had a little ghost pepper in my food? Would that make my stomach feel like it's dancing ?

"Oh, Jesus Christ, you two," Brant interrupts us. "Go home if you really want to tear each other's clothes off."

I force myself to tilt my head away from Kayden's. "I think that's our sign."

The copper flecks in his eyes seem like they're swirling as he nods.

"We came early and gave the chef ghost pepper powder to sprinkle on your food." I'm talking to the team, but all of my attention is fixed on Kayden. On the way his jaw tenses and relaxes as he stares at me. On the shallow sound of his breaths.

This isn't real, I tell myself. I want unattached. Always. Unattached Emory wouldn't have been hurt by Seth.

So why am I praying for Kayden to take my hand right now? Why am I wondering what it would feel like if he introduced me as his girlfriend and meant it? And why does it hurt that he's not doing either?

"So this… poison was a horrible joke?" Nikita intrudes on my thoughts. "My tongue feels like I was licking Satan's testicles."

When I look across the table, Nikita, Sammy, and Jonas are all various shades of red and covered in sweat.

"If it makes you feel better," Kayden tells them, "this is something Emory and I can look back on years from now and still laugh about. So thanks for that. Oh, and she really isn't pregnant."

"I swear, I'm really not." I can't help but grin, even though they're all in misery. This has been more fun than I've had since I moved to Salt Lake City.

"Emory, you are truly a terrible person." Jonas groans but then smiles. "You fit right in with us. In two weeks we will see you?"

I quirk an eyebrow at Kayden. "Two weeks?"

"The night before Thanksgiving. The team hosts a Family Night after the game." Kayden's voice is soft, and his hand hovers close to mine before he pulls it back to his lap. "I was going to ask you after we left tonight. "

My chest tightens at the thought of him wanting me there for Family Night. Or is this all just an act too?

"So you'll come, right?" Sammy asks. "Say you'll come. But please don't maim our tongues then."

Everyone's attention is on me, like dogs waiting for a scrap to drop. Even Kayden's. "Sure. I love sports."

Behind me, Lily chokes on her drink.