knots in his stomach untwistedwith that knowledge. Which meant she…“So you need money?”
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. “No. I don’t need any money. I’m fully able to support this baby by myself.”
A moment too late he realized that was a stupid question to ask. Evie was staying in a suite at the Bellagio; that in itself was proof she didn’t need financial support. He’d thought before how Evie looked “expensive,” and obviously she was. But just how expensive was a question mark. He shouldn’t judge her based on his mother’s actions, but beautiful rich women…
Evie continued, unaware of his thoughts. “And I’m also happy to work out a visitation agreement that will be agreeable to us both—totally dependent on how much involvement you’d like have to have with the baby, of course.”
Involvement? Visitation? Damn it, he’d forgotten for a moment that Evie lived in Dallas. His child was going to be a thousand miles away, and his mind began to race with questions and possibilities and…
“But there is something I need from you.”
That stopped his thoughts. Evie was about to drop the other shoe. Her eyes were serious, and she looked as if she was steeling herself for what she wanted to say. If she didn’t need money, then what? Cautiously, he asked, “And that would be…?”
She took another deep breath. “I need you to marry me.”
The words hung in the air as he waited for the punch line.
There didn’t seem to be one. “Excuse me?”
Evie shot to her feet and began to pace. “I know, it sounds old-fashioned in this day and age, but I need you to marry me.”
“You said you didn’t need financial support.”
“And I don’t. Seriously. I have more money than I know what to do with.” Evie rolled her eyes, making that sound like a bad thing. “What I don’t have is a hus-husband,” she tripped over the word, “and for me, that’s a huge problem.” Her handswere moving frantically as she spoke, and she finally clasped them together. Maybe he’d read this situation wrong. Evie was certainly agitated; maybe she was worried, scared…“I know this sounds really strange, but I have to get married. I can not be an unwed mother.”
So much for that thought. Or any quaint thoughts about a child needing two parents or even a token compliment thrown his way. This was about her. “Embarrassed, are you, for getting knocked up?”
“It’s not embarrassment—at least not for me. I’m going to end up in the papers, yes, but it’s my family I’m concerned about.”
Her pregnancy was newsworthy? That sick feeling started to settle in his stomach again. There was more to this story, and he wasn’t going to like it. “You’re not making any sense at all.”
“My family is…They’re…well…hell.” She met his eyes steadily. “We’re what you might call ‘prominent’ in Dallas, if you get my meaning. My brother runs the family’s company and my sister-in-law is Gwen Sawyer-Harrison—the one they call ‘Miss Behavior’—and she wrote all these etiquette books. We are society-and gossip-column fodder no matter what we do, and I’m their current favorite topic at the moment. Don’t believe me? Look me up on Google. Evangeline Harrison. If I so much as sneeze in public it makes the news. Turning up pregnant…I can’t even imagine what they’ll say.” She shook her head and shuddered. “Actually, I can. And it’s going to be ugly.”
The implications of her words finally sunk in. Evie was a socialite. An attention-seeking, famous-for-being-rich-and-beautiful socialite. His stomach turned over. Of all the women who came to Las Vegas looking for a good time, he managed to find the one who represented everything he most despised.
And she was carrying his baby.
Good Lord. It had to be a Rocco family trait: knock up arich-girl-gone-slumming. He had turned into his father. And his kid was going to be severely messed up when Evie decided being a mom didn’t
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. “No. I don’t need any money. I’m fully able to support this baby by myself.”
A moment too late he realized that was a stupid question to ask. Evie was staying in a suite at the Bellagio; that in itself was proof she didn’t need financial support. He’d thought before how Evie looked “expensive,” and obviously she was. But just how expensive was a question mark. He shouldn’t judge her based on his mother’s actions, but beautiful rich women…
Evie continued, unaware of his thoughts. “And I’m also happy to work out a visitation agreement that will be agreeable to us both—totally dependent on how much involvement you’d like have to have with the baby, of course.”
Involvement? Visitation? Damn it, he’d forgotten for a moment that Evie lived in Dallas. His child was going to be a thousand miles away, and his mind began to race with questions and possibilities and…
“But there is something I need from you.”
That stopped his thoughts. Evie was about to drop the other shoe. Her eyes were serious, and she looked as if she was steeling herself for what she wanted to say. If she didn’t need money, then what? Cautiously, he asked, “And that would be…?”
She took another deep breath. “I need you to marry me.”
The words hung in the air as he waited for the punch line.
There didn’t seem to be one. “Excuse me?”
Evie shot to her feet and began to pace. “I know, it sounds old-fashioned in this day and age, but I need you to marry me.”
“You said you didn’t need financial support.”
“And I don’t. Seriously. I have more money than I know what to do with.” Evie rolled her eyes, making that sound like a bad thing. “What I don’t have is a hus-husband,” she tripped over the word, “and for me, that’s a huge problem.” Her handswere moving frantically as she spoke, and she finally clasped them together. Maybe he’d read this situation wrong. Evie was certainly agitated; maybe she was worried, scared…“I know this sounds really strange, but I have to get married. I can not be an unwed mother.”
So much for that thought. Or any quaint thoughts about a child needing two parents or even a token compliment thrown his way. This was about her. “Embarrassed, are you, for getting knocked up?”
“It’s not embarrassment—at least not for me. I’m going to end up in the papers, yes, but it’s my family I’m concerned about.”
Her pregnancy was newsworthy? That sick feeling started to settle in his stomach again. There was more to this story, and he wasn’t going to like it. “You’re not making any sense at all.”
“My family is…They’re…well…hell.” She met his eyes steadily. “We’re what you might call ‘prominent’ in Dallas, if you get my meaning. My brother runs the family’s company and my sister-in-law is Gwen Sawyer-Harrison—the one they call ‘Miss Behavior’—and she wrote all these etiquette books. We are society-and gossip-column fodder no matter what we do, and I’m their current favorite topic at the moment. Don’t believe me? Look me up on Google. Evangeline Harrison. If I so much as sneeze in public it makes the news. Turning up pregnant…I can’t even imagine what they’ll say.” She shook her head and shuddered. “Actually, I can. And it’s going to be ugly.”
The implications of her words finally sunk in. Evie was a socialite. An attention-seeking, famous-for-being-rich-and-beautiful socialite. His stomach turned over. Of all the women who came to Las Vegas looking for a good time, he managed to find the one who represented everything he most despised.
And she was carrying his baby.
Good Lord. It had to be a Rocco family trait: knock up arich-girl-gone-slumming. He had turned into his father. And his kid was going to be severely messed up when Evie decided being a mom didn’t
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