The Rake (Boston Belles #4)(73)

“Newly divorced,” Hunter corrected, off to my right. He bumped his shoulder against mine as we both looked on at Belle laughing throatily at something Davidson said.

What could have possibly made her laugh? The guy was dryer than a rice cake.

“His ex just bought a new Cadillac and a pair of tits to taunt him, but I hear he’s moving onto nicer and better pastures.”

“That pasture isn’t going to be Emmabelle.”

Cillian tsked. “Doubt she got that memo.”

“She is just being polite,” I lamented.

“Yes, your baby momma is known for her manners.” Sam chuckled.

“Also, polite people don’t touch other people’s chests.” Hunter laughed.

Buggers. She was touching his chest.

I wasn’t a violent man, but I was quite sure I was well on the way to doing something that would land me in state prison.

“What do you think?” I asked Sam.

Across the room, Emmabelle shook her head when a server approached her with a tray of champagne while James leaned closer to her, whispering something in her ear.

“I think if I were in your shoes, James would have had six teeth missing and a punctured lung by now,” Sam said indolently.

That was all the assurance I needed that I wasn’t overacting. Even though I was overacting, because I was currently dating another woman, even if technically, I did not touch her.

I moved quickly, brushing shoulders, crossing the vast room, my fingers pressing hard against the thin champagne glass.

I wanted to kill James, and lock Emmabelle in an ivory tower. Though really, could I blame her? She thought I was about to get engaged to someone else in a few short weeks, maybe even days.

What kind of claim did I have over this woman? None at all.

I stopped in front of them, smiling like all was well in the world.

“Belle, darling, I’ve been looking for you.” I made of show of kissing her cheeks, but ignored it when James reached for a handshake.

Politeness went out the window when his eyes landed on what was mine.

“You were?” Sweven gave me a lazy onceover. Again, I found her indifference to me enchanting. “Honestly, one would think you’d be searching for more important things, like your spine.”

“Maybe I’ll find your manners while I’m at it,” I bit out.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. You don’t have a good track record for finding things. My G-spot can attest.”

That was plainly a lie. I could find her G-spot if it was in a lineup with five fucking others, and she darn well knew it.

“Devon, do you know this gem?” James pointed at her with his glass of bubbly like she was a painting he was thinking of buying.

I wanted to punch him to the ground and then keep going until he reached the depths of hell. “She is so funny!”

“Marvelous,” I said gravely. “And yes, I know her well.”

“Not well enough, apparently.” Belle took out her phone from her purse, determined to let me know she was more disinterested than embarrassed about the scene I was making.

“Well enough to impregnate her with my baby.” I turned to James, nailing him with a frosty look. “You make whatever you want of it.”

“You’re pregnant?” James’s eyes dropped to her midriff.

His skin went pale. His eyes flared. Perhaps he thought he hit the jackpot with wife number two.

Belle shrugged, rolling the entire thing off her back. “We both want a child. It’s not like we’re together.”

“We do live together.” I let loose a wolfish grin.

She patted my arm like a concerned aunt. “Only because you begged.”

“Begged? No. But I did use an unorthodox way of persuasion.”

“You talk a real big game, honey. You do know people have sex all the time and it doesn’t end with marriage, or babies, or even, ya’ know, a phone call?”

“Try to reduce what we have as much as you wish, but the facts speak for themselves. You are carrying my child, living under my roof, and getting nailed by me on a weekly basis.”

This was the part where James Davidson excused himself and pretended he noticed someone across the room.

I stayed with Sweven, who stared at me like she was going to have my balls for breakfast tomorrow.

“What the fuck, dude?”

“The fuck is you’re flirting with one of the worst charlatans in the business in front of my eyes, and I cannot risk his subpar intelligence and awful backward logic near my child. What if he becomes her stepdad?”

I was well aware I sounded like a terrible hypocrite.

Belle’s blue eyes widened, more in anger than shock. “Are you kidding me now?”

“Not now, but maybe later. There’s not much humor in our situation.”

“You’re marrying someone else!” She punched me in the chest. Hard.

We were beginning to draw the wrong sort of attention.

Unfortunately for Belle, she had finally met her match. I did not much care what people thought of me. Most were so dazzled by my titles and accent, they’d let me get away with murder.

“I’d still let you warm my bed, if you play your cards right.” I knew this was going to drive her bonkers.

It did. She slapped my face now. Hard. I did not react.