Claimed by the Sicilian Tycoon (Criminal Seduction #3)(53)

Rachel scrunched up her nose. “I wonder if he’ll think that if I poop when I’m in labor?”

Lyra’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

Rachel nodded. “I read about it in one of the books. Apparently sometimes women poop when they’re in labor. It’s because you’re squeezing the muscles and—”

Lyra held up a hand. “Stop. I do not want to know this.”

“Penny said I probably will,” Rachel continued. “She says Dom will faint. Apparently Italians aren’t as tough as Greeks.”

“I wouldn’t tell Dominic that.”

Rachel sighed and popped a fry in her mouth. “So what do you think? Maybe I should make him wait outside and just have you and Pen?”

“You don’t want your husband to be there?” Lyra asked. “For the birth of mini Rimeria?”

Rachel laughed. “Of course, but I want you guys too.”

“We’ll be there,” Lyra promised. “Who could possibly keep us away?”

“Poop and all?”

Lyra gave an exaggerated shudder. “Uh huh. But I’ve gotta say, that is vile. I so never want to get pregnant, or have babies. I’m going to be one of those really cool, eccentric aunts. Yours and Pen’s kids will be desperate to escape the confines of your strict homes to come spend time with me. I’ll spoil them and let them do really inappropriate things.”

Rachel frowned. “You never let us do inappropriate things.”


“Because you were my responsibility,” Lyra said. “I had to look after you.”

“And you did,” Rachel said softly, reaching out and taking Lyra’s hand. “You were the best big sister ever. I could ask for nothing better than you and Pen for my family.”

“Snap.”

“And I want you to be happy,” Rachel continued. “As happy as me and Pen.”

Lyra shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the way their conversation was going. “I am happy,” she said.

“Ly….” Rachel paused, as if steeling herself, then spoke. “You are too skinny, you have smudges under your eyes, you’re far too pale, and you live in sweats these days. When did you last wear a nice dress?”

“You want me to wear a dress at The Point?”

“We’re not at The Point now,” Rachel said.

Lyra scowled and looked down at her outfit. She wore jeans—not sweats!—and a thin jumper. Sure, the jeans had ripped knees, and her jumper a couple of holes, and yes, okay, the running shoes had seen better days, but there was nothing wrong with her outfit. What need was there for her to get dressed up, she thought? She went nowhere beyond The Point. Her office was there, and her room. Apart from Penny and Rachel’s homes, that was her little world now.

Oh, she’d thought about glamming up and going out. Penny was up for it the moment she said so, though Seb would probably be clamped to her side. Maybe she would even find someone to ease the constant ache in her chest. Someone to lift her hair up and run his fingers through it. Someone to hold her and kiss her, and make things seem a little less bleak. Trouble was, she could picture no one doing that but Andros. The thought of another man doing the things that he had done to her made Lyra feel a little queasy. She wanted one man and one man only, and even after all the long months, that had not changed.

It had only intensified.

“I’ll get better in my own time,” she said softly. “Leave it be.”

“Andros,” Rachel began, but Lyra cut her off with a furious shake of her head.

“Don’t. You know that is completely forbidden territory. We’re talking so out of bounds it is not even funny”

“But we’re worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

Rachel sighed. “Lyra…ohhhhh…”

Her gasp made Lyra pause, and she leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”

Rachel shook her head, her face scrunched. “I don’t know. My back’s been hurting all day but that was… Ouch. It hurts. It felt like…ohhhhh, there it is again.”

Lyra leapt up, panic hitting, making all thoughts of Andros settle back into their usual place, lodged in her heart. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

“What?”

“You’re totally going into labor,” she gasped, all the books she’d read in preparation for this tumbling through her mind. “Where the f*ck is Pen?”

“I’m not due for another week,” Rachel gasped. “It’s too soon.”

“The baby clearly has other plans.” She pulled a twenty from her jean pocket and dropped it on the table, mentally calculating their bill as she did so. “Where’s your driver? Ryan?”

Rachel shook her head. “He’s parked across the way. You need to call him on my cell.”

“Didn’t Dom tell you not to keep fobbing Ryan off? He’s your bodyguard as well as your driver,” Lyra said. “Christ, Rach, you need to be more careful. Keep him close.”

“I need Dominic,” Rachel moaned.

Heart racing, Lyra scrolled through Rachel’s contacts until she found Ryan’s number. A few moments later and he was en route. She hooked an arm under her sister’s and lifted her up. Rachel swayed on her feet, little beads of sweat dotting her forehead.