Legal Heirs: Box Set Edition

By Kimball Lee

LEGAL HEIRS: In this highly anticipated new saga of the Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles, a fresh generation is born, but old habits die hard. The tortured triangle between Charlotte, Bly and Finn is put to the test. Can Maddie stand the heat of being a billionaire’s wife? The love affairs and loyalties of JP and Amanda, West and Evangeline, and even Jude, are in jeopardy. What would the Legal series be without a few jaw-dropping surprises? Who are these new additions, and are they all welcome bundles of joy? Everything happens as it’s meant to, as Charlotte and company play out their dramas and set the stage for their legal heirs!

LEGAL HEIRS 2:
Who committed the original sin, Charlotte, Finn, or Bly? Does it really matter if a new act of betrayal has the power to ruin them all? Desire and deceit go hand in hand and come in unexpected forms, the two together will unleash a chain of events that will alter lives forever. Charlotte will feel the sting of deception that sends her careening down a forbidden path. In the end one little boy’s future hangs in the balance. The heirs have grown up in the prequel to Legal Heirs 3, Hearts of Fire, and their lives will be wilder and more fascinating than anything that has come before!

LEGAL HEIRS 3:
HERE WE GO! Another wild ride with Charlotte, Bly, Finn, and the gang from LEGAL ACTION!!!

Answers from the past and action for the present!!! Did Finn forgive Charlotte? Who ended up with her love? Also, a few surprising new developments are always part of the story! By the way, is Atticus a Bly or a Hale? What happened in the 13 years when the heirs were growing up, AND, what are they up to now that they’re free to run the world?!!! The past, the present, and all the thrilling details that keep the LEGAL SERIES going strong, while keeping readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more!!!

LEGAL HEIRS 4:
The Ghost has Charlotte, Angus has Skyler... so many lives hang in the balance! Bly and Finn will have to strike a serious bargain and come to terms over Charlotte’s love... more than once. Holden and Hadley find their bliss, but Hadley’s career is about to sky-rocket, and... there’s a new bad-boy in town. Atticus has some serious soul searching to do, is he truly “a child of luck and fortune”? Big changes are in store in this final book of the Legal Heirs series, paving the way for the final four books to come in Legal Legacy!!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kimball Lee
• Release date: May 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311815132

Kimball Lee

Hi, I'm Kimball Lee and I'd like to welcome you to the many worlds of my imagination! The topics of my novels and novella-series will vary but my style of writing remains the same. I don't write 700 page books padded with useless words that take three chapters to describe a doorknob! I do write funny, interesting, happy, sad, romantic, often titillating and always thought provoking works that pack a lot of good reading into just the right number of pages. I hope you enjoy my writing and know that it comes from the heart and I give every spare moment to creating characters you would want to have as friends and worlds you would want to visit or live in. Happy reading! Kimball Thank you for visiting my author page, please connect with me on my social media sites! [e-mail]

Book preview

Legal Heirs

Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles: Books 5-8

By Kimball Lee

Published by Ashley Wechsler at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Kimball Lee

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

NOTE: This box set has been formatted into novel format for a smoother reading experience.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Connect With the Author

Chapter One

There’s something disturbingly wrong with this situation, Finn said as he stood in the doorway of JP’s office, looking back into the reception area of their small law firm.

JP had hired three women as office staff, and they weren’t great choices as far as Finn could see. The most undesirable of the three was Nina Chandler. She had gone through Navy basic training with Finn and JP, and she’d been a thorn in Finn’s side for years afterward. The other two women were hardly more than girls; one looked about sixteen and was extremely pregnant, and Finn was certain the other girl had a second job as a stripper.

Your lip is bleeding, JP said, and Finn nervously wiped his mouth. "The law firm of Thomas and Hale is an equal opportunity employer, Finnegan. We help people resolve their personal issues, so our staff should be able to relate." JP was kicked back in his desk chair, feet on the desk, smiling at Finn.

It looks like we’re running a branch office of ‘Sluts R Us’ in here. And Nina Chandler? Where the hell did you dig her up? Finn asked.

JP laughed and motioned for Finn to shut the door and take a seat. Man, she is a fucking blast-from-the-past, right? I found her waiting on the sidewalk the day I opened the office. She heard you and I quit Special Ops and that we were both practicing law. She was sure if I opened an office, you would eventually join me, and hey, she has great references as a paralegal. Nina the nympho, Chandler the handler … Fuck, she was easy like Sunday morning! You gotta admit, she could suck like a fucking vacuum cleaner. That mouth of hers got us through boot-camp.

We were eighteen, and some things are better left in the past. She used to stalk me, if you recall. At least she’s married now, Finn said, but he had a bad feeling about Nina. She was a huge risk taker; during basic training, she’d compromised herself and Finn by sneaking into his barracks at night on more than one occasion.

Sorry, dude; she’s not married anymore. Husband number three is history. I don’t think any of them were able to satisfy her quite as well as you did, JP said, and he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

What the fuck are you thinking, JP? I’m sure she has some good qualities, but I’m not working with her. Do you remember the day we finished boot-camp? While everyone else was celebrating with their families, she was doing both of us in a cheap motel room.

I remember she was a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree freak, and she liked to ride you like a fucking mechanical bull. Come on, Finnegan; just because we’re married, doesn’t mean we’re dead men, JP said.

I don’t know about you and Amanda, but my marriage and my sex life are a long way from dead. Nina goes, or I do, John Paul. I’m not working with her. Either I tell her, or you can do it. Take your pick, Finn said, just as Cassandra-the-probable-stripper opened the door without knocking and set two Starbucks coffees on the desk.

Anything else I can do for you, Mr. Thomas? How about you, Mr. Hale? she asked, leaning against JP’s desk so that her panties were visible beneath her microscopically short dress.

Mr. Hale was just asking about your work credentials. He’s not sure you fit the legal definition of a law clerk. In fact, he thinks you might be working afterhours, as well, JP said, sipping his coffee and enjoying Finn’s irritation.

Well, I am an escort on the weekends, but other than that, I’m free anytime, she said as her eyes burned into Finn, taking in his handsome face and the fine muscles his button-down shirt couldn’t hide. I’d be happy to help you arrange the files in your office, Mr. Hale. I can even help you hang pictures on the walls, if you have a hammer. I’m really great at pounding the nail, she said as she played with her long, dark hair and spread her legs slightly.

Finn smiled and his hand went to his chin. He’d shaved his closely cropped beard that morning, and his jaw line felt uncharacteristically smooth. Charlotte loved his hair long and wild. In fact, she loved everything long and wild about him. His hair hung just past his chin, and on weekends, he pulled it back into a short ponytail. Charlotte loved to kiss the stubble on his chin as well, but with her raging pregnancy hormones, her own chin was red and whisker-burned all the time. The thought of Charlotte, tall and lean, with her normally flat belly beginning to soften into a perfect little mound, made him weak in the knees. She was always in a constant state of readiness for him, and when she was pregnant, she was insatiable. Her blue eyes stayed so full of need when she looked at him, that she and Finn had reverted back to their law school days of ducking into public restrooms to fuck. He adjusted the erection that had begun to grow from just thinking about her, and JP laughed.

We won’t be needing your services any longer, Cassandra, Finn said, Mr. Thomas will write you a check for two weeks’ severance pay. Collect your belongings, and good luck to you in the future.

She looked shocked for a moment, then she glanced at JP, who was already writing the check. Uptight asshole, she said, glaring at Finn and jerking the check from JP’s hand before she stomped out the door.

Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Finn asked, standing to leave. You’re going to hire hot girls who have no legal or office experience at all, and I’ll spend most of my time firing them and giving them two weeks’ pay for doing nothing? Are you having a fucking midlife crisis at twenty-nine, JP? You’ve been married for a few months, your wife is pregnant, and you’re bored? It’s not like you haven’t fucked everything but a gunshot wound every spare minute since I’ve known you. What’s going on? I cleaned up your messes in the past, and you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, but seriously, roll around in the gutter if you like. I’m not going there with you.

Calm down. I’m dealing with some deep shit at home. You know how it is; the wife’s pregnant and her sex drive is nonexistent. I love Amanda, don’t get me wrong, but she is one demanding little princess. She’s tired, she’s bloated, she’s bossy as a motherfucker, and now she wants her brother to buy us a house I’d be embarrassed to live in. Fuck, this is Char’s second pregnancy. How the hell do you stand it? JP asked, and he and Finn walked into the front office and stared at the young pregnant girl answering the phone at the reception desk.

Lizzie, this is Finnegan Hale, my law partner. Finn, meet Lizzie James, JP said, and the look on his love-struck face said it all.

Lizzie was young, probably eighteen or nineteen, and she was a teenager’s wet dream. She wore a short, tight skirt and a man’s white shirt tied above her little basketball-sized belly. Her hair was the palest color of sun streaked blonde, and hung nearly to her waist. She had a small, upturned nose sprinkled with freckles, enormous green eyes, and a bow shaped mouth. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her. Just long legs, high, full breasts, and when she turned away, Finn realized what had sealed the deal for JP. John Paul was a man who appreciated a woman’s ass, and Lizzie had the kind of high, tight, round ass that made a grown man cry. JP thought he was in love; it was plain to see.

Are you married, Lizzie? Finn asked.

Wow, I love your accent. It’s, like, so foreign! No, no. I’m gonna be a single mom, she said, cradling her taut belly.

Lizzie and I met at the surf tournament in Malibu a couple of weeks ago. She won the women’s division. Quite a woman, huh? Pregnant as hell and still surfing, JP said, reaching across the desk to run his fingers through her long hair.

So JP’s your baby’s father? Finn asked, and his voice was tight and angry.

Oh, gosh no. My baby-daddy’s long gone. It’s no biggie. I get by just fine on my own. JP gave me this job and let me live in the loft upstairs. He’s so sweet, she practically purred as she walked around the desk and faced Finn with her fine little ass pressed against JP.

Yes. He is sweet, isn’t he? Finn said, raising an eyebrow. He’s becoming a one man women’s shelter.

Finn, could you take a look at this deposition before your eleven o’clock appointment comes in. Nina was suddenly standing next to him, and she ran her hand over his well-muscled arm. Finn lifted her hand away. He wanted to find out why the young girl was living in JP’s loft, but he saved it for later.

*

Charlotte’s office at Sheppard and Sheridan was small, which was what she’d insisted on, but it had an astounding view. It was a corner office on the twenty-seventh floor of the five hundred foot tall One American Plaza Building. Two floor to ceiling walls of glass looked out past the buildings of downtown San Diego to the restless ocean beyond.

Zack, Charlotte’s assistant, poked his head in and cleared his throat. Charlotte turned away from the entrancing view, and from her thoughts of Finn. She wondered if she’d ever get tired of his rough and ready style of lovemaking. That morning, as she had thrown a load of clothes in the dryer, wearing nothing but a skirt and bra, he’d appeared behind her and unfastened her bra. She turned toward him to say she had a case in court, but he stood there looking too hot to handle in his suit and tie, and he told her not to make a sound.

The baby’s asleep on the sofa. Don’t wake him, he said as he lifted her onto the vibrating dryer. He pushed her skirt up and ripped her panties away. I thought we agreed panties just get in the way, he said, and before she could say anything, he unzipped his pants and pulled her onto his straining cock. He leaned her little ass back against the pulsing dryer and moved her legs to his shoulders and pumped into her hard. As she began to moan, he covered her mouth with scalding kisses, and her hands moved beneath the smooth fabric of his suit and began to loosen his tie.

No, he said. There’s no time for that. Cum for me, my love, so I can keep your smell with me the rest of the day.

Charlotte had fallen over the edge then, pulling his beautiful mouth back down to hers and biting his bottom lip as the power of the orgasm gripped her. A drop of blood fell from his lip onto her breasts, and he laughed and licked it away.

The photographer is here with your pictures, Zack said, snapping Charlotte out of her reverie. I can’t wait to see them. I know they’ll be gorgeous. Then you’re due in court at two.

These are amazing, Charlotte told the young woman who’d taken the portraits of Atticus just after his first birthday.

"Well, he’s an uncommonly beautiful child, and believe me, I photograph a lot of kids. Listen, Mrs. Hale: Pacifica Maternity Center has agreed to display some of my work. With your permission, I’d like to use this photograph of Atticus as the center of the exhibit. I’ll enlarge it to thirty-six by forty-eight inches and mount it on canvas," the young woman began, but Charlotte stopped her.

I appreciate the sentiment, but I’d rather you didn’t. In fact, I have to say ‘no’ emphatically. We’re a very private family. My husband was in a certain branch of the military. I’m sure you understand, Charlotte said, and walked with her to the elevator. I love the pictures; they’re absolutely wonderful. My husband and I will look them over and pick our favorites, and I’ll have Zack call you to place the order.

As the young woman stepped into the elevator, a tall man stepped out. Charlotte glanced at him quickly, and the look in his eyes made her need Finn. She turned away, and he said, Ms. Christiansen?

Hale, she said, as she looked up at him, Charlotte Hale.

He was tall and handsome, with dark-blond hair and wide-set eyes that were nearly the same color as Bly’s. His smile made his eyes sparkle, and that made his entire face captivating, but there was something else in his demeanor, something slightly sinister.

Of course. I only know you from … well, do you have a minute? he asked. "I’m seeking legal counsel, and I read an article about you in San Diego Scene."

Charlotte looked at her watch and said, Alright. Come into my office, but I only have about ten minutes before I go to court. What can I do for you, Mr. …?

"Sommerfeld, Bennet Sommerfeld. I’m losing a large stake in a shipping business to my stepfather’s heirs. He didn’t include me in his will, and he left very little to my mother. The company is Del Toro Shipping; I was a corporate officer for the last five years. Now I’m being tossed out with nothing. I feel I have a strong case to sue, and I’d like for you to represent me," he said. He was kicked back in an upholstered chair across from Charlotte’s desk. He was devastatingly handsome, and as he looked Charlotte in the eye, he adjusted his engorged cock in his pants.

Charlotte looked away quickly, embarrassed by her burning face and shocked at the boldness of this man who seemed so comfortable in her office.

Are you interested, Charlotte? Will you help me with this? I don’t want anyone else. I’m only interested in you, he asked, leaning forward and taking her hand. Before she could react, he lifted it to his mouth and sucked two of her fingers into his mouth then closed his eyes and moaned.

Charlotte jerked her hand away and called Zack into her office. Call security, Zack. I’d like this man escorted out of the building immediately. If he resists, notify the police that he attempted to molest me.

You’re overreacting, Charlotte, he said, standing to leave. No need for hysterics. He left her office and disappeared into a waiting elevator.

What was that about? Should I notify security; have someone follow him? Zack asked.

No, she said, scribbling his name on a piece of paper. Here’s his name, and the name of the company he worked for. Make note of it just in case. I’ve got to run. I’m late for court as it is.

Your court date has been postponed. You’re free for the rest of the day. The court clerk called a few minutes ago.

Oh, okay. Good, fine … I’ll pop in and see the best looking man in town. That should make me feel better, she said.

Your husband, or your son? he asked.

She winked at him and said, Husband first, then my little angel!

*

I’m looking for Finn, Charlotte told the pregnant girl sitting at the reception desk in JP and Finn’s office.

He’s in his office with Nina. Want me to buzz him? the girl asked, barely looking up from her magazine.

Well, I’m not sure. Is Nina a client?

No. She works here. Paralegal or something, the girl said, still reading the magazine.

Charlotte walked to the door of Finn’s office, and knocked and then opened it.

He was bending over a stack of papers on his desk, and a pretty woman was standing very close to him was doing the same thing.

Come in, my love, he said when he looked up and saw Charlotte. He moved past Nina as if she wasn’t there and hugged his wife to him. I thought you had court this afternoon, but I’m glad if you have time for me instead, he said, and bent to kiss her.

Nina shuffled the papers, and Finn turned to her. He stood behind Charlotte with his arms around her as if he were showing her off. It seemed to make Nina uncomfortable to see Finn in love. He’d been uncatchable for a long time, and she had tried very hard to catch him in the past.

Charlotte Hale. Pleased to meet you, Charlotte said, and the two shook hands.

My love, this is Nina Chandler. She’s helping out until we find a permanent legal assistant, Finn said, and Nina looked at him as if he’d slapped her, then she left the room with a flourish.

So, Finnegan, who hired ‘little miss broken heart’? Charlotte asked, and pressed her lips against the hot skin of his neck.

What’s that supposed to mean? JP hired her, and I just gave her two weeks’ notice, he said.

Why, because she has a massive hard-on for you? Charlotte said, and they both laughed so hard that JP yelled from his office for them to shut up.

Can women have hard-ons? Finn asked, when JP gave Charlotte a peck on the cheek and they all sat together.

I just meant she’s hot for you. It’s plain to see, Charlotte said. What temp-agency in hell’s waiting room did you pluck her out of, John Paul?

She found us. She’s an old friend. We met her in basic training, way back when, JP said.

Ugh, not one of those girls who serviced both of you at the same time. That’s just disgustingly gross! Charlotte said, kicking off her shoes. She curled her feet under her body in the chair, and from the amused look on Finn’s face, she realized she wasn’t wearing panties.

Serviced sounds like it was a chore, JP said. I can promise you, that girl warmed to her work. She was something of a prodigy.

A cock prodigy? Charlotte asked. How charming, and it makes me feel so comfortable having her working so closely with my husband.

Enough reminiscing, Finn said, and he walked around his desk and pulled Charlotte up and against him. Get out of my office, JP. I need my wife.

Good luck, JP said as he left. I need mine, too, but she doesn’t need me anymore.

You went to work without your panties? Finn asked, moving his hand under her skirt and between her legs.

Yes, she breathed against hot mouth. You told me not to wear them anymore.

Were you in court this morning? he asked, moving his fingers over the silky wet folds of her sex as she pressed against him.

Yes, she said, and it was barely a whisper.

Did you win? he asked, circling her clit until she was on the edge of orgasm. He moved his hand away abruptly so that her head rested against his chest, and she panted out the word yes.

When she finally caught her breath, Charlotte pushed away from Finn and slipped on her shoes. She picked up her purse, took his hand, and they walked out onto the sidewalk.

Where are you taking me, my love? he asked, and she led him into the freight elevator that would take them to their former lofts.

My old bedroom, she said. That’s where I want you right now. You need to learn to finish what you start, Finnegan.

He backed her into a corner as the elevator rose to the top floor and kissed her like his life depended on it. What about the woman who lives there now? he asked, kissing her breasts through the fabric of her blouse and rubbing her tender nipples with his thumbs.

We had better hope she’s not home, she said, producing a key from her purse and leading him to the loft bedroom.

Chapter Two

Charles Tremont ran his fingers across Evangeline’s satiny smooth skin, and down past her naval before she stopped his hand. They had stayed in bed the entire day and made love, and he never wanted it to end. She made him feel like a boy of eighteen, with her perfectly sculpted curves and unbridled passion. She arched against him as they made love, and she cursed him when she lost control and climaxed. She swore she hated him as she scratched his back and bit his chest and ground against him in pure pleasure.

I’m in love with you. I’ll leave my wife and we can be together from now on, he said when she pushed his hand away and left the bed to get dressed.

Don’t be ridiculous, darling. I’m a diversion for you, and you bring a bit of naughtiness to my life. You’re a competent lover, but I don’t feel anything for you. Surely you realize I have an erotic and highly satisfying sex life with West. I’m not about to give him up, she said, as she smoothed her stockings over her long legs and fastened them to the lacy garter belt she wore.

Charles caught her hand as she passed by the bed and pulled her down next to him. You’re stunning, but you know that, don’t you? Like a movie star from the glamorous days of Hollywood. Here. This is for you, Evie; a token of my love.

The box was from Bulgari, and inside was a wide, rose-gold cuff set with large emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. She slipped it on and Charles kissed the inside of her thin wrist. She carelessly ran a hand through his hair and kissed him passionately, then left the bed and continued to dress.

He was behind her in a moment, his hands on her shoulders, his breath hot against her neck. Evie, I’m going back to New Orleans in a few months. Come with me. You’ll love it there, and even though you’re much too young, you are about to have grandchildren. Wouldn’t you like to be near them. Wouldn’t you love to have a powerful and influential man as your husband?

I’m not as lucky as you are, darling. You’re always saying how incredibly beautiful your little grandson is. I doubt that my grandchildren will be the least bit attractive. Honestly, who are these people Alexander and Amanda have married? No one has ever heard of their families. It’s terribly distressing, Charles. You cannot imagine what my children have put me through; they’ve thoroughly disgraced our good name. If you recall, I was married to a man much more powerful than you, and I can’t say that I ever felt any true love for Holden Bly. Ah well, she said, reaching for her skirt and stepping into it.

I can help you make the best of the situation with your children, Evie, if you come with me and we get married. You could get to know Charlotte’s little boy. I know you’d be crazy about him. The truth is: I love you, and I’ve never really been in love before. I need to know that you’re mine.

You are a hopeless romantic, Charles. What about the girl from your past? Charlotte’s mother? Didn’t you love her? she asked, buttoning her Chanel jacket and stepping into Louboutin pumps.

That was almost thirty years ago. I was a different man then, he said, and he let his hands fall away from her.

Well, my darling, she said, kissing him, then opening the door to leave the suite, thank you for lunch, and for the bracelet, and of course, for the sex.

*

Is my sister here yet? Evangeline asked West when he picked her up at the airport. I can’t stand the flight from London to Paris. You go up, and then you come down. It’s ridiculous, there’s not even time for a cocktail. Tell me, darling, is there any word from my destitute little sister?

She’s at the house. She’s been here for two days. Where the hell were you? West asked. His hands were clenched on the wheel of the Mercedes.

Shopping, darling. You know that. So did my sister try and fuck you? she asked, leaning to kiss his cheek before she took out her compact to check her makeup.

Yes, and I let her, he said.

What? Have you lost your mind? You’re mine. How dare you lie down with that little bitch in heat. Oh, isn’t she the sad, grieving widow! How dare she come here to enjoy my hospitable charity, and then seduce my one and only love? And you; you’re no better than she is. It makes me ill to imagine that you put your dick in such trash! Evangeline ranted on and on, and when West began to laugh, she screamed like a banshee and told him to stop the car and let her out.

As soon as they were home, she stormed into the house, screeching her sister’s name. Gabrielle, you whore in bitch’s clothing, come down here and face me. Oh, you insufferable little money-grubbing, gutter-crawling, social-climbing, street-walking, classless, nymphomaniac!

What on earth are you yelling about, Evangeline? Gabrielle said as she walked down the stairs, wearing one of Evangeline’s silk kimonos and holding a tall glass of vodka. She kissed both of her sister’s cheeks then ducked when Evangeline tried to slap her face. Are you accusing me of sleeping with … him? My God, he works for you. Do you honestly think I’d sleep with the hired help?

He isn’t the hired help, you ignorant slut. He’s my lover! Evangeline said, taking the glass of vodka from her sister and drinking half of it at once.

Oh! Well, if I’d known that, I would certainly have let him sleep with me, Gabrielle said, and the sisters hugged and went into the living room to talk.

*

West watched the two sisters. Gabby, as she called herself, had arrived with fifteen suitcases and an attitude that made Evangeline look like Mother Theresa. West kept his mouth shut and let her order him around only because Evangeline had said to be nice to her. Supposedly, she’d had the shock of losing her aged husband and being completely disinherited by him, so she was truly grieving. She was attractive and a few years younger than Evangeline, but she didn’t have the head turning beauty and grace her sister possessed.

Evangeline, we need to talk, West said as he stood over her, hands on his hips, and she and her sister looked up at him, surprised. We need to talk now about you and the ambassador. We can do it here, or in private. I know you’ve been seeing him, and I want you to stop.

How dare you speak to my sister like that? Gabby asked.

Hush, Gabby, Evangeline told her. West, there’s nothing to talk about. You know I do as I please, but I do care for you…

Fine. I’m out of here. I thought we had something good, and not just in bed. I thought we were … never mind, he said, and went upstairs to pack his bags.

*

She followed him to her bedroom and watched as he gathered his belongings. The shelves she had made available for him in her closet looked empty and bereft as he packed his shirts and sweaters into his suitcases. Then the table on his side of the bed seemed lifeless without his books. He changed his shirt, and she felt the thrill she always got in the hollow part of her stomach when she saw his elegantly muscled body. He made her feel the way she had felt when she was a girl in Brazil, when she lay beside a deep green lake with her first lover. West always looked at her with that same guileless love in his eyes. He loved her for who she was, and in spite of who she was. She was a bonafide narcissistic bitch, and they both knew it, but he loved her anyway.

West, wait, darling, she said, running her hands over his chest.

He stopped her hands and said, "Either you love me or you don’t, Evangeline. I love you, but I won’t be your cabana boy. I’ll be at the Saint Regis until noon tomorrow, then I’m going home."

*

As Evangeline lied in bed that night, sleep wouldn’t come. She turned to West’s side of the bed and buried her face in his pillow. She wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry. Several times, she paced the room and thought about going to him and pressing herself to his big, hard body. When she finally slept, it was a restless, dream-filled sleep. In her dreams, she was a child again in Pomerode, Brazil. She could hear her mother and father speaking German, and she could see herself praying with her little sister in the big Lutheran church. She wasn’t glamorous or perfect; she was a wild little heathen with long braids and a cotton dress her mother made just for her. She was Evangeline Sommerfeld, a pretty girl born into a small community of Germans whose ancestors settled in Brazil in the early eighteen-hundreds. A girl who had dreamt of being loved by just one man long before she had dreamt of being famous or marrying a billionaire.

She overslept the next morning, and when she woke, it was a quarter to noon. She dressed faster than she ever had in her life and let her hair fall in waves to her shoulders. She didn’t even put on makeup as she drove herself to the hotel. West was getting into a cab when she ran the Mercedes up on the curb as she parked. The valet growled at her in French, but she waved him away and climbed in the cab before it drove away.

I love you, she said. I’ve dreamed about you all my life. I can’t promise that I won’t always be a raging bitch, but I love you. I wish you would stay and live with me, and marry me, if you have any interest in that. I wish … I wish I knew your first name.

Elliot, he said, his lips hot against hers as he laughed and kissed her. My name is Elliot, and yes, I want to marry you.

*

Well, here’s a little surprise. I’m seeing two babies, the sonogram tech said as she moved the wand over Maddie’s swollen belly.

Oh! Maddie said. Wow. Twins. No wonder I’m feeling like a whale already.

Bly squeezed her hand, Maddie, stop it. You’re not big at all. Why do you keep saying that? Twins? Are they identical? Can you tell what sex they are?

Let’s see. Alright, I’m seeing two placentas, so they’re not identical. Let’s just have a look … okay, here’s a little girl, and … this is her brother. A girl and a boy, Mr. and Mrs. Bly, congratulations, the tech announced as she wiped the gel from Maddie’s stomach and printed pictures for the couple.

Bly leaned down and kissed Maddie. Congratulations, Mrs. Bly, he said, and he was absolutely beaming.

Twins. Ugh, I’m going to get huge. Does this mean I’ll get stretch marks? Maddie asked the technician. "I used to be the Hawaiian Dream girl. I have to look good in a bikini."

*

Bly and Maddie sat talking with her OB/GYN at the Pacifica Maternity Center. The office was as luxurious as the rest of the private birthing facility.

Twins! Congratulations, Dr. Griffith said. The pictures look good—strong heartbeats, size is perfect for twenty weeks’ gestation. I am concerned about your lack of weight gain, Maddie. In fact, you’ve lost six pounds since your initial visit.

Bly shifted in his chair; Maddie had become obsessed with her weight as her pregnancy moved along. She was becoming startlingly thin, and there were hollows under her eyes and cheekbones. Bly urged her to eat for her own health and that of the baby, and now that there were two to think about, she needed to take special care of herself.

She doesn’t eat well, Bly told the doctor, and there was more anger in his voice than he intended, and she worries incessantly about the shape her body will be in after pregnancy. She needs to be concerned about these babies. Surely this type of pregnancy is more difficult. What steps can we take to insure the safety of the babies?

I do want healthy babies, but I don’t intend to be one of those fat, frumpy women who lets herself go. I’m sure you’re aware of who we are, doctor. I do have a certain image to uphold in the community, Maddie said, leaning toward the doctor. My husband is one of the richest men in the country, you know…

Maddie, for God’s sake, Bly said, and glared at her, Doctor, just explain to her that she needs to eat well and think of more than her own imagined image of herself.

The doctor scribbled on a pad of paper after Maddie said, she didn’t feel nauseous; she just didn’t care for food any longer.

Here’s a list of fresh foods that would be beneficial for you and for your babies’ health, Maddie. I’ve also included the phone number of a nutritionist who will come to your home daily and prepare a shake made with natural supplements for you, the doctor said, and he handed the paper to Bly rather than Maddie.

I’ll see that she gets healthy. Thank you, Dr. Griffith, Bly said,