“You don’t need to be nervous,” Tanner assured her, like, for the tenth time. “The lair won’t respond badly to the pregnancy.”
Harper turned back to him, hiding once more behind the curtain on the small dais. “Probably not, but I’ll have to, you know… talk to people. Mingle.” Harper was dreading it. She simply didn’t have the people skills required for it. Luckily, her mate did.
She hadn’t seen Knox since breakfast, and she knew he was currently dealing with some issues within the hotel. As hiding her rounded stomach while walking through the Underground wouldn’t have been the easiest thing she’d ever done, she’d had Ciaran teleport her and Tanner from the mansion to the penthouse suite. There, she’d showered and changed into a long, white, chiffon dress that wasn’t loose-fitting yet cleverly made her baby bump a lot less distinctive.
Tanner, Keenan, and Larkin had then walked her to the dais of the ballroom. Keenan and Larkin were circling the ballroom, on guard. Everyone was ready and in place. Now, all they were waiting for was for Knox to show up.
The last time she’d telepathically spoken to him had been twenty minutes ago, when he’d informed her that he was heading to the penthouse to quickly shower and change. Since Knox was wicked fast at getting ready, she could only assume that he’d been waylaid by his staff yet again or he’d be here by now. Where are you?
Within moments, his mind brushed against hers. Dealing with a minor matter before the concierge starts to cry.
She chuckled. At Tanner’s questioning look, she waved a hand and then peeked through the curtain again. People mingled as they sipped wine and nibbled on appetizers being served by waiters that circulated the room. Other guests were gathered around the tall, high tables on which bowls of pretzels and flickering candles were placed. Keenan and Larkin were patrolling the room, their eyes sharp. “I don’t see Carla, Bray or Kellen.”
“Did you expect to?” asked Tanner.
“No.” In fact, she’d been hoping that they wouldn’t attend. Maybe that was mean of her, but she simply didn’t trust them not to cause a scene.
“They’re leaving in three weeks anyway, so nothing you say tonight is anything they need to hear.”
He was right, she thought, as she closed the curtain. Harper smoothed a hand down the side of her dress. “I wish we didn’t have to make a huge, public announcement.”
“The lair needs to know.”
“Yeah, I know that, but I would have preferred it if we didn’t have to make a big thing out of it. It would have been easier to just ask you and the other sentinels to pass on the news.”
“You’re their Prime, and there are certain expectations that come with that position. Making public announcements about key information is one of them. Celebrating important events is another. Your pregnancy is both of those things.”
“Yes, but have you not seen how people respond to a pregnant woman?” By the way his brow furrowed, no, he hadn’t. “Everyone’s suddenly an expert on babies and they’re all full of advice and nosy-ass questions. I’m glad my stomach’s not that big – people are a hell of a lot worse if there’s a bump. They try rubbing it like it’s a damn genie-infested lamp.”
“Genie-infested?” he chuckled.
“You get my point.”
“I do. How about this? If anyone seems like they’re about to say anything inappropriate or touch your belly, I’ll step in and interrupt the conversation.”
“That would be good.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.” Tanner folded his arms. “On another note, Keenan said you called Lucian earlier.”
Harper nodded. “I thought it best that he found out about the pregnancy from me.”
“How did he take the news?”
She pursed her lips as she thought back to the conversation…
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Lucian burst out.
Harper sighed. “Lucian —”
“It’s not enough that you mated the psychopathic bastard, you’re now going to have his psychopathic spawn?”
“Hey! My child is not psychopathic.”
“Don’t kid yourself. If it takes after you, it’ll be a treasure. If it takes after him, it’ll be a living nightmare.”
Harper scratched her chin. “He took it pretty well.”
Tanner snorted in disbelief.
The door behind her creaked open, and Knox’s cologne drifted to her. She turned as he and Levi entered the small space. She couldn’t stop a smile from curving her mouth as she got a good look at him in all his GQ motherfucking glory. No one had the right to exude so much sex appeal. No one. But as he crossed to her, emanating raw power and masculine intensity, a hot and heavy need unfurled inside her.
And he’s all mine, she thought to herself. Her demon was just as smug about it.
Knox actually stopped in his tracks as he absorbed the sight of her. Standing there in the pure-white sleeveless, ankle-length, one-shoulder dress, she made him think of a mythological Greek goddess. Her ivory skin had tanned into a pretty gold shade that matched the ends of her dark hair and gave her skin a healthy glow. Her hair was currently bunched up into some kind of elegant updo that appeared to look deliberately tousled.
Best of all, he could see part of his brand on her breast.
Knox crossed to her with a smile and slid an arm around her. “You look beautiful. Sorry about the delay.” He fingered one of her white-gold earrings. As always, seeing her wearing something he’d bought her stoked the possessive streak in him. He gently rubbed her stomach as he reached out and gently touched the baby’s mind. All he sensed was contentment. “You ready?”
“Not really.”
“It will be fine.” He kissed her. “Now, we need to be clear on a few things. At no point tonight will you be on your own. When it’s time to work the room, I’ll be with you. When you need to use the restrooms, Larkin will accompany you. It’s not that any of us believe you’re in danger from our lair – it’s that we refuse to take any chances.”
“I don’t want to take chances either.”
“Good.” He stroked her stomach again. “I’ll go begin the announcement. You know when to join me, don’t you?”
“Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten anything.”
Let your anxiety go, baby. Don’t let them see you nervous.
She nodded and breathed away the tension in her spine.
“That’s my girl.” Knox released her and slipped out from behind the curtain. The murmurs and laughter died down as people spotted him, and all eyes turned his way as he crossed to the stand in the center of the dais, where a microphone waited.