A Corisi Christmas (Legacy Collection #7) Read Free Page B

Unlike Dominic, his security knew to blend into the background, so discrete it was easy to forget they were there. Apparently, Nicole had.
    He could have confronted her, but he understood Nicole needed time to work things out before she brought them to him. He’d grown up in a house where issues were resolved much more quickly. People got angry, yelled things out, then made up. It had taken Stephan time to understand that in Nicole’s experience, questions were traps, and tempers were something to be feared. For her, he’d learned to keep his tone low and his patience high. Waiting for Nicole to come to him with a concern had at times driven him nearly insane, but it was worth it when she finally opened up and let him in.
    He thought of the time he had suggested his company absorb her father’s. Financially it had made sense, and she had moved on from wanting to run it to working with charities with his mother. She’d agreed to the plan, but as they met with lawyers to formalize the move, she’d grown more and more withdrawn. Eventually she’d come to him and said she couldn’t bear to close the doors on her father’s company, even if the employees were brought into Stephan’s. Reversing the decision had proven tricky, but he’d done it for her.
    He’d do anything to make her happy. She was his wife, the reason he woke up smiling each day. Nothing was more important to him.
    He felt a little guilty when he called the head of his security team and asked where she’d been. She’d gone to see her brother’s wife. Even though there was nothing out of the ordinary about that, Stephan’s stomach twisted at the news.
    Something was wrong. He could feel it. Was she sick and afraid to tell him? She was a part of him, and he would be by her side no matter what challenges came their way.
    He told his secretary to clear his afternoon and reschedule his meetings. He called Nicole as he drove back to their house, but she didn’t answer, and a hundred possibilities flew through his head. None of them good.
    He rushed into the house and came to a stop just before entering the family room. Nicole was sitting at her small desk in front of their large bay window. From where he stood he could see his wife’s profile and the worry she hid from him was clearly displayed in her expression. Her laptop was open, but the screen had gone dark, and she was staring out the window lost in her thoughts.
    She looked up as he entered the room, stood, and smiled. “Stephan, you’re home early.”
    He walked over to her and studied her face. Had he not seen her a moment before she’d heard him, he would have thought she was in a good mood. “I called, but you didn’t answer.”
    “My phone must still be in my purse.” She scanned the room then gave him an apologetic look. “I bet I left it in the kitchen. Sorry.”
    He pulled her gently into his arms. “I was worried.”
    She looked up at him and gave him another sweet smile. “I’ll try to be more careful.”
    He kissed her then with all his pent-up questions and love for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they were transported above everything else temporarily. When he broke off the kiss they were both breathing raggedly. He swung her up into his arms but carried her to the couch instead of their bedroom. His hunger for her came second to his need to know what was going on. He sat down with her across his lap and held her captive in his embrace. This time he couldn’t wait for her to come to him. He had to know. “Nicole, I know you’ve been lying to me about where you’ve been going.”
    She stiffened and her eyes widened, but she didn’t deny it.
    “I’m not angry, Nicole, but we will sit here until you tell me what’s going on. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. Just tell me.”
    She inhaled sharply and blinked tears back. “I’m pregnant, Stephan. We’re going to have a baby.”
    It took a moment for her words to sink in. “Are you sure?” Oh,