Avery can't believe her ears. Is Evan seriously accusing me of flirting with Andrew? She thinks. The man kidnapped and tortured my sister, kept me prisoner in his home, and then tried to have my sister beaten by the police. If Evan thinks I might have feelings for Andrew, he's as crazy as Andrew.

"Are you kidding me?" Avery asks. "I risked my life to escape from him at Misty Mansion, and now you think I'm flirting with him? Does your jealousy make you that stupid?"

Evan jumps to his feet and grabs her chin. He holds her head in place and stares deep into her eyes. His expression is stormy and threatening, but Avery is too angry to care. She stares back at him with the same intensity.

"If I wanted to be with Andrew, I've had tons of opportunities," she says. "Why would I wait until now? Why would I settle for a car ride when I could have stayed at Misty Mansion all along?"

Evan's shoulders sag slightly, and he lets go of her chin. He opens his mouth as if to say something but quickly closes it again. Suddenly, he looks very tired. Avery almost feels bad for him—she feels just as tired.

"Evan, I don't want to fight about other men anymore," Avery says gently. "This jealousy has to end. On the way back from Nanny's hospital, you said that you'd trust me, so please, believe me when I say you're the only man for me."

Evan takes her chin between his fingers again, but his touch is softer and sweeter. He tilts her face up toward him and presses his lips against hers. She feels the anger melt away, and she slid her arms around his bareback and runs her hands up to his shoulders. He groans and deepens the kiss.

His hands slid down to her waist, and he unties her silk robe. He slips it off her shoulders and kisses the bare skin underneath. Then he scoops her up in his arms and carries her to the guest room sofa. He lays her down and covers her body with his, trailing kisses from her earlobe to her shoulders.

Her short nightgown bunches up around her thighs, and his bare skin feels hot on hers. The strength of his need presses hard as an iron rod against her hip. He parts her legs with his knee and starts to kiss his way up her thighs. When he sees that she's naked underneath her nightgown, his eyes go liquid with desire.

"No, Evan, we can't," Avery says, pushing his head away.

"Just let me see how your body is changing," he says, his voice hoarse. He reaches under her nightgown and gently pinches her waist, "It feels a little thicker."

"Get your hands off me," Avery says, feeling hurt. "I can't help that I'm gaining weight—I'm pregnant!"

Evan runs his hands up her ribcage and cups her breasts. "These have gotten bigger, too," he whispers. "God, Avery, you're beautiful."

He strokes her nipple with his rough finger, and a wave of pleasure shoots through her. She arches into him, and a small, breathy moan escapes from between her lips. He tugs the neckline of her nightgown away and takes her breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue across her nipple.

She digs her fingers into his strong back and moans again, louder. He presses his body against hers, and her mind goes blank. His mouth moves from her breasts to her neck, and he whispers her name against her skin. His hips thrust against hers. She freezes.

"Evan," she gasps, "We can't—the baby."

Evan pulls his mouth from her skin and slowly stands up. He looks down at her, and she can see the desire raging in his eyes. She glances down at the bulge in the white towel and bites her lip.

"Do you want some help with that?" she asks.

Evan groans, "Don't tempt me. If you started touching me there, I don't think I'd be able to control myself. It's too dangerous."

He walks back to the bathroom and shuts the door, and Avery hears the sound of running water again. She tugs her nightgown down and climbs into bed. She listens to the water and wonders if Evan is masturbating. She's dozing when she feels a warm body pressed against hers.

"Don't worry, I'll control myself," he whispers. "I just want to sleep near you."

He holds her from behind and rubs her pregnant belly. She hums happily and closes her eyes, slowly drifting into a warm, peaceful sleep. When she wakes in the morning, their positions have changed—he's lying on his back, and her head was pillowed on his shoulder—but his arms are still around her.

His long eyelashes brush the tops of his cheeks, and his lips are curled into a small smile. She brushes her lips against his neck, and his lips twitch. She freezes, worried she'll wake him. She closes her eyes and tries to sleep, but the sun is streaming in through the window. Eventually, there's a loud knock at the door.

"Mr. Howel, are you there?" Robert calls through the door. "You need to wake up, sir. It's already 11:00, and you have important business this afternoon."

Avery rubs Evan's arm, but he doesn't move. His breathing is gentle and slow. She tries again, kissing his neck and shoulders, but he doesn't respond at all. She feels bad waking him, but her neck is starting to cramp. Slowly, she slid out from his arms and stretched her arms above her head.

Her hand hits something hard, and she turns to see a stack of books on the nightstand. It's the same stack Robert took off the coffee table the other day. Normally, Avery isn't interested in Evan's library. He likes books about wars, the economy, and technology, and she finds them terribly boring. But she's curious about these books—why doesn't Robert want her to see them?

She reaches for a book, but a large palm grabs her hand and pulls it away. She rolls over and finds herself nose to nose with Evan. He tilts her head back and kisses her tenderly on the lips, pulling her into his body. She pulls away slowly.

"Evan, stop," she says. "Didn't you hear what I said? You have to get up and get ready."

Evan silences her with another kiss. He nibbles her lower lip and starts to slide his hand under her nightgown. She grabs his wrist and pulls his hand off her legs.

"Evan, we can't," she says. "If you want to stay in bed all day, that's fine, but I have things to do."

Evan sighs and says, "I just wanted to enjoy this while I can. I'm leaving on a business trip this afternoon."

"When will you be back?" Avery asks.

"It'll be at least five days," he says.

"Oh," she says, frowning. She knows it's silly, but she hates to think about him leaving for five days. She feels lonely, just imagining it.

"Wait for me," he says, kissing her quickly on the forehead. "I'm going to surprise you when I come back."

"Are you sure you mean a surprise and not a shock?" she asks.

"I promise, it'll be good," he says.

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it," she says. She pushes him gently and adds, "Get up, and I'll help you pack."

Avery slides out from the warmth of the sheets and gets her robe from the bathroom floor. She ties it tightly around her waist and walks upstairs to Evan's dressing room. She trails her fingers down the row of neatly pressed suits. Finally, she pauses on a dark blue one. The color will look nice with his eyes, she thinks.

She pulls the suit from the rack and prepares to take it out to Evan, but something small hits the floor and rolls away under the clothing rack. Avery wonders if a button has fallen from the suit. She gets down on her hands and knees and starts to look. Her eyes widen with surprise, and she gasps in shock.