Page 34 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

The woman was pregnant, after all.

Calisto drew in a slow breath, and willed away theannoyance. Knocking on the bathroom door once more, Calisto said, “Emmy, areyou almost done, or what?”

He’d been knocking on the door for a while. Emma hadonly answered him once, saying she didn’t feel well and asking for a couple ofminutes. Calisto didn’t understand a whole hell of a lot about pregnancy, buthe did know the mornings could be hell for some women.

It was better he didn’t pry.

Calisto didn’t need details.

He raised his fist to knock on the door again, only tofind it swinging open. His hand dropped to his side, and he took a step back.

Emma stood in the bathroom doorway, looking tired andworn. Her hair had been thrown up into a messy bun, and she stood barefoot onthe tile. The silk, white robe she wore had been cinched at her waist, and fellmid-thigh. Calisto’s gaze dropped to Emma’s midsection.

He immediately wished he hadn’t.

She was finally starting to show. Calisto had beenlucky enough to miss those changes, being that he stayed away. Now, he couldplainly see the early swell of Emma’s stomach pushing against the silk robe.

“Eighteen weeks,” she said softly.

Calisto’s gaze snapped back up to Emma’s face. It waseasier to focus on her pretty features with her soft lines and smooth skinrather than the roundness of her stomach. She was with child—someone else’schild.

It wasn’t his.

It would never be his.

Yet, Emma was still beautiful. Even in her state, withher swell, her flushed skin, and her tired eyes. Calisto clenched his fiststight, feeling his fingernails cut into his skin. A war raged inside his mind,and an invisible agony following right behind. What in the hell was wrong withhim?

He felt like a sick bastard, almost enjoying the pain.

“I beg your pardon?” Calisto managed to ask.

“I’m eighteen weeks along, Cal.”

“Oh.”

Emma nodded. “Almost halfway.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Yes. I had some testing done early on, shortly afterI passed the first trimester. The doctor wanted to check the amniotic fluid anddo a genetic workup after what happened the first time. Everything seemed well.It’s a boy.”

Calisto swallowed hard. “Affonso must be—”

“Thrilled,” she interrupted coolly. “He’s thrilled.”

“He didn’t tell me.”

“Would you have cared?”

Calisto didn’t respond.

Emma stepped out of the bathroom, and brushed pastCalisto without as much as a look in his direction. She immediately went towardthe large walk-in closet, and disappeared inside. Calisto rubbed a hand overhis face, wishing he could calm his inner thoughts and think for a moment.

“Did he send you up for me?” Emma asked from thewalk-in closet.

Calisto shook the heaviness off his shoulders. “Yes.He was convinced he was already late. I’ll drive you to the breakfast.”

“Great.”