Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Wendy Soliman Page B

little shrug, “but he also thinks he’s put me in the position of having to bring up his child as my own, and that I won’t realize I’ve been duped. He’d get a real buzz out of that.”
    “But Eve must know you can’t father any more children.”
    “No, actually she doesn’t. I never told her about the vasectomy.”
    “You didn’t tell me, either.”
    “It’s not something I talk about. When we first got together, you told me you couldn’t have children and not to worry about condoms. When our relationship got more serious, it didn’t seem to matter.”
    “Yes, I suppose I can see that, but why didn’t you tell Eve?”
    “I didn’t see the need since we don’t sleep together anymore.”
    Ashley mulled over what he’d said. “I don’t think she’s as indifferent to your lack of interest in her as you want to think.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Her visit to the office the other day. What prompted that, do you suppose? She’s never put in an appearance here before, not in all the years I’ve worked here. She never even comes to the company dos. Well, not the ones in Reigate, anyway. That’s why I’ve never met her before.”
    “Perhaps she really did come up on a whim to look at a house.” He shrugged. “Who knows? I don’t think she knows about you and me, well, not for sure, anyway. I guess I must have changed since we’ve been together, and she will have sensed that. I don’t spend a lot of time in the Southampton house, but even so, she must have noticed a difference.”
    “But why does she care if she plays around, I mean?”
    “Because she hates to be sidelined. Everything has to be on her terms. I’d had enough of it, and when we decided to move the head office to Reigate, I saw an opportunity to distance myself from her even more.”
    “Wasn’t that Charlie’s suggestion? The move, I mean.”
    “Yes, and one of the few he’s come up with that I supported wholeheartedly, and not just because it means I can spend even less time in Southampton. As the boys are now old enough to understand, I saw it as an ideal opportunity to make the break. Not that I told her so. Until the amalgamation’s in the bag, I need her five percent. So I procrastinated, I’m afraid, let her get estate agents leaflets for houses in this area.”
    “Isn’t that rather playing into her hands?”
    “Perhaps, but what else could I do?” He scowled at some private memory. “She knows that right now the balance of power lies with her, and she’s loving every minute of it.”
    “Do you think she really knows about us?” Ashley shook her head. “How could she? We’ve been excessively careful.”
    “She would have run straight to Charlie with her suspicions, and dutiful lover that he is, he’d have moved heaven and earth to find out.” His scathing tone caused Ashley to shiver. Mistaking her reaction for being cold, Matt threw another log on the fire, pushing it into place with the heel of his shoe. “It would suit him admirably to catch me out.”
    “Yes, but I still don’t see—”
    “He could have had someone follow me, I suppose. I know I always put my car in your garage overnight, but I have to admit I’ve never thought that I might actually be tailed here.”
    “That would explain why Charlie was being so charming to me last night,” she said with the ghost of a smile. “And why it upset you so much.”
    He exhaled sharply. “You have no idea!”
    “But you still haven’t told me how Charlie and Eve could possibly imagine you’d think the baby is yours if you don’t sleep with her.”
    “Well, Charlie can be an inventive sod, when it suits him. We were invited to spend the weekend with Peter, Charlie, and Charlie’s new wife about four months ago now. Thankfully I was supposed to be away on business, which was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute, so I had no excuse not to go with her.”
    “I remember you complaining about it at the time.”
    “Yes, and matters