Elizabeth strolled around the penthouse that had once belonged to her ex-fiancé. Oh he'd be back with her soon enough, as stubborn as he was being right now, she knew she'd get him to see the light of day.

The two of them belonged together. They had stumbled upon each other against great odds and during their couple of months together they had truly fallen in love. But what Elizabeth hadn't known was that Matt's best friend and business partner C.J. had been secretly plotting against them because she wanted him for herself. Not that Matt ever wanted her else he would have already been married to her after all this time but she still remained delusional.

After refilling her scotch she discovered she was getting a bit tipsy and narrowly avoided taking a bath in the Jacuzzi. It hadn't seen much use since Delilah had last thrown a party with it as the centerpiece. Elizabeth had cringed as all these low rent Hollywood ilk showed up to eat catered food and drink at a bar tended by a man with an earring and tattoo. Delilah even had gotten up on the piano and started dancing.

Her friend was pouring herself a vodka and tonic to join her after another disastrous day at the helm of Houston Enterprises which of course now belonged to her. She had been so thrown when Matt had refused to marry her and willingly threw his business empire away. God he must be so miserable and sitting around with his scotch bottle regretting his choice about now. She knew how much his business meant to him and soon enough he'd come back to it and her and they'd run it side by side. Well, he'd run it and she'd spend the money on a new wardrobe and a huge mansion for them in Bel Air.

"So you going to sit here and let your partner watch you drown…?"

Elizabeth scowled at Delilah.

"I'm not telling you who it is so just drop it," she said, "and Matt will return to me any day now."

Delilah shook her head.

"I don't think so Lizzie…I think he's shacking up with your rival," Delilah said, "in fact I'm sure of it."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. That couldn't be true could it? Matt wouldn't go low rent on her and hook up with his assistant.

"Matt isn't with her," she said, "C.J.'s just not pretty enough for a guy like him and he looks at her like a chum…"

"Like chum…you mean what you bait a shark with?"

Elizabeth's eyes flashed some annoyance.

"No…I mean a chum…like a pal…you know just a friend not a bed partner."

Delilah sighed deeply.

"I'm not so sure about that," she said, "I mean the woman's probably pregnant."

"Unless she was shopping for a friend…didn't she have someone with her?"

Delilah paused.

"Well…yes but I think it's her and that means…"

Elizabeth put her hands over her ears and threw her friend a warning look.

"Don't say it…I'm having a really bad day Delilah and I won't hear any more bad news…from anyone."

Delilah sipped her drink, watching the agitation on Elizabeth's face. The woman just had to face the fact that Matt probably wasn't going to come back to her. The guy had moved on, even given up the company he'd built from the ground up to not surrender to her emotional blackmail. But Elizabeth though that Matt would still return to her.

"Look I'm not trying to ruin your day," Delilah said, "and I'm still going to do the spread on C.J. and her being knocked up."

Elizabeth furrowed her brows.

"Why…? She's not famous or anything…except because of Matt," she said, "Who in God's name would read about her having a baby?"

"Matt is one of the city's wealthiest most eligible bachelors and everything he does is news," Delilah said, "do you know that my cover story on his most recent exploits has increased my readership by over 60 percent?"

Elizabeth had been shocked by that news.

"If we'd gotten married in a really splashy wedding that would boost it up even further wouldn't it?"

Delilah shrugged.

"Probably…but it isn't going to happen especially since he walked away from his company."

Elizabeth drank down the rest of her scotch and then fumed. This wasn't the way the story was to have played out with her and Matt. They were supposed to have lived happily ever after, without looking back. But she'd had a few moments of doubt totally understandable under the circumstances and they'd lost their momentum.

They'd get it back, she knew they would if he'd only given them a chance and not left her making some difficult choices.

"I had my guy looking through the trash dumpster of their new offices and I think I'll send him to her house..."

Delilah looked at Elizabeth.

"To do what? Find out who sired her baby, do you really want to know?"

Elizabeth didn't respond to that because she didn't know the answer to that. Matt just wouldn't do that to her, run off with C.J. and get her pregnant not long after breaking it off with her.

C.J. had taken a warm bath after the day spent looking at the ranch for sale and found it relaxing. She poured in some lavender salts with her bubble bath and brought in a mug of tea. She missed her wine but being pregnant, she'd had to give that up. But the tea soothed her in a different way and after lighting some candles, she found herself liking it.

Matt had been in the kitchen cooking up some pasta, a recipe he picked up from Vince and Mama. The steamed vegetables were doing just fine and he'd packed the freezer with some of C.J.'s favorite gelato. She'd been tired after they'd returned and he'd insisted she soak in the tub for a while and he'd cook up dinner.

He knew that he couldn't let her push herself too hard being pregnant and she'd settled into it soon enough. But what he wanted her to do was settle into this whole marriage thing but she still seemed reluctant to take that plunge. He supposed it looked like the shotgun approach, a bit old fashioned for a woman to marry the father of her child to give it a name but that hadn't been it, well not entirely. He wanted to marry her because he loved her.

He knew she loved him back but sometimes wondered if it was all the hormones talking or her heart. She'd come close to marriage just like he had and

Roy had called him telling him that there were no more clues on Elizabeth's silent partner but Matt found himself not caring so much. His new company had started off very well and he and C.J. were preparing to have a baby.

She came into the room just after he got off the phone with Roy and slid her arms beyond him from behind. She'd worn her blue silken robe and had washed her hair so it hung in damp ringlets around her.

"Need help with dinner?"

He turned around to kiss her, stroking his face with his fingers afterward.

"I'm almost done…just the sauce…"

She went to go help him with it and she smelled the delicious aromas. Matt had always loved to cook as his father had employed chefs when he'd been growing up. She went to get the plates and silverware so they could eat out on the deck, while the sun set over the ocean.

They settled in there and saw the sky turn from blue to yellow near the horizon and then reddish orange while sail boats returned to shore. A soft breeze blew onshore and between that and the great food not to mention

She thought she could get through anything but she didn't know what would happen next.