Inner Circle Read Online Free Page B

basketball off-season ended and preseason resumed, Sa’Myra made her move.
    The low blow came when after months of serving Amber’s family with food, she quit her job as their personal chef and served Sean with paternity papers requesting prenatal care and payment for their unborn child.
    “Babe!” Chase shouted from the garage interrupting Eve’s train of thought.
    “I’m in the kitchen,” she bellowed back. “I’m making you breakfast.”
    Within minutes Eve had prepared the omelets and Chase’s favorite protein shake, and she was cutting fresh fruit by the time he’d reached the kitchen.
    “What were you doing? You were supposed to be resting,” Eve asked.
    “Nah, I was making sure your gift was ready.”
    Eve beamed with excitement. Chase took every opportunity he could to spoil Eve with the absolute best. Their first five years of marriage read like a fairy tale, complete with houses, cars, jewels, shopping sprees, exquisite trips: the whole nine yards. Eve had a particular fetish for shoes and cars, and although she had a museumquality collection of each, more was definitely merrier.
    The only thing missing in her fairy-tale life was a fairy godmother, or in Eve’s case, a mother at all!
    Eve’s mom objected to everything associated with their marriage, to the extent of not even showing up for the wedding. Eve tried everything, including paying off her mom’s house in Miami and purchasing a store in the posh neighborhood of Coral Gables in order for her mother to live out her dream of owning a boutique. Eve even kept her job, working part time with Andrew’s most VIP Los Angeles clients, hoping her mom would recognize that she still had her independence. But even though they spoke on occasion, it wasn’t the same.
    “For you, my lovely wife . . .” Chase smiled slyly with his hands behind his back.
    “What have you done?” Eve asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
    Chase held out a small Tiffany box. “Happy anniversary, babe.”
    Eve tried hard to mask her disappointment. She loved Tiffany’s, but she wasn’t a huge fan of jewelry, and Chase knew it.
    “Well, what are you waiting for?” he cross-examined her. “Open it!”
    Eve sighed, remembering she hadn’t given any hints about what she wanted this year. Usually she’d leave Chase clues around the house or in his practice bag suggesting things she wanted, but this time she was hoping he’d surprise her.
    She took a deep breath as she opened the small blue box. To her surprise, there wasn’t a ring or earrings inside; instead, there was only a signature blue pouch that didn’t look like it held any kind of jewelry.Eve opened the pouch and pulled out a key chain. On the chain was a small device with a Bentley symbol.
    “It’s outside,” Chase smiled.
    Eve darted toward the front door, flinging it open. To her surprise, Chase had purchased her dream car: a tomato-red Bentley Continental GT-Diamond edition. Eve couldn’t believe her eyes.
    “Chase . . . I don’t know what to say.”
    “I do. The pink slip is in your name,” he joked.
    “What are you trying to say?” She smiled nudging him sarcastically.
    “Don’t even try it. I hear you all the time schooling your girls about making sure they get stuff in their names, just in case something happens and their relationships don’t work out. I also know how we players are. But I want you to know that not only do I got you, but I trust you, and I want you to trust me. I wanted you from the very first moment I saw you. And when you agreed to marry me, I promised myself I’d never do anything to hurt you. What’s mine is yours, babe.”
    “What about the prenup?” she teased.
    “You give me five more years like the last five, you know the deal. The prenup disappears. Hell, I’ll get rid of it tomorrow if you’d finally agree to get pregnant.”
    “Chase,” she pouted, “we’ve talked about this. I just made junior agent last year. I don’t think I’m ready to give that up