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A little later
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Having The Billionaire's Baby Villa
He frowned at her. ‘But in your case it happened in a matter of moments, the way he took to you.’‘I would say—’ Irene sipped her water from a cut-glass tumbler, then picked up her knife and fork again ‘—he’s not much used to men if he’s lived with his mother and his grandmother. And I do have experience with kids of that age.Don’t worry, it will happen, it just takes time,’ she assured him.His frown deepened. ‘You’re also—like a new person, Miss Josephine, if I may say so. Why’s that?’Irene considered, then told him part of the truth. ‘I took myself to task this morning. Look forward, not backward, seek new challenges and goals and—lo and behold!—what should fall into my lap shortly afterwards but your offer. So I’m feeling really positive, you could say.’She’d changed her Argyle sweater for a cotton-knit top and hadn’t noticed the streak of Play-Doh on her sleeve. Her hair was in bunches and she wore her glasses. She looked young but very alive and vital. It was hard to compare
Having The Billionaire's Baby The outfit
It was Mrs Mills who answered. ‘As you know, Jake, we can close the guest wing off. Which is how we’ve managed to corral Nemo out of the rest of the house anyway and Nicky is usually asleep by seven—the guests don’t arrive until seven-thirty.’‘Anyway, I’ll be on hand just in case,’ Irene supplied.But it was her turn to be looked at over the top of his glasses. ‘Item,’ Jake said, ‘Mr Fullbuster has requested your presence at the dinner dance, Miss Josephine.’Irene stared at him as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. ‘Why? Is he short of an interpreter again?’‘Not that I’m aware of.’ Jake shook his head. ‘But—I don’t understand. And I don’t want to—’‘Perhaps he thought it would be a nice break for you after all you’ve done for Nicky?’ Mrs Mills suggested. ‘And I can get Peta and Brad to sleep over so you wouldn’t have to worry about Nicky.’‘I still don’t want to—’It was Jake who interrupted her this time. ‘Miss Josephine, Irene, if I may…’ he hesitated ‘…it would not be a good
Having The Billionaire's Baby I heard
Also, black did suit her, she decided. It did make her skin look creamy. And the style made her waist look reed-slim. With it she wore sheer black tights and, thankfully, medium-heel black suede shoes.But as she stared at herself with her hands on her hips something seemed to be missing.Her make-up was nearly as good as Mary’s efforts. Her nails were not painted—dogs and kids didn’t seem to go well with painted nails—but they were smooth, neat ovals and a healthy pink.Her hair might not have quite the extra—what was the word?—zip it had had after Mr Roger had combed it, but she was happy with the fair, tamed curls.‘It just needs something to lift it—I know, I need a flower. Maybe Mrs Mills or Stan could help me out?’ she said to her reflection.They both helped out.Stan found a perfect white gardenia for her and Mrs Mills pinned it into her hair with a tiny pearl clip.‘There.’ Mrs Mills stood back. ‘You look lovely, Irene! Doesn’t she, Stan?’ ‘She looks beaut!’ Stan concurred.S
Having The Billionaire's Baby The negotiations
He stirred and the harshness relaxed a little. ‘I’ll go and say goodnight to him now.’Irene heaved a sigh of relief and she stood up to allow him to pass, only to find she simply couldn’t help herself as he drew abreast of her.‘What made you think I might have coached him? I would have thought I’d made it perfectly clear these things can’t be rushed.’He stopped one step below her so their eyes were almost level. And she saw something else she’d missed in her earlier summation of him—he might be hiding it well, but he was tired.A smile flickered in his eyes as he said, ‘Yes, ma’am, you did impart that pearl of wisdom to me, amongst a few others. Uh—why? I’m not in a good mood, to put it mildly. I haven’t been for days and when I get like this I tend to be—cynical, suspicious, even downright bloody-minded.’‘So they told me—’ She broke off and bit her lip.‘Told you that, did they? My staff?’ he drawled. ‘They’re right.’ ‘But have things fallen through?’ She looked concerned. ‘Has i
Having The Billionaire's Baby I'm here
Irene left hers unopened once she realized what it was all about.The meal was cleared and more champagne poured—it was time for the speeches and toasts.If you didn’t know him, Irene thought as she watched Murad Fullbuster perform his part, you would think there was nothing wrong with him. But she noticed that his sister was watching him intently with a frown in her eyes.Then all the formalities were over and the string quartet demonstrated their versatility, and couples took to the dance floor to a lively beat.Irene decided to slip away. She had the beginnings of a headache and a few minutes alone in a nice quiet spot seemed like a good idea.She had no idea that two men saw her go: Murad—and his cousin, Paul O’Hara.She went out onto the lawn and took the path that led to the swimming-pool garden but stopped at a sound behind her, a footstep. She took a deep breath and turned—it was Paul O’Hara.He too wore his dinner suit well, his fair hair was smooth and his nice grey eyes wer
Having The Billionaire's Baby From him
Instead of steadying, her breathing grew more ragged and her heart started to pound, he looked so tall, so good-looking, but with that entirely unapproachable aura again.‘You shouldn’t have run away from Paul, Irene.’She stared up at him, her eyes huge. ‘You…you heard?’He shook his head. ‘Only the last bit when he offered you his friendship. But you’d have to be blind not to know there’s a whole lot more he’d like to offer you. He’s also thoroughly nice—what have you got against him?’Irene felt a spike of sheer annoyance surge through her veins that was as unexpected as it was irrational. But, at that moment, she felt Murad Fullbuster was the last person she needed advice from on her—non-existent but all the same— love life. Anyway, whose fault was it Paul O’Hara didn’t affect her at all?She opened her mouth, tried to caution herself against doing anything silly, but days of turmoil and trying to hide the truth from him and herself saw her suddenly snap…She said huskily, ‘What h
Having The Billionaire's Baby Departure
He gritted his teeth. ‘Irene, I must. I’ve got a lot of baggage, you’re probably aware of that more than most, and some pretty unpleasant water has passed under my bridge. Those are the only light years between us, but they’re crucial factors and they’d be more of a burden than any man in his right mind would want to place on you.’He paused and his expression softened. ‘Whereas you’ve got it all in front of you, my dear. You can do it right, you will do it right, and once you find someone to love, someone to have children with, you need never be alone again.’‘But—’‘No, Irene.’ He shook his head. ‘You will always have my affection and I’ll never forget what you did for Nicky.’ He smiled but not with his eyes. ‘The other thing is, you look so lovely tonight, I wouldn’t have been the only man who wanted to kiss you.’If she’d been rejected once tonight, Irene thought, this was even more comprehensive, and the shock of it saw silent tears well and stream down her cheeks.Murad Fullbust
Having The Billionaire's Baby The blue
Nicky and Brad, with Stan’s help, were constructing a cubby house and didn’t seem to need her at all.She thought back to last night. Diane had come up to her room with her and, after Irene had taken a shower, she’d brought her a cup of Milo.Whether Diane had formed her own conclusions about why she was in the state she was, Irene didn’t know, but, beyond reassuring herself it wasn’t a health issue, Diane had probed no further.She probably guessed, Irene thought as she sipped her tea and curled her feet up under her in the basket chair. It had to have been fairly obvious. She’d not only been weeping, she’d probably been looking shell-shocked and she had just been comprehensively kissed.What she’d managed to hide from Diane this morning was the fact that she still felt shell-shocked. She could never forget that kiss. Just thinking about it made her pulses hammer and reminded her of how she’d felt during it, and not only the physical thrills, but the reaching-for-the-stars joy it had
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Having The Billionaire's Baby Lifelong
EDWARDSI walked out into the hallway, ensuring Kristen I’d be right back.“Hi Charlie.”“How are you doing, bud?”“Fine, considering. What’s up?”“I’ve got great news for you. Custody is yours, obviously. Amber will be in jail for a long time after this. They’re thinking at least fifteen years. And she won’t be allowed near the kids once she’s out.”“She deserves more than that.”“Ain’t that the truth. But listen, this also means, you won’t have to write another child support check in your life.”I grinned cheek to cheek. My kids were mine, fully mine. Finally. But then my grin fell, remembering the bomb that had just been dropped on me. The last thing Charlie had said wasn’t necessarily true. I didn’t know what the future held with Kristen and my child that she was carrying. I knew what I wanted, though. I wanted a family, one that was complete and whole.I thanked Charlie and hung up. I rushed back into Kristen’s room, knowing what I needed to do.“So?” she asked.“It’s official.
Having The Billionaire's Baby Tell me
EDWARDSI fought with police officers for what seemed like hours, as patrons continued to stream out of the bar. I stopped to examine each one. None were my daughter.“She’s still in there! What are you guys waiting for?”I just kept screaming and they just kept ignoring me. I tried to run in myself a few times, but each time I was caught by an officer and dragged back behind the wall of squad cars they had formed in front of Rita’s.“We have to do this strategically, so no one gets hurt,” the commander told me after my third attempt to get in.After some discussion, they decided to call the bar, in hopes that Amber would answer and that they could talk her off the ledge. I jumped nervously back and forth on my feet as he tried to reason with her. He hung up.“She wants money.”“What else is new? How much?”“A million.”“What?!”“You won’t be giving her a penny. Now that we know she won’t reason with us, we’ll come up with a plan to force entry and remove your daughter as safely as p
Having The Billionaire's Baby Aimed at me
KRISTENI pulled up to Rita’s just fifteen minutes after Edwards and I had spoken still reeling from my conversation with Wally. I had to find a way to stop Carter from purchasing the house, but I had larger priorities right now. I took the handicap spot out front. I figured if I didn’t find anything, I’d be gone before anyone knew it. And if I did find Candace, then I had bigger things to worry about than illegal parking.I ran inside, leaving my purse and phone in the car. I burst through the front door and scanned the bar area. It was filled with burly men in flannel and jean jackets. Almost every single one had facial hair. The bartender was an older woman, with a heavy spray tan and wrinkled skin.No sign of Amber or Candace yet, I walked in further. As I walked forward, my flip flops squaked on the sticky, tiled floor. There was squished popcorn and spilled beer coating most of it. In the middle of the room was an aged pool table and nailed to the wall were a couple slightly ti
Having The Billionaire's Baby Situation
EDWARDSI hung up with Kristen, hopeful that we might be onto something. I called the cops right away and updated them. I told them that Kristen would be to Rita’s very soon, and that they needed to meet her there ASAP. I was fairly certain Kristen had been right that Amber wasn’t dangerous enough to hurt her, but I didn’t want to take any chances. They assured me they’d have officers on the scene as quickly as they could.I gave Samson a rub on the head.“We’re gonna find her, bud.”He whimpered beside me. I didn’t want to consider the fact that we could be way off. Amber and Candace could be well past Rita’s by now, and potentially even out of the state. I had tried the phone tracking app several times, but Candace’s phone was still off. Amber must have taken it from her.No matter how hard I tried to rationalize it from Amber’s perspective, I just couldn’t understand why she’d do this, unless she really had just gone off the deep end. Nothing she gained from this aligned with any
Having The Billionaire's Baby All that smart
KRISTENI got back to the motel around noon. I applied for a secretarial position very close to here last evening and got a call back almost immediately. They seemed desperate, and so was I. I scheduled an interview for the next day and here I was. I thought the interview went quite well, actually.The job didn’t pay anything special, but it would do. After a few weeks there, I’d have enough to start making rent payments. I’d be out of this motel in no time, or at least well before the baby came. I wasn’t immensely excited about typing memos and completing invoices all day, but work was work. I didn’t have the luxury of being picky right now. I also called my landlord and got out of my lease in San Francisco. I told them to scrap anything I had left, which earned a few curse words.I hung up and sat back on the motel’s floral print couch that I thought was probably from the seventies at the earliest. There were several stains that could have been from any decade quite honestly. I tho
Having The Billionaire's Baby A loss
EDWARDSI woke up the next morning, forced to remember for a split second everything that had happened the day prior. I laid in bed and crossed my arms over my face as I thought of Kristen and her betrayal. I saw what Dudley had written, how Kristen was supposed to get her inheritance. Her newfound interest in apples made all too much sense now.I knew she was probably desperate after losing her job, but that didn't make it right. What hurt me the most was that after all we had shared with one another and all that trust I assumed we had built, she still didn’t trust me enough to let me help her. I had wanted to provide for her and I would have gladly helped her get back on her feet. She was just too stubborn to let me.I pushed my sheets back and got out of bed, more determined than ever to get full custody of my kids back. After getting ready with Samson hovering by my side—he knew something was wrong with me—I called Candace.I tried several times, but her phone kept going straight
Having The Billionaire's Baby Rust
“It’s none of your business.”Before I could reach over and grab it, Edwards picked it up, sifting through the worn yellow pages.“Did Dudley write this?”My face had gone pale white. I gulped and nodded. It was the second half of the journal, the one that detailed most of Dudley’s plan to steal TruFruit’s patent.“To you?” He asked, continuing to scour it.I nodded again, having no words for him at this moment. How dare he? This argument is about him and his lies.“So, we were right then? He was fired.”I didn’t respond to this inquiry. He didn’t even look up to see if I had answered. After a few moments, he found the note that had fallen out of the journal when I first found it. I stuffed it back in between the pages, so I wouldn't lose it. I watched his face morph into despair.“He wanted you to rip me off?”I stood still.“Were you going to do it?”I was frozen in place.“How could you?”I wasn’t going to bother telling him that I hadn’t planned to go through with any of it. The f
Having The Billionaire's Baby Anymore
EDWARDSI walked into the other room and talked to Charlie in a hushed tone, hoping to make Sabrina squirm a bit. As I did so, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I looked over to see Candace running down them with a duffel bag.“One second Charlie.” I put the phone to my side and approached my daughter who was angling toward the front door.“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked her.“My friend’s house.”“Who gave you permission to do that? We have some things to talk about, Candace.”“Not interested.” She reached for the knob.“Hey!” I yelled to her, in a firm tone I rarely used. She turned on her heels, one arm on her hip and the other clutching her overnight bag.“You know, maybe you should save the parenting for all of the kids you haven’t told me about yet.”“Candace!”She opened the door and I ran out after her, Charlie still waiting on the line.“Sweetheart, wait! Let me at least explain!”“No! I’m sick of being constantly disappointed by you and mom!”Candace ran towards a b
Having The Billionaire's Baby The through
I responded to Kristen’s text, telling her I’d be over in a couple hours. I wasn’t expecting a package, so it was either a mistake or a ruse to get me into bed. My heart sped up at the thought.A couple hours later, I was on Kristen’s doorstep ringing the doorbell, ready for whatever surprise she had waiting. But when the door opened, I found myself completely caught off guard. A small boy stood below me, looking up with piercing blue eyes. I looked up and a small blonde came out from the kitchen.“Sabrina,” I gasped. “What the hell are you doing here?”“They lost the keys to the house. It’s been lovely meeting your fiancée and son, Mr. McLean,” Kristen said to me from the living room, her tone ice cold.“We have a lot to talk about, darling. And I’ve been waiting for you all day.” Sabrina grabbed her purse and the backpack from the hangers by the front door and met me outside. “Thanks for your hospitality, Miss?”“Washington. Kristen Washington. And you’re welcome,” Kristen responded
