RexSix months later...I stand outside of Leo's school with my baseball cap pulled low over my forehead and dark sunglasses on. As usual, I try not to stand out.However, since Isabella and I became an item, Ocotillo Valley has gotten used to my visits every six weeks. Not to mention all of the pictures of us circulating the internet from our tour antics this summer."Psst."I look up and see the face of a smiley Asian man. "Hey, Andrew.""What's up man?" he says, holding out his hand.I clap his hand with mine and give him a genial, one-armed hug. "How've you been?""Been good, been good. Isabella didn't tell me you'd be back so soon.""We were trying to keep it a surprise for Leo."Andrew gushes, "Aw, that's sweet."If I can make Leo's life special in any way, I'll do it. I'm making up for lost time, although I guess I always will be. There are worse things than throwing myself into the love I have for my son. I'd definitely like more so I can be someone's dad from the very start,
"That's who I'm named after? Did you know that?"Yes, Leo himself has told me this fact many times. "I did know that. You're very lucky to be named after such a good man." Marisol and Isabella both have fond memories of Aurelio, who passed away in his fifties from a heart attack. He worked himself to death for the good of the family. And I understand why. I would do the same if I wasn't so fortunate. "Listen, you should know this in case you ever... um... love someone. But when you love them so much and you want to marry them –""You're going to marry mama?!""Let me finish, kiddo.""Sorry, sorry."I smile to myself, focusing on the open road, the desert rolling by. "When a man wants to marry a woman, he is supposed to ask her parents for permission. And you know I love your mother very much, so I asked Abuela and she said yes, on one condition.""What is it?""That I ask you too. Because you were the man of the house before I came along."Leo puffs his chest and pouts his lips. "I am
Book 3 Is another standalone novel that also introduces new plot and characters while still maintaining the MY BILLIONAIRE BABY DADDY WANTS ME BACK series.---------He gives me a wonderful night while I give him a secret baby.Homeless loner as always, I encounter a handsome with fabulous wealth. Sparks fly when our eyes meet and we just click.The attraction is so strong that nothing could stop us to zealously explore each other's body, but after which I'm pregnant and he's nowhere to be found.Maybe he never likes me. It's all in my head.It takes several years before our reunion and I magically become his housekeeper.I get to know a bigger picture. He once indeed waited for my call and wanted me. But just when we have a chance to be together again, I gradually lose faith in him.He seems to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend and get tired of me, and coincidentally my suitor who takes great care of my child keeps wooing me.The misbelief must be cleared or we'll stray from each othe
"Of course, sir."I knelt down to pick up the shards of glass from the floor, using a napkin, with my heart hammering against my chest. As soon as I was done, I stumbled over an apology, and Ander placed a hand on my elbow and tugged me aside. Once we were through the double doors of the kitchen, he withdrew his hand and folded his arms over his chest."We don't make mistakes like this at La Mesa.""I'm really sorry, Mr. Ander. I-"Ander held up a hand, and his dark eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hear whatever excuses you're going to give me. Don't let it happen again."I swallowed. "Of course not, sir.""You won't be getting paid for today, of course. The damages will need to be paid for," Ander continued, his eyes moving over me. "You can't coast by on your good looks, Rachael.""I-""You're a part-time employee," Ander interrupted, his eyes tightening further. "Which means you're expendable. Don't forget that. Clean yourself up."With one final withering look, he spun on his heels
BernardShe laced her fingers through mine and raised her voice to be heard over the noise. "Are you sure this is okay?"I glanced at her over my shoulder and grinned. "You look fine, don't worry."In silence, I led her through the tightly packed bodies, gyrating against each other. The smell of alcohol and sweat rose through the air as we weaved in and out of the bodies, many of them gathered in the middle of the dance floor, lit up in bright neon lights. Her shoes squeaked against the tile floors as I pulled her behind me and made a beeline for the back.The tall, muscular man with short, cropped hair and alert dark eyes recognized me instantly. Wordlessly, he unhooked the stanchion and ushered us through. As soon as we stepped through, he clipped it shut behind us and straightened his back. I tucked Rachel into my side and led her to a table in the back, in a secluded corner, with a single light casting long shadows across the walls.Music pumped steadily through the overhead speak
Rachel grinned at me. "Yeah, and now they're used as torture devices for women."I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the room. "I think women should wear what they want."Rachel giggled. "I think so too."As soon as I used the key card to swipe the door open, she kicked her heels off and left them by the door. Wordlessly, Rachel wandered over to the couch and collapsed against it."Your couch is really comfortable.""I think so too."I smiled and kicked the door shut with the back of my leg. When I handed her a glass of water, she drank it all before stretching out across the couch and squeezing her eyes shut."I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit."I left her on the couch and went into my room.When I came out of the shower, a thin mist following behind me, Rachel was on my bed, legs tucked underneath her. She cocked a finger in my direction, beckoning me forward. My heartthundered against my chest as I covered the distance between us and ki
BernardSomewhere in the room, there was a loud buzzing sound. I groaned and fumbled in the darkness, a headache pounding in the back of my skull. Abruptly, I sat up, threw off the covers, and peered into the darkness. When the buzzing stopped, I breathed a sigh of relief and ran a hand over my face.Then it started again, and I jumped to my feet.I crept around the room until I found my pants in the doorway to the room. With a frown, I fished my phone out of my pocket and squinted at the name flashing across the screen. After shooting a quick look over my shoulders at Rachel's sleeping form, I took my phone and stepped outside.The living room was shrouded in moonlight.I rubbed my eyes and pressed the phone to my ear. "This better be good. Do you have any idea what time it is?""I'm so sorry, Mr. Shaw. I know it's late, but there's been an emergency.""What kind of emergency?""There's been a fire in the basement of the company," Mary replied after a brief pause. "The CEO and CFO ha
When we rolled up into the city, I saw the thick plume of smoke from a distance. The driver pressed down on the gas, and the car raced through the empty streets of LA, taking side streets and shortcuts until we came to a stop in front of the company, a sprawling set of metal buildings located downtown. I hurried out of the car before it came to a complete stop and spotted the CEO and CFO on the other side of the street, studying the flames intently."Does anyone know what happened?""We have a team combing through the video footage and the reports, but it'll take a while," Raymond told me without looking at me. He shared a quick look with Robert, my CFO, before he looked over at me. "We don't know the extent of the damage.""Once they have the fire under control, we'll see. The chief told me that the damage is contained to the lower levels, where the files are stored."Robert straightened his back. "It's a good thing we're insured."I nodded and folded my arms over my chest. "Yes, it
OliviaI don’t know how my commuting to work while Luke drives Riley to school turned into me hitching a ride with them and Luke taking me to work after he drops Riley off, but here we are. It’s a new routine that comes with other new routines: namely, Luke either spending nights in our apartment or me and Riley spending the weekend at his. It’s already becoming a problem, mostly because we just can’t seem to keep our hands off each other whenever we’re in the same place.And when Riley’s asleep? Oh, it’s game on—as in me trying to stifle my moans while I challenge Luke to hold back his groans. The last part is too difficult, especially with how responsive he gets to my hands and mouth on him.God, his cock is so responsive, too, getting so hard that I get caught with the thought that it won’t fit every time I see it. But it fits inside me perfectly, moving with a precision that already knows how I like it…and yes, it fits in my mouth, where I enjoy it just as much as I lick and suck
My stomach sinks. "I'm sorry, Liv. I apologize for?-""No, you misunderstand. When I say it's too much, I mean it's everything. I love it."Her tone...it's not angry. It's not offended. She sounds happy.I look at her-really look at her, my blurred vision clearing as my panic clears, too. I can't believe I missed the smile on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes, so warm and meant just for me."You love it?"She nods, her smile widening. She takes my hand and squeezes it, a quiet assurance filled with excitement. "Yes. I love it. I've always been happy selling my stuff online, but seeing it in a museum along with other paintings, even if it's just a replica, it's amazing. I didn't realize how amazing until I saw it with my own eyes, and I have you to thank for that. So, thank you."She kisses my cheek. There's a shyness to her now that's so endearing, but I don't want that. A giggle escapes her lips when I wrap my arm around her waist and tug her closer, drawing her out of that shynes
Luke“Where are we going, Luke?”“I told you. It’s a surprise. No matter how many times you phrase the question and try to pry the answer from me, baby, I’m going to say the same thing.”Olivia pouts. It’s supposed to charm and soften me up, but all I can feel is the nervous thump of my heart, even more intense than when I first took her and Riley to the Hamptons. I wasn’t even nervous during our first date, which was the real determining factor of how our relationship would progress.But I know why I’m nervous now, and I can’t help that it’s making me tenser as we keep driving. Finally, we park in front of a building, and I note her surprise as she reads the sign.“You’re taking me on an art museum date?”“Yes.”She turns to me and smiles. “Then it’s a lovely surprise. I love places like this! It’s perfect for an artist to appreciate other artists.”I nod and remain silent while I usher her inside, where we immediately gravitate toward their most popular areas. As expected, she absor
The trying-not-to-bump-into-Luke and trying-not-to-be-seen-together-with-Luke don't last long as Luke comes back while I'm in the file room. I can hear him chatting with someone, so when he calls for me, my shoulders stiffen, and I get nervous all over again.Thankfully, it's just James, who has been pretty nice and friendly since I met him. He continues discussing work with Luke and asks how I'm doing with my workload, never once mentioning our tans or asking how we spent our weekends. My shoulders relax when he finally leaves the office.Luke's gaze, however, stays on me."What's wrong, Liv?"Leave it to him to figure out how uncomfortable I am and call me out on it. He's good at that-good at comforting me, too, or finding ways to distract me. But since he's part of the reason this time, I hesitate."Nothing."The look he gives me tells me he's not buying it. He stands up.I take a step back."Liv?"I love that Luke knows me better now. But I also hate it. It means that I can't hide
OliviaDespite Carol’s confrontation putting a hitch in our weekend, I’m still feeling pretty positive by the time we return to New York City and I’m back in the hospital, basking in the busy atmosphere and the knowledge that I can tackle anything. It’s probably the accumulated energy from a great vacation, but my smile is wider as I greet staff I’ve become acquainted with over the weeks and list down the workload I have for the day in my head.I don’t account for bumping into Mark this early, but I even smile at him. He’s surprised but recovers and smiles back, then studies me as he notes my good mood.“Hey, Liv. Slept well?”I nod. “You could say that. It was a good weekend.”“I can tell. Listen, about our last few interactions…”I wave a hand. “Forget about it. Let’s just start over, okay?”In my mind, starting over means not avoiding him anymore but also keeping our relationship as cordial as possible. I expect him to take it happily, but he continues studying me instead.“Hmm. Yo
LukeIstand in silence, the words that spilled out of me hanging between us like a cloud. I could have kept it in and continued the easygoing flow with Olivia, but it's unfair. I've been unfair to Carol, too, putting all the blame on her shoulders, and I guess I don't want to be unfair to Olivia and repeat the same mistake.I brace myself for her judgment-for the shift from compassion to disgust, for her to step back from whatever this is between us. It will hurt like hell, but it's something I have to accept once I show her the real me..."People change."The quiet statement has confusion settling in as I search her gaze and realize there's no disgust."What?"I still wait for it to come, but instead, Olivia steps forward and reaches out to cup my cheek."Just because you were like that before doesn't mean you're like that now." Her thumb traces my cheek, a soft movement that leaves me breathless-and vulnerable. "So she doesn't have any right to judge you now.""Liv...""Listen, I wa
OliviaI’m beside myself as soon as Luke takes his ex somewhere more private, aware that she saw me and Riley—and that Luke took her out of the equation to spare me, especially Riley, the embarrassment of a confrontation. But being aware of it doesn’t ease my worry, and I find myself glancing at Adam from time to time. He’s busy trying to distract his guests, so I try my best to focus on distracting Riley.It’s easier said than done, though, especially when Riley keeps asking where her dad went.“I don’t know where he went, sweetie. But he saw an old friend, so they’re probably catching up.”It’s the best answer I can come up with.After a while, Nila approaches us. “Hey, does Riley want to get back in the pool with me? I got some snacks in this little floating tray and we can just eat in the shallow area.”I hesitate. “Well…”Nila leans closer. “Listen, I don’t know what the story is, but I know you came here with Luke and that woman seems like a vengeful ex or something. Trust me, I
This one's younger. He smiles when she introduces him to Adam, but soon her attention trails to where Adam keeps glancing: me. Carol's eyes widen before she kisses Adam's cheek and saunters toward me.I catch Adam shooting me an apologetic look-a silent message that he didn't mean for her to be here. Then Carol's blocking my view of him as she plants herself in front of me, a wry smile on her face."My, my. First, I wasn't told there would be a party, then I wasn't told who would be here. How long has it been, Luke?"Her casual tone and carefree attitude make me wary, but I match her energy and answer casually."I don't remember. I haven't really thought about it."I don't mean it as sarcasm because it's true. I realize I haven't thought about her in a long time. In fact, there's no prick in my heart at the sight of her like there used to be as if she's just a stranger now-or a longtime acquaintance who doesn't matter that much anymore.Carol, however, takes it as sarcasm and laughs,
LukeI don’t know why I’m nervous about showing off my property in the Hamptons when I’ve been showing it off for as long as I can remember. But then again, I’ve been showing it off to childhood friends who have properties sprinkled around the area and are used to this kind of lifestyle. And I’ve never taken my dates here, deeming them too casual to bring somewhere this personal.Olivia and Riley are a different matter because…well, they’re different. I can sense their awe the moment I give them a tour of the mansion, with Riley bouncing around with barely-contained energy and Olivia acting more subdued. When I finally show Riley her bedroom, her face lights up and she runs into my arms so I can lift her in the air.“This is so neat! I get this room for the weekend?”I bite back a grin and nuzzle her neck. “Yes, sweetie. It’s yours for the weekend. And it’s officially yours whenever we visit this place.”I brace for Olivia’s warning look for promising things like that, but she’s fight