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The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 5
I turned my head, searching for the intoxicating smell. It was a perfume. Where had I smelt it before?Then, my head was reeling with a memory from the past. A smoky bar in Bali. A beautiful woman, with an elegant, slim waist, gorgeous shoulders, red tresses and green eyes. Graceful movements, as though she were a trained dancer. And an irrepressibly cheerful, beaming smile, so unlike me.I thought about her for a moment—that woman from long ago, who sang for me one night in a bar halfway across the world. The woman with whom I’d spent a long night, making love in a dark room as the world stood still outside. There was no one like her. And nothing I could do now, after what I did to her. I still remembered the voicemail I’d gotten six years ago, the worried tone of the speaker. The last remaining trace that she and I had ever been in the same room.“Alex? It’s Lola. We met in Denpasar. I need your help. I don’t want anything from you, but please, get in touch with me.”I felt a pang o
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 6
LolaI left,walking quickly away from them. I was in shock, and my legs were shaking as I stumbled down the stairs. Seeing his face after all these years had sent my head reeling. Alex Lowe had gained a couple of steel-gray hairs at his temples, but aside from that, he didn’t look different at all. The same handsome face, the same ripped, muscular body. The same cruel, piercing glare.The bastard who’d left me without anything and anyone, a single mother alone in New York.I stumbled through the dining room, onto the street. It was raining lightly, and the pavements were slicked as I jogged away.I had to get to the subway, into a cab—anything. Macy was at home and I was going to pick her up from Sara’s apartment, hold her, cuddle her, and get as far away from the monster pursuing me as I could.“Wait!” cried a dark voice, after me. Frantically, I broke into a jog and rounded the corner, nearly bumping into a couple wandering past with some designer bags. The money on these streets ne
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 7
Still, I didn’t want to judge Alex too harshly. Seeing him was a shock. But I had to remember that the past was the past.“I have a lot of other commitments,” I said."Commitments?”“You know.Family commitments?”“What, are youmarriedor something?”“No,” I replied. For some reason, that stung most of all.Alex looked like he was about to say more, but then he stopped, and shook his head.“Lola,” he said. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I’m sorry I sent that letter. I wasn’t thinking straight.”“Thank you,” I said. His apology didn’t even begin to scratch the surface, but somehow I was hoping that if I pretended it was fine, the feelings wouldn’t keep bubbling up, that I’d still be able to keep smiling, keep being nice, to the man who’d ruined everything, to the guy who’d abandoned me when I most needed him…“And I hope the money was useful.”That did it.“I gave it to a dog shelter,” I replied.“What?”“I said,I gave it to a dog shelter.”“Why? That was foryou…for w
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 8
“And?” she murmured, sleepily.“And I took the subway.”“And?” Macy murmured, even quieter now, almost just a whisper.“And I saw Aunty Sara, and we talked about you and how great you are, and how much we both love you.”And?” Macy whispered, as her eyelids fluttered a little, and closed.“And?” I said, laughing. “What else is there, baby? I thought about you, of course. And how much I love you.”But Macy couldn’t hear me. She was already fast asleep. I lowered her under the covers, and adjusted the pillows. I brushed a strand of her dark hair aside, and kissed her forehead.“I guess I saw your daddy today,” I said, softly, so there was no chance Macy could hear me in her deep, deep sleep.I got up, and quietly stepped out of her room, switching on Macy’s night-light.I went to the kitchen to make myself some tea. I thought about listening to some music, but the events of the day had completely exhausted me. And besides, with Macy asleep, a perfect peace had descended over my home.Th
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 9
“You’re kidding. You’re the only guy I know who likes to hear the bad news first.”“Well, I guess Iama realist.”“Pessimist is more like it. Well, here’s the bad news. I’m down two waitresses at theOrchid.”“Holy cow. How did that happen?”“Well, one of the floor waitresses has broken her leg. Cherise has gone to see her at the hospital.”“Oh heck. And the other?”“She quit. Says she’s got a baby on the way.”“Typical,” I said. “Well, can’t be helped, I suppose. She actually quit?”“Yeah, Marla. You know, the wine pro? Her boyfriend’s Arnie Arlington. Runs that fancy cocktail bar on Lexington?”“Right. I thought so. So, who do we know who can serve tables and knows a bit about wine?”“Well, I’m coming to the good news. I saw a lady today who’d be absolutely perfect for this job. Only, she doesn’t seem too keen to come and work for me after that business on the stairs this afternoon.”I groaned. “You mean Lola, don’t you.”“That’s the one. Hey, ‘Lex?”“Yeah?”“I know this ain’t my busi
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 10
“Look. It’s nineteen-fifty an hour. Six shifts. And you pick your hours. Find me a deal that’s as good as that. We could use you, Lola. And besides, you won’t even seeme.”There was a pause. And I waited for her to hang up.Only, she didn’t.“Fine. But here’s the deal. I work one evening a week.”“One?” I said, incredulously.“I’m not kidding,” replied Lola.Some of our waitresses worked three evenings—some two, even. But one?“That’s not really—” I said, but then I heard Lola sigh on the other end of the line, and backed up again. “Okay, okay,” I said. “You do one close. Six shifts. And you work the bar. Zeke says you know about wine.”“Yeah. A bit.”“Thank you. There’s no way I can get you to do two evenings?”“No. It’s really important.”“May I ask why? Only, Zeke’s gonna want to—”“I have a kid.”“Oh,” I said. “Right.”“Yeah.”“Okay.”“So I’ll see you Tuesday?”“Yeah. Thank you, Lola. See you Tuesday.”She put the phone down, and I was left with the strangest feeling in the pit of
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 11
I had to respect his commitment, his attention to detail. And it wasn’t like I was being paid badly. The money I was making was allowing me to give Macy things I’d never dreamed of before. Finally she had a new coat, new sneakers. I was able to give her money for school trips and music lessons. If I was careful about my spending, we were even going to be able to fly home to Wisconsin this Christmas, see my folks, who hadn’t seen Macy since she was four. I poured my money into my daughter, finally able to give her a taste of what she deserved. And proud of it. But in doing so, I had to put up with Alex. The handsome billionaire, asshole who always managed to put a downer on my day.But back to the important issue at hand—by which, I mean, the shoes.After Alex had told me about them for the twentieth time, I went out and got myself a brand new pair of Penelope Chilvers loafers. I could feel a tingle of excitement as I came in that day.All morning I waited for Alex to show up. When he
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 12
“Why is it always you?” I said softly, and Alex smiled.“I don’t know. I guess I’ll never know the answer to that.”I picked up his arms, muscular and strong, and pulled them around me, let him hold me to him. I told myself I was letting him; that I wasn’t kissinghim, that I wasn’t holdinghim.But before I knew it, I’d thrown my arms around his neck, and then I could no longer deny my own agency, as my hand reached up to touch the soft skin on his cheek, to feel his face, to feel his well-defined cheekbones.He slipped his hand under my blouse, and when I felt his hand pressed against my bare skin, I knew that I wanted him, that some force of desire had taken me completely into his charge, that there was no way back, only forward through the troubled feelings in my heart.Together, we sat on the couch, and I kissed Alex. But everything I did only stirred the lust between us more, never quenching it. I assumed he hadn’t wanted me and lied to myself, saying that I was only imagining his
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The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 55
I held the door for her to get into the car. My dad picked up Makayla so she could give Deira one last hug while I walked around to get into the driver's side. We waved at everyone, and I drove away. As we wove through the grounds of the estate, I kept looking over, stealing glances at Deira as the dappled sunlight flitted over her, turning her hair gold and making her skin glow. I could feel heat pooling in my groin and a desperate need coursing through my veins. I thought again at how long it would be until we got to the hotel that night, and decided it was simply too long.Instead of turning toward the main road, I looped us around toward the back of the estate. I remembered a particularly secluded spot that was perfect for what I had in mind. A few minutes later, I pulled the car to a stop."Is something wrong?" Deira asked, looking over at me curiously."Nothing's wrong," I replied with a wicked grin. "I just don't want to wait until we get to Hawaii." When she realized what I me
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 54
CASSIUSThree Months LaterDeira made a beautiful bride.Watching her walk down the aisle toward me, with all our family and friends present, I knew that I had made the right choice in asking her to marry me. In fact, I knew that every choice I had made since that moment I decided to step into that steam room, despite it unexpectedly being occupied, had been the right choice.It was a simple ceremony, because once I'd proposed and she'd accepted, we both wanted things to move quickly. Neither of us saw a reason to wait. So, our whole wedding party was just three people. Scott was my one groomsman, and Dani was her one bridesmaid, and Makayla was the flower girl. In fact, Makayla was something of a flower empress, having demanded to be put in charge of all the floral decisions for the wedding. When that happened, Deira just laughed and looked at me."She gets this from you, you know," she had said, smirking.For my part, I thought she had made great decisions. The flowers looked beauti
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 53
A few days later,I was standing outside a hospital room, fidgeting with my dress. Cassius took my hand, pulling it away from the floral garment."You look great," he whispered. "Don't worry." We were about to go into his mother's hospital room, where his parents were waiting to meet Makayla and I for the first time. Makayla was bopping excitedly beside me. She had been on cloud nine ever since Cassius and I had explained that she had grandparents, and they were waiting to meet her. I, on the other hand, was very nervous."Ready?" Cassius asked. I took a deep breath, and nodded.It turned out that I didn't have anything to be nervous about. Cassius's father immediately stood up and gave me a warm hug, and his mother insisted I come sit by her so she could hold my hand and talk to me. They both were very kind to me and, more importantly, to Makayla. Just as she'd been with Cassius, Makayla seemed instantly at ease with them. It didn't take long before she was chatting away to them, talk
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 52
DEIRALeave it to Cassius to make a dramatic entrance, I reflected as I stared at him from afar. Whether it was barging into my steam room or crashing into my car or running through the airport yelling my name, he never did anything subtly. I looked at him, standing there breathing heavily. Had he run through the airport looking for me?I glanced back at Dani, and she raised an eyebrow. She didn't have to say anything more for me to understand the question she was asking. That raised eyebrow said, well, what are you going to do? It might as well have said, well, Deira, what do you want? I hadn't expected to have to answer that question at the airport, right before we went through security, but apparently, that's what was happening. Now I had two choices.I could turn my back on Cassius, take Makayla's hand, and walk through the security gate toward a totally new life, or I could go over to Cassius and ask him why he was here. I could give him one last chance to be part of my life. It
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 51
CASSIUSThough my mother was doing well, I still spent the next week or so in the hospital. Now that I'd reconciled with my parents, I wanted them to know that I was there for them. But also, I knew that once I returned to my real life, I would need to talk to Deira, and I wasn't ready. Not because I wasn't sure what to say—in fact, the opposite. I knew that I wanted Makayla and Deira to be part of my life now, and forever. But we'd had such a rocky path, I was a little scared of how Deira would respond to me.So, I put it off for days, until my mom finally prodded me to leave the hospital."You've been here forever," she said. "Go home, get a shower, and get a good night's sleep. And then, once you're refreshed, maybe talk to your girlfriend about us meeting our granddaughter." She winked at me."She's not my girlfriend, Mom," I protested, feeling like a teenager."But you like her, right?" my mother asked, and all I could do was grin in response. "See," she continued. "You have to g
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 50
The next morning, Dani took Makayla to school on her way to work, letting me sleep in. I laid around her apartment all morning in my pajamas, then went for a quick run before getting myself some lunch. I was very consciously not thinking about work, or Cassius, or anything else. I had half-expected him to call me at some point, but he didn't, and I couldn't help but be relieved. I didn't think I could talk to him until I decided what to do about Mr. White.In the afternoon, I picked up Makayla from school and took her to the park to play. That night, the three of us made pasta and played board games. It was nice to have some time to just have fun, without thinking about all of the stress of the past few months. The next day, after dropping off Makayla at school, I found myself thinking about my blog. I hadn't thought about it in months. I went to the home page and started looking over some of my past entries. Before long, I found myself writing down ideas for new posts. It had been ye
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 49
DEIRA I had hurried inside after getting out of Cassius's car, but I didn't want to go back to Dani's apartment when I was so upset. I waited until I saw Cassius drive away, and then I went back out to take a walk around the neighborhood. I had meant to calm down, but I found myself reliving our conversation and soon I was crying. Cassius not believing me about Mr. White hurt even more than I had let on. I'd let out all my anger on him, but beneath the anger was a deep pain and a sense of betrayal. Why did he think I would make something like that up? What did I have to gain from that? And did our relationship mean so little to him that the word of an employee he barely knew was better than my word? That last part stung more than I wanted to admit. For all the ups and downs of our relationship, it had never felt meaningless to me, but it seemed for Cassius this always came second to his job. He believed Mr. White over me, just like he had taken a business call instead of watching
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 48
After I got my dad calmed down, I went to find the doctor. I wanted a clear understanding of the accident and my mother's injuries. The doctor confirmed that the coma appeared to be because her body had been through a trauma, and that there was nothing worrying on the scans. All her other injuries were minor, especially considering the severity of the accident, but we wouldn't know her true status until she woke up. I made sure he understood that I was the point person now, and that my mom was to want for nothing. He nodded and reiterated that there was nothing to be done but wait. The waiting was excruciating.I found myself wanting to call Deira, but remembering the look on her face as she'd slammed the car door, I didn't think that was a good idea. I called Scott instead. He offered to come to the hospital, but I asked him to take care of the business instead. That way, I could concentrate on taking care of my parents."Of course, man. Whatever you need. Anything else I can do?" he
The Billionaire's Secret Baby chapter 47
The address wasn't far, and I made it there in twenty minutes. Deira was just taking Makayla inside when I pulled up. I waited in the car and a few minutes later she emerged. I was going to get out and meet her, but she walked right to the car and got into the passenger seat."I can't talk long," she said. "But I realized storming off like that earlier wasn't helpful, so I wanted to try to explain." She fidgeted, like she was nervous."I did talk to Mr. White," I said, wondering if what he said was true, and now she was nervous because she regretted her actions. At his name, she glanced over at me sharply."Did he admit what happened?" she asked, seeming surprised."He told me his side of things. Why don't you tell me yours?" At the phrasehis side of things, her face fell. She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. Finally, she spoke."He accused me of sleeping with you to get my job," she said quietly."What?!" I hadn't been expecting that at all, and I was so shocked I fel
