Читать книгу Billionaires Galore!: Bedded by the Billionaire - Leanne Banks - Страница 13

Two and a half weeks later, Lilli dragged herself from her little car up the steps from the mansion’s garage. Her back and legs had been aching all day. She felt tired and cranky and, heaven help her, she missed Max. He called frequently, and every time, she felt the tension between them twist a little tighter.

She’d spent more than one night flirting with the forbidden fantasy of Max being the father of her child. Right now, though, all she wanted to focus on was getting a sandwich, taking a shower and going to bed.

Stepping into the foyer, she stopped and drank in a moment of peace and quiet then walked toward the kitchen.

“Surprise!” a chorus of voices called, startling her so much she dropped her water bottle and purse.

Her friends clapped in delight.

“We did it,” her best friend Dee crowed. “We surprised you.”

“Yes, you did.” Lilli felt some of her weariness fade away and smiled. “How did you pull this off?”

“Because we’re your brilliant friends, of course,” Dee said. “And I think Mallory here has a magic wand. She knew how to deal with the staff, and just wait until you see the cake she brought.”

“Cake?” Lilli echoed and gave Mallory a hug as the woman walked toward her. She’d enjoyed a few lunches with Mallory during the last two weeks and Lilli already had a soft spot for the woman. “You shouldn’t have.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad to be a part of all this. Now come in and sit down. Let me get you some sherbet punch.”

After Lilli opened the gifts for her and the baby, Mallory presented Lilli with a large sheet cake decorated with a baby in a blue buggy inscribed with frosted letters, “Happy Baby, Lilli!” The cake was lit with one candle.

“Make a wish and blow out the candle,” Mallory said.

“But it’s not my birthday.”

“It’s your first baby. You can add more candles when you have more babies.”

Lilli looked at her in horror. “More?”

“Okay, let’s just focus on one, then,” Mallory quickly amended. “Make a wish and blow out the candle.”

Lilli closed her eyes and wished for a safe and easy delivery and good health for her baby. Secretly, she wished for a father for her child. An image of the man she would choose appeared in her mind. She blinked, pushing aside the thought. Crazy and impossible, she thought. Must be the hormones.

Just after she opened the last gift, the room abruptly turned silent.

“Major hot guy alert,” Dee whispered.

Lilli turned to see Max standing in the doorway, a wrapped package in his hand. “Max,” she said, stunned. “I thought you were still traveling.”

“I just got back thirty minutes ago. You didn’t tell me you were having a baby shower,” he said in a lightly chastising tone.

Lilli drank in the sight of him. Holding her breath, she wondered if he had looked forward to seeing her again as much as she had looked forward to having him back home. She wondered if he still wanted her the same way he had before.

Dee cleared her throat. “It was a surprise shower,” she said to Max. “What’s in the box?”

He gave a brief glance to Dee then moved toward Lilli. His gaze dipped to her belly.

“I’ve gotten bigger,” she said, unable to keep herself from smiling.

He gave a half grin. “So you have. And still glowing.” He gave her the small but beautifully wrapped box. “Myrtle left a message for me about the shower. I thought you could use this.”

Her hands trembled and she wished they would stop. She hadn’t seen Max in weeks and she would just like to sit down and talk with him. She managed to open the box and found a gift certificate inside. “One mother’s helper of your choice from Personalized Nanny Services for one year.”

Mallory nodded in approval. “PNS is the very best.”

“A nanny?” Lilli said, staring at Max. “I hadn’t planned—”

“Oh, no,” Dee said. “You’re not turning this one down. She loves it,” Dee said to Max. “Perfect gift. Thank you very much.” She turned back to Lilli. “If you get tired of having her around, you can send her over to my place. I would love for someone to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies for me.”

Several of the women moaned in agreement. “Will she do laundry? Will she grocery shop?”

Max met Lilli’s gaze. “She’ll do whatever Lilli wants her to do.”

There was another group moan followed by a collective sigh.

“Can I see you privately for a moment?” he asked.

Lilli felt a combination kick from the baby and a flutter from her heart. “Sure,” she said, rising from her seat.

“Ask him about Alex,” Mallory whispered.

Tearing her gaze from Max, she glanced at Mallory. “Ask him what about Alex?”

“Where he hangs out after work. I introduced him to my father and haven’t seen him since.”

“From what Max says, that could be for the best. Alex is supposed to be a major player.”

“I’d just like the opportunity to find out for myself,” Mallory said.

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do,” she said, but her mind wasn’t on Alex or Mallory. It was dominated by Max. She followed him into the foyer, noticing subtle changes in his appearance. His hair was just a little longer, more wavy. When he turned to face her, she noticed his eyes looked a bit weary as he studied her.

“It’s a nice surprise to see you,” she said. “I had no idea you’d be back so soon.”

“I’m glad I could make it. Are you okay? Any of Tony’s friends hanging around?”

“I’m fine and I haven’t seen any of Tony’s friends in a long time.”

“Good,” he said and held her gaze. “I have another event I’m expected to attend tonight, but we need to talk sometime soon. Have you looked over the agreement I left with you?”

She felt a rush of disappointment. “Yes, I have.”

“Good,” he said again. His gaze seemed to say so much more, but Lilli wondered if she was imagining it. “I won’t keep you from your friends.”

She felt another twist of disappointment. That was it. No I’m glad to see you, I want you… Nothing. She stared, waiting, wanting.

“Good night,” he said and turned toward the door.

Lilli continued to stare after him, starting to feel like a fool. Had she misunderstood? “Wait,” she said.

He stopped just as he reached the door and turned around. “Yes?”

Her heart raced. Confused, she didn’t know what to say. “I… uh…” She groped for something to say. “Mallory asked me to ask you about Alex.”

“Alex Megalos?” he said with a frown, walking back toward her.

“Yes. I think she’d like to get to know him better. She was wondering where he usually hangs out after work,” she said, suddenly feeling like a middle schooler.

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

She gave a slow nod. “Okay” she said. “I’ll tell her.”

He shrugged. “I can probably find out something from my assistant.”

“Thanks.” She hesitated a half beat, hating the awkwardness between them. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired and harassed. I’ve been on longer trips, but this one felt like it went on forever.”

She nodded again. “Yeah, it did—” She broke off before she added for me, too. Feeling her cheeks heat from his knowing gaze, she cleared her throat. “Why do you think it felt so long?”

“I think you know,” he said and moved closer to her.

“You want me to sign the agreement about the baby,” she said in a husky voice.

“That’s part of it.” He lowered his head. He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes then stepped back. God help him, if he started kissing her, he wouldn’t stop. Being away from her hadn’t cleared his perspective or dampened his desire for her. And Max knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about wanting her at the moment. He’d missed the sound of her laughter and knowing she would be there at home for the end of the day.

Maybe it was a good thing he had to attend the charity fund-raiser tonight after all. Being with Lilli was a constant reminder of what he couldn’t have.

“I should go,” he said in a low voice. “We can talk more on Friday. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

“Okay, thank you for the gift.”

“You’re welcome,” he said and held her gaze for a long moment before he left.

The following evening, Lilli flipped through the newspaper as she put up her feet at the end of a long day. She glanced at the bad news on the front page, skipped the Sports section and stopped at the Lifestyle section. The front page featured photos of a charity function sponsored by Max’s company. In one of the photos, Kiki stood next to Max, her arm looped through his. He didn’t look as if he were suffering at all.

A surge of something dark twisted through her and when she realized what it was, she felt more stupid than ever. She was jealous. Maybe it was hormones. Oh Lord, she hoped so. Because if it were hormones then at some point, when her hormones straightened out again, the crazy longing would go away.

Restless after reading the article, she took a long bath and listened to soothing music. She sipped herbal tea to calm herself and tried not to think about that photo of Max with Kiki.

She slept horribly, unable to get comfortable. Giving up on sleep, she rose earlier than usual. When she got out of bed, she felt exhausted and noticed her abdomen tightening. As she prepared for work, the sensation didn’t go away. Were these contractions?

Although she had a few weeks left before her due date she called her doctor’s office. The doctor on call asked a few questions then, erring on the cautious side, instructed her to go to the hospital.

Lilli grabbed her purse and went downstairs. Max stood poised to leave. He met her gaze. “Good morning. How are you?”

Lilli burst into tears.

Alarmed by her response, Max dropped his briefcase and immediately took her in her arms. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

She choked back a sob. “I may be in labor. My doctor told me to go to the hospital. Max, this is happening too fast.” Her blue eyes filled with tears of desperation. “I’m not ready.”

“Of course you are,” he said firmly even though his own gut was clenching in apprehension. “I’ll drive you to the hospital and—”

“Are you sure that’s what you want—?”

“Of course I’m sure,” he said, appalled that she would expect anything less of him. “We’ll take the town car.” He ushered her to the garage. “I’ll drive. You can sit in the backseat and stretch out.”

His own heart hammering in his chest, Max helped her into the car and sped to the hospital. He shot a glance at Lilli in the rearview mirror and the expression of fear on her face tore at him. “You’re going to be okay. The baby is going to be okay.”

“Do you really believe that?”

He nodded. “Yes, I do.” He had to believe it.

Pulling the car to a stop outside the emergency room door, he helped Lilli inside. An admission clerk took her information and Lilli was whisked away. Just before she disappeared behind the double doors, she looked back at Max. “Are you leaving?”

He shook his head. “I’ll be right back after I park the car.” Returning to the hospital, he was consumed with concern for Lilli and the baby. He would get the finest doctors in Las Vegas to care for her. He would do whatever it took to keep Lilli and the baby safe and healthy.

He strode toward the emergency room double doors, making a mental list. A woman stepped in front of him. “Excuse me, sir. You’re not allowed inside unless you’re a member of a patient’s family.”

Frustration ripped through him. He needed to take care of Lilli, but it wasn’t his official duty or his official right. At that moment, he made a life-altering decision. He knew there would be no going back. But never again would he worry about being barred from taking care of Lilli or the baby. He would make her his wife. That way, taking care of her and the baby would always be his right. “I’m the baby’s father,” he told the woman, and she allowed him to pass.

Two and a half hours later, a mortified Lilli left the hospital with Max. “I’m so sorry,” she said, shooting a wincing glance at him. His hair was ruffled from plowing his fingers through it and his tie hung loose from his collar. He was more gorgeous than ever and she felt like a lunatic. “I should have realized it was false labor.”

“Like the doctor said, it’s an easy mistake to make. This is your first pregnancy.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But now you’ve lost half a day of work because of my mistake.”

“A half day of work is nothing to make sure you and the baby are safe,” he said, his words barely softening the harsh sound of his voice as he drove them home. “Stop apologizing.”

She bit her lip and looked out the window then back at him. “Are you sure you’re not angry?”

“I’m not angry, but I am concerned. This underscores the need for you to provide for the baby if something, God forbid, should happen to you,” he said and swore under his breath.

“I know,” she said glumly. She knew she couldn’t dodge it any longer. “I’m going to change my will today so that you’ll be the baby’s guardian.”

He narrowed his eyes at her words. “That’s a good start, but we may need to take that further.”

Her chest tightened. He was talking about the agreement he wanted her to sign. Even though she understood the money in the agreement was designated for support, she still found it distasteful. “I don’t want your money and I don’t want to sign the agreement. It just feels totally wrong to me.”

“I’m not talking about that agreement,” he said, pulling the car into a bank parking lot and cutting the engine.

Lilli looked at him in surprise. “Then what?”

“I’ve been thinking. How do you feel about the baby’s last name being De Luca?”

She frowned in confusion. “I thought I was going to try not to draw attention to the fact that Tony was his father. For safety’s sake. That’s the reason I’ll be moving away.”

“What if you didn’t move away?” he asked, his gaze searching hers. “What if your last name became De Luca, too?”

More confused than ever, she shook her head. “How could that happen?”

“If you named me the father of—” he paused “—your child. And married me.”

She gaped at him, feeling as if someone had turned the whole world upside down. “Married you? But you don’t love me.”

“Starting out in love isn’t the best predictor of success in marriage.”

Her head was whirling. “I don’t understand. You don’t want to get married. You’re pretty cynical about marriage.”

“I want to provide a good life for the baby. I feel responsible for him. For you,” he said as if he didn’t totally understand his own feelings.

“I don’t think that’s a good basis for a marriage.”

“There’s a lot worse,” he said.

Her chest tightened. “I don’t want to feel like a responsibility. Like a burden. And I don’t want the baby to ever feel that way.”

“It wouldn’t be that way. I think you and I could make this work.” He slid his hand under her jaw. “And there’s the fact that I want you. And you want me,” he said, his tone intimate.

“I wondered if maybe that had changed.”

He slowly shook his head.

Her heart skipped over itself. “What about when that does change?”

“How do you know it will?” he asked, his dark eyes holding hers.

Lilli felt herself sinking into a delicious, forbidden pool of hope. “I don’t know.”

He caressed her jaw. “I think you know that you and I would be good together. In a lot of ways.”

True. But that didn’t mean they should get married. Lilli tore away her gaze to clear her head. If she put the baby’s needs in front of hers, what would she do? She felt an immediate smack from her conscience. Who was she fooling? It wasn’t as if being with Max De Luca would present a hardship for her. But this was a huge decision. Huge enough that she wanted to make it with a clear head.

“Could you give me some time to think this over?”

He met her gaze and nodded. “Sure.” He paused a half beat. “Think about it. You’ll realize it’s best for everyone.”

She felt a sliver of relief. She’d bought herself a little time.

“Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?” he said, as if he sensed what was going on inside her.

She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t be affected by his presence, but she still sensed him, still smelled the faintest scent of his sexy cologne. “If you raised the baby, would you blow bubbles with him?”

He didn’t even pause. “Yes.”

“Will you read him books at night? You can let the nanny do it every now and then, but you need to do it most nights.”

“Yes,” he said.

“Will you tell him he’s wonderful?”

“Yes.”

“Will you hold him when he cries?”

“Yes. And I’ll hold you, too, Lilli, whether you’re crying or not.”

And Lilli felt her heart tumble a little farther away from good sense and sanity.