Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
He felt her tense.
She lifted up, staring at him.
Without saying a word, he placed a hand on her stomach. “I think you might be pregnant.”
He spent a lot more time fucking her without a rubber than using one.
She covered his hand with her own. “No, that’s not possible.”
“You know it’s possible.”
She pulled away, getting to her feet. “I know it is, but how? I mean, why? I mean. I don’t know what I mean right now.”
She started to pace the length of the living room. He didn’t like to see her freaking out, but that was exactly what was happening right now. She was freaking out.
Panicking.
“I … what do we do?”
“I happened to pick up a pregnancy test,” he said. “It’s in the office. In my briefcase.” Getting to his feet, he made his way to the office, aware of her right behind him.
He heard the panic in her voice.
Opening up his briefcase, which was now locked with her birthday code, he held out the test.
“I got my PA to go to the store for me.”
Whenever they went out together, press seemed to find them. They took a stroll through the park last Sunday, and on Monday, it was in the papers.
This was what happened when you were the two only children in an empire.
She stared at the box. “I don’t know if I want to take that.”
“Why?”
“Because … if it says positive, it means, I have to face what we’ve done.”
“I want kids, Danielle,” he said.
“What?”
“I know we’ve been pretending … I haven’t.”
She kept on staring at him. Her blue eyes filled with tears, and he knew she was having a hard time dealing with it.
“You haven’t?”
He’d been wanting this to come out soon but not as they were about to find out they were going to be parents.
“I love you, Danielle.”
She shook her head. “No. You can’t tell me this just as you told me we might be pregnant. You don’t even know if this is possible.”
“The last two months we’d been together, you haven’t had a period.”
“Again, you shouldn’t know these things. How do you know these things?” she asked.
“I know you. I’ve made sure I’ve gotten to know you. I love you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I think what scares you as well, is that you love me. I’m going to be open and honest, I wanted to pursue you before. After we met, I phoned my parents, and they called yours. They knew I was going to try to win you.”
“Wait.” She held her hand up. “You talked to my parents?”
“I didn’t talk to them. I spoke with mine, who told yours.”
“I can’t deal with this right now. I feel … a little sick. I … I don’t know what to think.”
He pulled her into his arms, refusing to let her go. “I love you, Danielle. I’m not going to let you go. Not now.”
“You were with someone else,” she said.
“You can’t keep holding that over my head. Yes, I was with someone else. The moment I saw you, I know I wanted you.”
“That was just sex.”
“No, it wasn’t. I know you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“You’re used to keeping men at arm’s length so you don’t have to commit. I get it.” The tears fell down her cheeks, and he used his thumbs to wipe them away. “I know having a baby is going to be scary, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to run away. I’m going to be here, by your side.”
She pulled out of his arms. “I need a minute.” She stared at the test. “I’m going to take this, and please, just give me a minute.”
He watched her leave the office. He followed behind her, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms, to comfort her. To let her know that no matter what, it was going to be okay.
****
Danielle stared at the stick, and her heart pounded against her chest. He loved her.
How could he love her?
Staring at her reflection, she thought about his confession. Putting a hand to her stomach, she didn’t want to believe it.
Pregnant.
With Brice Ivory’s baby.
He loved her.
Over and over in her head, she kept repeating his words, and it didn’t seem to matter to her as she loved him, too. She’d tried so hard not to fall for him.
He was a playboy. The kind of guy who had a new woman every single night, and yet, here they both were, making a life together. Literally, a life.
“I don’t know if I’m pregnant, but I don’t know what to think right about now, little guy or girl. Damn, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m useless at this. Always have been. Always will be.” She didn’t know if she was capable of being a mother.
In the back of her mind, she thought about her nanny, Teresa. She’d been a really beautiful woman. A true friend.