One Night Stand: Accidental Surrogacy for the Billionaire

e's

erent. The motel room was quite silent, much as the silence that follows a storm. Warmth of his touch, his deep voice, and the

belly came from recal

ige, and influence controlled all I knew. The man I had sworn was a stranger to me ju

is disciplined demeanor during the day. His features softened in sleep; the f

ionship with him. particularly not with the baggage I carried, and particularly not with the grief left

crushed at the thought of the walk of shame I would have to take across the hotel lobby. My pulse thumping,

three

my watch. I missed a meeting at Callahan Industries that may have defined my future there. And es

ing more often than not, I had not expected to feel this off-balance today. Waves of nausea, exhaustion tha

d my eyes. My mind drifted to that evening with Alex, a memory both fantastic and dre

he meeting room in barely time. I curled into my chair; than

tensity in his eyes carrying me back that evening. Sitting at the head of the tab

erence. Though I experienced his presence and energy as though we were stil

ade, I would like to go over some of these projectio

ung. exactly

n at Ale

back to me. Though the metropolitan skyline stretched above him,

ice was low and gentle, it had a

y. "I thought that would be perfect. We

me. Still, here you are. in my p

e this challenging even if I attempted t

us. "I remember that evening every time I see you. I remember everyth

e for me. Still, I had to keep my defenses razor sharp. Your boss Al

ech. "Before I knew it, you are not just someone who may be passed over. You are here

so I could focus. I had no notion what to say and could scarcely arrange a logical argument. But as

Are you

gered; Alex's arms were around me before I could g

ough that just made the knot in my belly tig

e words I had been fearing for weeks final

o incredulity. The room was silent, and I could see awareness d

he said, "Is this mine?" yet his to

nodded, willing myself to look up at him, but the wo

had said, his jaw tightened and his face went tense. His eyes show

as icy. "Why didn't

nd I thought of: You would

w, aggressive voice and sharp gaze. "Thi

an angry and betrayed attitude. This was a man with per

the pressure mounting, unbearable. At last

ords making me tremble. You will be leavin

eyes narrowing as he fixed me as though he were t

respond, and a woman's voice slash

you,

yes widening as she took in the scene, her gaze straying between us with a

flutter of awareness in his eyes, a subliminal admission that just begged

t I understood my life

s though she understood something I did not. I shuddered al

arity. "Alex," she said, "are you not