Reese Ryan - The Billionaire's Legacy

“Sure. It’ll be a blast. We can eat sushi every day, sing karaoke every night and ride the bullet train on the weekends. Besides, seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom is on my bucket list. Just give me a few hours to throw a travel bag together.”

“You’ll come with me?” Abject terror and genuine excitement battled in his chest. The way they did during the seconds when a roller coaster made its painfully slow ascent to the summit before plummeting toward the earth.

“Wait...” Sloane lifted her head from his chest and blinked, her head cocked. “You’re not serious, are you?”

His shoulders tensed. “Dead serious.”

“Benji, I can’t. I thought you understood that this was just...”

“A game?”

“Fun. A release. Two people being a little naughty for the weekend.” Sloane pulled the sheet around her, suddenly self-conscious. She sat up, her back against the headboard. “But us getting serious? That can’t happen. I thought you were clear on that.”

“I am, and that doesn’t have to change. But it was nice to wake up to someone who made me want to spend the day in bed.” He shrugged. “I haven’t had that in a long time.”

“Neither have I, but—”

“Then why not keep doing it? In Japan,” he added.

Sloane dragged her fingers through her messy curls and huffed. “And while you’re working every day, what am I supposed to do? Lounge around, waiting for my sugar daddy to get home? No thanks, Benj. I’m not interested in being anyone’s kept woman. Not even a billionaire’s.” She climbed out of bed, taking the sheet with her as she wrapped it around her body and rummaged on the floor for her bra and panties. “Besides, I have a job and responsibilities, and I don’t have a passport. Never needed one.”

Benji dragged the remaining covers up to his waist. “I wasn’t thinking of the arrangement that way at all. We’d just be two friends hanging out.”

“And screwing. On your dime.” She looked at him pointedly. “Plus, you just called it ‘an arrangement.’ So if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck—”

She had a point.

He had just turned into that guy. The one who thought he could buy anyone and anything. Even the woman he adored.

“Point taken.” He cleared his throat. “Like I said, that wasn’t my intention.”

“I know it wasn’t. And I’m flattered you asked.” Her tone and her gaze softened. She gripped her blue dress to her chest as she approached him and brushed a soft kiss to his lips. “If the situation was different...” Sloane wouldn’t allow herself to finish the thought.

It was just as well. No point in musing about some alternate universe in which she would say yes.

Benji did the only thing there was left to do. He tugged her to him. Her dress tumbled to the floor, quickly joined by the pale pink bra and panties.

One

Six months later

Benji inhaled the scent of the roses, lilies and snapdragons overflowing his arms as he approached Sloane’s building.

The edge of his mouth curled in a faint smile. Sloane had always loved the scent of the snapdragons his mother grew in their front yard.

He halted in front of the red door and drew in a deep breath.

It’s just friends going out for coffee. No big deal.

At least that was the first step of his grand plan. He’d invite her to coffee where they could have a discussion on neutral ground about the possibility of picking up where they’d left off before he’d departed for Japan.

He’d casually inquired about Sloane during his absence, but his sister had been unusually tight-lipped about her friend, so he didn’t press. It would only raise his sister’s suspicions about why he was so interested.

So he’d simply told Delia that he needed Sloane’s address for his Christmas list. Not a lie, but not the primary reason he was asking.

Benji had considered picking up the phone and calling Sloane while he was in Japan. But she’d been so adamant that walking away was the right thing to do. There was no way he would’ve been able to persuade her with a long-distance phone call.

He’d kept himself busy with work, but when it was time to book his flight home, he realized he’d arrive on Valentine’s Day.

It had seemed like a sign.

So instead of flying directly to Seattle, he’d booked a flight to Nashville. He needed to speak to Sloane in person.

Maybe he was crazy to believe there could be anything more between them. But dealing with Sloane’s rejection would be a lot less painful than suffering a lifetime of regret.

Clutching the flower arrangement in one arm, he rang Sloane’s buzzer.

“You looking for Sloane?” The woman in the unit across from Sloane’s peered down from the balcony where she was sweeping. “She left a couple of hours ago, but if you have a delivery for her, I’ll sign for it.”

“Thank you.” Benji tried not to sound as defeated as he felt. “But Sloane’s an old family friend. I was hoping to deliver these in person.”

“Then you’re in luck.” The older woman pointed toward a vehicle that had just turned down the lane next to the building. “That’s her truck pulling around back.”

Benji thanked the woman and made his way behind the building. Sloane had parked her car in the garage and was rummaging in her trunk.

He approached her silently, still replaying in his head exactly what he planned to say. Gripping the flowers in one arm, Benji stopped a few feet short of where she stood. He shoved his free hand in his pocket.

“Hey, Sloane.”

“Benji?” Her body stiffened, and she glanced over her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

Not the reception he’d hoped for . He forced a smile anyway.

“I wanted to surprise you for Valentine’s Day. I thought that, if you don’t already have plans, maybe we could do something together.” He cleared his throat when she still hadn’t turned around. “I flew straight here from Japan because I really needed to see you.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” She turned back to the groceries in her trunk. “This isn’t what we agreed to.”

“I know it isn’t, but—”

“You should go. Now. Please.” She arranged the grocery bags in her trunk into two rows, her back to him.

“Can’t we at least talk about this?” He hated that he sounded like a kid negotiating his bedtime with the babysitter. He was a grown man. A business owner. A self-made fucking billionaire whose business advice was in demand.

So why did he revert to a love-struck little boy whenever he was around Sloane?

“No.” Sloane stood up straight, abruptly smacking her head on the raised deck lid. She swayed, her body going limp.

“Sloane!” Benji dropped the flowers to the ground and surged forward, catching her before she hit the concrete.

“I’ve got you.” He hoisted her into his arms. She was noticeably heavier than she’d been when he’d carried her to his bed six months ago.

Is that why she didn’t want to see him? Was she self-conscious about her weight gain? She should know him well enough to realize that would never matter to him.

“Sloane. Sloane! Honey, are you all right?” His heart beat faster.

She was breathing but unresponsive.

Benji carried her to the passenger side of her car and put her in the seat to drive her to the hospital. He stretched the seat belt to put it over her, his gaze trailing down to her burgeoning belly.

“Sloane, you’re... I mean...are you—”

“Pregnant?” The word came out as more of a moan as her eyes fluttered open. One hand moved to her belly and rubbed it in a soothing circle. “Yes.”

“Exactly how pregnant are you?”

“Very.” Sloane forced a weak laugh, then winced. When he didn’t react, she cleared her throat and her expression grew serious, too. Her response was little more than a whisper. “Six months.”