Sandra Hyatt - The Magnate's Baby Promise / Having The Billionaire's Baby

Cal automatically glanced to her waist, then back to her face. The soft morning light still bathed her, lingering on the tinge of shimmer in her curls. Seeing her this way, devoid of makeup and fancy clothes, a blush still evident on her cheeks, she truly was beautiful. Not like the over-sexual, half-dressed bodies the media portrayed as “perfect,” or the expensive, skinny socialites who frequented the few glittery events he’d reluctantly attended. No, Ava’s beauty was subtle and seductive, a hint of innocence in those blue eyes, combined with a lush mouth that tilted like a siren’s call at the edges.

He remembered her smile, the way her throaty laugh had taken hold of his libido and squeezed.

“What?” she asked curiously, breaking his dangerous train of thought.

With ever-decreasing efficiency he reined himself in. “I’ll be home at seven with the papers for you to sign.”

Had he just imagined her flinch? It had come out harsher than he’d intended but when she merely nodded in acknowledgement, he mentally shrugged it off.

“Have a good time today, Ava,” he added softly before reopening the patio door, scooping up his cup and leaving her there.

Wrestling his body into submission took longer than expected, but subdue it he did. When he finally left the apartment a half hour later, he’d dressed with a lot less care than he usually reserved for his morning ritual, aided by the tingling recollection of Ava’s perusal. The now-familiar irritation of being unable to switch off his thoughts put him in a bad mood for the rest of the day, flaring up whenever he was alone with only memories for company.

Finally, at 7:00 p.m., after a long, frustrating day of meetings, product reports and several cryptic messages from Victor which he’d ignored, Cal stalked into his apartment with precious little patience left.

A wall of delicious aromas slammed into him, stopping him dead. Garlic. He sniffed experimentally as his mouth began to water. Tomatoes, frying meat. He tossed his briefcase on the couch and walked into the kitchen.

The sight of Ava, barefoot in jeans, sweater and an apron, humming a melody as she stirred something in a simmering pot on his cooktop, speared him on a primitive level.

My woman. Mine.

It churned up emotion so surprising, so intense that it slammed the breath from his lungs. The cliché—barefoot and pregnant, in his kitchen no less—no longer seemed amusing. Because when she threw him a smile and said, “Dinner’s ready in five minutes,” he wanted nothing more than to drag her into his bed.

“You didn’t have to cook.” His words came out sharp, borne from frustration and his apparent lack of control.

“I like to cook,” she said calmly, her attention resolutely on the pot. “If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it.”

Swallowing his retort, he sighted the groceries on the kitchen bench. “Did you order that in?”

She gave him an odd look. “No, I went to the supermarket.”

“Did you carry all this?”

She rolled her eyes at the dark suspicion in his voice. “No. Your mother pushed the cart then your doorman delivered it upstairs.”

“I thought you went clothes shopping.”

“We did.” When she offered him a platter of carrot sticks, he took one, crunching it thoughtfully. “You also needed food in your fridge.”

“I have food.”

“Wine, water, juice, coffee, cereal.” She ticked the items off on her fingers. “No fruit, meat, dairy or vegetables.”

She turned back to the pot and gave the sauce another stir, but when he remained silent she threw a look over her shoulder. “What?”

He shoved down a myriad of conflicting thoughts, smoothing his expression. “How’s the nausea?”

She handed him a knife with a smile. “Gone until the morning, I suspect. Make yourself useful and cut the feta?”

At his round dining table they ate in silence, an odd half tense, half expectant silence. Cal was fully aware of every move, every sound as they devoured the spaghetti and Greek salad she’d made. The tiny scrape of fork on plate, the gentle swallow of water being sipped only amplified the quiet. When he spoke, it was like a shot.

“What did you buy today?”

She downed her fork with deliberate care. “Yes.”

Cal eyed her well-worn attire but said nothing.

“A few dresses,” she said stiffly. “Some jeans, shoes, skirts. A few tops and a jacket. Don’t worry,” she added in a small voice. “I won’t embarrass you.”

Damn. He’d hurt her but didn’t know how to fix it, so he did the only thing he could. He let silence do the mending.

“We’ve had some interview requests,” he finally said, placing the cutlery across his plate.

She sat back in her chair, digesting that information. “Do you expect me to give interviews?”

He shrugged. “Only if you want. There’s also a bunch of glossies angling for a spread— Vogue, Elle, Cosmo, for starters.”

“Fashion shoots.” She shook her head. “That’s just…surreal.”

“You’re now a news item. You’re in demand.”

“But only as your fiancée,” she countered.

“I thought,” Cal said slowly, “women liked getting pampered, dressed up and photographed.”

“I don’t do ‘pampered and dressed up.’” She stood abruptly. “I’m practical, a simple country girl who wears jeans and steel-capped boots. I clean the kitchen, I cook, I wash up. I work with dirt and dig a veggie patch.” In quick jerky movements, she began to clear the table. “I’m not glamorous, I’m not model material…I…I have crow’s feet and dry heels!”

Her delivery was so frustratingly honest that Cal swallowed his snort of amusement. He couldn’t tell if she was simply explaining herself or warning him off.

“So doing girly things scares you.”

She shot him a look that lacked venom. “I didn’t say that.”

“Why not give it a go? You might like it.”

“Do you think I might also like some interviewer digging around in my personal life for a couple of hours?”

“That,” he returned, following her into the kitchen with his plate, “is where my press office comes in. I can prep you.” Decision made, Cal rinsed his plate.

Needing movement, Ava wiped the sparkling benches while he stacked the dishwasher. But when everything had been cleared, tidied and returned to its drawer or shelf, there was nothing left to occupy her hands.

“Go sit outside,” Cal said as he reached for the cupboard. “I’ll bring you some tea.”

Once alone on the balcony, the rigid composure she’d been battling drained. The warmth of the patio heater brushed her skin, a delicious contrast to the sharp bite of cold wind. She grabbed up the throw rug and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking her feet beneath her bottom as she sat.

Like Alice down the rabbit hole, everything had changed. Gone was peace and quiet, replaced by the shiny boldness of newly acquired fame and fortune. Over lunch at a North Shore café, Isabelle had bluntly described what to expect leading up to the wedding.

“You’ll be on everyone’s invitation list,” the older woman said in between bites of her smoked salmon sandwich. “Parties, social appearances. Requests for fashion shoots and interviews. That’s the upside. The downside is less delightful but just as important.”

“Rumor and innuendo?”

At Isabelle’s serious nod, Ava’s smile had dropped. “Yes. Imagine your worst doubts, your deepest fears plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the country. If there’s anything you’ve ever done but don’t want the press to know, they’ll find it.” She leaned back, fixing Ava with a steady look. “It’s how you handle it that matters.”