The Billionaire's Baby (6 page)

“I don’t know. Hearing your sister tell it, you like to play it fast and loose. I already got myself tested in case the baby and I should have problems,” Adira said.

“I am not some disease-ridden male slut who lays with every Becky Sue in New York City,” Favian said in frustration. He pulled her down on the bed to sit next to him. Adira sat stiffly looking at the wall by the door until he turned her to face him. “Long story short, Hillary lied to you. The evil…witch thought she and I would be a couple.”

“Well, that’s disgusting. You’re siblings,” Adira gasped.

“Not by blood, but trust me, I do not feel the same way she does,” Favian said. “I never believed it until I came home and heard her crowing about it to one of her friends. Needless to say, I fixed that situation quick and started the process to find you. Who knew it would take two weeks to locate Ms. Adira Potts in London? And now that I find you, you’re carrying my child.” Favian cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. “I am so glad you didn’t deprive me of knowing my child or being able to be with you.”

Adira pushed him away. “You are not with me. You could be lying. Who knows why you are really in London.”

“Oh, for the love of…” Favian stopped himself. He pulled out his wallet and took a card from one of the pockets. “This is Harry Green, a private investigator I contacted to find you. He lives in London and he has been trying to find you for me. He can corroborate everything I say.”

Adira looked at him. “Okay, so suppose I believe you and you were looking for me, but now a baby changes everything. Maybe you just wanted a bit of fun and never to settle down.”

“Have you even met me?” Favian asked incredulously. “I told you about my family, my life and what, in any of that conversation, made you think that I wouldn’t want a family, a baby with you?”

Adira shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what to believe. Sweet words and good sexual relations are not what a family is built on.”

“Good sexual relations… Is that what you call what we did? Because I saw it as a mind blowing experience and a fucking amazing connection,” Favian said. He took her hand. “Listen, I can understand wanting to condemn me for what Hillary said, but I’m not that person. I can actually say I come with references. Talk to anyone around me. I’m telling you, Adira, I want this baby and I want its mother. Come back to the States with me.”

“It’s not as easy as that, Favian,” Adira said. “A visitor Visa is all I had. To get another will take weeks and my job will not give me time off. I have to be able to pay the rent and bills in the chance we don’t work out. I know you don’t want to hear that, but I’m being realistic. Lynette is my friend. I won’t allow her to pay for anything for me. I refuse to be a burden to anyone.”

“Lynette wanted to give you money? That’s sweet, but you don’t have to take her wages to support yourself. I’ll do it,” Favian said.

“Favian, I have to be able to pay my own way. I don’t want either of you taking care of me,” Adira said gently. “I walked that road with blinders once before. I can’t put my life or my child’s life in anyone else’s hands. And don’t count Lyn out. I know she looks a little wild, but she is rather well off. She writes software programs for some major companies.”

“Wait, Lynette as is Lynette Bridges of
Mist and Mirrors Incorporated
?” Favian said. “We’ve bought some serious tech programs from her.”

“She is amazing.” Adira smiled. “And kind of a hothead. I’m sorry she socked you one.”

“She was protecting a friend. I can’t fault her that,” he said. “To solve our problems, I know someone who can expedite your Visa and we can probably leave in a week. I understand where you are coming from, I really do. I was raised in a neighborhood where there were many single mothers trying to provide for their children without a father’s help. I was one of the lucky ones who had both parents, Remy was not, but I can tell you, I would never in my life leave my child or you to suffer if we didn’t work out. Saying that makes me feel as if I may jinx something good, but I want to give you the assurance you need.” Favian looked into her eyes. “Adira, please, give me the chance to show you how amazing we can be. Let me see my child grow inside you, let me be in both your lives.”

“What about your sister? I can’t be around someone that cruel. I…” Adira hesitated. “I just can’t.”

“I took care of that before I even started looking for you.” He cupped her cheek. “Does that mean you’ll go back with me?”

She nodded. “I’ll go with you. I want my baby—our child—to have both parents in his or her life.”

“Remy and I are staying at The Montcalm. Come stay with me until we’re ready to leave,” Favian encouraged. “Remy and I can help box up your apartment and we can ship whatever you need.”

“I would rather only take a few things until I’m sure,” Adira said firmly.

“You’re going into this with pessimism. That’s no way to start out,” he said softly.

“It’s a healthy dose of caution,” Adira argued. “When I tell you about my life you’ll understand why, but I’m not ready, not yet.”

“I understand. I’m just happy that you’re coming home with me,” he murmured and leaned in until their lips almost touched. “Can I kiss you now?”

He made her breathless, so Adira only nodded her consent. The first touch of his lips against hers made her whimper and took her back to the night of pleasure they shared. The amazing night that created the tiny miracle nestled inside her. She clung to his shoulders as he poured every ounce of emotion inside him into that one kiss. He pulled away and dropped to his knees in front of her and pressed a kiss on her stomach through the barrier of her white knit top.

“
Hola, un poco, yo soy su papá,
” he said huskily. “Hello, little one, I’m your daddy.”

He put his head against her stomach and, unable to help it, she held him close and a tiny sound escaped her lips. Adira knew and felt it in her core that Favian could shatter her in an instant and it terrified her. She wanted to say no, wanted to run away, but to deprive her child of a father—one who would love them both unconditionally—or herself of the chance to find true love was unacceptable. But she was so afraid that she hardly noticed the tears that fell from her eyes.

“Adira, baby, why are you crying?” Favian asked.

“Because I’m so afraid of it all,” Adira said softly. “I’m going to be a mum, and I don’t even know you as well as I should and we are already becoming parents. What if I’m not good at any of this?”

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her once then twice before saying fiercely, “I promise you, I swear, your fears are not warranted. Believe in us.”

She nodded as he pressed his forehead against hers and whispered the words
believe in us
over and over again. His passion and certainty assuaged her fears a little and that was okay for now. She was more than taking a plunge. She was jumping into what might as well be alligator-infested waters. She hoped she could swim, hoped that she could keep her head above water. For her and the baby’s sake she would have to try. By all that she believed in, she would give it her best.

Chapter Five

The Montcalm Hotel was one of pure luxury. In just the two days that she’d been there, Adira felt pampered by the staff and more so by Favian. Her nausea was the worst in the mornings and Favian had room service bring her warm ginger tea and crackers as early as five a.m. Lynette came to the hotel and crashed on the couch where she worked most of the day.

Adira noticed how Remy looked at her, the interest in his eyes. They seemed to connect over a conversation about terabytes and other computer jargon she couldn’t follow before Lynette became engrossed in her work and so did he. But she saw the underlying glances and smiles they gave each other.

The decision was made that her little apartment would be kept as is until she knew for sure whether or not she would be staying in America. Favian insisted on paying the rent for the entire year to make her landlord happy. They emptied the fridge and made sure all perishables went to Lynette’s place before she packed up her clothes and the things she wanted to take with her. Her passport was up and Favian’s friend in the American Embassy in London helped expedite everything and they would be leaving on Saturday morning.

Favian didn’t fly commercial. She came to find out he had his own Learjet. She and her boxes would be heading back to the United States in style. One would expect her to have stars in her eyes at all the luxury, but Adira knew how fleeting everything was and vowed never to let it go to her head. At the end of the day she had to be Adira Potts and teach her values to the child growing inside her.

“Let’s go out and sightsee.” Favian walked into the room, sliding his cell phone into his pocket. “Everything is good to go and I’m free for the rest of the day.”

“I could definitely use some fresh air,” Adira admitted.

“How about we all meet back here in the suite for dinner?” Remy suggested. “Are you game, Lynette?”

Adira looked over at her friend who was staring hard at her computer screen. Her tongue was peeking out of the corner of her mouth—one of the quirky things she did when she was concentrating.

“Lynette, dinner in the suite this evening?” Adira said loud enough to cause her friend to look up.

“Yeah, sure, it’s gotta be better than ramen noodles,” Lynette said.

“You know, you make enough money that you can buy actual food sometimes,” Adira pointed out.

“But then I’d have to cook it and all that stuff. Better to throw some hot water over a cup of noodles and call that wally, yeah?” Lynette said.

Remy laughed. “I think teaching you to cook may be a useless venture, right?”

“You’d be correct, sir.” Lynette grinned.

“Remy, do you want to join us for a bus tour?” Favian asked.

“It looks like it might rain and I don’t do the rain. I’ll stay in and get on the phone with Miles in R&D to see how they are doing,” Remy said.

As she and Favian stepped out of the hotel room and closed the door, he laughed softly and said close to her ear, “I doubt very much that it’s about work. More like he wants to hang around Lynette.”

“I heard them speaking computer earlier. I was completely lost,” Adira teased.

They took the elevator down to the first floor and were walking across the foyer when she heard someone call her name.

“Adira, is that you?”

She bit the inside of her cheek and turned around to see two people she had hoped she would never see again. Her stepfather, John Meres, and his obnoxious son, James.

“You know it’s me, John,” she said and noticed her voice was as dull as oatmeal.

He went to hug her and she stepped away. “What are you doing here, love?”

“None of your business and why do you care?” This time the bite was definitely in her voice.

“I am your stepfather.” John kept the fake smile in place. “Who is your friend?”

“Again, none of your—”

“Favian Rivera.” He stepped forward and answered.

“I know your name well. We’ve tried to do business with your company before,” John said. “Maybe we can grab a drink?”

“I think not. Obviously, Adira has an issue with you which means I do as well,” Favian said mildly. “If you’d excuse us, please.”

John laughed. “Adira has a longstanding childish angst against me.”

“If you call stealing my money while I was at school and while my mother was home sick and you not telling me she had cancer until she passed away, and then, to top it off, having her sign a new will while she was dying and in pain, teen angst, then, yes, I guess I’m still carrying it,” Adira snapped.

“Your mother did that of her own free will!” James said in a high pitch nasally voice.

“Is that really your voice?” Favian chuckled and then went serious. “You’re telling me while you were away at school they didn’t tell you your mother was dying?”

“I didn't know until the day of the funeral. Her lawyer called me because he had some sense of duty to inform me of their treachery even though he couldn’t stop it,” Adira explained. “These two then informed me that my schooling would no longer be paid for and to gather what I wanted out of my room and nothing more from the house I grew up in with my parents. They threw me out. I had to start my life over with only what I had in my savings account.”

“And you think that I would do business with people like you?” Favian scowled. “I should beat the crap out of you right here.”

“Y-you wouldn’t dare,” John stammered. James took the cowardly move to step behind his father.

“Of course not, but you won’t approach me again. Now that I know your name trust that I will destroy any future business you ever think to do in America. As a matter of fact, I can stop your transactions here in London as well,” Favian said with restrained anger in his voice. “You tried to destroy the mother of my child. Now I crumble you.”

“Well, Adira, it seems you landed on your feet, or is it on your back?” James snickered from behind his father.

Favian stepped forward, pushed John aside and grabbed his pale son with the wire-rimmed glasses.

“Favian, no, he’s not worth it!” Adira cried out.

“Oh, I know that,” Favian said mildly. He waved his hand and the manager came over. “These two are accosting me and my pregnant fiancée. I would like them banned from this hotel or I will close my account and find another hotel where my family is treated with respect.”