Making Out with the Billionaire

by Swann, Marcella

  That was a work in progress, and what she considered to be phase two of her grand plan. She felt that she’d been successful at breaking his patterns of bad behavior, and she was proud of that, but now she had to mold him into the man she needed him to be. Dorran was a good guy, but she was looking for a husband and future father of her children. Building the perfect family she wanted required certain traits that Dorran didn’t have, such as commitment.

  He was being faithful to her, sure, but Dorran had never fully committed himself to anyone. That needed to change.

  When she was dropped off at home, she was too lost in these thoughts to notice the familiar car parked in front of her townhouse. She made her way up the walk until she heard a voice call out her name.

  “Kerry!”

  She turned around and saw a fifty-six-year-old man with salt-and-pepper hair walking toward her. A smile broke out across her face, and she threw her arms around his shoulders.

  “Dad! What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d come and spend a couple of days with you before your book tour. Show my support. I know how big of a deal this is for you.”

  Kerry was touched. It was a big deal. In fact, the first time she had seen the numbers on her current book, she had been overcome emotion. Being a published author was huge for her. Now, she was popular enough to go on a book tour. As far as she was concerned, this was the pinnacle of her career.

  “That’s great. I have a couple of hours before I need to go into the office, so we can talk. Come on in.”

  She pulled her keys out of her purse and headed toward the front door. That was when she remembered how she was dressed. Kerry wasn’t one to embarrass easily, but a blush covered her cheeks, and there was a little mortification at the realization that her dad was seeing her like this. She thanked her lucky stars that he was tactful enough not to say anything.

  At least her house was clean. She opened the door and stepped aside so her dad could come in. She wanted to shower and change, but felt that it would be rude to disappear into the bathroom without catching up for a few minutes first.

  “So, how is everyone? I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the chance to do more than check in occasionally.”

  “You want to talk about busy, you should see Summer trying to wrangle those kiddos of hers. I know I raised three girls, but at least there’s a few years between you guys. Two-year-old twins” He shook his head, looking amused, “I just don’t know how your sister does it.”

  Summer was her little sister, four years younger. She had stayed close to home and married her high school sweetheart. Her life story was full of love and family. Kerry suppressed her simmering jealousy. She had made her own decisions, focusing more on her career all these years. Sure, she was working on her own happily ever after now, but she couldn’t compare her life to Summer’s. They had walked different paths.

  “And I suppose you’ve been getting Avery’s emails?”

  “Oh, yeah. Spain looks beautiful this time of year.”

  Her sister Avery was two years older and also married. Avery’s husband was an officer in the Navy, and they had been living on the U.S. naval base in Spain for the last year. Avery didn’t have any children, by choice, but she seemed perfectly happy without them.

  “What about mom?” Kerry asked, taking a seat on the couch beside her dad. There was a flicker of unreadable emotion in his eyes that made her frown. “Why didn’t she come with you?”

  “Oh. You know your mother. She’s got her antique shop to run.”

  “That’s never stopped her from visiting before.” Kerry felt a sense of foreboding that made her stomach twist. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but her dad was hiding something.

  “You know what it’s like when people get wrapped up in work. It can come before everything else.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” He reassured her. “You’ll just have to ask your mom why she’s not here.”

  He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “Dad.” Kerry reached out a hand and placed it on his forearm. “What’s going on?”

  He let out a long sigh and seemed to deflate as his shoulders sagged. “Dang it, Kerry. I should’ve known you’d pick up on something amiss. You’re too good at what you do, you know that?”

  There was a strange mixture of pride and resignation in his voice.

  “Dad.”

  “Okay, okay. I know this will be hard for you to hear, but your mother and I . . . well . . . we’re splitting up.”

  Kerry couldn’t comprehend what he just said. It made no sense to her.

  “Splitting up?” Her brain felt sluggish.

  “Yeah.” He rubbed the palms of his hands over his thighs, and she could see that he was visibly uncomfortable. “It’s been a long time comin’ and we just feel like it’s now or never.”

  “Splitting up?” This time the words had an edge of hysteria. “What the hell are you talking about? Did one of you cheat?”

  It was the only explanation she could think of, and it was bad, but not necessarily something that they couldn’t work through. She was a psychologist, after all. She could help them. They couldn’t just throw away nearly forty years of marriage over one mistake.

  “No, nothing like that.”

  Well, there went that plan.

  “Then, what happened? Whatever it is, you guys can figure it out together. I’ll help in any way that I can. Just don’t be rash. You guys have always had the perfect marriage.”

  He finally met her eyes, and her throat felt tight when she saw the steely determination there.

  “No, sweetie, we haven’t.”

  “We had some good times, lots of them. And I don’t regret a thing. Marrying Lucille gave me my girls.” He took her hand in both of his own and gave it a squeeze. “But things change. People grow and not always together.”

  “What are you saying?” She knew what he was saying, but she had to hear it out loud, his entire explanation for something so implausible in her mind.

  “I’m saying that we’re not the same people that we were in the beginning of our relationship. We aren’t crazy about each other. Not anymore.”

  Kerry felt like she was living in a nightmare.

  “It’s amicable, if that makes you feel any better.”

  Kerry let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, yes. That makes everything so much better.”

  Her dad flinched at the bite in her tone, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her world was falling apart around her. Suddenly, she was questioning everything she thought she knew about relationships.

  “I need to take a shower and get ready to see a patient,” she said, pulling her hand out of his grasp and standing. “Just make yourself at home. You know where the guest bedroom is.”

  Kerry didn’t wait for a response before walking away, toward her bedroom. Once the door was closed behind her, she walked to her bed, taking a seat on the edge as she tried to come to terms with what her father had just told her.

  My parents are getting divorced.

  Had she really been casually sipping tea on Dorran’s balcony just an hour ago? It felt like a different lifetime.

  The thought of Dorran made her feel uneasy. She had been so sure of herself before this, using the example of a perfect marriage that she had grown up with when making her plans for her own future. She had believed that she was shaping her relationship, and by extension, Dorran, after the most solid relationship that she’d ever known. That illusion was shattered, and for the first time since she set out to take control of her own future, Kerry didn’t know what to do.

  * * *

  The next morning, she woke up late. It was Saturday, so she didn’t need to be at work, and she was still upset with her dad. So, she didn’t set an alarm or force herself to get out of bed. Her stomach was unsettled, and she was exhausted.

  Great. The last thing she needed was to get sick right before going on this book tour. When she finally
pulled herself out of bed, it was almost noon, and she had a text message from Dorran waiting on her phone.

  Are we still on for tomorrow’s game? VIP box baby!

  Kerry smiled and sent back a confirmation. Even with the drama her dad brought into her life, it felt good to wake up to a text from her man.

  She walked out of her bedroom and found her dad in the kitchen, reading a newspaper. He must have gone to the store and bought one since she didn’t have it delivered. She had internet subscriptions for multiple newspapers, like any modern woman should.

  “Hello, sunshine,” he greeted.

  She mustered up a small smile. “Hey.”

  “Do you want me to make you something to eat? You barely touched your dinner last night.”

  Her stomach rolled at the thought of food.

  “No, thanks. I’m not feeling so great.”

  “Are you coming down with a stomach bug?”

  Standing, he approached and pressed a hand against her forehead.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I just feel nauseous.”

  “Well, you don’t have a fever. But you did sleep for…” He glanced at the clock on the stove, “eleven hours.”

  “Really? Huh, I don’t know why I’m so tired.”

  He narrowed his eyes, looking at her thoughtfully.

  “Is it at all possible that you’re pregnant?”

  Kerry’s brows popped, and her mouth fell open.

  “Dad! I can’t believe you just asked me that.”

  “What? No judgment here. You’re an adult. Besides, do you think I didn’t notice that you weren’t home when I got here yesterday morning? I assume you’re in a relationship.”

  “Yeah, I am. But no, that can’t be what this is.”

  They’d always used a condom. Even though the first one broke, she’d been on the pill for years. It was double protection. The odds of her being pregnant had to be slim to none. Right?

  “Okay.” He shrugged. “Then you better just take it easy today. You might be getting sick. I’ll make you some soup.”

  She just nodded, her mind racing. Could it be possible?

  Kerry thought about it all day, unsure how she felt about the idea, but unable to let it go nonetheless. She let her dad fuss over her, sensing that he was stepping up to take care of her like this to mend the rift that had developed between them when he told her about the divorce. She appreciated that, but she wasn’t quite ready to let that devastating news go. He couldn’t just show, change her entire world, and then act like everything was okay. It wasn’t.

  She tried to eat the soup he made for her, a basic chicken noodle with a sleeve of saltine crackers on the side, but three bites in, her stomach lurched, and she had to dash for the bathroom. After emptying the meager contents of her stomach, Kerry splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. Before returning to her dad, she texted Roxanne, asking her friend to bring over a pregnancy test. She needed to know.

  Returning to the kitchen, she ignored her dad’s look of concern and settled back in her chair at the kitchen table. Pushing her bowl of soup away, she tapped her fingers nervously and watched the clock. Her dad tried to engage her in small talk a few times but gave up when it went nowhere. Guilt needled at her, but she decided she’d make it up to him later. Right now, she had a one-track mind.

  Finally, after nearly half an hour, Roxanne arrived with a drugstore bag in her hand and excitement in her eyes. Kerry’s dad had retreated to the guest bedroom, so she ushered her friend into the bathroom, locking the door behind them.

  “What does this mean?” Roxanne asked, handing over the pink box with the pregnancy test inside.

  “Really? Isn’t it obvious?”

  “I mean, why do you think you might be pregnant? Have you missed a period?”

  “I’m supposed to start tomorrow. But I’m feeling…off. I’m super tired, and I threw up this morning. I’m sure it’ll be negative. I mean, you know I’m on the pill. And we use condoms.”

  “You haven’t been messing around with fertility spells, have you?”

  “You know I normally find your witchcraft stuff delightful, really. But now is not a great time for it.”

  “I’m serious! It’s some of the oldest and most effective witchcraft. How else do you explain it?”

  “I’m just going to pee on the stick and see what happens.”

  Three minutes later, both women were standing at the bathroom sink, looking down at the test lying flat on the counter.

  “Okay,” Roxanne said. “So, it’s…positive?”

  “Are you sure?” Kerry asked. “Because I’m not.”

  “Well, there’s a line there,” Roxanne picked up the test, squinting her eyes at it. “At least, I think there is.”

  “It’s so faint I can barely see it. What does that mean?”

  Kerry unfolded the sheet of directions that came with the test but found no answers.

  “I think it means you’re pregnant.”

  “You think? I’m sorry, but I’d like a more definitive answer.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’ll have to go to the doctor for that. Or take another one in a couple of days. Maybe it’s just too early for the test to be effective.”

  “But it’s Saturday.” Kerry’s voice came out as an uncharacteristic whine. She’d have no choice but to wait until Monday and go to the doctor for confirmation.

  “I know. And you’ll be out of town all of next week. Unless you want to see a doctor in Los Angeles or something, you might just have to wait.”

  Shit. She’d forgotten all about the book tour with her focus on the possibility of pregnancy.

  She told herself not to get her hopes up too much, but there was no stopping the budding excitement in the center of her chest. She placed her hand against her belly and smiled softly. She’d never wanted anything more in her entire life.

  She’d keep this to herself until she could confirm the pregnancy, but she had a feeling in her heart that it was going to come back positive, that she was carrying Dorran’s child. It was crazy because the birth control pill was supposed to be ninety-nine percent effective. Maybe Roxanne had a point about fertility spells.

  Kerry shook her head at her own thought. This was all so unexpected that she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. She could only imagine how Dorran would react. Once she was completely sure, she would have to find a way to tell him.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Wow, Mr. Dorran, this place is the tits,” Bobby said, looking around the suite.

  “Bobby!” His mother’s voice was scandalized.

  “The tits?” Dorran laughed at Bobby’s wording. “Where in the world did you hear that?”

  “On TV.”

  “All right. Fair enough.” Dorran couldn’t help but smile as he turned to Kerry while Bobby and his mother walked ahead of them. “And what do you think?”

  They were in the luxury box, which Dorran had access to as a partial owner of the San Francisco Titans. His stake was only five percent, but it was enough to benefit from the perks, and if he were honest, he hoped that she was impressed. Kerry got a sexy as hell look in her eye when she approved of him in some way, and he strived to make it happen.

  The box was completely decked out with Titans merchandise and overstuffed leather couches and chairs. There was a kitchenette with a chef that was prepared to cook anything they ordered off the fine dining menu. One wall of the box had a huge screen that displayed the field below. Dorran didn’t know why anyone would watch that though. The entire front of the box was glass, and they had one of the best views available. They could see the entire playing area from above. The idea of the luxury box was all about comfort and it achieved that goal.

  “It’s amazing,” Kerry said, walking over to the glass and peering out.

  Bobby perched himself on a stool at the counter across from the chef, his feet dangling as he peppered the chef with questions about the food on the menu and who his favorite Titans player was.
His mom sat at his side, her eyes constantly glued to him as he spoke. She looked like she was trying to memorize everything about him.

  It had taken a bit of convincing to get the doctor to sign off on this excursion, but Bobby’s mom had pleaded the case. She wanted him to have this experience, just in case.

  Dorran didn’t like to think about that, but there was no denying that the boy’s health was deteriorating. He hated it. He’d continued to volunteer at the children’s hospital with Kerry over the last few weeks, and he’d grown closer to Bobby. He was a great kid.

  Hell, they all were, and it could be depressing to think about how unfair it was that such innocent children had to go through illness and injury, but Dorran tried to stay positive and focus on what he could do for Bobby instead of what ailed him. It was one of the reasons that he’d donated a hundred thousand dollars to the hospital, earmarked for sprucing up the play areas for the children. Their medical care was incredibly important, of course. But Dorran had been there enough to see that morale played a big role in their condition as well. He just hoped that top of the line toys, books, and games would help with that.

  A heavy knock turned everyone’s attention to the entrance, and Bobby let out a little squeak when Robbie Lee Richmond, the team’s quarterback and Bobby’s favorite player, walked through the door.

  “Hey, y’all,” Robbie said, eyeing the people in the room.

  He was massive, almost too big to be allowed. Broad and tall, he looked every bit the football player that he was.

  “Robbie.” Dorran approached, shaking his hand and clapping him on the shoulder. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  “Well, I couldn’t pass up a chance to meet my biggest fan.” He turned to Bobby. “It that you, son?”

  “It sure is, Mr. Richmond,” Bobby replied, hopping off his stool and hurrying over. He stopped at Robbie’s side, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I can’t believe you’re here. Don’t you have to get ready for the big game?”

  “Oh, I will.” Robbie squatted down beside Bobby so that he didn’t have to look down at the short boy. “Are you looking forward to watching the game?”