‘And let us love and want you.’
‘No.’
‘Yes,’ he disagreed. ‘Look—’ he sighed ‘—maybe I shouldn’t have suggested you see your parents. But I just... I just wanted to help take away that pain in your voice.’
‘I...appreciate it. But—’
‘I’m not done yet,’ he interjected. ‘You might have had a painful experience with your own family, but you have a new one. A better one. Our family.’ He reached over and set his hand on hers, where they rested in her lap. ‘You’re a part of our family, whether you like it or not, Jess. I’ve had conversations with Anja that have told me you were long before you agreed to carry her child. You are now. And you will be after you give birth, too.’
Tears burned in her eyes and of course there was no way she was able to hold them back. He looked over at her and a few seconds later he pulled the car to the side of the road and drew her into his arms.
She heard her sobs before her mind registered that she was crying. And, once it did, nothing could stop them from wrenching through her. He murmured comfortingly to her, pressed kisses into her hair, and she stayed in his arms as long as she could. Even when the sobs passed, she stayed. And wished she could stay for ever.
But she couldn’t, and minutes later she withdrew from his arms. She accepted the tissues he offered her—heaven only knew where’d he got them—and tried to compose herself.
‘Sorry,’ she said hoarsely.
‘Don’t apologise.’
‘It’s pregnancy.’
He smiled. ‘Sure.’
‘And...well, you know.’
His smile widened. ‘I do.’
But, after a few more moments, Jess said, ‘Thank you for this.’ She waved a hand between them. ‘And for all you’ve said. But—’ she inhaled, and then blew out the air shakily ‘—I’m not ready to...be in this. Not until—’
‘You’re sure I mean what I’ve said?’
‘No,’ she said, and then sighed when he shot her a look. ‘Okay, maybe. But we both have a lot to deal with when we get back. I have my new place, I need to find a new job, and there’s—’ she lifted her hands ‘—the baby. And you just got back after being away for two years. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to do at work here, and with your family...’
She faded when she realised it all sounded like excuses. And when she saw the way he was studying her.
She wondered if he could see that her admission of love for him had broken something inside her. That it had healed something, too. That his admission of love had made her want, need, hope for things she hadn’t dared give herself permission to want, need or hope for before. That all of it had fear and panic beating inside her in an uncomfortable rhythm and she needed time to deal with it.
‘I can give you time, Jess,’ Dylan said, and Jess wondered if she’d said aloud what she’d been thinking. Or maybe he could just see through her, like she suspected.
‘I can give you all the time you need,’ he continued, and something flickered in his eyes that made her heart throb. ‘Just...don’t push me away. Don’t push any of us away. Let us figure it all out. Together.’
Feeling a little helpless, she nodded, and after another few moments Dylan pulled his car back onto the road. For the rest of the trip, Jess couldn’t help but think about what had happened over the last few weeks. And each time she did, she wondered one thing:
What if I believe him?
* * *
‘Do you think Anja will ever get over the fact that I got another job?’
They were at Dylan’s house. A fire was crackling in front of them, rain slamming against the windows around them. Daisy was on the carpet in front of the fire, sulking because neither of them had left her enough space to lie on the couch with them.
It was officially winter, and the weather had given them little reprieve. But Jess didn’t mind it so much since she’d spent a lot of it in front of a fireplace, doing exactly what she was doing now.
Dylan, Anja and Chet had helped her with her move. Most of her things had been in storage, and it had been fairly easy to move in. But since she was pregnant, headed into her third trimester then, she hadn’t been able to do nearly as much as she’d wanted to. So they’d been her hands, and after a few days she was living in her own home.
Since she was still working for Anja, things had gone on the same for them. Most days she’d spent the evening at Dylan’s place after he got home from work. He’d cook for her—or them, as Anja and Chet often joined them for dinner—and the evening would end with a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fire.
Then she’d go home, and do it all over again the next day.
It wasn’t a routine Jess had thought possible after they’d returned from Langebaan, but somehow she and Dylan had managed to develop a...relationship that had allowed for it.
Even if that relationship did have a lot more sexual and emotional tension than either of them would have liked.
‘Speaking from experiencing how long she can hold a grudge, I think it’ll probably take some time.’ Dylan was stretched out on the couch next to hers, looking incredibly sexy. She wished she hadn’t noticed, just as she had countless times in the last three months. And, just as it had countless times in the last three months, a voice in her head warned her that their current relationship wasn’t enough for her.
‘It’s only been a week, Jess,’ Dylan continued, interrupting her worrying thoughts. ‘And it’s definitely going to take more than a week. Though you should probably leverage the baby now as much as you can.’
‘I don’t understand why she’s not upset with you,’ Jess grumbled, forcing herself to play along. ‘You’re the one who convinced me to interview at your company. Hell, you’re probably the reason I got the job.’
‘That’s not true,’ he replied. ‘I only recommended you to them. I wasn’t involved in your hiring.’
‘But what did you think was going to happen when you recommended me?’ she asked. ‘You’re the CEO. If they didn’t hire me—’
‘I’d have fired them all?’ he said in a tone that clearly told her he thought the idea was ridiculous.
She smiled. ‘Exactly.’
But Jess knew it wasn’t true. She’d been hired into a junior position—something that would have been appropriate for someone straight out of university. Which was fair, she thought, considering her experience meant that she was basically just out of university.
But none of the people she’d met had given her the indication that they’d been coerced to see her. And based on the professional, kind and fair way she’d been treated, she didn’t think her interviewers believed hiring her would influence the way their CEO treated them.
So while she knew Dylan’s recommendation held weight, she liked to think her organisational knowledge and the financial experience she’d gained assisting Anja with the new studio had been the push she’d needed to get the job. Though the fact that they’d agreed for her to start after she’d given birth was definitely Dylan.
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter now anyway since you’ve already accepted and signed the contract,’ he told her. ‘And as for Anja not being upset with me... I actually think she prefers you working in the company. It means she knows you’ll be taken care of.’
‘But she’s still mad at me,’ Jess complained, and tried to push herself up. When that failed, she tried to get comfortable with the pillow behind her. It was really a bit pathetic, but she couldn’t do much since she’d ballooned in her final trimester. Now, even the simplest things were hard.
‘Here, let me help.’
She wanted to protest, but she couldn’t because, damn it, she needed his help. She tried to hold her breath against his manly scent, against the way it always made her body feel achy and needy. But just like her body had ballooned in the last three months, so had her feelings f
or him. And while she still wasn’t ready to face what that meant, it had heightened her physical attraction to him to the point where she couldn’t deny that she wanted more.
‘Thanks,’ she said when he was done, and leaned back against the pillows again. She’d hoped changing position would help with the strange feeling she had in her back, and for a brief moment she thought that it had. But as soon as she was comfortable again, it reappeared. Almost like a band stretching across the breadth of her back, tightening. It was a little painful.
‘I should definitely leverage it,’ she said with a huff. ‘Being this pregnant is not fun.’
He smirked. ‘I can’t imagine it is. But at least you carry it well.’ He sat back down, and she laughed when she saw that Daisy had claimed part of the couch after Dylan had got up.
‘You have to say that,’ she said once she’d sobered. ‘You l—’ She cut herself off with a frown. Was she really just going to say because he loved her? That went against all the rules she’d given herself about speaking about their feelings for one another. ‘Because you love the little thing making me so uncomfortable,’ she said instead.
‘Well, he or she is family,’ Dylan replied with a thin smile.
She knew that smile. It was the one he’d give her whenever he restrained himself from speaking about his feelings for her. He’d agreed to give her time, she thought, but he hadn’t agreed to keep himself from talking about how he felt about her. She knew that the only reason he did was because he wanted her to feel comfortable.
And didn’t that just make resisting him so much harder?
The band tightened around her back again, and she closed her eyes. Hissed out a breath.
‘Hey, are you okay?’
When she opened her eyes again, Dylan was at her side, concern etched into every angle of his face. ‘Yeah, I’m okay.’
She gestured for him to help her sit up straight and when he did she took a few moments to breathe.
‘Jess, I think we should go to the hospital.’
‘No,’ she said immediately. ‘It’s just some...discomfort.’
‘No, it’s more than that.’
‘Braxton-Hicks contractions then. I’ve been having them all day.’
‘All day?’ Dylan said with alarm. ‘We’ve been together since this morning. Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘Because I’m fine.’
As she said it, Jess felt something shift and soon after warmth puddled between her legs. She sucked in her breath. ‘Dylan.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Please tell me that you dropped some kind of liquid on me.’
‘No, wh—?’
He broke off when he looked down and saw her stained pants. Jess would have felt embarrassed by it if her heart hadn’t started pounding, nearly cutting off her breath.
‘Jess, honey, I think your water just broke.’
‘No,’ she breathed. ‘No, it’s too early. I think you just spilled something on me.’
‘I don’t have anything in my hands.’
She hated how gentle his voice sounded. ‘Then I peed myself,’ she snapped. ‘It’s three weeks too early for my water to break.’
‘So let’s get you to the hospital and sort it all out. They can tell you whether you peed once you’re there.’
‘No.’ Now she was pleading. And ignoring how strange it was that they were talking about pee. ‘Dylan, please, it’s not time.’
‘You’re worried.’ It wasn’t a question. He brushed the hair from her face and left his hand on her cheek. ‘There’s nothing to be worried about.’
‘Not worried,’ she rasped. ‘Scared. Terrified. I don’t know... I don’t know if I can do this.’
‘I know. I know you’re scared. But you’re strong. And you can do this. I haven’t had more faith in anything than that.’ He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
And in that moment, as ill-timed as it was, Jess could no longer deny that she wanted to be with him. She loved him. And he loved her.
‘Stay with me,’ she told him as the band tightened around her back again. ‘Please.’
‘I will.’
And he did.
* * *
Dylan didn’t know he could be so tired. And he hadn’t been the one to give birth!
He imagined that Jess was feeling a million times worse than he was, except that she was still awake, smiling faintly at Anja and Chet as they cooed at their newborn son.
A nephew, he thought, a grin curving his lips. There was a little boy in his family. Sure, right now he looked all rumpled and new, but one day he would be kicking ball with his uncle who lived right next door. He’d be going on hikes, doing outdoor sports. Dylan figured his imagination would have conjured up much of the same images had his sister had a daughter but, either way, thinking about it was pretty great.
And made all of the turmoil of the last few months worth it.
His eyes settled on Jess again, and he felt his heart swell. She was amazing. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought it, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. But witnessing her today...
She’d been amazing.
As soon as they’d got to the hospital she’d turned into the quintessential woman, prepared to do exactly what nature intended of her. She’d screamed in pain—and internally he’d screamed, too, since she’d insisted on holding his hand throughout the process—but as soon as the contraction was over she would go quiet, and softly apologise for acting exactly as anyone else in her position would have.
Six hours later—six—Jessie Dylan White had been born. Named after his godparents, Dylan had been told, and he’d had to pretend to drink water when he’d heard to keep them from seeing how emotional he’d felt. Jessie was a good size, good weight and perfectly healthy. And he’d been welcomed into a family who loved him.
He was a lucky kid, Dylan thought. He had great parents, a grandmother who would do her best not to repeat the mistakes of the past, an uncle who was already willing to give him anything he wanted, and a godmother who was a warrior.
He’d seen Jess’s face when Anja had told her the name of their son. Had seen the annoyance Anja had felt for Jess fade away after they’d embraced. He’d known that the annoyance was temporary, and only because Anja had yet to see how important it was for Jess to believe that she was loved not because she’d provided something but just because she was worth it.
He’d spent the last three months proving exactly that to Jess. He’d told her he’d give her time and he had, even when it had pained him to do so. But he’d run from pain before. He’d run from the people he loved. He wouldn’t now. Because Jess needed to believe that he’d always be there for her.
So he had been. And it was worth all the anguish when he could see on Jess’s face that she finally believed it.
Jess turned her head and met his eyes, and her lips curved into a soft smile. His heart galloped in his chest and he smiled back at her, wondering at how much she’d changed him. Before he’d met her, he never would have enjoyed feeling his heart pound for someone.
Now, he relished it.
The nurse came in then, ushering them out by telling them that Jess needed her rest. He stood when Anja set the sleeping Jessie back into his crib, smiled when she kissed his forehead and moved to follow them out of the room.
‘Dylan,’ Jess said before he could leave.
‘Yeah?’
‘You showed up for me.’ Tears shone in her eyes. ‘I... I believe you.’
‘What do you believe?’
‘That you love me,’ she said with a smile. ‘That you’ll stay.’
His heart filled. ‘I do. I will.’
‘You made me believe you.’
‘I know.’
‘And you waited until I was ready to tell you I believed you.’
‘I d
id.’
‘I love you.’
It took him a moment before he could speak. ‘I love you, too.’
‘And this time I believe that it will change everything. Because I believe in you. And I’m going to—’ she took a breath, blew it out ‘—I’m going to wade through the deep, dark waters of commitment for you.’ She gave a small laugh. ‘I’m really high on pain meds. Can you tell?’
He chuckled, and met the nurse’s eye. ‘May I?’ he asked. With a wink, she gave him a nod and walked out.
And in two short steps Dylan was next to the woman he loved, pressing his lips to hers.
EPILOGUE
‘IT’S BEEN TOO long since we’ve been here,’ Jess said, stretching out on the reclined beach chair on what had once been Dylan’s mother’s back porch. ‘Too long, I think.’
‘Well, we’ve had a lot on our plates,’ Dylan replied, scooping her into his arms and plopping her down on the day bed just next to where she’d been stretching out before.
She cuddled back against him when he joined her, before realising that she should have been offended by his ungentlemanly behaviour. But by then she was already enjoying where she was too much. In the sun at a beach cottage with the most handsome man she’d ever met.
Who just happened to be her husband.
‘I guess, but it just seems like a waste. Like we missed opportunities to use this place as a holiday home.’
‘We’ve had plenty of other, just as enjoyable, holidays,’ he said, nuzzling her neck. Gooseflesh shot out on her body as it always did when he did that, and she smiled lazily.
‘Very enjoyable.’
‘I like your dirty mind, Mrs Nel.’
‘It’s something of a talent, I think.’
She smiled and settled back into Dylan’s arms, thinking about how much had happened since they’d last been in Langebaan. It had been three years. Three years. At first, there hadn’t been a reason to return. Dylan’s mother had moved to Cape Town once Jessie had been born, wanting to be closer to her family. Wanting to show them that she was different now. And, since Dylan owned the cottage, he’d had it renovated into a larger home since he’d believed their family would expand in the coming years.
Tempted by the Billionaire Next Door Page 16
