by Frost, Sosie
“Why?”
He laughed. “Why not? Kenza, you’re carrying my baby. And I want the world to learn about this miracle in the most fantastically decadent way possible. We’ll invite the most influential people in every part of society—movie stars, dignitaries, royal families, CEOs of every industry. All to celebrate you.”
He knelt before me and stroked a hand over my tummy.
That was all the foreplay he needed.
Cameron captured me in a relentless kiss that stole my breath and my balance. Within moments he was over me, plucking at my shirt, hiking my skirt.
As it had been for the past weeks.
Constant passion.
Remorseless desire.
All-consuming obsession.
Cameron had been singularly infatuated with me ever since learning of the pregnancy, and his particular interest featured me flat on my back, naked, and accepting his every touch, lick, and thrust as he destroyed himself with his newfound attraction.
The man found the pregnancy more than sexy. Every night was a new and thrilling experiment of sensuality within his arms. Always gentle. Always compassionate. But ravenous.
Usually it was a goal, a business, or an achievement which earned Cameron Mitchell’s undivided attention.
Instead, the pregnancy had become his one and only motivation.
…To the detriment of everything else.
Including Maxwell Intimates.
“So?” he murmured against my neck. “What do you think?”
Couldn’t think of much while his fingers cast magic between my thighs. But I humored him, scrolling through his phone as he detailed the more extravagant wine selections, firework displays, and imported crystals which would adorn his new yacht. In his exuberance, he’d missed three calls from board members, a dozen texts from our distributors, and too many emails to count from production managers throughout the world seeking final approvals on the lingerie lines.
I’d even begun getting emails from his curious contacts, hoping I could direct them to Cameron.
A new sensation bubbled inside my gut.
Dread.
What was Cameron doing?
“Wait, wait, wait…” I pressed against his chest, forcing us both to come up for air. “Are you sure this is the sort of announcement you want?”
“Why? What would you suggest?”
At this point, anything would seem more sane, rational, and economical. The cost of such a ridiculous yacht would probably feed a tiny country for a year.
“Something small,” I said. “Intimate. Maybe we tell our friends and family first before we inform the entire world.”
“Why not tell the world?” His voice heated. “You could wear that beautiful gold dress you designed. You’d be the envy of every woman and the desire of every man.”
I rolled my eyes. “Because this is supposed to be about the baby.”
“The baby will have his or her own party, believe me.” Cameron kissed my hand. “This party is a celebration of…”
“Of what?”
“This.” He waved a hand over my tummy.
And, for an unsettling moment, I wondered if Cameron had thought about what came after this.
Not just the sex, the possession, the feral excitement heating his blood at the thought of claiming a woman so completely.
But the diapers, the midnight feedings, the sleepless nights…
A baby was a lot more than just a woman with a little bit of nausea who was only beginning to show.
“All the more reason we celebrate with people we, like…know.” I made a face. “What about a quiet party with our families and friends?”
The man practically deflated with a groan. “Where’s the fun in that? I’m talking the most expensive champagne, caviar, steaks, and lobster. The most talked-about and anticipated party this year. Fifty-thousand-dollar gift baskets for attendees. Non-disclosure agreements that will get leaked to the press. People will be dying to get in.”
I scowled. “And I’ll be dying to get out.”
“But the party is celebrating you, Kenza. The pregnancy.”
“And a party with the people we love will celebrate the baby.”
He still didn’t get it. I sighed.
“Look,” I said. “Why don’t we hold off for a little while. Wait until we know if we’re having a boy or girl. Then we can make a special party with the people we care about who will all get a kick out of knowing the gender? I’m kinda hoping for a daughter.”
Cameron shrugged. “I guess. Not sure it matters. A baby is a baby.”
“There’s quite a difference between the two.”
He paced the room once more, his smile growing. “Not for now. Now it’s all about you, the excitement, the anticipation of waiting for the rest of these five and a half months.”
And what happened after those five and a half months?
When I wasn’t just pregnant, when the thought of the baby was real and not some reason to throw parties and cause to spend our weekends naked and in bed.
“All the more reason to invite only those we know close,” I said. “Come on, Cameron. You don’t really care about those hoity-toity society-types. What about your friends? You’ve got so many connections. Surely they’d like to come and support you?”
I scooched to the edge of the couch and flipped a page in my sketch book, prepared to concoct a guest list.
“We’ll invite my parents, your mom. The people from the office. A couple of my friends. Who would you like to invite?”
Cameron acted as if he didn’t understand the question. “I don’t know.”
“What about…well, you spent all that time in Antarctica. Are you close with anyone from there?”
“No.”
“What about your Everest team?”
“Haven’t talked to them since the mountain.”
I hummed. “Okay…what about the crew who built your submersible?”
“Why would I invite them?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Christ, Cameron. You’ve been everywhere and done everything. You must’ve made some real friends along the way.”
His expression shifted, almost irritated. “Why? I did what I set out to do. I climbed the mountain. I sailed the world. I hiked the Amazon. And then it was done.”
I lowered the sketchbook, my stomach twisting. “You mean…you haven’t talked to anyone in any of those fields or teams after you accomplished the tasks?”
“Why would I? It was work. I planned. I executed. I conquered.”
And then abandoned everything and everyone once he’d met his goals.
A new fear shredded through me.
He’d worked every industry. Joined every cutting-edge scientific advancement. Traveled to every continent. Broken records and invented new and dangerous ways to live his life on humanity’s edge.
And just as soon as he’d tasted success, he’d left it all behind.
The work. The goals.
Even the people.
He never shared anything intimate with anyone. Never bothered with long-lasting relationships or developed real friendships.
And why would he? Cameron knew the instant he’d achieved his goals he’d lose interest and immediately pivot to the next new and exciting feat.
Like knocking up a rival.
Indulging in months of ravenously decadent sex.
Promising her the world.
But what would happen when the baby was born?
Would Cameron fixate on the exciting and untamed waters of parenthood…
Or would he lose interest in us like he’d abandoned everything else?
“Oh.” Cameron pointed at me. “There is someone I could invite.”
Thank God. I readied my pencil. “Who?”
“Wrynn Radcliff.”
I scrawled only the W before making a face. “Wrynn Radcliff? The rocket guy?”
“That’s the one.” Cameron straddled the ottoman before me. “He owns Astrix. A priva
te company specializing in rocketry, spacecraft, and satellites. Known him for a few years. Flew on his craft to the space-station.”
Fantastic. “Do me a favor and keep your feet on Earth for the next six months? I have a feeling I’ll need you.”
“Don’t worry—we haven’t been talking tourism. He told me today about the new Astrix initiative he’s developed—reusable rockets.”
The pencil dropped. “What do you mean, told you today?”
Cameron hissed between his teeth. “Might’ve been why I was late to dinner.”
“You met with Wrynn Radcliff?”
“He was in town. Asked for a meeting. He’s reclusive enough that an invitation usually means something important. Turns out, he’s developing an entirely new generation of rockets. Cutting edge, modern fucking marvels. The man’s a goddamned genius, and he’s dead set on a manned mission to Mars.”
Between the morning sickness and Cameron’s revelations, my stomach was getting a workout.
“Don’t tell me you want to go to Mars?”
“No. Nothing like that. He was just looking for some investments. Sounded interesting.”
He popped off the ottoman and headed to the kitchen to scrounge for something to eat.
I hated asking the question. “And, just how…interested were you?”
“It’s fascinating. He’s getting insane amounts of funding, lots of attention, governmental grants because NASA can’t keep up with his team’s efficiency. He’s gonna completely restructure Astrix for this from the bottom up. Hiring new astrophysicists, aerospace engineers, chemists, computer scientists, statisticians, everything. And that’s just preparing for the rocketry. He’s got his eyes set on a manned mission, so he’s recruiting everyone from Air Force pilots to doctors to nutritionists to public relations directors. Anyone and everyone who might pose some value for the company. He’s ruthless in seeking out new talent.”
And Cameron was equally ruthless in seeking out new and interesting ways to spend six months to a year.
I knew what they’d talked about.
And it wasn’t investments.
“You missed meetings today,” I said.
He dismissed my concerns with a wave, tossing some cereal into a bowl. When he found we had no milk, he abandoned the meal and grabbed his phone, ordering a full three course lobster dinner for both of us from his favorite restaurant.
“Didn’t miss anything important,” he said.
“Distributers were looking for you.”
“I’ll call them.”
“The designers needed you to sign off on prototypes.”
His eyes narrowed. “What are you saying, Kenza?”
The pregnancy made me more blunt than usual. “Did Radcliff offer you a job?”
“For Christ’s sake,” he said. “No. I didn’t ask either. But it’s good to keep a line of communication open. Never know what could happen in the next few months.”
I tensed. “Like selling the company?”
He sighed. “You and I have made this arrangement work for the past couple of weeks. I have every intention of seeing it through.”
“Good.”
“Hopefully, we’ll turn the company around, make it profitable. Then you’ll get your wish.”
“Which is?”
“To take it over,” he said. “Once that happens, it’s good to have a contact like Wrynn Radcliff. I’ll find something new for me.”
And there it was.
Something new.
Something exciting.
Something different.
Was it so wrong to hope that his newest obsession would be me?
“Are you happy, Cameron?” I asked.
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Do you want to leave Maxwell Intimates that badly?”
He returned to the couch, slipping in beside me. “I’m always looking for the next best thing. You know that.”
“I know you can’t sit still for longer than a year or two.”
“Astrix is something momentous. It’s never been done before—and, once it’s finished, it’s an achievement for the entire human race. It’d be amazing to be on the brink of something that life-changing.”
“…More life-changing than a baby?”
His arm cradled me close, and his voice warmed. “Kenza, there’s nothing in this world more important to me than the baby. I get it—I was late to dinner tonight. I should’ve called. And you’re worried about the company, but we can manage it.”
“It’s not that—”
He didn’t listen. “Believe me when I say this is what I want most in life. This baby. This life.”
Cameron had never lied to me.
But, for the first time, I no longer believed him.
And it wasn’t because he didn’t mean the words he said or the promises he made. He spoke the truth…
For now.
But how much longer would he stay interested?
How much longer would he be focused on the baby?
How much longer could we possibly last?
19
Cameron
The phone call would ruin everything.
I’d avoided it for a full week, making excuses to stay out of the office. I hadn’t taken calls, ignored the designers, and rescheduled all meetings with the Board.
Not that it mattered.
It had always been coming.
Mackenza had no idea.
The light blinked on the phone console. I didn’t need to answer it. I already knew exactly what I’d be told.
My chair creaked as I reached for the receiver, the only sound in my silent office beyond my heavy sigh.
“Mr. R.” I leaned back, cradling my head in my hand. “What can I do for you?”
“You’re a hard man to reach.”
And yet, I couldn’t outrun this. “You found me.”
“Avoiding your responsibilities?”
I gritted my teeth. “Finding I have a lot more of them lately.”
“Hopefully you’ll take others more seriously than this one.”
I knew what he implied. It wasn’t appreciated.
“Never took you for the type to make a man squirm.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have acted so foolishly.” He paused. “Or recklessly.”
“What’s done is done. And I’m not ashamed of it.”
Mr. R paused. “Then you know that it’s time to take the deal, Cameron.”
Fuck me.
I’d already downed a whiskey at lunch. I considered pouring myself another drink, but it was still early afternoon. No amount of alcohol would dull this pain.
Besides, it didn’t seem fair that I could drink and Mackenza couldn’t.
She needed it a hell of a lot more than I did.
“You know that I can’t do that,” I said.
“This isn’t your choice.”
“You said you trusted me.”
Mr. R hesitated. “I trusted you to do what was necessary months ago. Instead, we’ve been languishing. Hemorrhaging money. And for what?”
“For her.”
“This will benefit her. It’s time you do the right thing.”
What was the right thing anymore? “We should wait.”
Mr. R answered immediately. “No.”
“We might get better offers.”
He was not an optimistic man. “You know that’s unlikely.”
“Then we might be able to get more money from the deal.”
“The longer we wait, the less they will offer.”
My head throbbed like my skull shattered where the phone rested. I considered smacking it directly into my temple, ending this once and for all.
“You know what Mackenza will do,” I said.
“Mackenza is not in charge of Maxwell Intimates. You are. It may take some time, but she will understand this decision.”
I could’ve sworn he knew her better than that.
“This company is her everything.�
��
He quieted. “Not anymore. Now, she can focus her energy on the baby.”
Like she wouldn’t have already. Mackenza was such an accomplished, gifted woman that she could’ve handled both.
“This company is her baby too,” I said.
“I worked very hard to ensure this company would receive an offer as generous as the one you are jeopardizing.” Mr. R released a heavy breath. “It was our arrangement that you would see it done.”
“Things changed.”
“Nothing has changed that can’t be undone.”
“And then what?”
“We both walk away wealthier men.”
I hesitated. “Any idea what we both could lose?”
I didn’t expect sympathy from Mr. R. Not now. “If she truly cares for you, she will listen. She will understand it if you explain it. She trusts you.”
“She’ll think that I betrayed her.”
“Then you failed to teach her how to properly manage a business. This has nothing to do with what she wished for her own future.”
That didn’t mean it wouldn’t destroy her. “She won’t forgive me.”
Mr. R offered no consolations. “At least this way, she’ll end with a successful business which was sold for a great profit that she can use to ensure a wonderful life for herself and her child.”
“She won’t see it that way.”
“Do you want to take care of her?” He asked.
“Of course, I do.”
“So, start now. The sale will guarantee everything. Her future. Her inheritance. Her ability to remain independent. With the money from the sale, she can launch her own clothing line. Do whatever she likes with whatever design she wants.”
“But she can’t buy back the family name.”
“She can take yours.” His voice hardened. “You are planning to marry the mother of your child, aren’t you?”
Christ.
Just what I needed.
“She’s barely started to trust me,” I said. “When she hears about this sale, she’ll never talk to me again.”
“For the sake of the child, you need to do whatever you can to convince her that this is the right decision.” His voice slowed, worn and weary. Exhaustion and desperation had hardened him even to what mattered most. “Or would you like me to talk to her?”
That’d be the worst outcome. I loved the woman too much to see her life come undone.
