The Cowboy's Baby: A BWWM Billionaire Cowboy Pregnancy Romance

by Cristina Grenier

  Alyssa glared at the man, her eyes narrow enough to cut steel. “I’m the mother of your child.”

  The immense rancher cast a wry glance her way. “Honey, you already have all the comforts you need and more. As you said, you’re body’s not going to be thrown out of wack. Esme’s,” he nodded in the young woman’s direction, making her blush. “Is. It’s just for the health of the baby, sweetheart.” The last part was added sweetly – so sweetly, in fact, that the thinly veiled jab might have been invisible to anyone else listening to the conversation.

  But Esme read it loud and clear. She was already wary of the tension between Alyssa and Daniel, and the jibe fell perfectly into the pattern. In any event, Alyssa certainly got the message. Eyes blazing, she shot to her feet. “You’re barely giving her enough to buy a Louis. Why the fuck should I care?” With that, she stormed off, leaving the three remaining occupants sitting around the small table staring after her.

  The moment he recovered, Daniel turned back to Carmen and Esme, his expression apologetic. “Forgive her. She’s just a bit on edge. It’s our first child.” Esme watched in awe as he scratched his name effortlessly on the document that would award her more money than she’d ever made in her entire life. The man appeared to relax somewhat in the absence of his partner, leaning back in the chair before his lips curved up into a smile that made Esme’s knees weak. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that we’re able to work with you. To be chosen out of one hundred applicants…that’s really something.”

  Esme’s eyes widened in shock a moment before her gaze shot to Carmen. “A hundred. A hundred people wanted me as their surrogate?”

  “Well, your health record is flawless.” Carmen grinned, obviously amused by her surprise. “You’re young. High IQ. Attractive…”

  “Very attractive.” Esme looked back over to Daniel, her expression incredulous. Had he just said what she thought he’d said? That he thought she was…attractive? The moment her eyes locked with his, the man’s face reddened slightly and he looked away. “I mean, in respect to your genes. It will be good for the baby.”

  Oh, well…for a moment, she’d thought that a billionaire sexpot had been attracted to her. A girl could dream, she supposed. Taking a deep breath, Esme bent over her paperwork to sign the next nine months of her life away. There were few better things she could do, she supposed, than helping someone have the child they so clearly desired.

  Daniel desired.

  Tearing her eyes from his long, lean form, the young woman glanced at her watch, her eyes widening. It was almost two in the afternoon. She had an interview at the new Brazilian place in town in under an hour and she was severely overdressed. Leaping to her feet, she struggled to make her excuses. “Carmen, Daniel...I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have an appointment I have to get to. If all the paperwork is in order…” She trailed off, looking first to the facilitator and then to the man that inadvertently made her womb clench in longing.

  “Well…certainly…if everything is signed…” Carmen trailed off, looking to Daniel for confirmation. “Daniel, did you have any other questions for Esme before she has to run? Pressing questions, of course. You two will be in contact very soon.”

  “Just one question.” The man’s thick southern drawl had Esme swallowing thickly as the man’s gaze swept over her from head to foot. He was, she reminded herself, only looking at her as a means to an end – the container in which his child would be grown. There was no appraising here, only rational assessment. “Would you call yourself an emotionally driven person, Esme? Someone prone to quick changes in ideas or decisions?”

  It was on the tip of the woman’s tongue to answer in the negative. She considered herself very contemplative – and while her emotions could drive her to split second reactions she later regretted, she had never made a decision in the heat of the moment that had come back to bite her. In an instant, however, she saw the underlying question Hartsford was asking her – what he really wanted to know.

  And that was whether or not she’d grow attached to the child inside of her. He was asking if she thought she might change her mind –fall in love with the baby she’d carried in her womb and refuse to give it up.

  A small smile curved Esme’s lips. For her, babies weren’t in the cards. She planned to have a thriving career one day, doing what she loved. Travelling the world, from kitchen to kitchen, and conquering wherever she went. In that scenario, there was no room for husbands, let alone babies. In so far as being a surrogate went, she thought of it as duty and duty only – and it would delight her to tell Daniel that there was nothing that could take his child away from him.

  “Mr. Hartsford, I consider each decision carefully before I make it. And having my own children is something that has never even occurred to me.”

  Instead of smiling at her answer, however, the man only arched a brow in surprise. “You’ve never even considered having children? Not at all?”

  “Never.” Esme’s voice was firm, and above all, completely honest. “This child will be yours, and yours alone. I guarantee it.”

  **

  Sitting on the front porch of the main house, Daniel gazed over the expanse of his property. Only weeks before, winter had reluctantly relinquished its hold on South Dakota and the snow had thawed. Now, it was warm, all the plants were flowering, and the thousands of animals on the immense ranch were allowed to roam freely – save a few prized steers and his own personal stallion.

  He watched a group of at least a hundred cattle graze their way across the immense field before him under the light of the setting sun and felt more content than he had in a long time. Though he might be a successful businessman, this was where he was king. His ranch. His home.

  Soon to be the home of his new son or daughter.

  The thought made Daniel’s heart swell. For at least the past decade, he’d found himself alone in bed at night and pondered what it might be like to feel the downy head of his progeny against his chest. Other men might want to run free and sow their wild oats even into their later years, but all he had ever wanted was a family, for as long as he could remember. He was so indebted to his own family for believing in him enough to take the steps that he had to become the man he was.

  Besides, he’d done just about everything else. He had more money sitting in the bank than he knew what to do with. In the process of establishing his business, he’d travelled to over twenty different countries, meeting and interacting with all kinds of people. He’d rubbed elbows with princes, presidents and prime ministers, and overseen meetings where millions of dollars were at stake.

  But at the end of the day, he was happiest at home – surrounded by his own land, situated in his favorite chair on the porch with a cold beer in his hand.

  A child would be happy here, he knew. Lots of space to run and play, horses to learn how to ride, animals to interact with, and the great outdoors. Perhaps once they were settled down with one, he could convince Alyssa to go for another – perhaps they could even use the same surrogate, if she was willing.

  At the thought of Esme Carter, Daniel’s thoughts paused – and hovered.

  Alyssa didn’t care for her. Exactly why was painfully easy to see: the girl was gorgeous. While Alyssa used veritable pounds of makeup to supposedly enhance her already comely features, Esme’s face was totally natural – full lipped, and dark-skinned with entrancingly almond shaped eyes that caught and held one’s attention with devastating effect. Her body was lean and toned – that much he had been able to tell beneath the black sheath she wore. He could appreciate a woman with some muscle on her – a woman who worried about breaking nails made him cringe.

  Alyssa hadn’t been that woman at first. When they’d first met, she’d liked nothing more than to come out riding with him – she’d been interested in watching him break cattle and train calves. Now, she rarely ever came outside. She was content to remain sequestered in her room in the house, snapping at him when he passed by.

  She could
be sweet…so sweet when she was relaxed. When she wasn’t tense about one thing or the other, clamoring for some vacation, bag or bauble. He was holding out hope that the child they would have would speed the return of that sweet disposition.

  But they would have to deal directly with Esme.

  Alyssa had made it clear that she thought Esme was after him – citing the way she’d behaved upon their first meeting as evidence. In Daniel’s opinion, the girl hadn’t reacted very strangely considering she had just found out that a high profile businessman and his partner wanted her to have their baby. She’d been a little flustered…a little nervous…her lovely face had flushed the most alluring shade of pink when she’d spoken to them and…

  Goddamn it.

  If anything, Alyssa must be wary of the girl because she had some sort of sixth sense that told her when he was the slightest bit attracted to another woman. He wouldn’t even look – or speak; and the vast majority of the time his appreciation wasn’t even sexual, but aesthetic. As he was from the south, he’d been taught to pay a compliment to a woman if she looked fine, as it would make her day brighter.

  Alyssa immediately took offense if he told an elderly woman that she looked fetching.

  Here, without her harping over his shoulder, Daniel could admit to himself that he found Esme Carter very alluring – and not simply in an aesthetic way. Seeing her sitting there, long legs primly crossed in her simple, modestly cut black dress had done things to him – made his throat dry and his pants uncomfortably tight

  Somehow, not seeing what her dress covered was a thousand times more alluring than any flash of cleavage or high slit. What was she hiding beneath the garment, he wondered. Pert, firm breasts and a smooth, tight behind? It wasn’t as though he didn’t appreciate the alluring garb Alyssa wore for him when she deemed herself in the mood for seduction, but for some reason, Esme had triggered something in him he’d thought long dead.

  And now the young woman would be carrying his seed and his child. Of course, the genes would be completely his and Alyssa’s, but there was certain intimacy to be had when a woman’s belly grew round with your progeny. He sensed that Alyssa had jumped on the idea of a surrogate more to preserve her figure than for any biological difficulties she might have. After all, she let him touch her so rarely these days that they’d barely had the opportunity to see if they could do things the old fashioned way.

  The buxom Latina beauty often cited his bed-play as being too rough and too crude to satisfy her; though Daniel had also tried sweet words and seduction to similar results. Though he did like to show his strength behind closed doors, he knew how to take things soft and slow when the occasion called for it – not that that had happened for a long while.

  Sighing, he took a swig of his beer.

  He supposed he shouldn’t be complaining. The ultimate goal of sex was to make children, wasn’t it? And now he would be getting a son or daughter within the next nine months. That should be enough to calm his libido down, shouldn’t it?

  Unless Esme Carter was involved.

  If there was one thing Alyssa had done right, it was to whet his appetite for ethnic women. With the South’s history of racial strife, he didn’t think any of his Texan buddies knew what they were missing. When they’d first come together, Alyssa had been all fire and want; the fire had eventually dimmed to be ultimately extinguished, and the want? Well, there were times when he pondered whether or not she wanted him or his money.

  What would Esme be like between the sheets, he wondered? Would the young woman have been at all open to him planting his seed the old fashioned way – rutting himself between her lean, muscular thighs until she cried his name in pleasure?

  “Danny!” He jumped, torn from his fantasies by the sharp sound of Alyssa’s voice behind him. Turning to face her, he fixed his face into a neutral expression.

  “What is it, honey?”

  She was obviously pissed about something. Her eyes blazed dark fire and her hands were glued to her hips as she glared at him, her gaze scalding. “You made an appointment to go see that surrogate puta without me.”

  Definitely pissed. She only broke out the Spanish when she was profoundly angry.

  “Darlin’,” He tried to keep his voice level. “The doctors said she’s conceived. That means she’ll have to have her first check up and see the nutritionist. At least one of us needs to be there so we can be kept abreast of what’s going on.”

  “Why the hell aren’t I the one going?”

  What a loaded question. Because she’d declared she didn’t want to go anywhere near Esme unless he was with her? Because it was obvious she despised the woman, for reasons completely her own? Because she probably wouldn’t give two horse shits what went on during the appointment, and would only concentrate on ridiculing the woman who was supposed to be carrying her baby?

  Daniel chose the simplest answer, attempting to keep calm. “Honey, that’s the day you told me you were going to brunch with your girlfriends. The brunch you can’t miss.” Her exact words. She had brunch with her girlfriends every Wednesday – always on his dime. “The appointment is at eleven am, so I thought I’d save you the trouble and go.”

  It was as kind as he could make the dilemma sound, and he was actually quite proud of himself for working so well with it.

  Alyssa, however, didn’t agree.

  “You just want to be alone with her.” The woman’s eyes immediately shone with angry, remorseful tears. “You think I didn’t see the way you looked at her in the clinic. You like her. She’s supposed to be our goddamn surrogate and you just want to fuck her.”

  Daniel immediately reddened, standing from his chair to tower over Alyssa as he set his beer down. “Honey, calm down. You know that’s not it at all.” Already he was tensed in anticipation of a fight. While it was true that he had thought of Esme in a sexual manner, that didn’t mean he would act on his impulses. He was more than man enough to control himself. In the entire time he’d been with Alyssa, he hadn’t so much as been alone with another woman.

  And he wouldn’t be alone with Esme. “Alyssa, there will be doctors and nurses and orderlies. The medical center is full of people.”

  “And you’ll be in a room alone with that whore.” As he took a step forward, she took one back, eying him angrily. For some reason, her calling Esme out of her name made Daniel bristle slightly. It wasn’t as if he had overt feelings for the girl, but she was donating her body so that he and Alyssa could have the baby they wanted. At the very least, she deserved to be addressed properly.

  “Please don’t call her that, Alyssa.”

  The dark-eyed woman exploded. “What, a whore? That’s what she fucking is, Daniel? What kind of woman donates her body – her temple – in her prime, so that it can blow up like a fucking beach ball and be ruined forever? She’s doing this for strangers, Danny. Absolute strangers. She probably gets off on it!”

  “That’s enough, Alyssa.” The words escaped Daniel in a bark as he tried to quell the rage swelling in his breast. He had just listened to the woman he loved describe one of the most powerful processes on earth in terms of her own vanity. She belittled the creation of their child and the woman who carried it. “Just let it go. I’m going to the appointment and you’re going to brunch. End of story.”

  For a moment, Alyssa just stared at him as if he’d grown a second head. Certainly, it was rare that he put his foot down with her. He understood that she was difficult and needed a bit of leeway – but this, this he could not abide. They were talking about their baby – his prodigy. Of all the things he’d given up for her – let her have, let her ruin – this wouldn’t be one of them.

  “Fuck you, Danny.” Alyssa’s words came low and swift. “Fuck you, and fuck her. If you want her, I’m more than happy to leave you to it. I don’t have to put up with this shit.” She turned on her heel to stomp back into the house, leaving a nonplussed Daniel in her wake. Cursing lowly, he sank back down into his chair.

  What
was she going to do now?

  He’d seen Alyssa do any number of things when she got riled up. Break vases and plates, scratch up cars, once she even put a golf club through his sixty four inch TV. All of those things could be replaced. Eventually, she’d calm down, and they’d be able to talk somewhat more rationally.

  Daniel was taking a calming sip of his beer when, ten minutes later, the Latina waltzed out onto the front porch with two suitcases in tow. His eyes widened as she breezed past him and down the steps toward the gleaming silver Porsche he’d bought her for her last birthday. Immediately, he started after her.

  “Alyssa, wait. Honey, please.”

  “No Daniel. If you want to be with your little whore, then go ahead.” Alyssa yanked the back door to the car open, stowing her suitcases inside before turning back to him with a deep scowl. “I’m just giving you what you want.”

  “She’s not mine.” Daniel felt his heart sinking as a sense of helplessness enveloped him. Out of all the stunts that Alyssa had pulled, she’d never walked out on him. Not once. She had to be painfully serious. “She’s having our child, Alyssa. This is important. Maybe the most important thing we’ll ever do.”

  “The most important thing you’ll ever do.” Advancing on him, the Latina pressed a single finger into his chest, her eyes burning with rage. “You wanted this goddamn baby, Daniel. Not me. I’ve listened to you bitch about it for the past year before deciding, out of the goodness of my heart, to appease you. But now, I see you only want to use it as an opportunity to go behind my back. So, take your skank, take you’re sniveling, snot-nosed brat and go directly to hell.”

  Her words stabbed like a knife into his chest, twisting so brutally that Daniel was momentarily rendered speechless. She…didn’t want a baby? She’d never even mentioned such a thing to him. He’d been under the impression that she wanted to be a mother – that they were on the same page. But in reality, she’d been lying to him for all these months.