by A. Valentine
“Look at all these babies,” Brendan said. There was a corkboard covered with pictures of newborns. “There’s got to be a hundred of them.”
“Well, lots of people have babies,” Shannon laughed.
“I wonder what ours will look like,” he said.
“Probably more like that,” Shannon said, pointing to another corkboard. This one had many small black and white pictures, each one showing the shadowy image of a developing baby.
“Really?” Brendan peered closely at one. “This doesn’t even look like a baby,” he said, after examining one. “Maybe I wasn’t wrong about Halloween monsters…”
“They do look like little monsters at that age,” the sonogram tech said, as she walked into the room. “But I promise you they grow out of it!” She turned to Shannon. “How are you feeling, Mom? Everything going okay? You eating all right?”
“It’s been all right,” Shannon said. “The morning sickness finally stopped. Maybe I’m getting the hang of this pregnancy thing.”
“The second semester is so much better than the first,” the tech said. She gently lifted Shannon’s shirt. “Supposedly this gel is warmed, but most people tell me it’s on the cool side. So get ready…”
“I’m ready,” Shannon said. “I’m so eager to see this baby, you don’t even know.”
The tech smiled. “It’s nice to see young parents so excited,” she said. “Now, are we finding out about gender today?”
“If we can,” Shannon said. She glanced at Brendan. “We do, right?”
Brendan nodded his head. “Whatever you want to do, we’ll do.”
“A lot of people like to know,” the tech said. “It makes it easier for people to pick out outfits, that sort of thing.”
“I’m just curious,” Shannon said. “I want to know who this little person is.”
The tech brought the sonogram wand up against the side of Shannon’s stomach. “Well, the first thing I can tell you about your little person is that they’ve got a great looking arm and hand. See?”
She directed Brendan and Shannon’s attention to a tiny screen beside her computer. On it, there was the unmistakable image of a tiny hand, with all the fingers extended.
“One, two, three, four, five,” Brendan counted.
“They’re all there, Dad.” The sonogram tech leaned forward and hit a button. “We’ll get you a picture of that.” She moved the wand. “And here’s your little one’s head. Let me take some measurements.” Shannon watched the screen, fascinated as the tech used the computer to draw some white lines across the width of her baby’s skull. “You’re four weeks?” she asked.
“Four weeks, three days,” Shannon replied.
“So everything’s right on track size wise,” the tech said. She moved the wand, and a large black blob appeared beside the baby’s head.
“What’s that?” Brendan asked, alarmed. “Is it a growth? Is she having twins?”
The sonogram tech laughed. “It’s just a fluid pocket. Nothing to worry about.” On the screen, the baby started to move. “It looks like somebody doesn’t like to be prodded and poked.”
Shannon and Brendan watched while their baby rolled onto its side, facing the sonogram wand. “Oh, my god,” Shannon said. “She’s beautiful.”
“And she’s sucking her thumb!” Brendan said. “Look at that. She’s got her hand right to her mouth.”
The sonogram tech hit the button on her computer again. “That’ll be a great picture.” She turned toward Brendan. “So you think it’s a girl too?”
He smiled. “I think she might be.”
“Well, let’s see.” The tech moved her wand. “Some babies make this easier than others. Right there you see the spine developing – everything’s looking good – and these dark spots are the kidneys, which are pretty important.”
“Yeah,” Brendan agreed, as if he’d seen a million sonograms. Shannon couldn’t help but smile.
“And here we’ve got a hip bone.” The tech frowned. “Somebody wants to keep their secrets to themselves.”
“Oh,” Shannon said. She tried, but failed, to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “I think I really wanted to know.”
“Don’t worry.” The tech moved the wand. “Sometimes you’ve just got to put a little pressure in the right place.” The weight of the wand felt slightly heavier against the side of Shannon’s stomach. On the screen, Shannon could see her baby’s legs move apart from each other slowly, like a swimmer moving through molasses.
The tech smiled. “Well, Mom and Dad, you were right. What we have here is a beautiful little girl.”
Chapter 12
In the middle of December, the entire upstate region was hit with one of the worst blizzards in years.
“You’re sure you’re all right up there, honey?” Chloe had called repeatedly from Florida. “I’m worried about you being all alone with this weather.”
“Mom, I’ve been alone for months.” Shannon said. “Everything’s going to be fine.” She looked around the living room. It was stocked with fuzzy blankets, a stack of books to read, and Sunny Delight, an orange drink she’d been craving recently. “I’ve got everything I could possibly need, and Brendan will be here soon.”
“He’s driving in this weather?” Close asked. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“He has to come home, Mom. The semester’s over.” Shannon sounded more confident than she felt. “Besides, he’s done the drive plenty of times by now.” She forced a perky note into her voice. “When he gets here, we’re going to go over the plans for this online trading thing he wants to get into.”
Chloe sighed. “I don’t know. The internet seems to work well enough for selling books, but I can’t imagine anyone’s going to want to trust it for their banking.”
“Brendan says it’s the wave of the future. I figure it’s worth at least taking a look. If it turns out to be something, I can do it from home and be here for Mandy while she’s little.”
Chloe laughed. “It’s Mandy now? Last I heard, it was Amelia.”
“I like Amelia,” Shannon said, “but it’s so old fashioned. And what would we use for a middle name?”
“What about Amelia Jean?” Chloe asked. “Eighteen hundred books in inventory, and we don’t have one baby name book left?”
“We do,” Shannon said, “but it’s not helping.” She smiled. “But we’re down to under seventeen hundred books, didn’t I tell you? Some eBay guy bought every numerology title we had left.”
“That’s great!” Chloe said.
“Oh, I’ve got to go, Mom.” Shannon could see Brendan’s headlights cutting through the snowy night. “My sweetheart’s here.”
“Tell him I said hi,” Chloe replied. “And you two be careful. This storm looks like a doozy.”
“I will, Mom. Sleep tight.”
Shannon opened the door only to be greeted by a whirling cloud of snowflakes. “You’re here!” she called to Brendan.
“Stay up there,” he cautioned. “It’s really slippery out here. We don’t need you and Miss Matilda falling down.”
Shannon smiled to herself. “Matilda. That’s got a nice ring to it. Matilda Marie.” She laid one hand on her stomach. The baby bump was quite a bit larger than it had been during Thanksgiving break, when Brendan had last seen her. Her largest sweatpants were starting to get tight; pretty soon, she’d have to switch over to maternity pants.
“Wow!” Brendan said, when he came up into the house. “Look at you! You’re absolutely glowing!”
Shannon grinned. “People have been saying that,” she replied. At that exact moment, all the lights in the house flickered once briefly, and then went out. “Of course, I don’t know if I’m glowing brightly enough for you to see anything.”
“Don’t worry,” Brendan said. He pulled Shannon close for a kiss, letting his hand fall onto her swelling breast. “I’ll just feel my way!”
“Stop!” she shrieked. “You’re covered in snow. We�
�ll get soaked.”
Brendan chuckled. “I guess you’ll have to help me out of these wet clothes,” he said.
“With pleasure.” It was a little awkward working in the darkness, but Shannon managed to get Brendan’s coat undone and pushed off his shoulders. It fell to the floor with a heavy thud. His shirt and jeans soon followed, although they weren’t technically wet. Shannon’s clothes were perfectly dry, but they came off too.
“Now I’m cold,” she murmured, reveling in the feel of Brendan’s naked body against hers. His rapidly rising need let her know he wasn’t chilly, but she led him to the couch anyway, where they got comfortable under a fuzzy blanket.
“Oh,” Shannon said suddenly.
“Are you all right?” Brendan let his hands drop from Shannon’s chest. “Am I hurting you?”
“No,” Shannon said. She took one of Brendan’s hands and guided it to her belly. “Feel right here. She just kicked me. Maybe she’ll do it again.”
They lay together, locked in position, with Brendan’s hand flattened over Shannon’s stomach. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not sure…maybe she kicked and I missed it…”
“No, you’ll know,” Shannon said. She gently poked the other side of her stomach. “Come on, little one. Let Daddy know you’re in there.”
The baby kicked, hard. “Oh my goodness!” Brendan exclaimed. “I felt that!” He looked at Shannon. Even in the room’s dim light, she could see the wonder shining in his eyes. “I actually felt that.”
“Isn’t it neat?” Shannon asked.
“It’s absolutely amazing.” Brendan slid down so his face was right next to Shannon’s stomach. “Hey, little girl. It’s Daddy. I’ve come home to spend the night with you and Mommy.”
Shannon beamed. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she said.
“Well, I’ve never had a little one to talk to before,” Brendan said. “Not like this. I think she can hear me.”
“Oh, she can hear you. And I can hear you too.” Shannon smiled. “I’m so happy that we’re your home.”
Brendan scooted back up, abandoning Shannon’s stomach to kiss her lips. “The only reason I can bear to leave you at all is that I know I’m coming back.” He kissed her again. “You are my family. You are my home.”
Satisfying My Billionaire Neighbor
By: Kimberley Stonewood
Satisfying My Billionaire Neighbor
© Kimberley Stonewood, 2015 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
Chapter One
Kendall knocked on the door of her boss’ house and waited patiently for him to open the door. She had been babysitting at this house for several years now, and the daily routine was very well established.
At twenty years of age, Kendall still lived in her home town. She was going to college online, and she wasn’t very far from getting her degree in general education. That was a part of the reason she felt so lucky to have her job here. She could easily babysit the children. They were a handful when they were younger, but they were finally reaching the age where she could monitor them without having to be overly involved. That way, she could always study and do homework on the job.
Kendall heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and she watched as it swung inward. She smiled up at her boss, Mark Thomas, and he smiled back. They had known each other for a long time. Kendall had been best friends with his daughter, Allison, since they were in fifth grade. Kendall would often help Allison watch her little siblings, and once Allison went off to college, it made sense just to hire Kendall to keep up the work.
Mr. Thomas paid Kendall more than the average babysitter. Frankly, he could afford to. At the age of forty-five, he was a billionaire. He had started up his own company when he was twenty-five, and twenty years later money wasn’t even an object to him. Money was an object, however, for Kendall. She gratefully accepted his offer to be the full time babysitter for his children. She also cleaned his house for him. It required her to be at his house for long hours, as he worked a lot, but the house had been like a second home to her for years anyway.
Recently, though, Kendall had felt a slight shift in the relationship with her boss. She found that he was much more personable toward her, and he fell more easily into conversation about his life and his work. Kendall chalked it up to the fact that they had known one another for years, and now that she was getting older, he felt he could speak to her more freely. Whenever she thought too long about it, Kendall quickly found something else to focus on.
“Good morning Kendall.” Kendall was drawn from her thoughts as Mr. Thomas greeted her kindly and moved for her to come into the house.
“Good morning Mr. Thomas,” she smiled, and stepped into the house, allowing him to close the door behind her. “I guess they’re not up yet.”
“Not at all,” he chuckled. “I’m sure it won’t be long.”
“It never is,” Kendall agreed.
Mr. Thomas only chuckled and put on his jacket. He was a tall man, over six feet, with a strong build. His hair was dark brown with tinges of gray at the edges, and his eyes were a calm blue. He was clean shaven, but by the end of every day, he always had a fine layer of stubble on his chin and jaw. Even though he was her boss, and old enough to be her father, Kendall had always found him attractive and harbored a slight crush on him.
Though Kendall repeatedly denied it to herself, every morning she would come to work just a bit early so she could watch him finish getting ready for his day. She loved the way his hands moved to tie his tie. His hands were long and graceful. He always wore very nice suits, as he could afford them. Every time she caught herself watching him too intently, she would quickly get embarrassed and look away.
This morning was no exception, and Kendall made an effort not to watch him as he made the final adjustments to his wardrobe before heading out the door. Inevitably, she found herself watching, entranced, as he adjusted the cufflinks on his shirt. Looking up, his eyes came into contact with hers, and he raised an eyebrow and quirked his lip in a smile. Kendall attempted to recover by sending him a smile in return, but she couldn’t help the deep blush that spread over her cheeks at having been caught observing him.
Kendall felt a slight rush of relief as Mr. Thomas finally finished adjusting his wardrobe and picked up his briefcase, turning to leave. He opened the door, but just before leaving, he turned back towards her.
“As always, call if anything comes up,” he said, his serene blue eyes seeming to look straight through her.
“Of course,” Kendall nodded, smiling weakly.
“Alright,” Mr. Thomas gave her a slow nod and a small smile. “I’ll see you at the end of the day then.”
Kendall nodded, and Mr. Thomas left. She could not help but release a small sigh of relief as he left. She knew she was childish for admiring him. His wife, the mother of his children, had passed away in giving bir
th to their youngest child, a five-year-old boy named Adam. The first couple of years had been hard on everyone in the family. Kendall remembered nights spent with Allison, lying awake after Allison had already fallen asleep, when she could hear Mr. Thomas quietly crying in his room.
Things had slowly but surely gotten better. A new sense of normal had settled about the family, and life went on. Allison had been accepted into Harvard, and it was no problem for Mr. Thomas to pay for his daughter’s education. Kendall had been thrilled for her friend. Allison had always had a very sharp mind, and Kendall knew that her friend would make an excellent lawyer one day.
Kendall’s dreams were not so lofty. She wanted to become a teacher and be an inspiration to young children. If she inspired one person, she would feel satisfied in life. Maybe once she started work, she would meet a young man and settle down and get married. Once she had her degree, she would start working to achieve her goal.
With that in mind, Kendall was reminded of her online class. She sat down at the desk in the corner of the living room and logged onto the computer. She had been working here so long that Mr. Thomas had created an account for her on his home desktop so that she could easily work on her schoolwork and still monitor his children.
Chapter Two
Kendall started to work on one of her homework assignments and lost herself in the various thought processes and calculations. Over the course of a couple of hours, she got a lot done. She liked to get her work done before her young charges woke up. That way, she could devote all her attention to them without being distracted by her schoolwork.
She was largely done with her assignments for the day when the children came down the stairs. The older boy, John, looked remarkably like his father, with wavy dark hair and the same blue eyes. He still looked slightly sluggish. Adam, on the other hand, was born a morning person. He had his father’s dark hair as well, but his eyes were the same dark brown as his mother’s. He looked cheerily up at his babysitter and wasted no time in rushing across the room to greet her.
