The Billionaire's Carnival Baby (A BWWM Romance)

by Tiana Cole

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  AND IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE...

  Turn the page to read: “Which Baby for the billionaire” by Tiana Cole

  Which Baby for the Billionaire?

  Chapter 1

  Madison yawned and stretched her arms out wide while she walked down the brightly lit hallway, the mint green linoleum tiles glinting under the fluorescent lights. She rubbed the small of her back, digging in with her thumbs to ease the ache that had started just about the middle of her second straight shift. It had been a busy night in the maternity ward of City Hospital, and she caught the tired look on her own face in the staff room mirror.

  Her curly, dark hair was pinned up inside her cap and her colorful scrubs were as creased and tired-looking as she was. She pulled at the bags forming under her chocolate-colored eyes, trying to rub away the darker splotches, but she knew nothing but a good night’s rest would help. Even her velvet, mocha skin—her favorite feature—was starting to look wan and washed out.

  Madison had been in attendance for two births that night. Two beautiful baby girls. One of the procedures had gone smoothly, the other had not. One of the mothers had become critical after the birth and had to be rushed into the operating room. It had been a harrowing few hours for both mother and child, but finally, the doctors had been able to stem the bleeding, and get the mother’s system back to normal. Madison had let out a huge sigh of relief at the news.

  Madison was the obstetrics nurse responsible for making sure the baby was safe and warm, tucked up in a portable crib in the nursery until her mother was well enough to hold her again.

  “Thank you,” the mother had whispered hours later, when Madison had placed the sleeping baby into her mother's arms. “You were terrific during the whole thing. Are you a mother?” The woman glanced up at her expectantly, but then gazed lovingly back down at her own newborn daughter, cradling her with exhausted arms.

  “Not yet,” Madison had said, smiling down at them.

  “You'll make a great mom one day. I can tell.”

  That stuck with her for the rest of the day, bringing back memories of her own mother, and also brought all her hopes and dreams to the surface, once more.

  It was while holding the baby, that Madison dreamed again about the day she would become a mother, herself. In her mind, it was all planned out. A good husband with a good job, a lovely home with a garden—and Madison would have three. Four if they were lucky. It was taking a little longer than she had hoped for her dreams to become a reality, but she still held on to her hope that one day, she would see it realized.

  Madison returned to the delivery room with a satisfied smile on her face, despite how tired she was and how much her feet ached. After she finished cleaning up the last of the remnants left over from the births, she shut off the lights and headed to the desk to clock out for the night. Madison was already dreaming of a hot bubble bath with her new lavender bath salts, and curling up in bed with a good book. She stifled another yawn. Maybe she would skip the book and go straight to sleep. She didn’t think she would need any extra help that night.

  As she neared the front, she noticed that two of her co-workers, Cassie and Rosario, were whispering loudly to one another as they huddled…they huddled around the nurses' station. She overheard the tail end of the conversation, but she knew that with Cassie taking the lead, there was only one thing they could be talking about.

  “And then what did you do?” Rosario said, her blue eyes wide at Cassie as she waited for the rest of the story.

  “What did I do?” Cassie repeated. “Well, I screwed his brains out, of course.”

  The two of them began to giggle. “But he's a married man,” Rosario said, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

  “Well, for now he is,” Cassie replied with a flip of her short, red bob. “But he'll leave that skinny bitch of a wife, one day.”

  Madison cleared her throat when she heard this. Both Cassie and Rosario turned to look at Madison.

  “And what's your problem?” Cassie said, narrowing her eyes spitefully at Madison as she tried to move past them to reach the slot on the wall that held her time card.

  “I don't have a problem.” Madison grabbed the card, her purse, and her jacket, before she continued to tidy up some papers that were left askew on the desk at the nurses' station.

  “Yes, you do.” Cassie leaned over the back of her chair and glared at Madison. Everyone knew that Cassie had been dating a married man for over a year, and that he still hadn't left his wife for her. “Out with it. I'm sick of you looking down your nose at me.”

  “I'm not,” Madison said, trying to avoid the other woman’s glare. “It's just...”

  “Just what?” Cassie deliberately scooted the swivel chair closer to Madison so that Madison was forced to look at her.

  “It's just...” Madison looked from one face to the other. Rosario was looking at her just as intently. “I mean it's up to you what you do, but I never once heard of a married man who's ever left his wife for the mistress.”

  “I'm not a mistress,” Cassie said, perhaps a little too loudly. They were trying to be discreet so that none of the mothers could hear this conversation.

  “I'm sorry, Cassie, but that's exactly what you are.” Madison gave her a resigned shrug. She had a feeling that no matter what she said to Cassie, she would never admit the role she had placed herself in. A role that Madison didn’t necessarily agree with. But like she’d just said, it wasn’t up to her what the other woman chose to do.

  “I'm sure you know what you're doing, but I make it my business never to get involved with married men. I had a guy come on to me once. I could see the mark his wedding ring made on his finger. It was so obvious he'd taken it off just seconds before he hit on me. I turned him down flat, even though he was really cute. But in the end, it's just not worth it. It only brings you heartbreak.”

  “Look, if you've never done it with a married man, then what makes you such an expert?” Cassie, who was clearly offended, crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, the tone of her voice now sharp. Madison didn’t want to argue. She really just wanted to go home and get some much needed sleep. If she hadn’t been so tired, she probably wouldn’t have said anything in the first place.

  “I've seen how it ruined my sister's life.” Madison sighed and looked down as the memories swirled. Her sister had been torn apart by the affair. Madison glanced up before replacing the time sheet, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “But apart from that – out of principle, I'd never do it. Have you ever wondered how it affects the poor wife? I want to be a wife one day – not a mistress.”

  “Well, listen to you!” Cassie replied, raising her voice as her cheeks reddened. She would have continued with her tirade but their supervisor appeared and the conversation immediately died down. The other two women left the nurse’s station in tense silence; Rosario with a concerned look back, and Cassie glaring angrily as she stomped away.

  It was time for Madison to go off-duty, anyway. With a sigh, she finished cleaning up the desk, and turned to leave. Normally, she left from the hospital happy and satisfied after every shift. She loved her job, and she wouldn't give it up for anything. As she walked out into the large parking lot, however, she had to try and shake off the incident with Cassie. The uncomfortable feelings lingered in her mind as she made her way back home. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was none of her business what Cassie did, and that she should keep her opinions to herself next time.

  Her days off had flown by, and a few days later Madison was back on the day shift. She had completely forgotten about the incident with Cassie, until it was time to take a lunch break. Just as Madison was finishing up, the other woman walked in, the two of them crossing paths in the staff room. Madison got the cold shoulder from her, but hurried along to the main maternity ward reception to collect a group of parents who were doing a tour of the facilities. She tried to shake off her apprehension, and turned h
er mind to the presentation ahead.

  Madison was glad to get away from Cassie for the hour-long tour. She smiled brightly as she greeted the three couples—all of them were deciding if the facilities at City Hospital were going to suit them.

  “My name is Madison Browne, and I'm an obstetrics nurse, here at City Hospital. Any questions you may have during the tour, just ask and I'll be happy to answer them.”

  Madison did a quick check on names, and personally greeted each person before she began the tour. One of the couples stood out to Madison for a reason she could not explain. They had a refined look about them. She knew they must come from money, and she thought she'd known them from before, as if they were familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them.

  The woman, who had introduced herself as Ailsa Knight, was already about four months pregnant. She wore a silk dress that was loose fitting. She hardly looked pregnant, and in fact, looked more like a super model in her couture-looking dress and high heels.

  “Could we look at the birthing pool?” she asked Madison, as they toured the maternity wing. The woman’s blond hair was shoulder length and beautifully styled. Her makeup was subtle, and her nails were perfectly manicured. Madison spotted the designer shoes and handbag as they gave their names at the start of the tour.

  “Yes, the birthing pool is our last stop,” Madison said, smiling at her as they continued walking.

  And not for the first time, Madison's eyes turned to Ailsa Knight's husband, Christopher. Madison noticed how beautiful Ailsa was and it was impossible to miss that her husband was just as gorgeous, if in a more masculine, rugged type of way. Madison tried to keep her dark-eyed gaze to herself, but she just kept being drawn back to him over and over, despite herself.

  Christopher was several inches taller than his wife—over six foot, if Madison had to guess. He wore an expensive shirt and pants, tailored to fit his impressive physique perfectly. His thick, dark hair just touched his collar. He had deep brown eyes, with large lashes that framed them, and Madison wondered if his baby would inherit them. The baby would be gorgeous no matter what, she thought. This couple looked as though they had just stepped off the front of a celebrity magazine.

  Madison had been trying to avoid looking at Christopher from the moment he gave his name. His voice was deep and seductive, and in giving Madison his name, his eyes had not left hers for a second. He was the only one on the tour to shake Madison's hand. It was soft and cool to the touch, but the feel of him enclosing her own small hand had made Madison catch her breath.

  In fact, Madison could feel his eyes on her at every point during that tour, heavy and hot like a weight on her back. She had mixed emotions. Had he been anyone but a married man, she would have made it clear she was interested. She would have returned the very obvious look he was giving her. How could he be flirting with her when his wife was right there?

  Madison opened the door to one of the rooms where a birthing pool was set up for the purpose of the tour. She stepped back to let everyone in. The parents all filed into the room. All except for Christopher Knight, who hung back and said to Madison, “After you.”

  Again, his look was long and lingering, and she grew uncomfortable, angry at herself that she was enjoying the attention.

  “No, you first,” Madison said firmly, deliberately. “Join your wife.” Madison held out her hand to signal for him to enter before she breezed into the room and stood at the front to give them all a comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of the birthing pool. As they finished up, she gestured for everyone to exit the room and follow her back to the front of the building.

  The tour had come full circle and Madison had led them all back to the reception area.

  “Now, does anyone have any further questions?” she asked, pointedly trying to avoid looking anywhere near the Knight couple.

  As usual, there were many, and Madison patiently answered them all. She dreaded Christopher asking her anything and tried to avoid looking in his direction. She felt sure his wife would become suspicious if she didn't keep her feelings under wraps. And rightly so, she admonished herself. She had just told Cassie that getting involved with a married man only brought heartache, but for some reason it was like her brain refused to remember that.

  The question and answer part of the tour soon came to an end, and Madison waved goodbye to the couples with a bright smile, happy that the hour was over.

  At the end of the session, Madison was relieved to see Christopher Knight leaving with his wife and the rest of the tour group. She watched his tall, athletic figure walking away down the long corridor, his hand holding Ailsa's elbow. Madison let out a loud sigh of relief—it was over. She might not have to see them again, even if the Knights did choose City Hospital. Their visits might not correspond with her shifts, and there was a very slim chance that she, herself, would be helping to deliver their baby in five months' time.

  Already, her mind was moving on to the next task. There were always new patients, new mothers, and new paperwork to deal with in the Obstetrics section. Sometimes she felt like the paperwork would never get done, and as she checked her watch, Madison noted that she still had almost an hour and a half before her next appointment was due. With a sigh, she turned and headed to the large desk that housed all of their files, resigning herself to an afternoon of staring at the computer screen.

  A little while later, Madison was at the nurses' station, going over the computer records, when she heard someone behind the desk clear their throat. She looked up and saw him. Christopher Knight was standing there, a half smile on his face, and the waft of his aftershave filling the air around her as it had done earlier. It distracted her, and it took her a full minute before she realized he was waiting for her to say something.

  “Can I help you?” Madison stuttered. “Did you forget something?”

  “Um, my wife sent me back to ask you. I mean, that is, we...” He paused, and Madison was caught by his eyes staring deeply into her own. She found herself trying her best to keep a straight face. She noticed that he blushed a little, and she could feel an answering heat tinge her own normally brown cheeks a deep scarlet.

  The silence stretched between them, wrapping them in an unexpected intimacy that had Madison shying back, away from the magnetic gaze that had her heart beating like a trap bird fluttering in her chest. After a moment, she cleared her thoughts, trying to break whatever spell he had cast over her.

  “Yes?” she said finally, trying to sound authoritative.

  “We noticed something online about a private course you run here, called 'From Conception to Birth?’”

  “Yes, that's support for new parents,” Madison replied as she nodded her head, now aware that they must have made their choice of hospital. She had hoped that they would decide to use a different hospital, taking Christopher Knight and his terrible temptation with him. “It's offered by a senior member of staff who answers any questions you might have along the way. Are you interested in booking the course?”

  Christopher leaned his elbows on the desk and was now just a foot away from Madison, too close for her comfort. She had to forcibly stop herself from taking a step back. There was something about this man that affected her more than anyone had in a long time. If only he was anyone but a married man, with a baby on the way, no less.

  “Yes, please. Do I fill in a form?” he said, his deep voice rolling over her in a thick wave, sending chills dancing down her spine. Get a hold of you yourself, Madison! She admonished herself as she reached for the small, white slip of paper for him to fill out.

  “I have one here,” Madison said breathlessly, standing so that Christopher was forced to step back from the desk. Another nurse walked by and eyed Christopher up and down. He did not see this because she was behind him, but the nurse looked at Madison and winked before leaving them alone again, causing another flash of heat to redden her cheeks.

  “Just fill in all of your details.” Madison cleared her throat as she handed him the form,
making sure to avoid the brush of his long, tanned fingers as she slid it across the top of the desk. “Or you could do it online and someone will be assigned to you and your wife.”

  “No, I want you,” Christopher blurted out, and the words sent yet another flash of heat crashing through her. Get a grip, Madison! She repeated to herself as he continued speaking. “I mean... I want you to be our contact. My wife seemed to like you, that is.”

  “I'm afraid I'm not...” Madison was caught by his dark-eyed stare—the emotion in them swirling around and threatening to pull her under. He was silently pleading with her to be their point of contact.

  The truth was that she was not yet qualified. She knew how to do the job perfectly, but she didn't hold the senior position. But his eyes were still imploring her to agree, begging her.

  “All right,” she said, giving into him. “Here is my pager number. You don't need to fill in this form. I have all your details.” Before she could second-guess herself, she wrote her pager number on the form and handed it to him. “You'll need to call the main switchboard. Whenever you need me for anything, you just get them to beep me, and I'll call you back directly. I have your wife's cell from the tour details earlier.”

  “No,” he said, quickly. “You'll need to call me. My wife won't be able to take calls. She's an artist, you see. She doesn't want interruptions. Whenever we have a problem, I'll be the one contacting you and you can call my cell number. It's on the form we filled in earlier too.”

  Madison screwed up her eyebrows and looked quizzically at him, trepidation and doubt filling her at his words.

  “Don't worry,” he said as he waved a hand in the air, and she wished she could wave away her worries as easily, “we'll probably both be calling during this whole pregnancy thing. I'm sure when Ailsa wants to talk to you directly, she'll call. But she's more than happy for me to act as the go-between. If the truth be known, I'm the one who needs the support. This all happened very fast, and I'm struggling a bit.”