Kurt: Cowboy (Members From Money Book 23)

by Katie Dowe

  *****

  Bryce looked at his hand wrapped around Lateisha’s dainty wrist. He longed to bring her hand to his mouth and kiss the palm. But that would be a disaster. It would only lead to what happened that night in his office and Bryce wasn’t sure that was a good idea. They were from different backgrounds, they had different goals, it wasn’t meant for them to be together. If that was the case, why did everything feel so right with Lateisha? Sighing with frustration, Bryce finally let go of Lateisha’s wrist and leaned back into the chair. He could see her chest rise and fall in panting breaths and knew his own mirrored it.

  “Lateisha,” he said again; not sure what he was going to say but knew he needed to say something.

  She shook her head and looked at her hands. Seconds later, before Bryce could attempt to speak again, the nurse and doctor came into the room.

  “Congratulations, you two. You’re going to have a baby!” The doctor exclaimed and stood back waiting for them to react.

  Bryce looked over at Lateisha, who was staring at him with surprise. This was it, she was having his baby. Bryce wanted a child to call his own for so long and never imagined the woman that came with it. Suddenly raising this baby without Lateisha didn’t seem right.

  Chapter 6

  Lateisha couldn’t get the look of surprise off of her face at the doctor’s news. Everyone in the room was staring at her waiting for her to respond but she couldn’t. How did a person respond to something like this? She was having a baby with a man, but even though biologically it was hers, the baby wasn’t hers. Something about that made a large lump form in Lateisha’s throat and she had to clear it to make it disappear. Why was she sad? She didn’t want children. A scary thought niggled at the back of her mind but Lateisha was afraid to even think about it. Arranging her features so as not to give away the way she felt, Lateisha cleared her throat again to speak.

  “That’s great! I’m so happy for you, Bryce.” She stood, and wrapped him in her arms.

  He stiffened and Lateisha released him, only he didn’t let her go. She pulled back, and their eyes met. The look in his eyes was back, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. The need to pull away from him was strong but he wasn’t letting her go. From the corner of her eye she could see the doctor and nurse looking at them strangely. What was he doing?

  “Bryce?” She whispered, looking him dead in the eyes.

  “I’m so sorry.” He finally spoke, releasing the grip he had on her.

  “Well, we will give you two a minute. When you’re ready come to the front desk and we will make a few prenatal appointments, etc.” The doctor said, hurrying the nurse from the room.

  Great, now we are scaring the office staff with our strange relationship, Lateisha thought.

  She looked at Bryce, who had backed away from her and was gathering his briefcase to leave.

  “I meant what I said, you know,” Lateisha started, moving towards him. “I’m happy you’re going to get your baby.”

  “Our baby,” Bryce said, which was followed with a look of shock on his own face. “I mean, if it wasn’t for you, there wouldn’t be a baby.”

  Turmoil and emotion clogged Lateisha’s throat again. The thought that plagued her when the doctor announced that they were having a baby resurfaced; could it be that she wanted this baby because it was hers and Bryce’s?

  *****

  Our baby? Bryce thought, mentally kicking himself.

  What was he thinking? That’s the problem, he wasn’t thinking. When the doctor told them that Lateisha was pregnant, all Bryce could think was ‘we’re having a baby’. But they weren’t, not really. Lateisha was having a baby to give to him and then she would walk out of his life forever. A pang gripped his gut but he ignored it. This was business; he didn’t have time for complications. From the corner of his eye, he watched Lateisha as he bent to gather his briefcase. She looked sad. He stood; ready to comfort her against his better judgment, but when he looked at her again the expression was gone. Had he imagined it?

  “Are you ready?” She asked, pulling the door open.

  Bryce nodded and followed behind her to the reception desk. Lateisha made three of her next appointments and one for an ultrasound in a month and they headed out the door.

  “Do you need a ride?” Bryce asked, secretly hoping she would take him up on it this time.

  Lateisha shook her head. “I have to work, I’m going to take the bus right there.”

  “If you’re sure…” Bryce began; he didn’t like her taking the bus alone in the city.

  “I’m okay. I just need some time to myself.” She turned and walked away from him before he could ask her why.

  *****

  Lateisha shook her head as she boarded the bus. The change she deposited clinked its way into the machine and she walked down the narrow aisle and found a seat. Why did she tell him that? Bryce made her speak too freely about what she was thinking, even when she tried to hide it from him. Frowning, she opened the baby app she downloaded while waiting at the bus stop. She put in the date of the IUI to find her due date; it was the same as the one the doctor gave her; April fifteenth. Fighting the urge to rub her belly, she tucked her phone back into her purse and stared straight ahead. She didn’t really have to work, she only told Bryce that so that he wouldn’t insist on driving her back to the penthouse. Knowing Bryce he was headed back to the office and wouldn’t be back until eight o’clock or later, so Lateisha had no worries that he would find her at home when she told him otherwise. Resting her head back on the seat, Lateisha closed her eyes for a moment, exhaustion gripping her like a claw, and thought about her situation. Despite her feelings for Bryce, Lateisha knew she had to remain professional, or she would lose more than just a baby, she would lose her heart.

  *****

  The next four weeks passed in the same fashion as the previous two, Lateisha went to work and came home, searched for jobs and went to sleep. She rarely saw Bryce, and when she did they mostly just exchanged pleasantries. While not showing a baby bump just yet, Lateisha was sporting some mean nausea and exhaustion. There were days where getting through work was a struggle for her because she was either too tired to move or too nauseous to serve food. Vomiting in the break room bathroom became a normal lunch time routine. That particular day, after vomiting upon arrival, and after lunch, Lateisha was taking fifteen with a cold paper towel on her head and a large Coke in her hand; the carbonation helped to ease the nausea. Barely looking at her phone she dialed Becky’s number from memory.

  “Hey, girl.” Becky answered on the second ring, her cheery voice piercing through Lateisha’s pounding head.

  “Hey,” she answered, removing the now warm paper towel and tossing it in the trash.

  “You sound awful,” Becky mentioned with a laugh.

  “I don’t feel so hot either,” Lateisha swigged her soda and almost threw it back up.

  “Morning sickness?” Becky asked, an edge of disdain in her voice

  Ever since Lateisha moved into Bryce’s penthouse and told Becky she was pregnant, Becky had been angry with her. They still talked almost every day, but their relationship was definitely strained.

  Lateisha sighed, “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “It’s a good thing he’s paying you,” Becky grumbled.

  Lateisha balked, never once in the last six weeks had she thought about the money. Odd but all she wanted was for Bryce to be happy. She decided not to answer Becky’s smart remark and they talked for several minutes about random things. Lateisha hung up and took another sip of soda, slower this time. Her nausea was easing for now and she was starving. Unfortunately she still had another hour left of work.

  Tossing her phone in her purse and locking it up, she grabbed her soda and headed out to the kitchen. Several orders came in with rapid succession and Lateisha didn’t have a moment to think for another hour. When she finally looked up she had five minutes left of her shift. Refilling her s
oda for the second time, Lateisha walked into the seating area to begin wiping down tables and sweeping.

  “Hello,” Lateisha jumped but quickly realized it was only Bryce who was behind her.

  Why is he here? She thought, setting her drink and the broom down. They had barely spoken in weeks and now he just showed up at her job.

  “What’s up?” She asked, turning to face him.

  Lateisha was always surprised at the reaction she had to his appearance and closeness. Never once had she not felt tingly all over and ready to swoon like a stupid teenager with a crush. At the moment she could feel her body heating at his proximity when she turned. He was right behind her, so close she could reach out and grab him if she wanted to. Part of her actually wanted to but she ignored that part. Bryce looked sexy as hell in his gray fitted suit, crisp white shirt and deep purple tie. Lateisha had to tell herself a few times that ignoring the urge to jump his bones was in fact a good thing. Maybe it was the raging hormones. That’s what she told herself anyway. No matter that she felt this way before getting pregnant.

  “I just came in to check up on you. We haven’t really spoken in awhile. I hope you remembered the ultrasound we have tomorrow,” Bryce said, his hazel eyes looking her up and down as if he were inspecting her for damage.

  Lateisha nodded, turning away from him to wipe the last table. It was better if she wasn’t so close to him while they talked. It was probably a good thing they hadn’t spoken in awhile.

  “I remember. I’m doing fine; nauseous and exhausted but fine.” Lateisha grabbed the dirty rag and brought it back behind the counter, snagging her soda and taking a sip as she went.

  “What’s that?” Bryce asked, pointing at her cup.

  Lateisha laughed. “You’ve never seen soda before?” She teased.

  Bryce’s face remained serious. “Soda in large amounts isn’t good for a developing fetus. There’s too much caffeine and the sugar isn’t good for you either. You could develop gestational diabetes.”

  Lateisha sighed. Here we go again, she thought.

  “Two sodas aren’t a big deal, Bryce.” Lateisha took the cup and dramatically dropped it into a trash can.

  Bryce shook his head, “How many have you had over the last few weeks?”

  Lateisha didn’t answer, he had a point. She had at least two or three sodas every few days. There was no way she was telling him he was right though.

  “Not as much as you would assume, Mr. Control Freak,” she said, turning on her heel and leaving him standing at the counter while she walked to the back to deposit the cloth in the washing machine.

  He could wait on her for a change. She threw all the towels into a load, poured the soap in and started the machine.

  “You can’t avoid the question or ignore me, Lateisha.” Bryce had followed her into the back room.

  “This room is employees only, Mr. Henderson.” Lateisha pushed past him and headed towards the break room to grab her purse and jacket.

  “Lateisha,” Bryce sounded like he was begging her to talk to him.

  When he wanted to talk to her she had to do as he pleased, but he had been avoiding her for weeks. Anger suddenly took over and Lateisha’s face heated as she turned to him.

  “No. You don’t get to dictate when and where I talk to you. You may have full control over this baby but you will not control me,” Lateisha answered, shaking with rage.

  Bryce grabbed her by the arms and looked down at her. His hazel eyes dark with emotion.

  “I’m concerned about you both. You eat junk all day and expect me to be okay with how that affects my baby. Not to mention the toll it will take on you. I don’t want you working in this place any more. You can come work for me.”

  Bryce released her and walked toward the doors and Lateisha had no choice but to follow him to find out what the hell he meant.

  *****

  Bryce stalked away from Lateisha, anger making his blood boil. Usually Bryce was very good at maintaining his composure. Never once, not even when some idiot at work tried to one up him, did he lose his temper in public. But somehow Lateisha had him on the edge of exploding. Walking away was the best option. He knew her working in fast food would become an issue sooner or later. She assured him she didn’t eat from the place she worked, but he’d seen the other shit she ate. Lateisha liked to pretend that he wasn’t paying attention. Little did she know he was always watching her. For breakfast she ate nothing but Pop Tarts and sugary cereal and when she was home she ate pizza and fast food for lunch and dinner. God only knew what she ate when she wasn’t at the penthouse. He had seen enough. This place was no good for her. He needed her to be close to him so he could make sure she was taking care of herself and the baby. Working with him was her only option. Lucky for her there was a secretarial opening. It was for his partner John.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?!” Lateisha exclaimed from behind him.

  He turned with a smirk. “I’m Bryce Henderson, head of HenCorp and one of the wealthiest men alive.”

  Lateisha looked like she was going to hit him. “Oh right. You’re so fucking rich and special you can buy babies and order people around. If I wasn’t having this baby for you I’d never speak to you again, Bryce Henderson, master of the universe.”

  She turned and stomped away from him, and out the back door. Bryce sighed. Hopefully she was at the penthouse when he got back; they weren’t through with this conversation.

  *****

  Lateisha boarded the bus, due to the fact that her piece of shit car finally gave out two weeks ago, fury still heating her face. The nerve of him! Bryce really thought he could order her around just because he was wealthy and she was the nobody he chose to carry a baby for him. She sat with the sting of tears in her eyes. Not sure why she was suddenly sad, Lateisha pushed against her eyelids to keep them from falling. It hurt a bit that he thought so little of her but why was she surprised, after he told her what he thought of himself, she didn’t know. Suddenly she had the urge to go to Becky’s apartment and stay the night there. Bryce would just have to sweat it out to see if she was coming back.

  Five minutes later, Lateisha was knocking on Becky’s door, even though she still had a key.

  The door swung opened and Becky stood on the other side, surprise in her eyes.

  “Teish, what’s going on?” She asked, pulling the door open and stepping back so Lateisha could enter.

  “I just needed to hide from Bryce for a…” Her voice trailed off as she realized who was sitting on the couch.

  “Hello, ‘Teish’,” Bryce said, giving her a fake wave and a smirk.

  “What the fuck is he doing here?” Lateisha barked at Becky.

  “He showed up a few minutes ago looking for you. He said you might come here. I told him you wouldn’t since we really weren’t speaking too much right now. But I guess he was right.” Becky’s eyes widened with surprise as she spoke, looking from Lateisha to Bryce.

  Lateisha frowned. She didn’t like that he knew her so well, even though a part of her was happy about it.

  “You just can’t leave it alone can you.” Lateisha said her voice now free of anger.

  She really didn’t know what to say to him at this point, but figured she may as well listen to him since he tracked her down. Waving her hand at him as if to tell him to speak, Lateisha took a seat in the armchair opposite the couch and waited for him to begin.

  “As I was saying before you stormed out; my partner John has an opening to be his assistant and I think it would be good if you took it.”

  Lateisha started to speak and tell him what he could do with his job offer when Becky cut in.

  “Really? What a great opportunity, Lateisha! They pay great and you could even go back to school because they offer tuition assistance.” Becky stood and clapped her hands enthusiastically.

  If she didn’t know Becky well she’d swear this was staged. But Becky didn’t trust Bryce or this whole surr
ogacy thing so she knew her interests were solely for Lateisha.

  “I don’t know, Beck. I’d have to spend forty hours a week with this guy.” Lateisha cocked a thumb at Bryce and instead of being irritated, he chuckled.

  “You wouldn’t be working for me. You’d be working for John. He’s on the fifteenth floor and you wouldn’t see me at all. Hardly,” Bryce added, looking at Lateisha hopefully.

  Well damn, they did have a pretty good point, and Lateisha did hate working at McDonald’s. Even though she knew this was a ploy by Bryce to control her life while she was carrying his baby, she also knew she would be a fool to turn down a great opportunity.

  “Fine,” she said stubbornly, her chin jutting out a bit, “I’ll do it. But on one condition.”

  “What’s that now?”

  “You can’t tell me what to wear, or eat or do while I’m working there, especially since you won’t be my direct boss.”

  Bryce nodded, “It’s a deal.”

  They shook hands and Lateisha stood to leave. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to go as smoothly as she planned.

  *****

  Bryce watched Lateisha leave before he stood.

  “Thanks for getting her on board. I appreciate it.” Bryce turned to Becky just before he walked out.

  “I didn’t do it for you. I still don’t like what you’re doing here and how you’re taking advantage of her. But Lateisha needs a more stable, better paying job no matter what. Just don’t hurt her or I’ll hunt you down like a dog,” Becky flashed a large smile and practically pushed Bryce out of the apartment.

  Scratching his head he descended the stairs, wondering if Lateisha was at the bus stop yet. She shouldn’t take the bus alone at night in the city, it wasn’t safe. Bryce stepped into his Town Car and told Gerry to drive down the street to the bus stop. Sure enough Lateisha was perched on the edge of a bench looking at her phone. Probably surfing social media or whatever the kids called it.

  Bryce asked Gerry to stop at the curb and rolled his window down. “Fancy meeting you here.”