The Billionaire's Island_A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Cherry Kay

  He closed his eyes, knowing he was as in love with her before as he was now.

  *

  “I’ve thought about it,” Caryn began, slowly. “I just don’t want to move there without a job.”

  “There’s one waiting for you. You won’t like it, but it pays decently, and it’s a bit boring. Medical office staff,” David told her.

  “I didn’t go to college for that-“

  “It’s here, waiting for you, until you find a better one.”

  She nodded, staring out into the distance, the snowy rooftops of the buildings suddenly looked dreary. She looked at Emilia, who was lying down on her second-hand crib, sleeping peacefully. It took her all of two days to be pulled close into the decision she knew would change everyone’s lives, and her baby’s the most.

  The job would most likely be from the hospital where his mother was a board member. She liked Jane, and the rest of his family, David… not so much. At least not right now. Not in the way she’d have wanted it to progress.

  His bossiness got to her always, but he was practical and right, in more ways than one. There was a reason why he was a billionaire, there was a reason why he was CEO. But that didn’t mean he could be a good father. It was clear he wanted to be one.

  “There’s a lot to pack up--”

  “Leave it all behind. I’ve set up an apartment for you,” he quickly told her.

  “Where?”

  “Somewhere close to where you work.”

  “And the rent?”

  “You’ll be paying for it, of course,” he said. “Just the way you’d prefer it. Have you sent in your resignation?”

  “Not yet,” Caryn told him, biting her lower lip.

  “Well, you’d better hand it in today. I’m sending over my jet tomorrow. A car will pick you up, to bring your most important belongings. Nothing over a hundred pounds, please. The jet’s not that big.”

  She almost couldn’t say anything. The jet wasn’t that big. But he had a jet. And they were getting in on that jet, and moving out of New York, and into California. It was all happening too soon, too fast. She hadn’t planned this, hadn’t expected this, not in twenty years, at least. The moment she met David again, her life had turned upside down. She was content in her struggle, content in knowing she was working hard for Emilia.

  David just had to come along, and make it seem like all her hard work was for nothing, by dumping cash into her account, he was now accountable for their future.

  “Alright,” she said, her voice sounding strained. She would hand over her resignation today, with Emilia in tow, and she would say goodbye to her kind landlady and landlord, and pay the remaining month’s rent. Had she always been that lonely, that her circle remained so small? She couldn’t even call her co-workers as her close friends, they were just friends. In California, she would have to start over, an alien of sorts.

  “Emilia will be well taken cared for while we work,” he added.

  “She should be,” Caryn said.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, I’ve sent another secretary to help you with everything. She’ll be coming in shortly. Do watch out for her. She’s Carlotta Bayles.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  And the conversation ended right there. She looked at her phone in revulsion, wondering if she had made the right decision for herself. No, this was for Emilia. Everything was for Emilia now. Her happiness came second, her emotions came second. Whatever she felt for David, she knew she had to bury first.

  She had begun to learn what her mother had done back then, when her father had tried to fight for their little family. All the humiliation she had received from her father’s family, she bore silently, as she wanted Caryn to have something better than what she had had in her childhood.

  This was easier than what her mother had gone through, right? At least David’s family was quite accepting about Emilia, and her. Whatever hang-ups Caryn had, she knew she had to keep them and manage them herself. She couldn’t destroy Emilia’s chances for a better future in a whole new city, with a whole new job, and a whole new life.

  *

  He was nervous about the whole thing, even if he didn’t want to be. He had personally gone out to pick them up them at the airport, and at his request, his family didn’t join. That would be too… invasive, wouldn’t it be? Besides, he needed to talk to her.

  There he was at the private tarmac, waiting for them to deplane. His secretary, Carlotta, had said that Caryn was quiet, shy and pleasant. David wasn’t sure about the pleasant part, as she showed no qualms in talking back if she was cornered, but maybe she changed.

  A baby could do so many things to an adult, even change one’s character. He found himself far more motivated now, and work was no longer work and expensive hobbies, but it was now for his daughter’s future. He still marveled at how beautiful Emilia was, how she had come from his loins and Caryn’s.

  He saw them alight from the plane, and found that Emilia was asleep.

  “How was the flight?” he asked her.

  “It was a bit bumpy as soon as we left the airport, but she slept through most of it,” Caryn said, clearly wary of him.

  “I understand that Carlotta did most of the paperwork for you,” he told her.

  “She was really nice about it,” Caryn said, “Must’ve been a lot of hassle.”

  “The important thing is, most of the loose ends have been tied up. Carlotta can go back, just in case you need other things?”

  Caryn nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s get a move on. At least the only thing you’ll need here is a heavier sweater for the season,” he said, leading them for the car. “We’ll be going to your new place first, so you can rest.”

  “Shouldn’t you be at work?” she asked him.

  “I wanted to see Emilia, maybe play with her for a bit before I go back for work.”

  “Also, to talk?” she added.

  David took a breath. “If you’re up for it.”

  Caryn shook her head, as she adjusted Emilia’s head on her chest. “Why wait for the inevitable? Of course, we’re going to talk. We’re both doing things we never thought we’d do, for a little human.”

  “The little human’s changed us,” David said, amused.

  “Of course, she has. I’m doing things I never thought I’d do. Like move here, like listen to you.”

  “You can always remain stubborn, you know,” David said.

  “I- I,” Caryn stopped and took a breath. “I can’t. Emilia--”

  “Emilia’s the only important matter here, nothing else,” he said, trying to put her at ease. “Of course, your happiness is mine as well.”

  “What?”

  David took a breath. “You heard what I said.”

  “Oh, so you’re trying to be my friend now, are you?”

  “I’m trying to be a good father, and whatnot,” David said, knowing his irritation was growing. He wasn’t good with this at all. He remembered what his mother had said, and remained silent for the rest of the trip. It was an uneventful thirty-minute drive, and they stopped in front of a tall, residential building.

  “We’re here,” he said.

  Caryn slowly clambered out of the car, and he saw her eyes widen, not expecting such a grand place. They walked into the building, where a reception greeted them warmly.

  “Mr. Pierce, good day. Madam,” she said.

  “Hi Susan, this is my daughter, Emilia, and uh, Caryn,” he said, not knowing how to introduce Caryn.

  “Oh, she’s adorable, Mr. Pierce,” Susan said in her high-pitched voice. “You could have taken the express elevator.”

  “I wanted them to see the lobby first,” David said with a smile.

  The moment David opened the door that led to the penthouse suite, he heard Caryn gasp quietly.

  “David, I don’t think I can afford this,” she said, sounding dejected.

  “Well, how about a discount?” he told her. “I own this, but since you like your independence�
��”

  “You’re a jerk, do you know that?”

  He couldn’t contain his laughter. “So I’ve heard. But yes, does $500 a month suit your palate? It’ll be enough for utilities.”

  “Rent is normally how much for this kind of place?” she asked him, walking around from room to room. “How many rooms are there?”

  “Usually $5,000 a month, it is a penthouse, after all. You didn’t have to bring furniture or anything. This place is decorated down to a T, by Daphne, if you remember her.”

  “Yes,” Caryn said, absentmindedly. “$5,000…” she repeated.

  “Oh, it has three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. There’s a terrace, and a pool at the 8th floor. We’re at the 20th, by the way. The fridge is stocked with food, healthier and not instant,” “You really went out of your way, huh?”

  “I don’t want you thinking we’re a bunch of barbarians in California,” David said.

  “Did you just make a joke?”

  “I’m trying to make light of the situation here. I know we’re kind of nervous.”

  “You have no idea,” Caryn finally admitted, exhausted. “I couldn’t really sleep last night. I wasn’t sure of what was waiting for us here.”

  “Apart from me?”

  She nodded. “Apart from you. We haven’t even gotten the DNA test results, yet.”“You said it was mine. I believed you.”

  Caryn closed her eyes for a moment. “I never tried to date anyone after- after the… you get the picture. It was hard for me, as it was for you.”

  He nodded. “Go on.”

  Caryn seemed surprised that he would let her continue, but she did, glad that he didn’t interrupt her. So, his mother was right, wasn’t she.

  “When I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to tell you. I fought hard against it, I knew you had problems of your own, and even if it was yours, I thought you wouldn’t want to be a part of what was happening. I mean, we talked, but we were so guarded, afraid that we might say something wrong… tell me I’m right?”

  David looked at her. “You’re right. And I’m not saying this just because. If I had found out a few months ago, I don’t think I’d be as ready as I was. I think we’d fight.”

  “Didn’t we always argue? That was why I was worried about it, I was worried you’d want to get rid of it, when I wanted to keep it, I was worried you’d think Emilia wasn’t yours.”

  “But this is now,” David said. “We’re here, and I’m doing my best, as are you. Whatever the outcome of the DNA test is, I’ll still be here for Emilia, and you.”

  “Why?”

  David closed his eyes for a moment, and then he shrugged, looking at Emilia who was fast asleep. “Because I want to. You don’t tell me I can choose not to, this is all my choice, anyway, and this is what I want.”

  “I mean nothing to you…” her voice trailed off. “I mean, not in the way I’d want for--” she stopped.

  He looked up at her. “I don’t think so. Wait, I know so. And it’s not just because of the baby.” He stopped abruptly, realizing that he was reddening. He cleared his throat and looked away, not wanting to impose his emotions on her. What if she didn’t feel the same? He was becoming sappy, vulnerable, and he felt as exposed as the moment he had found out his friends had cheated him out of his company, along with Amanda cheating on him.

  This wasn’t how he had envisioned mending whatever conflict there was between them. He was becoming awkward again, and he had worked hard on that since she left the island. Maybe it was a sign that he was pushing himself beyond discomfort, and into something worse. How bad was this going to be? Was he going to ruin everything? Or was Caryn going to ruin things for them?

  Maybe their attitudes didn’t mesh well enough. All the doubts began to surface, and his confidence began to break. He knew he would still be a good father, but when it came to Caryn, he was fumbling about, unsure, and noncommittal. What for? She was harmless and right in front of him…

  “Are you okay?” she interrupted his reverie.

  “Uh, yeah, yeah, of course. You want to see the rooms?”

  She looked at him warily, then nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Do you need a nanny?”

  “No,” Caryn quickly replied.

  “So, you don’t need a nanny, but you leave Emilia to a stranger.”

  “Who was probably the sweetest lady in New York,” Caryn said. “Look, I appreciate you doing this all for Emilia, and I even get to be collateral damage for the perks she’s getting- but why do we have to fight? It’s like we can’t meet up and not talk nicely.” “Maybe we’re not built like that, maybe we’re just--”

  “Not good together?” Caryn finished, her voice sounded hurt, and David didn’t like that one bit.

  He said nothing, and he watched as Caryn entered an open room, where a bassinet was. She gently put Emilia down, and then closed the door partially. Her eyes were pissed as soon as she faced him again.

  “Maybe we aren’t. The only good thing to come out of each other’s company is my child, huh?”

  “It’s not that.” “You’re just doing this to exercise authority, to show you’ve got the money, to show you’re--”“To show that I can be a good parent. To show that I want to make things better between us,” David interjected.

  “How?” her voice croaked.

  “I’m bad at this,” David breathed out.

  “Glad to know I’m not the only one.” “Screw it,” David muttered, walking up to her and kissing her.

  Chapter13

  She couldn’t tell him to stop. She hadn’t realized she had wanted this for so long, until he started kissing her. She didn’t want him to stop at all. He was as hungry as she was for this. Had it been so long? She couldn’t look at another man the way she looked at David, and it seemed ages ago, and it seemed like it had only happened mere seconds, at the same time.

  He was kissing her with such ferocity, that only a man in love could do so. She wanted to believe it. She had left Lānaʻi deeply disturbed by the love she had felt for him in such a short amount of time. How can someone fall in love in a month? And how can someone still be in love after not seeing him for a year?

  She felt his lips slide down her neck, and she couldn’t help but moan. Their kisses grew hot and hard. One of his hands slid inside her sweater, tracing the outline of the lace on her bra, and she shuddered.

  She forced herself to focus. Emilia was in the other room, asleep. Was it wrong to be in this moment? Was it wrong to want things that had been deprived of her? Was it wrong to sleep with someone she never thought she’d see again? Was it wrong to sleep with David James Pierce?

  Caryn found herself sliding on the couch, and then that urge kicked in, and she quickly took off her sweater, exposing her bralette. A breeze fluttered from the open windows as he greedily tasted her mouth again. Goosebumps prickled on her skin, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the wind, or David, or both. She unbuttoned his shirt, almost ripping it apart, that flutter inside her increasing. She wanted him in her, and by god, she knew he wanted the same.

  “Wait, wait,” she suddenly said.

  “What?” David said, distracted, “What’s wrong?”

  “We don’t have any protection,” she said.

  David groaned. “Damn it.”

  He rolled off of her, and sat on the edge of the couch, breathing in deeply. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t—” he paused, “that wasn’t very nice.”

  What? Wait, no… she thought at first, realizing how stupid she had been to even mention that… but she didn’t want to repeat past actions with the same guy, with consequences she knew she could barely handle alone. She felt deflated, undesirable, and most of all, stupid.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally uttered. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean for it to stop.” “No,” David said, standing up, the light from the windows casting a wonderful glow on his normally pale skin. “I didn’t ask.”

  “You didn’t need to. We were just unprepared,�
� Caryn said.

  “Like how we were with Emilia?” David looked sideways, staring into her eyes. They looked surprisingly playful.

  Caryn nodded, sitting straight this time, keeping a good few inches away from him. She could feel his body heat, and it made her wish they had protection. She wanted her heartbeat to normalize, she didn’t want to feel her own body heat, her own heat, frustrated. She hadn’t slept with someone in so long, and she had wanted the next person to still be David…

  “It’s been too long,” David murmured. “I guess I got carried away.”

  Me too, she thought, not saying anything.

  “So much for responsible parenthood,” he said with a short laugh. “I’m here getting frisky with the mother of my baby.”

  “What’s so wrong about that?” she asked him.

  “Maybe you didn’t want it,” David said.

  “Maybe I did,” she told him, grabbing her sweater, and pulling it over her head quickly. “Maybe I did, but decided on the last minute not to. This arrangement, I don’t know how good it’ll be for us. We’re the adults here, Emilia won’t know she’s living in a place as nice as this is until she’s in preschool or something.”

  “But we know that,” David said, “we’re the conscious ones. I want what’s best for her, and you’re here because you want the same.”

  “We can’t just let our emotions fly out a lot, can we?” Caryn told him.

  “You mean we shouldn’t be two horny adults?” David corrected her, putting on his shirt.

  “To put it bluntly.”

  “We’re both single, we’ve had a child, and we’re not dating anyone at the moment.”

  “I don’t have the time or luxury for that.”

  “You think I have?” David retorted. “What are you so afraid of?”

  “A lot of things, actually,” Caryn found herself admitting. “And I know you feel the same way, too. We’re just two damaged kids, pretending to be grown-ups, and having a kid of our own.”