CEO'S Secret Baby: A Standalone Surprise Pregnancy Romance

by Iona Rose

  The crowd went wild!

  “Time to go,” Tracy said and held my hand as we tried to get off the dance floor, but people thrashed around in wild excitement. Everything and everyone seemed to have chosen to stand in our path, so getting around the railing to the exit steps got harder and harder.

  My stomach roiled with the concern that we would eventually be trapped in the midst, unable to get away before the bubbles made everyone wet. My heart also went out to my sandals. They were low heeled and comfortable, but had cost me quite a ridiculous amount, so having them ruined was not part of the agenda tonight.

  A cloud of foam began to drift towards us but thankfully a group of half-drunken people attacked it. The middle of the club was fast becoming completely covered in foam and we were running out of time.

  “Get out of my way!” Tracy yelled as she pulled me along.

  I went amusedly along with her.

  We eventually made it to the steps before things could get out of hand, and I released a deep sigh of relief.

  Tracy let go of my hand, and I held onto the railing, but then suddenly I slid on something wet and I started to go down.

  A hand suddenly locked around my arm, holding me upright and I was able to regain my footing. “Thank you so much,” I said, and lifted my gaze to see who’d saved me.

  It was him.

  Every external noise seemed to fade into the background, and for the longest time I couldn’t speak until I heard Tracy call out my name. “I’ll be right there,” I called back to her, and tucked my curly hair behind my ears as I glanced at him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said and retreated till I was on solid ground. I turned to walk away, my knees wobbly.

  He called out to me, “Can I buy you a drink?”

  My legs almost gave away again as I turned and nodded much too eagerly and had to catch myself.

  He smiled in response, perhaps finding me endearing. I hoped.

  “But I have to speak to my friend for just a moment,” I said. “I’ll come join you.”

  “Sure,” he said and went on his way.

  I returned, dazed, to Tracy.

  She had ordered herself another drink and was waiting. “Who was that?”

  “The guy that disappeared earlier,” I said.

  For a moment, her face remained blank. Then it hit her. “Ahh… Oh.”

  “If you turn to look at him, I will smack you,” I said with gritted teeth.

  She laughed, but still peeped at him. “That’s the second time tonight you’ve threatened to deck me because of him.”

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I’m just so nervous. I don’t know why.”

  “Oh, I know why.” She nodded. “He’s fucking gorgeous. Those broad shoulders and long legs are enough to mess with a girl’s head.”

  I couldn’t help my amusement. “Well, I’m going over. He’s buying me a drink. I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on you…” She looked out towards the still enlivened crowd... “and try to see if it’s still possible to spot Anne. You know this scene makes me wonder if any of us really grow up, because all I see right now are a bunch of five year olds. They’re fucking going crazy over bubbles. I don’t get it.”

  “You’re an old soul Tracy,” I told her.

  “What? You don’t get it either.”

  “I do, I just don’t want to get wet.”

  “Well with him now in the picture I’m sure you already are.”

  I smacked her arm.

  “Ow!”

  “How does my face look?”

  “Stunning,” she said.

  “Lipstick on my teeth?” I asked, and grinned just enough to flash her my pearly whites.

  “You’re all good,” she assured me.

  I let out a deep breath. “See you later.”

  “Have fun,” she called after me.

  I walked away and headed towards him. With every step I took, it felt like I was heading towards a significant moment.

  A moment that could quite possibly change everything and it made me not want to proceed, but then I reached him.

  He got off his stool. “Hi,” he said.

  I couldn’t get myself to respond, so I just focused on settling as gracefully as I could on the stool, which was quite the task given how easily it swiveled around.

  He on the other hand, set his foot on the ground as he took his seat.

  I realized then just how tall he was. I calculated that the top of my head would barely reach his shoulders.

  He called the bartender over and turned to me, a smile on his face. “What do you want to drink?”

  I decided to be confident. I wasn’t one who felt irrefutably convinced of their own charm, but since he had noticed me, there was undoubtedly something here I could work with. Somehow, being in his presence made me feel sexier and more desirable than I ever had. The tip of my tongue softly rimmed the inside of my upper lip as I took a second to think, and then the words slid out of my mouth like butter, “Sex on the beach, would be great.”

  He didn’t blink.

  His gaze lingered boldly on my lips, painted a stark red, and then he lifted his eyes to mine.

  At first sight I had thought his eyes were grey, but as it turned out, they were green. An aqua shade of green and mesmerizing.

  “Sir…” the bartender called.

  He peeled his gaze away from mine to place our orders. “Just a Macallan for me, and Sex on the Beach for the lady.”

  I relished the husky tone of his voice. It sounded so smooth and quiet, but the underlying authority was unmistakable.

  He resettled his gaze on me. “My name is Carter Edwards.” He held out his hand.

  I paused, realizing we hadn’t even introduced ourselves. I accepted the offered hand and replied, “I’m Leah… Leah Peters."

  “You're American, I suppose,” he said.

  My gaze lingered on the joining of our hands as I slowly pulled mine away, almost convinced they were beginning to sear from the contact with him. “I am.” I thought about mentioning that I was from Indianapolis, but I didn’t think it was needed. Tonight was about two strangers meeting in a different part of the world, choosing to be in each other’s company for a little while.

  Perhaps it would be just tonight, so the less we knew of each other, the better off we would be, but exactly what was I expecting to happen between us tonight? I had never had a one night stand. I never believed I could pull one off, but right now as I stared at the insanely gorgeous man before me—it was all I wanted. We could spend the remaining hours of the night together, and then before the sun rose, we would be out of each other’s life, just as quickly as we had come into them.

  I loved the sound of that.

  “I’m from Minnesota,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m from Indiana,” I replied, choosing to just follow his lead and take each moment as it came.

  Our drinks were delivered then and he lifted his tumbler to his lips for a sip.

  I noticed when our legs touched, his jean clad knees brushed against the exposed skin of mine. It sent tiny prickles of excitement coursing through my body.

  “So what brings you all the way to Turkey?” he asked.

  “Just a quick vacation,” I replied. “With friends.”

  “And how long are you here for?”

  “About two weeks.”

  “Hm. And you’ve been here…”

  “Two days,” I replied. “What about you?”

  “I’m here on business. It’s my first time here, so I have been struck by how beautiful this city is. I might just extend my stay for a proper vacation. Now that I'm here I think I need one.”

  I smiled. “Don’t we all?” I lifted my glass, the liquid wetting my lips as my gaze lowered to the sliver of rich, olive, skin beneath his white dress shirt. I couldn’t seem to look away. The way the material molded to his torso was nothing short of art. It wasn’t tight, but fitted eno
ugh to show the ripped build of his frame underneath. I looked towards the dance pit of adult kids and now wanted to be in the midst of them, with him.

  Quite a lot of people had taken layers of their clothing off. What a great excuse it would be for him to do the same. But somehow, I couldn’t picture him being there. He seemed too… respectable for playing in bubbles. This fact made me feel happy and sad at the same time.

  “So what do you do in Indiana?” he asked.

  I just wanted him to kiss me already. The information exchange just seemed too slow for me, especially since I’d just gotten out of a non-relationship with a guy I’d met online. We’d talked off and on for about three weeks before deciding to meet. I’d later come to find out after a few more dates that compulsive lying to cover his wilting confidence at being thirty-five and unemployed was a trait he’d forgotten to share.

  So my enthusiasm for a love that would go the distance was currently nonexistent, especially given the breathtaking man sitting next to me. My body was currently brimming and humming for him, and I wanted to give it what it wanted‒his mouth on mine‒on me. “I work in marketing,” I answered.

  “Oh,” he said. “I’m involved in marketing too. We’re actually out here handling the new campaign for the Splash brand.”

  “Oh, I'm aware of them but aren’t they majorly in Dubai? They’re opening a branch here?”

  “They are. We’re in charge of the marketing and advertising for their year-end launch. What agency in Indiana do you work for?”

  “Steer Point. You’ve probably never heard of it, we’re really small. We’re involved in digital marketing around the metropolitan area.”

  “Interesting,” he said. “I’ve never been to Indiana, but maybe one of these days I’ll stop by for a visit since I now know someone there.”

  “You’ll be welcomed,” I said, unable to control my smile. Damn, he was so magnetic.

  He leaned in.

  I paused, especially when his eyes bored into mine and I didn’t dare breathe. Something about his gaze was so arresting and I couldn’t quite place a finger on it.

  “You’re incredibly beautiful, Leah,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I breathed the words out. “You’re um—you’re beautiful too.”

  He leaned back and laughed. “Nothing compared to you, but message received.”

  “I mean it, you’re beautiful too—oh God. I didn’t mean like pretty… I meant you’re handsome.”

  A massive smile showed on his yummy lips as he placed his hand over mine on the counter, and once again leaned towards me. “Well, I’m glad to know you think so. I hope you don’t have a boyfriend, Leah. Because, I don’t think I can go any longer without kissing you.”

  I stopped breathing.

  His gaze remained on my lips, focused solely on my mouth.

  Simply frozen, my mind going blank. I know that I responded along the lines that I definitely did not have a boyfriend. But otherwise, I couldn’t seem to focus.

  His left hand slid around the side of my neck.

  Instantly, I dripped between my thighs.

  He gently drew me closer to him.

  My startled gaze roved over his unbelievably beautiful face as his forehead met mine. My eyelids fluttered shut as I inhaled the exotic scent of his skin… a heady mix of lemon and some kind of woodsy scent, and I knew I would never forget it. The warmth of his breath tickled my face, and then our noses met, stroking lightly.

  His mouth captured my lips and for a moment—my heart stopped.

  It all came at once… something warm started in my belly and seemed to spread out to my limbs. It seeped into the crevices of my body, and rendered me completely limp. I struggled to hold on to his waist for some semblance of balance.

  His tongue slipped into my mouth, bold and velvety as it tasted me with long, leisurely licks. His hold around my neck tightened, and so did my grip at his waist. He tasted like heaven. The flavor of the scotch he’d consumed right before, an elegant mix with his unique taste, clean and heady with the promise of primal fucking, drew me closer and closer to the edge.

  I never wanted him to stop and kissed him back like my very survival depended on it.

  My breasts felt heavy and tender from the dizzying arousal, my sex throbbed and pulsated with excitement. If he could do this to my mouth, I wondered in awe at just what he could do to other parts of my body. The possibilities made me almost choke with a gasp.

  He broke off the kiss and it was punctuated with a low smacking sound. He pulled away, his hand released my neck.

  Incoherent, I almost fell off the stool. His hands grabbed my arms to save me. I came back to my senses enough to process what had just happened. I was almost shocked at now hearing the chaos we were surrounded by. Like the sound had just been turned on after the mute button had been on. In the last few minutes with him, the entire world had faded away, just the two of us existed.

  What the hell just happened?

  I avoided his eyes as I tried to get myself together. I busied myself with adjusting my clothes and brushing off nonexistent lint.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I lifted my gaze to meet the genuine concern in his, a welcome surprise from the amusement I had been expecting. “I am,” I replied. “Thank you for the uh… kiss. It was nice.”

  He smiled.

  I felt like smacking my palm across my head. In situations like this, the less said was always better, but I couldn’t seem to stop babbling.

  “Let’s go somewhere a bit more private,” he said, and lifted his gaze towards the rooms on the second floor. “Would one of those do?”

  Yes, it was a worn out line, but I so did not care. “Sure,” I replied, as I tried not to grab him up and drag him out of his seat. I needed to not act so darned eager, but wow… if that kiss was any example—I was in for the hottest sex on the face of this earth.

  But I couldn’t completely disappear on Tracy.

  “I need to umm… speak to my friend for just a moment. I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.” I hurried towards her.

  “Why are you here?” she complained. “I was enjoying the show! Get back and continue.”

  “We’re leaving,” I told her. “To a private room. To talk and um…”

  “…etcetera?” She asked with a huge grin.

  I tightened my lips to hold back my laughter, glad that I had my back to him. “Should I go with him?”

  “Do you want to?” She asked.

  “I do,” I answered. “I really do.”

  “Then have fun. You’re on vacation, but keep your phone on you, so you can call me if anything goes wrong.”

  “What about you?” My tone turned apologetic.

  “I’m going home. I’m tired of watching people fall on top of each other and I think those two in that corner over there have been fucking for the last ten minutes. Just don’t be that shameless. Do what you want to somewhere private, and come back to the room with a good story.”

  I felt a bit surprised by her easy blessing. “You’re actually encouraging me to go through with this?”

  “Leah,” she said. “Both Anne and I have had one night stands that we’re not proud of, but we’ve both had some that came close to blowing our minds. Remember neck tattoo guy?”

  I giggled at the reminder of the restaurant bathroom rendezvous, that to this day, she swore was the best sex she’d ever had. I raised my brows at her.

  “Exactly.” She nodded. “So go on and enjoy yourself, but please be safe.” She took a peek at him. “Plus, this guy looks like something that was dropped like manna from the sky. I’m not going to keep you from such a gift.”

  I gave her a quick hug, turned around and was on my way.

  The private room was on the second floor of the club. And just like the others in its row, the side that faced the dance floor was made of glass and through it the entire mayhem of the club was visible.

  We however, felt secluded enough. It had a table, along wi
th an accompanying circular sofa, and an ice bucket of champagne already waiting in the middle. I took my seat and watched as he worked on the bottle.

  When the cork popped off, he filled my flute, and then leaned back to take a sip out of his as he watched me, a smile on his face. “Would you like something to eat?” he asked. “They have this Japanese shrimp tempura that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since last night.”

  “I would,” I replied but his words made me wonder. He had been here the previous night too? With whom, and doing what? Was I just the next girl that made the list? I shook my head to drive away these useless thoughts. Tonight, I was not allowed to think about the past or the future. Only the present and for once, I would completely enjoy this gift.

  After he placed the order, I moved a bit closer to him.

  He put his arm around me, his gaze boring deeply into mine. “So do you like your job?”

  “I do,” I replied and didn't know if I needed to bother mentioning more. My short responses seemed vague, but I had no clue about how much to divulge or not divulge in this situation.

  “It never gets tough?" he asked. “Do you deal directly with clients?”

  “Sometimes. Thankfully, I’m a Junior Copywriter.”

  “Did you always want to work in marketing?”

  “No,” I replied. “I wanted to be an accountant. My teenage logic was the banks were where the money was, so I wanted to be around it even if none of it was mine.”

  He laughed.

  The rhythm of his laugh was such a joy to listen to.

  “So why did you change your mind?”

  I saw genuine interest in his eyes, and decided to carry on, honestly, “I found out at the end of freshman year that I really didn’t care for numbers. I think it happened during the Algebra concepts course exam. I’d locked myself in the bathroom, balling my eyes out because I just knew I was going to fail. Nothing was sticking, and it wasn't because I hadn't been studying it all semester. Nothing would stick.”