BILLIONAIRE'S BABY PROJECT

by Mia Carson

  The cold hit him hard, but it was a welcome distraction from the pain exploding in his chest. He stayed on the front porch, staring out into the gray morning. Not sure why he did it, he leaned his ear against the front door, listening, and when he heard Evelyn crying, he almost rushed back in to scoop her up in his arms.

  Except he didn’t. He turned away from the house, walking stiffly to his truck. He tossed his bag in the bed, climbed behind the wheel, and drove off, struggling to understand how he had managed to lose the woman he wanted more than he could stand.

  Chapter 14

  Two days after Evelyn made the decision to not destroy Viktor’s life, a man showed up on her front porch. “Who sent you?” she asked, confused.

  “Viktor Hartmann, ma’am. Said you were in need of a new furnace and water heater. Got them both on the truck ready to be installed. Just need you to sign,” he said, handing over a clipboard.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I didn’t order these, and I can’t pay for them.”

  “Already paid for, ma’am.”

  “What? When did he put the order in?” she asked, taking the clipboard to read the paperwork. “Yesterday? He ordered these yesterday?” Why the hell would he do this?

  The man nodded. “Looks like it. Listen, ma’am, if you have an issue with it, you can call him, but I’ve got a few other people on my list today,” he told her.

  Evelyn didn’t want to sign, so she pulled out her cell, ready to call him and demand he return the furnace, but she told the man to do it and, as politely as she could, slammed the door in his face. He called through it to her, but she ignored him.

  “This isn’t happening. He can’t do this for me,” she muttered to herself.

  The past two days had been hard enough, trying to convince herself she’d made the right decision, but her sheets still smelled of his deep woods pine scent and the furniture he picked out specifically for her didn’t help matters either. The polar bears on the pillows stared back at her accusingly, and she hung her head, wishing the furniture and the feelings would disappear.

  “Ma’am? Mr. Hartmann is on the phone to talk to you,” the man called through the door.

  Evelyn straightened and yanked the door open. “Tell him to take all of this back, right now,” she ordered.

  The man held out his phone to her, but she refused to take it. He sighed and told Viktor what she said. He nodded his head a few times and held his phone back out to her. “He said either talk to him right now or accept the new furnace and water heater.”

  Evelyn chewed on her lip, cursing the man, and took the phone. “Viktor, this is too much. I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t accept this. The deal is off, remember?”

  “Evelyn, nice to hear from you, too,” he said, and she bit her lip even harder at how rough his voice sounded. “Take the furnace and the water heater. You need them. I almost froze my ass off at your place.”

  “I can’t. There’s no reason for you to do this for me.”

  “I’m trying to keep someone I know alive through the winter,” he argued lightly, and she could picture him tugging on his beard. “There are no returns, so let the man do his job.”

  She glared at her feet, scuffing her foot on the wooden porch. “What are you doing, Viktor?”

  “I told you that already.”

  “No, you’re lying.”

  “And so were you that morning, so what’s the difference?” he quipped, cursing under his breath. Evelyn’s face burned, and she opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off before she could. “Look, they’re already paid for, so please, just take them so I won’t have to worry about you getting frostbite?”

  “You’re not supposed to worry about me at all,” she replied.

  “Stop being so damn stubborn,” he told her. “And it’s too late for that.”

  A loud click hit her ear, and she pulled the cell away. “Jackass.”

  “Ma’am? My phone—and I take it I have the go ahead?”

  She handed it over, nodded, and stepped back so he could enter. Thankfully, it was another day off both jobs, so she’d planned on spending it moping around the house as she tried to find new ways to distract herself from missing Viktor and her mounting debt. The creditors had been calling since Monday afternoon, and she was at her wit's end. They threatened to take away the house and the land unless she could make some sort of payment within the next few weeks.

  She only had one way to get money like that: digging into the last bit of savings she’d stashed for emergencies. Using that was her only option since the contract with Viktor was out of the question.

  She’d been on her way to forcing herself to forget about his lips caressing hers or how it felt as he claimed her again and again throughout the night, keeping her close to him and whispering her name in her ear, his voice heavy with desire. And he had to pull a stunt like this. She hated him and wanted him at the same time and hated him more for twisting her up inside. They wouldn’t have lasted. At some point, she would’ve screwed it up and hurt him even worse. She tried to forget about the sadness on his face when she’d told him she couldn’t do it, but those silver eyes haunted her dreams.

  The rest of the day, she watched the furnace and water heater get installed and had her first night enjoying a warm house and hot shower, though the whole time, all she wanted was for it to be cold again so she could curl up against Viktor and fall asleep, listening to the beating of his heart.

  Days passed, and then several weeks, with Evelyn on autopilot. She worked as many hours as she could at both jobs, desperate not only for the money but the distraction as well. Her life only got worse when the office job laid her off several months early. She waited impatiently for another job to crop up and spent too much time at home. Every time she was home alone now, she pictured what it would be like if Viktor had stayed. She’d come home, find him sitting in the chair reading, or in the kitchen making dinner with a crooked grin beneath his beard. She wanted him back more than she wanted anything, but after the furnace, he hadn’t tried to call and she couldn’t get up the nerve to do it.

  As another long night at the diner dragged on, she leaned against the counter, staring out the windows and watching the snow fall, covering the road. The place was dead except for Ajay and one of the old men who spent every night at the counter, drinking coffee and telling stories about the old days.

  Evelyn stirred her coffee, trying to listen to Ajay and Bryan’s conversation, but the words didn’t stick. The snow fell harder, and she wondered what it would be like to walk through that snow storm with Viktor by her side, laughing as they had a snowball fight and tumbled down into the drifts, kissing until they didn’t feel the cold anymore.

  “That’s it, I’ve had enough of this,” Ajay said loudly and reached around the counter towards her apron. “Give me your cell, Evie.”

  “What—why?” she asked.

  “I’m calling that Hartmann guy and telling him to get his ass over here.”

  Evelyn stepped out of his reach. “The hell you are. Why would you do that? Ajay, seriously, knock it off,” she snapped as he climbed over the counter and dropped down beside her. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

  “With who? Mike?” he asked, waving at the manager sitting at the other end of the counter. He waved at them both, and when he told Ajay to hurry up and make the call, Evelyn’s jaw dropped. “See? I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Now hand it over.”

  “Noticed what? And stop grabbing for my cell,” she said, smacking his hand away again.

  Bryan rolled his eyes. “Evie, you’ve been walking around here like a zombie for weeks.”

  “I have not,” she argued. “I’ve been my normal self.”

  Bryan and Ajay exchanged an annoyed glance, and Ajay swiped for her cell again, nearly snagging it. “Evelyn, seriously, this is for your own good. I’m tired of watching you stand there looking torn up inside. It’s pissing me off, honestly, and I’m ready to
march down to his office and give him a piece of my mind for doing this to you.”

  Evelyn took another step back before hopping over the other side of the counter. “He didn’t do anything to me, remember? I told him to go, Ajay. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “And neither did you, but you’re miserable as hell.”

  She fumed, turning away from them and staring pointedly out the windows. She wasn’t miserable. She was perfectly fine, doing the best she could with the life she was given, and there was nothing wrong with that.

  “You can’t just call him and expect everything to turn out perfectly,” she barked, turning back around to face them. “This is real life, and I will not have some man rush to my rescue because I look hurt. I will be fine, and you two—and you, Mike,” she added, pointing at her manager, “are to stay out of my business and away from Viktor Hartmann. Understand?” Ajay opened his mouth to argue, but she glared at him and he snapped his jaw shut. “Good. I made my decision,” she said firmly, straightening her apron. “And that’s all there is to it.”

  “Made the wrong decision,” Ajay informed her. “You walked away from a guy you clearly care about, Evie. Why?”

  She turned her back to him and walked to the windows, resting her palm against the icy glass. “I don’t know,” she whispered to the snowy night. “Guess I wasn’t as strong as I thought.” If Ajay heard her, he didn’t acknowledge her words, and she sighed, holding back the tears threatening to fall.

  Why had she managed to find love with the one man who would always be out of her reach?

  ***

  Viktor tapped his fingers on the desk as he listened to Valerie finish the last question he asked her. She was the second woman he’d narrowed his search down to. It had been a simple yes or no, but she dragged it out like she had every other question he’d asked her. He knew what she was digging for, but he wasn’t giving in. He’d told her and the other woman quite plainly love and marriage were out of the question if they agreed to this. His heart was broken once and stolen by a woman with amber eyes and a fire burning deep within her. He never quite got it back, and it had been nearly three weeks.

  “Thank you,” he told Valerie when she finally stopped talking. “I’ll go over everything and have a decision for you by the end of the week.” He stood and took the hand she held out to him.

  “Perfect, and if there’s anything else you need, just let me know,” she said brightly, tossing her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder.

  Viktor nodded, staring at her designer clothes and leather boots. She’d fit the part perfectly with his family. High class, perfect manners, even the high-end looks, but as he escorted her out of his office, his stomach twisted painfully and he was almost sick. He didn’t want the perfect woman who fit in with his family.

  He wanted Evelyn with her messy braid and hoodie, her yoga pants, and polar bear socks. He wanted her wrapped in his arms as she pressed her lips to his. And damn, if he didn’t miss her stubbornness and challenging attitude every time he tried to do something for her.

  When he talked to her, convincing her to take the furnace and water heater, he’d almost broke down and went to her, but he restrained himself. Her words were filled with as much pain and confusion as he’d felt, and going over there would’ve only made things worse. He regretted walking out her door so easily and hated himself for allowing her to think she wasn’t good enough for him.

  He stalked to his desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, poured a glass to the rim, and leaned back in his chair to sip on it.

  “What are you doing?” Joe asked from the doorway, and Viktor cursed.

  “Go away,” he muttered. “Can’t a man drink in peace?”

  “No,” Tucker said, appearing behind Joe in street clothes. “Not when he’s been doing it every night for a month.”

  Viktor held up his fingers, counting back the days and shook his head. “Not a month.”

  “Close enough, you jackass.” Joe growled and stomped over to him. “I’ll take that.” He snatched the glass of whiskey from Viktor’s hand as Tucker hurried over and swiped the bottle away, too. “You’re coming with us, and before you argue, Tucker is going to threaten to arrest you unless you come quietly.”

  “He can’t. I haven’t done anything wrong,” Viktor said, glowering at them both.

  “I’m sure I can come up with something,” Tucker warned. “Let’s go, hotshot.”

  Viktor didn’t want to, but as he stood, his cell rang and he groaned. “Mom. It’s the third time she’s called me today.”

  “We know,” Tucker said. “Who do you think sent us?”

  “I’m fine, guys, really,” he argued, but he let them drag him out of his office and to the parking lot where they led him to Joe’s car. “Where are we going?”

  “Don’t get too excited. Just taking you to your place so we can have a little chat in private about your situation,” Joe told him and held open the car door.

  Viktor got in and slumped down in the seat, watching the houses and buildings go by as they pulled out of the snowy parking lot of the lumber yard. At least at his house, he wasn’t reminded too much of Evelyn, but the flannel shirt he had worn at her house all weekend was draped over a chair in his room. He hadn’t washed it yet because he didn’t want to lose her sweet cinnamon scent.

  No one spoke, and when they pulled up the drive to his house, he got out first and pulled out his keys to let them inside. “It’s a bit messy,” he warned over his shoulder as they followed him in.

  “Jesus,” Joe muttered.

  Tucker coughed. “Think we should’ve come over sooner.”

  Viktor glanced around and shrugged. “What? I said it was messy.”

  “No, for you messy is a few things out of place,” Tucker said. “What the hell did you do to your house, Vik? Looks like a damn hurricane swept through here.”

  “I’ve been busy trying to find another woman as perfect as Evelyn to be the mother of my child,” he snapped. “But you know what? I can’t find another one because there’s only one, but she didn’t think she was good enough for me! And I’m too much of an idiot to convince her otherwise!”

  He picked up the nearest lamp, not yet broken, and chucked it across the living room, where it shattered against the wall. His chest heaving with his sudden outburst, he announced he was getting a drink and asked if they wanted anything.

  “You need to talk to us,” Joe said, and Viktor heard his rushed steps. “Without alcohol involved. This is insane, man. You weren’t this bad after Mary.”

  “I couldn’t do anything about Mary,” he said simply. “But I didn’t do a damn thing to keep Evelyn.”

  “Why not?” Tucker asked, straightening the living room as they spoke, picking up the broken shards of lamp and something else that he thought had been a glass bowl. Viktor told him to stop it, but his friend ignored him. “Why didn’t you try? Doesn’t sound like you.”

  Viktor slammed his fist on the counter, startling them both. “I don’t know! That’s the problem! I have no idea why I didn’t, but I didn’t, and now I’m here, trying to forget about her, but I can’t get her out of my head. She gotten under my skin, and she won’t leave me alone.”

  He couldn’t count the number of times he’d thought of picking up the phone to call Evelyn or drive over to her house, but each time, he’d stopped himself. She was just as stubborn as he was, and he feared that no matter what he said to her, she’d turn him away, too consumed by her fears to trust him, to trust what they could have. He wasn’t sure he could handle a denial from her twice. Once was enough to drive him to the edge of insanity, knowing he was making the wrong decision with these other two women. They would always be after what he could never give them, and though they were willing to give him a child, he knew he would only ever be happy if the child belonged to him and Evelyn.

  “She ruined me,” he muttered bitterly and sank down on one of the barstools. “She just ruined me.”

  Joe and Tuc
ker whispered close by, but Viktor didn’t listen, holding his head as it throbbed. The first few days, he thought he could find a way to forget Evelyn, but it only got worse until he couldn’t stand it. It didn’t help that his parents were back to hounding him about this woman he’d promised to bring by one day. The one he knew, no matter what she said, was perfect for him.

  “Vik, listen,” Joe said, sitting down beside him as Tucker stood across the counter. “If you can’t find a way to get over this woman, we’re worried about what’s going to happen to you. But I’m telling you as your friend, you can’t give that contract to any other woman.”

  “You’ll regret it,” Tucker added. “And you can’t regret it once there’s a child involved.”

  “I know,” he said, tugging on his beard. “I know. I was going to call them tomorrow and let them both know.”

  “Good, but that doesn’t take care of your problem,” Joe said. “Do you love Evelyn?”

  The blunt question made his whole body stiffen, but the words slipped out before he could stop himself. “Yes, damn it.”

  “And you’re pretty sure she feels the same?” Tucker asked.

  Viktor closed his eyes, going back to their night together, the love they made, and talking as if they’d known each other for years, as if no moment existed when they hadn’t been comfortable around each other.

  “She lied,” he whispered. “She lied to push me away.”

  “I think it’s time you go over there and convince her to admit the truth—for both of you,” Joe told him. “I have a feeling she’s suffering as much as you are right now.”

  “And if she’s not?” he asked, the fear that she had someone echoing in his heart.

  “Then we’ll take you on an extended vacation, my treat,” Joe promised. “Here, take my car and get your ass over to that woman’s house before she has a chance to run away for good.”

  Viktor snatched them out of Joe’s hands and was out the door before he could talk himself out of trying to get her back again.