Not his baby: A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Rebecca Dupree

  Ever since she’d lost her mother, Gina felt like she had lost not only her entire family, but her entire world. And here was Tyler, this wonderful man, offering her everything that she had been missing so far.

  Snap out it, the rational part of her mind suddenly told her. He does this with every cute girl he sees. What makes you think you’re so special? And come to think of it, she knew this to be the truth. After all, she was nobody, and Tyler was…truly a someone in their world. What would he want with her?

  She took off her rose-colored glasses and assumed a more official pose.

  “I know this must look bad, but I assure you, Mr. Reid, it’s nothing more than a stomach bug that I’ve been fighting for a few days now. I know I should have stayed at home, but I really can’t afford it.” She pulled her hands away from his.

  “I could give you a day off, or even a few, no questions asked, Gina. You know this. It’s absolutely no problem,” he urged her gently.

  “I know,” she replied, “and I do appreciate it. But I simply can’t afford it. My bills are piling up like crazy and you wouldn’t believe the amount of debt I have…” Suddenly, she thought she crossed the line of employer and employee. “Not that it’s any of your concern, of course. I didn’t mean to whine, just to explain to you that now that I have this job, I can’t afford not to work, even for a day. And I guess this stomach bug just pressed me too hard, so I collapsed under the pressure. But, I assure you,” she smiled her best, most guaranteeing smile, “I am perfectly fine.”

  “Well, alright then. I will pretend to believe you, but I’m keeping my eye on you, doll face.” He offered his arm to her gallantly. “But as for today, I’m calling you a taxi and sending you home.”

  Gina immediately wanted to object, but he wouldn’t have it.

  “No buts. I’m your boss, and if you don’t listen to me, you’re fired,” he said in mock sternness. Gina smiled. “You’ll be paid for the day, don’t worry. But I really need you to go home and rest. Please.”

  Seeing as he asked so nicely, there was no force on Earth that could make her do the opposite. A few minutes later, a taxi was already waiting for her downstairs.

  “Will it be a problem for my car to stay in the parking lot for the night?” she asked.

  “Of course not. Now, go!” Tyler tightly closed the door to the taxi, hit the roof a few times, and waved goodbye. As she was being driven home, Gina couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She didn’t ask for any of this, but still, she felt like she was getting the special treatment. The only question was why.

  When Tyler returned to his office, Benjamin knocked on the door several seconds later. It was impossible for Tyler to know that Benjamin had witnessed the entire scene. His calculating mind was always busy working, and what he lacked in height and build, he made up for in being a conniving little sneak.

  “Yes?” Tyler was looking out the window, following Gina’s taxi as it drove into the distance.

  “Mr. Reid…I just wanted to see if everything was alright, or if you needed me for anything.”

  “Everything’s fine, Benjamin. Don’t worry about it.” He was still gazing into the distance.

  “How is the girl?”

  “The girl…” Tyler said as he turned around, “…has a name. It’s Gina Sellers.”

  “How is Miss Sellers?” Benjamin corrected himself, though, in his mind, Gina was still just the girl.

  “I don’t know. I think there’s something she’s not telling me, even though I offered to help her. I hope she’ll be able to trust me one day. For now, I was thinking of giving her some paid leave.” He circled his big mahogany desk and opened the drawer, looking for his lighter.

  Benjamin had several comments in store regarding such a decision, but knew better than to share them with his boss. Not after how he was treated last time. But in his mind, it was all unfair.

  Why would a stupid maid be given paid vacation instead of being laid off? She was obviously lousy at her job—just look at the mess she made, when all she had to do was clean up some coffee!

  Benjamin was furious. He could feel his nostrils flaring, and behind his back, he tightened his fingers into a fist, squeezing them tightly.

  “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Mr. Reid? After all, she’s new here, and being so lenient with her could make others rethink their own positions here.”

  “What makes you say that?” Tyler extracted his old lighter, the one that first belonged to his grandfather, then to his father, and now to him. “Haven’t I always treated all my employees the same way? I would have offered anyone paid leave under the circumstances, whether they’ve been working here for one day or a hundred and one days. It makes no difference to me. It’s all about helping and supporting each other. When will you see this, Benjamin?” Tyler pocketed his lighter and went towards the door. “Find me the Bellows contract for when I return. I need to check something,” he said before heading outside.

  Chapter 9

  When Gina returned home, she thought over everything that had happened. She had to admit, Tyler’s reaction was more than surprising. She doubted many bosses of his caliber would behave in the same way. But then again, it was probably because he had some hidden agenda. No one was that nice without wanting something in return. She was sure of it.

  She was happy to notice that her nausea had completely dissipated. It was that asshole, Benjamin. Gosh, how I wish I could give him a piece of my mind! she thought angrily.

  She knew he was trouble, and maybe it would be best to avoid him altogether. But she also knew he was the kind of guy who went after trouble, creating it for others. Her mother had warned her about such people, and with them, you couldn’t remain on the side. You had to fight, right in the very center of the arena, and aim to be victorious, because otherwise, these people wouldn’t stop until they ate you alive.

  It was early afternoon, and just like before, Jill was absent. Roaming the streets, doing God knew what, pretending that she actually had business to take care of. Not that Gina ever questioned her about anything. Deciding to take advantage of the afternoon, she filled up the tub with hot water, some mild smelling salts and got her favorite book, deciding to read until her fingers were all prune-like.

  After a few pages, she noticed that she wasn’t really focused on the book. Maybe some meditation. She closed her eyes and tried a few ohms and ahms. While it did manage to calm down her speeding heartbeat, it did little for her racing thoughts. Without any explanation or reason whatsoever, all she could think of was Tyler, and how he so gallantly came to her rescue. It made her think. Maybe he wasn’t the panty-dropping playboy I thought he was. Maybe he really, truly, actually likes me. Could this be? She kept asking herself the same question over and over again.

  Well, why the heck not? Suddenly, the other part of her mind spoke up. Just look at you. You’re gorgeous! She giggled. Her inside conversation sounded like a fifteen-year-old’s prom pep talk. She lifted one of her bronzed legs out of the water. Her skin was smooth, glistening under the lighting, as droplets of water mixed with foam fell back into the tub.

  Maybe, just maybe she could pull off the plan that she considered a while back. After all, Tyler would be the perfect candidate to make all her dreams of a debt-free life come true. Could she actually do it? She still wasn’t sure, but the idea was becoming more and more tempting as time went by.

  When she started feeling dizzy again, she got out of the tub and went to get dressed. She noticed that her Blackberry was signaling a voice message. Not being the kind of person who immediately rushed to check her phone, she took her sweet time creaming herself up with body lotion and then getting dressed. Gina decided to put on a cup of coffee, then to get cozy on the sofa and only then, to grab the phone to check her message. She didn’t really expect anyone to call, though it could always be Jill or some other kind of emergency.

  She clicked the button and the recording started playing.

  “Hey, Gina, it’s Tyler.” H
er eyes widened, as she listened on. “Given the circumstances of today, I’ve decided to give you a week of paid vacation, and I’m not taking no for an answer. If you come to work, I’ve given the guards direct orders not to let you into the building.” He was obviously trying to crack a joke here, but wasn’t sure if it worked. She smiled. “Well, alrighty then…” Alrighty? She laughed. “See you when you get back to work. Ciao!”

  She frowned. What was this all about? Why would he care so much about me? She couldn’t understand. But she was more than happy to get a week’s paid vacation. It’d give her the much- needed chance to rest a little and get this nausea under control.

  The week passed nicely, without too much commotion, which was exactly what Gina needed. There were a few pleasant surprises though, such as calls from both Ricky and Jeanie, who seemed genuinely concerned about her and wanted to know what was going on. Naturally, she served them the same stomach bug story from before. She just couldn’t risk anyone finding out her secret, especially not that snake in the grass, Benjamin.

  When she returned to work the following Monday, she almost looked like her old self again. She had to do some research on how to keep her nausea under control, and after getting some sound advice, such as eating smaller meals more often, having more protein-rich foods, opting for colder rather than hot meals, and drinking plenty of fluids, she actually managed to ease this heavy burden.

  The whole day passed busily, with her having to work a lot, though she didn’t mind. Somewhere around lunchtime, she saw that her next scheduled cleaning was Tyler’s office. She swallowed heavily before heading there. She hadn’t seen him since his gallant rescue from before, and she wasn’t sure how she should react after all the generosity he had shown her.

  When she was shown to his office by Jeanie, he was in the middle of signing some papers.

  “Gina!” He smiled affectionately. “How are you feeling?” He immediately left the papers and focused on her.

  “Much better, Mr. Reid. I’m really grateful for the paid vacation time. I fully recharged my batteries and am ready to get back to work, full speed ahead.” She smiled.

  “I’m very happy to hear that. I have to finish signing these papers, but you just go ahead and do your stuff. You won’t be bothering me at all.”

  “I’ll be done quickly, Mr. Reid,” she replied as she started picking out the cleaning solutions. She was scheduled for the eighth floor in an hour, so she wouldn’t really be spending a lot of time in his office. She knew that he had an important meeting in the afternoon, and he wanted his office squeaky clean—that was why she was sent there now instead of later in the afternoon. And thanks to Jeanie’s priceless advice, she knew exactly how to clean Tyler Reid’s office perfectly.

  The hour passed by quickly as both of them did their jobs fairly diligently. Gina found it easier to concentrate on her work this time, even though she still suspected Tyler had his eye on her the whole time. In her mind, she was still torn between trying to seduce him and not really being sure how to go about it, or just leaving the whole thing be. She hoped time would tell and point her in the right direction.

  When her digital watch sounded the old school, beeping alarm, she knew it was time to pack up her stuff and head on to the eighth floor. As she switched off the sound, Tyler checked his own watch, a flashy Rolex, and gathered all his papers in a neat little pile.

  “Say, Gina…” he started, seeing that she also stopped with her work. “I was about to order some lunch. Don’t really feel like going anywhere, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to keep me company?” He was already whipping out his phone.

  Gina was caught off guard. If she didn’t have the eighth floor scheduled, she probably would have accepted his invitation. If nothing else, it would have given her the opportunity to test the waters a little and see what Tyler Reid really wanted from her.

  “Well…” She felt uneasy having to refuse a lunch date with her boss, even if it was for work related reasons. She let her gaze wander around the office a little before saying, “I’d love to, but they’ve scheduled a clean-up for the eighth floor, starting in ten minutes. I doubt I could get out of it…” She looked intently at his face, trying to predict what his reaction would be.

  “I see,” he commented blankly. “Too bad. Another time, then.” She searched his voice for traces of disappointment or dissatisfaction, but she wasn’t sure there were any. After all, a guy like Tyler Reid was probably very skilled at hiding how he truly felt about things, so this didn’t really come as a surprise to her. Finally, she gathered her stuff and headed towards the door.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Reid. Have a great day,” she said, and closed the door, not waiting for his reply.

  When she did so, Tyler turned around in his chair. He had to admit, he felt disappointed. He was looking forward to having some one on one time with Gina, and this seemed like the perfectly innocent opportunity for them to share lunch and spend their break together. But his plans were ruined by the cleaning agency.

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and without thinking twice, he picked up his phone.

  “Jeanie?” he called out into the receiver.

  “Yes, Mr. Reid?” she answered readily.

  “Get the cleaning agency on the phone. Tell them to send Gina back. I need her for…something.” His tongue was too fast for his thoughts, and he couldn’t think of a good enough reason right there on the spot. Not that he really needed one.

  “Right away, Mr. Reid. Anything else?” Jeanie chirped.

  “No, that’s all, Jeanie. Thanks.” He hung up.

  Honestly, he wasn’t even feeling that hungry. He had a late breakfast, his usual oatmeal and green tea for a productive boost, so hunger didn’t really hit him yet. What he really wanted was to get Gina back. The eighth floor could wait. He couldn’t.

  Chapter 10

  As Tyler was leafing through a few pamphlets that offered food delivery, trying to figure out what he was in the mood for, Jeanie buzzed.

  “Mr. Reid? Gina is here.”

  Tyler pressed the button in a matter of seconds.

  “Yes, do send her in. Thanks, Jeanie.”

  The door immediately opened, and Tyler was more than happy to see a slightly confused Gina enter his office yet again. She had a look of puzzlement on her face, with dimples that revealed an inner sweetness. She obviously wasn’t sure why she was there, but nonetheless she was smiling, waiting for him to speak first.

  “So, yeah…” Tyler finally said, feeling his own tongue twisting a little. He had no idea what it was that made him lose his mind and stop thinking straight when Gina was around. As he was looking at her, dressed in those housekeeping clothes that surely didn’t do her justice, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he bumped into her in the hallway, and how she swayed her behind away from him. He felt goosebumps running up and down his body, just remembering that scene.

  Then he realized that he had spent just a little too much time daydreaming about her butt, as she was staring at him with a mild look of bewilderment, waiting to be told what to do.

  “See, the thing is…” He leaned his head slightly to one side, as if eyeing her better from that angle. “I just don’t know what to do with all these choices. There’s just too many of them, and I can’t seem to make up my mind.” He offered her a pile of pamphlets, trying to appear as comically helpless as possible. It worked, because Gina’s smile widened and she approached his desk.

  “And that’s why you called them to send me back here?” She squinted her eyes in mock disbelief.

  “Can you blame a guy for not wanting to have lunch on his own?” He shrugged and she couldn’t help but find him irresistible at that moment.

  “Well, I guess I could help you, just this one time.” She grabbed a few pamphlets and starting going through them.

  “Yes, yes, absolutely. Just this one time,” he repeated like a schoolboy, proving that he’d learned his lesson.

  As she was trying
to make her choice, Gina felt Tyler’s eyes scanning her, as if trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking, or better yet, what she was hiding. She lifted her gaze and, exactly as she thought, found him staring at her.

  “Find something good?” He immediately shot his question, not taking his eyes off of her for a second. “Why don’t you take a seat?” He gestured at a comfortable-looking chair that faced his. She took a seat, and continued scoping.

  “How about this?” She pointed at the pamphlet for Little Sicily. “I hear they make killer pasta.”

  “Pasta?” He laughed. She looked at him, confused.

  “Sure. Why not?” She felt a little insulted. What’s wrong with pasta?

  “Sorry.” He finally stopped laughing. “I guess I spend too much time hanging around people who like to consider themselves gourmet connoisseurs, and unless that dish has a name with at least one part of it in French, they’re not eating it for the world.” He laughed again. “So, someone choosing something as simple, and, of course, as delicious, as pasta just stuns me sometimes. Sorry, didn’t mean anything bad by laughing.” He sounded truly apologetic, but she had already forgiven him long before that.

  “So, pasta it is?” She nodded, and he agreed. He grabbed his phone and made the order without even leaving his name. Gina concluded that they must have known who the building and the agency belonged to, and there was no need for any further clarification.

  But how would the delivery boy know which office to deliver it to?

  After making the order, Tyler informed Jeanie, and she seemed to know the drill. Even though she also seemed a little shocked to hear that Little Sicily would be delivering his lunch for the day.

  “Well, let’s see if this pasta of yours is any good,” he said teasingly.