Mountain Man's Accidental Baby Daughter (A Mountain Man's Baby Romance)

by Lia Lee

  After he must have told Maya the truth, Alain planned to take her to Paris to meet the family. He had the jet ready to fly them back to France once they picked out a new place in Chicago.

  Alain had a smile on his face as he flicked through photos of Maya on his phone, some which she’d sent him. At seven months pregnant she’d never looked more beautiful, her weight gain healthy and her skin radiating. She’d make the sexiest new mom alive, thought Alain as he viewed her very evident baby bump displayed by the form-fitting dress she wore. How she could look so elegant even with how heavy she had become, was an awesome feat. Alain knew she’d look beautiful to him anytime, anywhere.

  Alain put away his phone and laptop in preparation for landing the jet at the private strip. The flight would have been the best time to catch up on the business plans and progress reports on his patents, yet instead his thoughts kept going back to Maya. She’d called him yesterday to remind him to keep his promise about making it back today. As if Alain could stand being away another day, when he’d missed her and their unborn baby.

  Little did Alain know, that things would come crashing down, and that it was already too late to set things right.

  Maya had got a call from the topnotch real estate agent about meeting up to view some listings and Maya was all for it. This realtor took a long time to set appointments, so Maya decided not to wait for Alain and use this rare opportunity to check out the apartments herself. Thankfully, the agent truly knew Chicago and offered invaluable insight on the neighborhoods, up to the buildings and even the blocks.

  When Maya did find the apartment she instantly fell in love with, the rest was an absolute breeze. What would have seemed a daunting task of inspections and contracts went by without Maya feeling overwhelmed since Alain wasn’t there.

  Maya really loved the apartment she’d chosen, and was sure Alain would too. Not wanting to waste any more time, Maya quickly got the agent to run their numbers in readiness to close the deal. And that was when Maya got the shock of the century.

  “I can’t imagine why you were worried. You both can easily afford to get this place,” the agent, Penny said with a smile. “Alain would certainly have no problem. He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?”

  At the moment, Maya didn’t know who the hell he was. She was simply staring at the screen in front of her on Penny’s laptop which showed how much Alain was worth. Alain Bernard, to be exact. His name had never rang any alarm bells to Maya before, yet suddenly it seemed it carried more than its weight in money and power.

  CEO and self-made billionaire, founder of a leading company in the European automotive industry. He’d put his extensive academic background in engineering, industrial design and business to good use and had started out holding various positions in many notable car firms before branching out on his own.

  His company designed and manufactured nuts and bolts used for European race cars, while in his personal life, he remained an avid car enthusiast and enjoyed spending time at the rallies.

  Maya was shocked to discover that Alain had earned numerous industry achievement awards and was considered a lynchpin of European motorsports. That, and the fact that he was a billionaire.

  That last part had her reaching shakily for the nearest chair to settle into. Even Penny noticed her reaction. “You had no idea who he really was or how much he was worth?” The agent shook her head in amazement.

  Maya grimaced and rested her hands on her bump. She wasn’t exactly in pain, and she suspected what she felt was acute embarrassment to have found out the truth from the real estate agent.

  She spent the next several hours fuming and running everything Alain had ever told her, over and over in her mind. How could she not have seen him for what he was? It was always the deep, steady types that held the most capacity for deception. And she was done being the victim of his trickery.

  The shock soon wore off, replaced by Maya’s calm certainty that there was no way forward for both of them

  When Alain arrived at her doorstep, she made sure he had no doubts as to her resolve to leave him. She’d already called him on the phone, so he at least knew what to expect after the way she’d cried and yelled at him. Now that they were face to face, he tried to explain things, but Maya wasn’t ready to listen.

  “I never wanted money – I wanted to build a life with someone. I never would have dreamed you were keeping me like a mistress on the side,” she said angrily, already losing her calm. Maya hated being played for a fool, especially when with Alain she’d been so blindly and happily trusting. How he must have laughed behind her back!

  “That’s not true and you know it.”

  Maya lifted her hand in a universal ‘stop’ gesture at his words. “One thing I do know for sure, is that it’s over between us. I’m moving all your stuff out of the apartment and I’ll hire a new mechanic for my business.”

  “So, you’re totally ready to cut ties with me,” Alain said. “You’re forgetting a vital detail, such as the fact we’re having a baby together.”

  “My baby doesn’t need you. I can find him a father who can be trusted, who’ll treat me with simple human dignity which you’ve obviously fallen short of doing.”

  “I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry!” Alain growled, and gently but firmly took her shoulders and turned her to face him fully. “If I had a way to separate myself from what I am – the billionaire CEO, I would. Every moment I was with you, I felt I was experiencing something worthwhile for the first time.”

  “Being rich and powerful is part of who you are. Why would you need to hide behind a mask and ask me to accept just a version of you?” Maya breathed. “I gave you the whole version of myself.”

  “I know. Dammit, Maya, I know,” said Alain, his face creased in pain as he pulled her close, taking care not to press the baby bump.

  Alain knew he could keep saying the same thing again and again, but Maya was too hurt right now to let it make any difference. “I need to figure out what I really want. I’m not sure I can believe in anything we share anymore, not when it was all based on an illusion.”

  “This isn’t an illusion,” Alain told her while resting his hand possessively on her pregnant stomach. “It’s proof that what we have, has the right to bloom. Neither of us have the right to say it’s not worth a chance.”

  Maya stared at Alain while fighting down her anger, so deeply embedded within her since she’d found out about him yesterday. “You’re too good at saying all the things I want to hear. But no matter how much sense you make, I’m standing by my decision. You can still play your role as the father of my baby, but there can’t be anything romantic between us.”

  She could see how hurt Alain was by her words. But what could she do? He just kept giving her more and more pain. Right from the start, she’d opened her heart to him without question. Like a fool, she’d told herself she didn’t need to know more than the fact he wanted to be part of her world. She’d established so much of her future based on everything he’d opened her up to. Now it all felt like ashes, because she didn’t know what was real and what was not, anymore.

  “Don’t make any rash decisions right now,” he said in a calm voice. “I take the blame for everything. Because of my damn ego, I risked sacrificing your trust. Give me one more chance, and I promise I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  “I’m done with promises,” Maya said, and moved to the door as quickly as her heavy body would allow. She knew if he was still close by she’d never be able to think things through. “Just give me a bit more time,” she added with less hostility than before.

  Maya saw him wince, and knew he didn’t want to leave, but she was glad Alain finally chose to respect her wishes, and after a deep sigh he was gone out the door. Tears spilled silently out of Maya’s eyes as she leaned against the closed door, and somehow, she sensed Alain’s presence right outside on the other side, and imagined him resting his head against the frame, unable to just walk away. All Maya needed to do was unlock the
door again and take him back in but, she found the inner strength to hold back.

  Minutes later, she heard faint footfalls of Alain finally making his departure and her heart sank with every receding step. Was it well and truly over between them? Or was she making the biggest mistake by pushing him away? What if he never came back?

  She’d have to pay the price, come what may. Maya wanted to win back her pride and self-esteem, battered after several months of never being secure about Alain. Maybe they could work things out, maybe not. But she couldn’t hinge her whole happiness and existence on another human being, not after he’d used gimmicks just to protect his ego.

  Perhaps, if it wasn’t for her own hidden insecurities and how she’d never really felt worthy of him, then she wouldn’t have reacted so negatively to everything. She’d seen glimpses of the world where he truly belonged, when she’d viewed his profile both online and in every magazine he featured in, which she got her hands on. That life of glamor, affluence and accomplishment where someone like Maya couldn’t even dare dream of attaining on her own.

  Maya had been awed and frightened by the prospect of wanting to lay claim to being at Alain’s side. She couldn’t really picture herself as a billionaire’s girlfriend or wife, that was if Alain was even thinking that far.

  She’d seen pictures of women he’d been with prior, and she even began to question what he’d ever seen in her. Maybe she’d started out as an exotic diversion, but then she went and got pregnant and now, he felt duty-bound to take responsibility for the baby. How could she bear being the one to make him trapped?

  Even with how much she told herself she’d made the right decision, Maya spent the next few days in constant turmoil. She wasn’t completely alone – she had Nikki and the support of a few other friends and family, but it wasn’t the same. How had she grown so dependent on Alain’s presence in her life, that it physically ached to be separated from him this way?

  To make matters worse were the headaches that started to get at her as she got well into her third trimester. Her doctor had told her to be more careful about her posture and to get plenty of rest and relaxation, but none of those remedies seemed to be working.

  Deep down, Maya knew her tension headaches might not be entirely pregnancy related. She couldn’t count how many times a day she stared at the phone wanting to call Alain up. She didn’t even know if he was still in the country or had returned to Europe on one of his constant business trips.

  Thinking of how in the past many months he’d always been too busy, Maya’s resolve hardened and she changed her mind about calling him. She could handle this alone, she vowed.

  Finally, Maya decided she needed some time away. She didn’t plan on going anyplace far, just somewhere quiet she could have to herself for a few days. Even Nikki wasn’t told exactly where it was – Maya didn’t want anyone trying to butt in thinking she shouldn’t be alone while heavily pregnant. It was exactly because of everyone making such a fuss, that Maya decided on the little retreat.

  The spot was a secluded, out of town location that was almost rural in setting. Maya instantly felt revived by the fresh air and the sense of being cut off from the stress of city life. The property owned by one of her aunts who’d passed on and left the place to Maya and her sisters. The others hardly spent time there, not fond of the rustic life with barely any amenities, but the thought of living rough strangely appealed to Maya.

  It was like being one with nature, and during her time there she let her thought wander over the past year. About how she’d always been independent – maybe too independent. Her last boyfriend, Sam had even told her, he’d sometimes felt lacking because she never seemed to need anyone or anything. Her self-sufficient nature, made it so that even when she cried, or felt down and alone, she never really expected anyone to give any comfort or even care.

  Slowly, Maya realized how much she wasn’t perfect either. As such, she started to feel guilty about giving Alain such a hard time just because he’d made mistakes. She wasn’t ready to simply excuse them all away, but she began to understand that she couldn’t stick totally to the negative side of things. In many ways Alain had been a pillar of support at that time when she’d lost her bearing. His patient and steadfast nature had encouraged her to seek an inner purpose and do something with her life other than just working for a paycheck. He made her want to make the best out of life, and of herself.

  She felt bad now, when she thought of when she told him she could always find a father for her baby. To her, Alain was the best father. It hurt her to think of his pained eyes and how he looked like he already thought she was slipping away from his grasp.

  She thought of his many calls since the two weeks she’d spurned him and told him to go. Sometimes, she picked up and managed a stilted conversation keeping him posted about the pregnancy. Other times, she simply disregarded the call, telling herself not to be softened by his apparent solicitude. Where was he all those months, when he’d left her on her own while he’d tended to his precious company abroad?

  Maya had dozed off with all those thoughts swirling, and when she roused from her nap it was to a splitting headache, worse than any of the ones she’d had of late.

  She cursed herself for taking the risk of coming out this far out of town on her own. The acute pains that racked her skull almost made it impossible to reach for her phone on her bedside drawer. Finally, she grasped the mobile and pressed the needed number. She felt an almost dizzying relief that almost an instant later, a deep voice came on the line.

  “Maya?” The sound of hope in Alain’s voice made her heart churn along with her head. He sounded so glad to hear from her she wanted to cry at all her foolishness. How could she have been so stupid as to let her pride stand in the way, after accusing Alain of making the same mistake?

  But just as she readied to pour out her emotions and tell him she was sorry for being so blind and judgmental, she felt her vision blur as her head swam round and round. “Alain, I don’t feel so good,” she worded, and then gasped in pain, the phone slipping out of her fingers. The last sound she was conscious of as she drifted into blackness, was Alain’s voice calling for her. Then, nothing.

  ***

  In the dim hospital room, the machines beeped softly along with the mounted TV with the weather forecast on, the volume low. Maya felt groggy as she came awake, and looked around unsure for a moment, as to why she was there.

  Bit by bit, the events of the last many hours came flying back to her memory. Unable to keep her heavy eyelids up, she let them drift closed again as sleep again took over.

  Somehow, Alain had found her. Maya had no clue how, considering she hadn’t told anyone where she’d be. He’d appeared right in her bedroom and carried her limp body up in his arms. She was barely conscious of his soothing voice, tinged with its own worry and fear. She was placed at the back of the car, her head resting on Alain’s laps as they were driven to the hospital.

  From there it was a blur of activities. Tests to check if the baby and mother were okay, and then the doctors diagnosing high blood pressure as the culprit for Maya’s collapse. Thankfully it was nothing some rest and proper diet couldn’t fix, and would have no adverse effect on the pregnancy or delivery. Maya had felt relieved to know that, even as she shifted in and out of alertness. One constant thing, was the feeling of a familiar touch of hands, linking with hers and offering warmth and strength even without saying a word.

  Maya felt safe just knowing Alain was right there next to her, making sure everything was okay with her and the baby.

  When she woke up again, she turned her head to the side and saw the flowers, cards, balloons and even stuffed animals piled there. She turned to the other side, and smiled weakly when she saw Alain seated right next to her bed. His head rested forward on his chest, his arms folded as he nodded in obvious exhaustion. Maya’s smile deepened even as she felt bad for causing him to worry and lose sleep. She lifted a hand to reach out and brush back his dark, silky locks when s
uddenly, she let out a shocked gasp.

  Her outstretched hand was dazzling thanks to the biggest, most fabulous engagement ring she’d ever seen in her life. Her jaw dropped in amazement as she tried to remember where the hell it had come from. It was so beautiful, set in a gorgeous cluster that winked and stunned.

  Managing to break out of her daze, Maya again reached for Alain’s lowered head and ran her fingers through his hair, marveling at how the diamonds gleamed against his dark mane.

  Roused by her touch he came awake, his head lifting. He looked disoriented for a moment then shook himself alert, before breaking out in a huge, disarming grin. “Never have I been gladder to see those beautiful brown eyes,” he told her huskily. “You know how scared out of my mind I was?”

  He leaned forward to drop a tender kiss on her forehead, and Maya’s heart fluttered. Damn, did she love the hell out of this man.

  “Would you by any chance, have something to do with this?” she asked in a voice slightly thick, as she wagged her ringed hand under his nose.

  Alain smiled, looking unrepentant as he grabbed her hand and kissed each finger. “I was hoping you’d like it.”

  “I’d be crazy not to like it – it’s beautiful! But, what does it mean?”

  “What you think it means,” Alain said deeply, in response to her shy query. “That I don’t want to spend another moment apart, and that I’m settling on making you mine for keeps. No more games, no hiding. I love you, Maya Sherwood. Will you marry me?”

  ***

  That was a year ago. Not long after that, Maya had found out, through Alain’s admission, how he’d been able to know she’d be at her aunt’s property. Alain confessed how he’d been having her followed, and Maya had been shocked.

  But then he’d explained, that because he’d had to be away so much, he never felt really at peace unless he knew she was doing okay. It was one of the hired detectives who’d informed Alain of Maya’s exact location. He’d rushed there just in time and found her unconscious before bringing her quickly to the hospital. Thankfully it had all turned out well in the end. Thusly, Maya didn’t really have the heart to stay mad at Alain for tailing her without her permission.