by Ava Claire
I stroked my tummy, unable to fight the emotion that flew to my eyes.
Damn hormones.
But looking at my mother-in-law, the second in a fairly short list of true enemies, I felt something in me relenting. Maybe the baby was making me soft, making me weak, but I couldn't help but feel like there was hope for Alicia Whitmore yet.
Luckily, Scarlet returned with our order and I was off the hook from answering the question that burned in her eyes.
Can I be a part of the baby's life?
Once we were alone, the spotlight returned and I parted my lips, readying an answer about time and having to talk to Jacob when my phone hummed in my purse.
Glad for a few more minutes to get myself together, I answered it without even looking. "Hello?"
"Leila!" Angelique's voice oozed into my ears. Warm. Bright. Excited about something.
"Hey Ang!" I felt Alicia's eyes burning into me disapprovingly and even though I welcomed a distraction, I decided to be polite. "I'm actually at lunch with my mother-in-law-"
"Good!" she chirped brightly. "This concerns both of you."
I frowned. "It does? I don't understand."
"Parents are quite something, aren't they?" Angelique continued, walking right past what I said. "The way they shape us, inspire us, hurt us...it's a bond that supersedes all else."
Alicia was asking me a silent question with her eyes, but I had no answers because Angelique wasn't making sense.
"Your husband, your family, wronged my father," she said, all kindness ripped from her voice. "You may want to head over to the Whitmore estate. My father has great plans for all of you and Jacob is waiting.” She let out a whistle. “You would have been proud. I hear he put up quite the fight.”
I almost dropped the phone.
I felt like the ceiling was caving in.
I couldn't breathe.
I didn't want to put the pieces together, but the timing of Angelique entering my life, combined with her comment about her father being wronged by Jacob meant-
"I can feel you trying to figure all this out," Angelique said darkly. "Let me help you. Entoine is my mother's maiden name. My father's last name is Eichmann."
~
Thank you for taking the time to read To Crave A Billionaire. Please consider leaving a review! xoxo, A.C.
The Billionaire’s Baby Series
To Want A Billionaire, #1: September 9
To Need A Billionaire, #2: September 27
To Crave A Billionaire, #3: October 11
To Trust A Billionaire, #4: October 21
To Love A Billionaire, #5: November 4
About the Author
Ava Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her e-reader, Ava likes road tripping, karaoke, vintage fashion, and fantasizing about her favorite book boyfriends.
Connect with Ava:
Blog: http://avaclaireromantica.blogspot.com
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Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/xhR39
Twitter: @avaclairewrites
Stay tuned to my blog for up to date information on my works in progress and release schedules!
