We went to the game and the guys lost by a mere three points. I felt so wrecked inside as I watched Nick walk off the field with slumped shoulders along with my brother. Bonnie and I hadn’t broken our news yet, since we didn’t want to take away from the team’s glory. We all left the stadium silently with the disappointed fans, and Bonnie went to her brother’s house while I went home to the apartment.
I hadn’t spoken to him since the day at the store. I didn’t know whether I was relieved or heartbroken that Nick had done what I asked him to by letting me move on. It hurt so much as I tried to think about my upcoming move to Portland, a city that seemed like a perfect place to start over. The job sounded very promising, but I hadn’t told my teacher or my future boss that I was expecting a baby.
I had made the decision to keep it. No matter how hard it would be, this baby was a piece of Nick and me that I wasn’t willing to let go of. I would find a way to support the baby somehow and show her or him all the love that I could.
Bonnie came home crying, as she had just told the guys about her moving. Nick was angry with her, and Brandon was just sad. We were all so close, or at least we had been. She let it slip that she’d told them about me as well in the heat of the moment, and I rested my head in my hands. I heard my phone chiming from my purse. “I’m sorry, Mel. It slipped out when I was crying, and I didn’t mean it. It only fueled the fire.”
“I’ll bet.” All of my limited optimism faded from my mind, and I stared at my purse as the chiming kept going on. “Fuck, Bonnie I wanted to do that myself.”
“Mel, I’m sorry.” She looked at me in shock, since I never cursed much. I stood and grabbed my purse and walked into my room before slamming the door. I pulled the phone out of my purse and saw that Brandon was calling me, and I pushed the answer button and held the phone to my ear.
“What the hell is going on, Melissa?” Brandon yelled. My eyes flashed in anger.
“I got a job after graduation is what the hell. It’s not that far, and it’s a good fucking opportunity!” I yelled. There was silence on the other end. “I didn’t want to ruin your big day, and I was going to tell you soon before Bonnie decided to handle that for me.”
“You’re both leaving us, Mel. I don’t want that, and Nick doesn’t want that,” Brandon said, and I rolled my eyes. “Can we talk?”
“I am leaving in a month and a half. I wasn’t just going to leave, Brandon,” I told him, as I sunk onto my bed. “I just wanted to tell you myself.”
“Can I come over?” Brandon asked, and I shook my head.
“Not tonight, Bran. We’ll have dinner soon and talk this out,” I told him, as exhaustion and pain hit me hard. I said that I needed to go and hung up as I started crying.
It wasn’t Brandon but Nick that showed up at my door the following day. Bonnie was out running some errands, and I stared at him.
Chapter Nine
He looked like he hadn’t slept in several days and I stared at him. “My sister is leaving, and now you’re going to be gone.” He stared at me with dull eyes, and I pressed my hand to my lips. “You said that you’d always be there even when we were over. I haven’t seen you at all, Mel. Now you’re just moving?”
“I was going to tell you both myself after all of this stuff with the game was over. I was putting it off even longer when you lost. I didn’t want to make things worse,” I started to cry as pain crossed his face and he stepped inside. Nick pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You hurt me the day you ended things with us. Not having you living here anymore…I love you, Mel. I love you more than I’ve ever loved a woman. I think that I always have. Please stay with me and give us a try.” Nick’s voice was soft, and I closed my eyes as my hands locked behind his back. “Please. I lost my dream, and I can’t lose you as well.”
“Nick, there’s something…something that I need to tell you.” I hated myself as I prepared to make his life harder. “I’m pregnant, about three months now.”
He pulled away and stared at me.
“What?” Bonnie said behind him, and I closed my eyes. “Pregnant?” She stormed past us and slammed the door. “Were you even going to tell me?”
“Or me? I’m the father, aren’t I?” Nick asked as her mouth dropped open.
“You’re the girl that he was talking about? Oh my god. How long has this been going on?” Bonnie demanded, as I took a deep breath.
“Not long. About four months or so,” I told her, as I looked at Nick. “This baby wasn’t planned, and it just happened. I was going to move away and raise it on my own since I know that you don’t want a baby.”
“When did I say that?” Nick asked, and I narrowed my eyes.
“The night the condom broke. Don’t you remember?” His eyes grew dark in thought, and he shook his head. “You said it.”
“I was nervous. I knew what I was feeling for you, and I was just scared. I didn’t think I ever wanted a relationship with anyone, Melissa, and now I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I want this baby.” He stared into my eyes and leaned down to kiss me.
“What’s going on?” Brandon asked, as Nick and I parted. “Are you kissing my sister?”
“Should I break the news or do you want to?” Bonnie asked, and I gave her a dark look.
“I have been seeing Mel for a few months, Brandon. Roughly since our party.” He looked at my brother. “She just told me that she’s pregnant, and I am hoping that she is going to stay here and let me prove to her how much I love her.”
“Well, fuck. This has been a weird few days,” Brandon said, as he sat beside Bonnie. “Are you staying, Melissa?”
“I haven’t really had time to think about it, but…” I stared at Nick. “I love you, too. I love you, and I’d like to give us a chance if you’ll have both of us.” I looked at Brandon and Bonnie. “Are you mad?”
“How can I be when I’ve seen the good changes, Mel? He’s become a better man, happier. I have to wish you all the best,” Brandon told me as he looked at Bonnie. “You?”
“I had never seen him so sad about anyone before. It was like he was when mom died. That was about you, wasn’t it?” Bonnie asked. I nodded slowly.
“I tried to end things with him. I didn’t think he’d want me like this.”
“I want you any way that I can have you and I believe that you're going to be a sexy pregnant woman,” Nick growled. I laughed and he pulled me back into his arms. We felt someone come up and wrap their arms around us, and I heard Bonnie start to cry.
Two months later
Bonnie ended up moving to Colorado and Nick moved into the apartment with me while we were house hunting. I was happy with him attending appointments with me to check on the progress of our baby, and I watched his face carefully when the doctor told us at the ultrasound that we were having a boy. Nick cried and held onto my hand, and I saw his pure joy and love for both of us.
I was thrilled when he proposed to me in the house that we bought that backed up to Lake Washington, where we’d started.
I didn’t need Portland to make a new start. I just needed Nick, and I probably always had.
*****
THE END
Billionaire Romance: The Boss's Game
Description
Oscar
I am an arrogant, self-indulgent and offensive pr*ck. Plus I am exceptionally good looking and rich. I can get any woman into my bed.
I am the new CEO of the family firm, the one who has to save the company from a financial crisis. I have to prove that I’m capable of it, because I have no practical knowledge. My skills include licking off ten belly shots in one minute and seducing Brazilian supermodels.
Women mean nothing to me. I don’t do relationships. I’m not interested in my conquests, just in whether I can fit their butts into my hands.
Until Kayla. She’s strong-willed and confident and her curves drive me wild. Her eyes command me to stay away, making me want he
r even more. But she’s my new PA. She’s off limits.
I know she wants me just as much I want her. So I propose a business contract. Just sex. Nothing more.
As if.
Kayla
I have my eyes on the prize. I am going to make sure my career is going places. I just got promoted to be the PA to the Connell’s lost son, Oscar. Score for me, career wise.
Until I realize that my new boss is that blue eyed blonde model of male perfection that I met in the gym. The one with the six-pack and the chiseled muscles; the one with the most annoying smirk in the world who can’t stop staring at my butt.
I’m shocked to realize that I want him. Purely physically of course. Oscar is like a hot knife and I am butter, so I agree to his indecent proposal. Even if it goes completely against my rules of conduct.
I’m pretty sure I don’t like him as a person. Who would? He’s just a means to an end. Plus I would never allow myself to grow attached to a man.
So his rules suit me just fine. Only sex, nothing else.
Chapter One
Kayla
I have to start my day in a sweat. By that I mean I have to get my heart pumping, my muscles aching and my body rewarding me for the extra mile I’ve pushed it. Every day is the same. I blink my eyes open and I can’t wait to hit the gym.
Today is no different. I arrived at seven, when the gym was deserted, the doors open just for me. I hooked the earplugs in, I stretched while walking towards the treadmill and then I started running. What a way to wake myself up!
This one hour when I’m alone in the gym, listening to the same three songs on loop, is the most peaceful time of the day for me.
It’s when I can do some thinking, clear my head and prepare myself for a day in the office. No interruptions, no distractions and no demands.
My body jerks as I run, I keep my eyes focused on the wall length mirror in front of me. This way I can see myself, love myself as I run for thirty minutes without a break.
But what I wasn’t expecting today was an intrusion. About twenty minutes into the run, I heard the gym door open behind me and saw someone walk in. I could feel my brows furrowing with irritation. I told myself that as long as they left me alone, I’d be fine.
A few seconds later he came into view. Walking up behind me, watching me run on the treadmill. A soft smirk creased the side of his face. I could see his eyes were on my butt, and then on my back. He was walking towards me with a towel flung over his shoulder.
He looked familiar, although I couldn’t exactly place him. I was sure he was related to the Connells in some way. He had to be. This was the family’s personal gym after all; very few employees have access to this room.
I’d been working as a receptionist at their financial services firm for the past four years. It’s a medium sized company that trades in stocks and is located in a swanky private office building. The Connells trust me, I live nearby and I’m there at their every beck and call. Working seven days a week if they need me to. The free access to their personal gym is one of the many perks that they’ve provided me with. For that, I’m very grateful.
But who is this guy? I couldn't remember seeing him around the office, and the confidence, the sheer arrogance with which he was walking towards the treadmill next to me…I could tell that he wasn’t just a regular employee.
His blonde hair and baby blue eyes contributed to a boyish look, but everything else about him was purely man. I was annoyed, nonetheless.
The crop top he was wearing clung to his chiseled muscles, the bulges on his thighs stretched the thin nylon material of his shorts.
He was still smirking as he flung himself onto the treadmill next to mine. He was making a point. There were six other empty treadmills around us, an entire empty gym to make use of. But he chose to run on the treadmill next to mine, to look into the mirror in front of us, directly into my eyes as he picked a speed on the machine.
Within seconds he was running, faster than me. I looked back at him in the mirror, narrowing my eyes and maintaining my speed. If this was a battle, I wasn’t just going to give up. I had been here nearly thirty minutes by now, so my body had started to wind down, used to the usual routine. But I was going to push myself now. If he was trying to make a point, I’d make one too.
We were both running to match each other’s speed. The music was loud in my ears, keeping me motivated but I could feel the breath catching in my throat. It wouldn’t be long before I’d start feeling the strain of my muscles.
He was still smirking, watching me, running with ease. His neck was broad, and he had broad shoulders to match. There were sweat patches forming on his shirt now, and sweat dripped from his hair too. None of it seemed to bother him.
I was growing increasingly aware of my senses, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I could feel my ponytail grazing my back, the soles of my shoes hitting the rubber belt of the treadmill, the muscles on my calves beginning to ache with every extra second.
I saw him punch the board, to increase his speed and I was tempted to do the same. I was panting by now but tried to make sure that my face didn’t change. I didn’t want to give away that I was getting tired.
How did this turn into a competition? I didn’t even know the guy. Maybe it was the smirk on his face, the absolute confidence with which he challenged me to a fight, without even asking me to it.
The music in my ears was growing louder, and I had to blink hard to keep my eyes from shutting on their own accord. My body was screaming at me to stop, but I pushed on. I could feel the sweat trickle down my back, the hair from my bangs stuck to the sides of my face. He was running faster now, harder, his muscular torso stretching and contorting with every step. He was enjoying himself, while I was wondering why I was even a part of this.
I saw his lips move in the mirror, and my mind was grateful for the distraction. I continued running but pulled the earplugs out.
“You can give up if you want,” I heard him say, repeat himself. I crossed my brows at him.
“Thank you for the permission, but I’m following my own routine,” I said and stuck the earplugs back into my ears. I saw him smile, a big wide self-indulgent smile.
Then he casually stopped the machine and slowed to a stop himself. I was relieved, even though I didn’t allow my face to show it. Secretly it was a victory for me, that I wasn’t the first one to put an end to it.
I saw him jump off the treadmill and reach for the towel. That’s when I stopped and got off the treadmill myself, feeling a little dizzy. I switched off the music when I picked up my own towel, still annoyed by the disruption to my routine.
“Good run,” I heard him say. I looked at him and threw him a half smile. Common sense was flooding my brain now. No matter how irritated I was, in all likelihood, this guy was a colleague, which meant that I shouldn’t be rude.
“Is that your usual set?” he asked as I undid the cap of my water bottle, still panting.
“Yep,” I said and eagerly drank from the bottle. He was still wiping himself down, looking at me with confidence, unabashedly, no apology in his eyes.
“I like to get an early start at the gym. I didn’t expect to find anyone here,” he continued. I wanted to tell him that was exactly how I operated, but I decided against it. I wasn’t here to make friends.
“Have I offended you in some way?” he asked after a few seconds of silence. I was preparing to leave now. I usually spent another fifteen minutes on the cross trainer, but I didn’t want to get into another competition with him.
“Why do you say that?” I asked him, as I picked up my gym bag.
“You don’t seem too pleased to see me here,” he replied, his eyes flitting over my breasts and back up to my face. I could see what kind of man he was. He thought I was going to be an easy pickup at the gym. He had confidence in himself and his prowess at impressing women. But I wasn’t just going to giggle and accept his advances. He had intruded on my privacy, on my personal space and I wa
s secretly glad he thought I was offended.
“I’m sorry that I’m not more friendly. It’s just that I have to get to work,” I said, starting to walk away from him.
“So you work here,” he said, following me at a distance. I was headed for the shower room and getting more annoyed now that he was following me there.
“Yes,” I said dismissively and heard him chuckle.
“I do too. Starting today,” he said. I couldn’t make sense of it. If he was just a regular employee, why and how was he given access to the family’s personal gym? There were people who had worked for the company for several years and were still not given the privilege. You had to earn the perks.
“Great. Welcome, I guess,” I said instead and he stretched out his hand to me.
“I’m Oscar,” he introduced himself and I had no other choice but to shake his hand. He had me cornered against the wall by the changing rooms’ door now. We shook hands and he took a few more steps towards me.
That’s when his smell entered my nostrils. The smell of his sweat combined with the expensive cologne he had on. The strength of his handshake, and the way he held my hand for just a little longer than strictly necessary. I could see the outline of the six-pack underneath his shirt. He was much taller than me too, towering over me while I had to look up at him.
My confidence was suddenly struck out of me, and I found myself catching my breath, trying to find my voice.
“Kayla,” I said meekly and with my left foot, I pushed back the changing room door. I had to get out of here before I did anything stupid. He registered the movement and raised his eyebrows.
“Are you trying to make a quick escape?” he asked, his face now painfully close to mine.
Shattered Daddy: A Billionaire Suspense Romance Page 52
