“You want to be in a relationship with him?”
“No, but I wouldn’t mind a few more nights together.” Their eyes met. “One night was far more than I imagined I was going to get, to be honest, because I really did think Daniel was going to get in the way of everything.”
“Why didn’t he?”
“Zane understood.” Angela smiled. “He’d been through the same sort of thing I had, Fi, and it helped, as he seemed to need as much time as I did.”
Fiona sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but while you were off enjoying yourself with Zane I thought I’d look to see if I could find out anything more about him. After Daniel I wanted to do what I could to protect you. Unfortunately I think it was too late to do that, because he must have lied to you. Everything I found on him told me how much of a playboy he was. He went from one woman to the next without seeming at all bothered about the pain he might be causing them.” She passed Angela a piece of paper, and it seemed to be an article from a magazine. “Apparently Zane is one of those playboy billionaires. I don’t think he would have had an ex who tried to change him into someone he wasn’t, because he wouldn’t have stayed with anyone long enough for that to happen.”
Angela read through the article. She couldn’t connect the man he was within it to the man she’d spent the night with, and she knew not all of the magazines were entirely truthful about the people they were writing about. “I get why you did this, Fi, but it doesn’t matter. Like I said I’m not going to see him again. None of this matters. What matters is the fact he gave me the time I needed to accept I really was in bed with someone else and I appreciate that. He didn’t push me into anything. To be honest with you it was the best sex I’ve had. He cared about me enjoying it, which is something I haven’t had before, and I cared about him enjoying it.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I am. It was a fling, nothing more. When I get back home I’ll be able to move on.” She hoped. Dreaming about Zane a couple of nights in a row really wasn’t a good sign, but there was nothing she could do about that. “I’m going to be fine.”
If Fiona thought for a moment Angela was lying she didn’t show it. “Just let me know if you need anything. I was the one who convinced you to have a holiday fling and I can’t help feeling guilty now.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty for.”
***
“That’s the third morning in a row, Angie. I think that’s a sign.”
Angela shook her head. She didn’t want to think it was a sign of anything, even though she didn’t have any other option. Biting hard on her lip she made her way over to the fridge. Until she’d started dealing with the morning sickness she’d hated ginger ale, but it seemed to be the only thing that settled her stomach, and she got the bottle out to pour herself a glass. Just at that moment the doorbell rang. Fiona went over to answer it, after glancing at Angela. Having a visitor was the last thing she wanted. Hopefully it was the postman.
“Is Angela in?”
Her heart sank. That was not a voice she wanted to hear. Fortunately she knew how Fiona was going to react to Daniel ringing their doorbell, so there was no reason to worry. “Even if she wasn’t I wouldn’t let you into this apartment. Not after what you did.”
“Fi, that’s why I’m here. I need to apologise to her for what I did to her. She didn’t deserve that.” He sighed. “After she left me I realised I really did need help. I’ve been in therapy every since.”
“Good for you. That doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere near her. You nearly destroyed my best friend and I’m never going to forgive you for that.”
Hearing the door slam in his face made Angela smile. She sipped the ginger ale in her glass, doing her best not to think about how different her life could have been if she hadn’t been stupid enough to sleep with someone without a condom on, because she never should have relied on her pills. Not when she’d only just met him. In the moment it had felt right, like it was meant to be. She’d let his words get to her and she shouldn’t have. She should have insisted on him using a condom. That was all water under the bridge, though. What happened had happened. The only explanation for her morning sickness was pregnancy and that meant she needed to get a test.
Just as Fiona got back into the kitchen the doorbell rang again. “If that’s Daniel…” Shaking her head, she turned back. “I can’t believe he had the audacity to show up here. He has to know he’s not welcome.”
“You would have thought so.”
The door opened again. “Is Angela in?”
Another voice she didn’t want to hear. Angela brushed a hand through her hair, trying to work out what her next step was going to be, because she knew running away wasn’t an option. The baby, if there was one, could only belong to Zane, and if she decided to keep it he needed to know.
“She’s in, Zane, but I don’t know if she’s going to want to see you.”
“Fiona, I need to talk to her.”
“I showed her articles I found on you, so she knows about you being a playboy.”
He laughed. “Do you really think anyone’s life is anything like the articles you read?”
***
Chapter 5
“I’ve been looking for you since the day you flew home.” Zane studied Angela. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened in Spain.”
Angela sighed, sipping her ginger ale in the hope it would keep her stomach settled. “There’s nothing to talk about. It was one night. I never expected anything more than that.”
“Did you want anything more than that?”
“No, I didn’t, and I don’t really understand why you made the decision to come looking for me.”
He looked between the ginger ale and Angela’s face. “Do you actually like that?”
She shook her head before she thought. “It just helps. I’ve not been feeling great the last few days and ginger ale, fortunately, seems to help with that.”
“Why haven’t you been feeling great?”
“I don’t know.”
“Angela…”
“Until I go to the doctor’s I’m not going to know what’s wrong, Zane. When I do I’ll talk to you about it.”
“Then it is possible?”
“Yes, but I have no reason to believe I am. I was on the pill when we were together.”
Smiling, he reached out to take her hand. “You know I’m going to be there for you, right? The two of us made that baby together and I want to be a father to it.”
“You’re jumping the gun. I don’t know that I am pregnant, and I also don’t know that I’m going to keep it.” She glanced down at the table. “I can’t afford to be a single mom, Zane.”
“Why would you think you’d be a single mom? I’m going to be there every step of the way. I’m going to give you all the money you need.”
“Then people will start calling me a gold digger.” Angela stood, and made her way over to the window. She couldn’t look at Zane. “I never wanted this. You could never have known this was going to happen after one night. The two of us don’t know each other and it would probably be better for both of us if I solved this the easy way.”
“Abortion isn’t the easy way.” He surprised her by wrapping his arms around her. “Do you really think I was on your doorstep for no reason? I was looking for you because I did want more than one night with you. The articles Fiona read will have talked about me as though I was a playboy, and I’m not going to say I didn’t make the most of being a billionaire for a long time, but that isn’t what I want any more. I want to find someone I can settle down with. My ex… we were together for six months, until she realised she didn’t really want to be with me, because I was never going to be the person she wanted me to be. That didn’t stop the gossip mags from writing lies about me.”
***
“Angie!” Daniel’s voice made her jump. “Please don’t run away from me.”
Feeling more angry than anything Angela turned to
look at him. “Why shouldn’t I? After how you treated me you really shouldn’t be acting as though I owe you anything, because I don’t. Our relationship has been over for two years. It’s taken me that long to start to letting go of what you did to me.”
“I’m sorry.” He studied her, and she wished she didn’t find him as attractive as she had done before she got to know him. Of course looks weren’t a sign of the person on the inside. “I know the choices I made were terrible, and I will never be able to make it up to you for treating you the way I did, but I was hoping you might be able to give me another chance to prove myself.”
Laughing, Angela shook her head. “You are never going to be a part of my life again.”
He took a step towards her. “I still love you.”
“That doesn’t matter to me. I don’t love you. I don’t feel anything for you any more. The two of us are better off apart, and you know it.” She took a couple of steps away from him. “I have an appointment I’m going to be late for.”
“Who was that guy who knocked on your door after me?”
“Have you been stalking me?”
“No. I just couldn’t walk away, not when I knew how much I wanted to fix things between the two of us, and he was let into your apartment. I thought I recognised him.”
“Zane is a friend. We met in Spain and he wanted to check on me.”
“Why?”
“No real reason. I didn’t think friends needed to have reasons to check on other people.” She brushed a hand through her hair. “I need to go, Daniel, and I don’t want to see you again.”
“Please…”
“Nothing you can say is going to change anything. I don’t want you anywhere near more after what you did.”
Without giving him a chance to say anything more Angela turned and walked away. Her heart was beating faster than it should be as she tried to walk away calmly. All she could do was hope he didn’t follow her. That was what she assumed he wanted to do, considering the fact he’d been waiting for her to leave the apartment so he could talk to her, and that was terrifying. If he knew about Zane there was a chance he might end up doing something stupid. Daniel was the sort of person to get jealous for no reason at all, and with Zane there was a reason for him to get jealous, even though the two of them weren’t together any longer. Maybe it was time to get a restraining order. The last thing she needed was him making her life any harder than it already was.
***
Chapter 6
“You are pregnant, Miss Carter, but I think you already knew that.”
“I was hoping it might be something else.”
“Then I’m sorry for being the bearer of bad news.” The doctor studied her. “I can go over your options, if that’s what you need me to do.”
“Although I appreciate the offer I know what my options are.” She sighed. “I don’t know that any of them is the right one.”
“With unplanned pregnancies you often find that. I will do anything I can to help you through this difficult time.” He glanced down at the desk, and then looked back at her. “Is the father likely to be involved?”
“The father, unfortunately, is part of the problem. I barely know him. He’s already offered to be there for me, but how do I know I can trust him?”
“He has a legal responsibility.”
“Plenty of people manage to avoid that.” Angela shrugged. “He’s rich, so it would be easy enough for him to do the same thing, because this wasn’t meant to happen.”
“Maybe it would be a good idea to give him a chance first. People can surprise you.”
Nodding, she thought back to the man she’d met in Spain. He was the sort of person he could believe would pay for an unplanned baby, but after reading about him she couldn’t be certain she had met the true Zane, and that was worrying. Did she believe in the man she’d slept with? A part of her wanted to, because she didn’t want to think he was going to treat her badly, but that didn’t mean he would be. Sighing, she shook her head, trying to work out what her next step was going to be, because she didn’t think she wanted to tell him yet.
“People can. So far I’ve just had to deal with the bad ones, but maybe this time my luck will change.” She shrugged. “What do you suggest I do, Doctor?”
“Give yourself some time to think things through before you make any kind of decision. Having a baby isn’t an easy thing for anyone, and when there is a chance you might end up being a single mom it’s much harder to make.”
“Yeah, it is.” Angela stood. “Thank you.”
“If you need to talk to anyone then I’m around. I’ve helped people through this time before, and I can do the same for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. You’ve been coming to me for a while now, Miss Carter, and I know life hasn’t always been kind to you. This is just another one of those things and I’m sorry you have to go through it all.”
“I’m not. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” She smiled. “I will come back if I need any advice, Doctor.”
As Angela walked away she thought he might be the best person to go to for advice. He was the only neutral party she could talk to.
***
Chapter 7
Zane was already there. He had a coffee in front of him, and Angela took her time ordering to give herself time to work out how she was going to tell him she was pregnant with his baby. There was no easy way. No matter what he’d said before there was no reason for her to believe he was going to be there for the pregnancy. Being a single mom was the last thing she wanted. At the same time she didn’t know if she could abort. When the doctor said she was pregnant all she could see was a beautiful little girl who looked like a cross between her and Zane. There was no reason to give up on that. Sighing, she brushed a hand though her hair, doing her best to let go of the image. She couldn’t let that make her decision for her. With an apple juice in her hand she made her way over to the table.
“How did your appointment go?” He sounded more excited than she expected him to. “Are you…?”
“Yes, I am.”
The smile grew. “I’m going to be a dad.”
“Maybe.” Angela sipped her apple juice, and tried to ignore the way she was shaking. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. You and I don’t know each other. There’s no reason for me to believe you’re going to be there for our baby.”
“I love you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “How can you love someone you spent a day and a night with?”
“I don’t know.” Zane ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “I’ve been trying to work it out myself, but it doesn’t matter. I know how I feel. I know I wanted to be with you. I know I want to make things work between us, and I don’t regret spending the night with you. What I do know is that I want to be with you. Knowing you’re pregnant just makes me more certain of that.”
“We should have a paternity test done.”
“Why?”
“You need to be certain.”
“Angie, I already am certain. You hadn’t had sex with anyone since Daniel, and I don’t believe you had sex with anyone after me, which means the baby is mine.” He reached out to take her hand. “You don’t need to have a paternity test.”
“I hope you have lawyers who can make you see sense. You don’t know me. You have no reason to think I’m telling you the truth. I could be lying to you in order to get your money.”
Laughing, Zane shook his head. “That’s never going to happen. You had no way of knowing I was going to turn up when I did and you had that glass of ginger ale in front of you. Every time you took a sip you made a face. The only reason you were drinking it was to settle you stomach, so I have no reason to think you’re lying, and I trust you when you say it’s been a while since you had sex.”
***
Angela paced from one side of the living room to the other. “He’s an idiot.” She shook her head. “He’s willing to accept I’m telling
him the truth about the baby without a paternity test. How can he do that?”
“He trusts you.” Fiona sounded amused. “Why, exactly, is this a problem?”
“Would he do the same thing if someone else came out of the woodwork with a child? He should be logical about this.”
“From what you said he is being logical. You weren’t faking it when you slept with him, and he would have known that, so he has no reason to think you’d have been able to move on to someone else quickly. If he had any chance to get to know you during the night you spent together I think he would have understood who you are, so there is no reason for him to ask for a paternity test.”
“There’s always a reason to ask for a paternity test, no matter what he might thing. I could be lying to him.”
“You aren’t though.”
“We both know that. He has no way of knowing. I just…” Angela shook her head. “This worries me, because there is a chance he might react in the same way with another person.”
“Does that really matter?”
“I don’t want to see him get taken advantage of because he’s a good person.” Their eyes met for a moment. “I just want him to accept that I want to help him, but he doesn’t. He just keeps telling me I don’t need to have a paternity test.” She sighed. “He told me he loved me, and that’s why he was looking for me.”
“Maybe he is one of those people who does fall in love like that.”
“The last time it happened to me I ended up with Daniel.”
“None of the articles I’ve read make me think you need to worry about ending up with someone like Daniel. Zane’s a good guy, even though he does have a bad habit of bed hopping, and that would be my big problem. Don’t believe he wants to stop that. People like that often don’t, and I don’t want him to hurt you.”
The Alpha Billionaire's Unexpected Baby: A Billionaire BWWM Pregnancy Romance Page 2
