“So am I.” He glanced down at her stomach. “It’s not going to be long before you start showing, and then I think we have to make our relationship public.”
“Great.”
“I know, but things like that are an inevitability. I never wanted to be famous, but that’s what I became accidentally.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologise for. I knew what I was getting into when I made the decision to begin a relationship with you. It was never going to be simple, and I don’t care now. Being with you makes up for all of the downsides.”
“For the moment it does. Wait until you meet my family.”
“Your sisters sound nice.”
“Fortunately they are. It’s my parents, and brother, I’m most worried about. I know they aren’t going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
“Which isn’t a problem. I can cope with them being the people they are, because you aren’t them. You haven’t inherited their hatred of people who are different to you, and I’ve been with you long enough to be certain I did make the right choice. No matter what happens tonight we are going to be fine.”
***
For the first time Tiana felt beautiful. She stepped into the house, with Dylan by her side, and she was happy with who she was. Then people started looking at her. Most of them smiled, while the others just stared. She smiled back at those who were smiling at her. At least three of them were Dylan’s sisters. They were the people she cared about getting to know, and when one of the women started walking towards her, who had the same chestnut brown eyes as Dylan, she was almost certain it was Abigail.
“Abi.” Dylan kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday.”
“Hello, big brother.” Abigail smiled. “So this is the beautiful girlfriend you’ve been telling me all about.” Her eyes met with Tiana’s. “We weren’t entirely certain you were real, Tia, because it’s been such a long time since there’s been anyone in his life. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you.” Tiana smiled. “Dylan and I have been looking forward to this.”
“He has?”
“I’ve been looking forward to introducing you to Tia.” Dylan sighed. “The rest…”
“All we can do is ignore them when they’re behaving badly. Unfortunately that is inevitable, but it’s not something we need to let affect the party.” Abigail took Tiana’s free hand. “What would you like to drink?”
“Juice would be great.”
There was a long silence, almost too long, and then Abigail raised an eyebrow. “You don’t do things by halves.” She shook her head. “I can get you some juice.” Her eyes travelled down to Tiana’s stomach. “How far gone?”
“A couple of months.”
“Okay.” Abigail’s smile returned, which was a relief. “As long as you’re both happy there isn’t an issue. There will be with the parents, but that’s something I’m sure the two of you will be able to deal with.”
Nodding, Tiana let herself be tugged towards a small group of people. “Dylan did warn me in advance that your parents probably weren’t going to be happy with the choices he’s made.”
“My parents haven’t been happy with any of the choices he’s made in years. You’re just going to be the icing on the cake, and I think it might be the thing that leads to him cutting them out entirely.”
“Will that be an issue?”
“Not really. I understand why he’s made the decisions he has. I have a better relationship with them, so it’s different for me, but when Dylan told them he wasn’t willing to give them the money they believed they deserved it really did affect their relationship. It’s always going to now.”
“He said it was because he believed they’d ask him for more if he bailed them out once.”
“I don’t think he’s wrong about that. They’ve never been great with money, and it isn’t unusual for them to ask me for a loan occasionally. I always say no, but it’s different for me, because I’m not a millionaire.”
***
“We should have known you were going to end up disgracing the family.” Tiana ran her tongue over her dry lips as she studied the man standing in front of her. Dylan’s slightly older brother didn’t even look at her. “Why did you bring her here?”
“Tiana and I are in a relationship, and Abigail wanted to meet her. As this seemed the best place for that meeting, because it meant meeting my other family at the same time, I agreed to come with her, although I did have certain worries about doing so. You were one of them. Thank you for proving me right, by being the person I thought you were going to be.”
“A relationship?” Gregory laughed. “You can’t have a relationship with one of them. It’s obvious she’s only with you for the money you have. I hope you’re going to sign a pre-nup if the two of you ever get married.”
“I’m not ever going to sign a pre-nup.” Dylan reached out and took Tiana’s hand. “This woman, if she chooses to be my wife, will be entitled to half of everything, because she’ll be my support.”
“Yet you weren’t willing to give Mom and Dad a cent. Obviously you care more about your dick than you do about your family. She must be good in the sack for you to say something stupid like that.” For the first time Gregory looked at her. “I don’t understand how you’d be willing to touch her, but in the end you’ve never had much sense.”
“Mom and Dad didn’t deserve anything. They had nothing to do with the money I earned. Who was it that paid for me to go to college?” Tiana could hear the bitterness in Dylan’s voice. “You got everything, and I got treated like I shouldn’t exist, because I wasn’t you. In the end I know I made the right choice. My money is mine. I will do what I want with it, even if you feel that’s the wrong thing to do, because none of you have a say in what I spend it on.”
“Wow.” Gregory shook his head. “You seem to be missing the fact Mom and Dad raised you. They made sure you had a roof over your head, and food in your stomach, up until the time you made the decision to go to college. They deserve much more than what you gave them.”
“They had a child they were supposed to raise, Gregory. They were doing nothing more than fulfilling their legal duties. By kicking me out the moment I was old enough to fend for myself they proved to me exactly what I’d always believed… I meant nothing to them. I wasn’t you. I wasn’t a daughter. I wasn’t interested in sports at school, therefore I was worthless.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’m ever going to forgive them for treating me the way they did.”
***
As they made their way back to the car Tiana kept a tight grip on Dylan’s hand. “I should have cut them all out a long time ago, Tia, but they’re my family.” He shook his head. “I keep hoping they’re going to be different, only to find it’s never going to happen. Mom and Dad are only interested in my money.”
“Do you think Abi’s going to be okay?”
“She’ll be fine. She has friends there, and Leanne and Hannah. None of them will leave her to deal with the repercussions of what’s just happened alone.”
“I can’t quite believe they were willing to do that.”
“Unfortunately that’s my parents for you. I should have known being with you was going to have an effect on them, but it didn’t cross my mind quite how bad it would be.”
Ducking the glass of wine that had been tossed in her general direction was something Tiana knew had probably made things worse. “I’m sorry.”
“You have no reason to be sorry. The only person who should be apologising for that is my mother.” He shook his head. “I can believe she did that.”
“The screaming was interesting.”
“Hearing that… I knew she wasn’t going to be happy about the two of us being together, but it never crossed my mind she was going to lose her mind entirely. I’ve never seen her like that before.”
“Maybe it was finding out about the pregnancy that was the real problem.”
“I don’t kno
w, and to be honest I’m not certain I care. I was expecting some sort of backlash. That was more than I could ever have imagined was going to happen. Now I just feel guilty for ruining Abi’s party. She deserved better than that.” He sighed. “I don’t know what to do next.”
“We go home and call her tomorrow. From what she said as we left I don’t think she blames us for what happened. She blames your parents, because they’re the ones who reacted badly to everything, and that’s not your fault.” Tiana couldn’t help feeling guilty herself, for going to the party when Dylan told her his parents weren’t going to be happy when they found out he was with a black woman, but she’d wanted to meet his sisters, and they’d wanted her at the party. “After you’ve spoken to Abi we’ll know what to do next.”
“This wasn’t your fault either, Tia. I wanted you to come, and Abi did too. Neither of us knew how badly my parents were going to react to the news. I am sorry you had to go through that. I understand if you decide it would be better for you, and for our baby, if you kept your distance from me in the future. You deserve to be treated so much better than you were.”
“I’m not leaving you. Your family aren’t you, and I said before I was going to stay with you no matter what happened today. I meant that.”
***
They stepped into the house. Dylan was too quiet. Tiana studied him, wishing she had some idea of what was going through his head, and then shook her head. Before he could say anything stupid her lips were pressing against his. It took him longer than it had done since they’d first got together to respond, but he did. Smiling, she undid his jeans with one hand, trying to show him that she still wanted him, because the reactions of his parents wasn’t going to have an effect on their relationship.
“Tia…”
“Don’t.” She stroked a hand through his hair, smiling. “I’m with you, Dylan, not them, and I know we can make this work. You mean more to me than I thought possible.” She took hold of his hand and pressed it to her stomach. “We’re going to have this baby together. We’re going to spend the rest of our lives being a part of each other’s lives, so I think it’s for the best that we work through this, because I don’t want to let them get between us.”
“Neither do I.” Smiling, he turned her in his arms, and undid the zip on her dress. Once he’d pulled the straps off her shoulders it fell to the ground, so she was standing there in her underwear. “I just… they aren’t going to be a part of my life any longer, so they won’t be a part of yours, and I’m definitely not letting our child anywhere near them.” He put his cold hand on her naked stomach. “The two of you are mine.”
“Possessive.”
“I feel it right now. Saying it would be best for you to walk away is easy. Letting you go…” He pressed a kiss on her neck. “That’s an entirely different thing, and I don’t think it would be possible.”
Slowly, Tiana turned in his arms, so the two of them were facing each other, and she kissed his lips. “Good.” He stepped the two of them backwards until she toppled backwards onto the sofa. “I’m not letting you give up on us when I know how important it is to you.”
Watching as he slowly stripped his clothes off was something that turned her on more than she thought it could. He revealed his toned legs, first, pulling down his jeans one leg at a time, and he appeared to know exactly what he was doing to her. She could see his erection, because it was impossible not to. His cock tented his boxers, but he didn’t take them off, instead going to his shirt. He undid each button far more slowly than she believed anyone could undo a button, each one of them showing off a little more of his hairless chest, and then his toned abs. Their eyes met, and she found herself reaching down with one hand to touch herself.
Grinning, he pulled his boxers down. The sight of his cock was erotic. Normally she would have been insisting on a condom, but it was far too late for that, and she planned on making the most of having him all to herself before their baby arrived. He tugged her panties off, leaving her bra on, before slipping inside her, with her being so wet there was no friction at all. Gently he pulled her fingers away from her clit, replacing them with his own, and the moan was inevitable. Sex with him had been slow and gentle before. She didn’t know if it was because he was worried about scaring her off, or if it was because he was worried about the baby, but that time he thrust deep into her far harder than she expected him to. Moaning again she tangled her hands into his hair and pulled his lips down to hers.
As he thrust fast into her, her body going up to meet his naturally, their lips pressed hard together. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, wanting to touch as much of him as she possibly could. The two of them devoured each other, their bodies pressing tight against each other, his cock deep inside of her while her tongue was deep inside of him. He kept stroking her clit, his fingers far more gentle than his cock, until she increased the pressure using her own fingers, and she moaned loudly into his mouth. Her body shivered, all of her feeling the sensation of him.
It wasn’t long until the two of them came together. First she tightened around him, which made him cum deep into her, and then she felt her own release flowing through her body. She shuddered with him, feeling like she’d never felt before, and tried to breath as slowly as she could, to calm herself. Slowly he pulled out of her, looking down at her. “Did I hurt you?”
Shaking her head was the only answer she could give at first. Her mind had turned to jelly. Eventually it returned to her. “Of course you didn’t. I’m not that fragile.”
“I know, but that was… I didn’t know if it was okay.”
“If it hadn’t been okay I would have said something.” Their eyes met. “I’m always going to be honest with you, even when we’re having sex. That’s the best way to have a good relationship.” She stroked her hands through his hair. “I love you, Dylan.”
He looked relieved. “I love you, Tia, and I feel like I always have done.” He shook his head. “I never once thought I’d be this soppy.”
“I like it.” She moved slightly, to make herself more comfortable. “We’re going to be okay. I promise you we can get through anything.”
“I hope you’re right, because I have a feeling my parents are going to do something unexpected.”
“If they do we’ll deal with it.” She kissed his cheek. “The two of us are more than capable of that.”
“Yeah, we are.” He smiled. “Okay. I’m going to stop thinking about them and focus on us. What room do you want for the baby?”
***
Dylan was staring down at the magazine, the shock still noticeable on his face, and all Tiana could do was sit there, wondering what she could do to help him. “I can’t believe they’d be willing to do that to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I.” He looked up, their eyes meeting. The shock had quickly turned into determination. “The only thing I can do now is give my own interview.”
She shook her head. “Not you. I need to do it.” She shivered. “If we’re going to get through this then I need to be the one to talk to one of the magazines.” She glanced at the article, feeling angry all over again, and she knew it was that anger she needed to get her through the next couple of days. Get in contact with them and see if that will work for them.”
“Are you sure?”
“This is what needs to be done. They were talking about you in such a way it won’t be possible for you to be able to fix the damage yourself. I think that’s what they wanted, and they believe the only reason I’m with you is your money. Now they’re going to find out they were very wrong about that. I’m not with you for your money, and the whole world is going to hear your side of the story.”
***
Tiana sat on the opposite side of the table to the journalist. She scribbled on her notebook with her pen, before looking up. “Good morning, Tiana. I’m Mary, and I’ll do my best to put you at ease during this interview, because Dylan told us you hadn’t done something like this before.�
��
“I haven’t.” Tiana smiled. “I’m only doing this to set the record straight. I read the interview his parents gave and pretty much none of it’s true.”
“Then how about we start there.” Mary turned on her recorder. “I like to use two ways of recording an interview, because it gives me all the information I need to be able to write it up later. Now, I hear you and Dylan are having a child together.”
“We are.”
“How did that come about?”
“An accident. Dylan and I happened to be at the same party, for my friend Jessica, and we ended up falling into bed together. Unfortunately we were both too intoxicated to be sensible, and that led to a baby. It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with that.” Tiana stroked a hand over her stomach. “When I first told him I thought he was going to tell me to have an abortion. That seemed like the logical option. Instead he wanted me to keep it. We spent a week trying to work out what we should do, because I was worried about so many things, but in the end we made the decision we were going to give ourselves a chance to see if a relationship was going to work. So far it’s been going well.”
“So if he had asked you to get an abortion you wouldn’t have had a problem with it?”
“No, I wouldn’t. The child is both of ours. I never felt comfortable making the decision alone, which was why I told him in the first place, and I’m glad I did.”
“His parents said you were nothing more than a black gold digger. How did that make you feel?”
“That bothered Dylan far more than it bothered me. I understand why they’d think that about me, even though they have no reason to, and if that’s truly what they think then I’m not going to try to convince them otherwise. Not when I know how they treated Dylan. The two of us have already made the decision our child, unfortunately, won’t have a chance to get to know his parents.”
“How they treated Dylan?”
The Alpha Billionaire's Unexpected Baby: A Billionaire BWWM Pregnancy Romance Page 12
