Reunited: A Billionaire Secret Baby Romance (Lost Love Book 2)

by Marcella Swann

  “How much are you getting paid? You seem to be doing...everything other than actually running my businesses,” I observed.

  “I’ve had you sign off on annual raises for me, I make enough,” Kara replied, and I racked my brain; I remembered her showing me salary contracts but I’d never really paid attention to what I was paying her or anyone else. It clearly wasn’t enough to bankrupt me.

  “Well, give our PI a bonus if he can work this out for us quickly, and yourself one too, for dealing with the waterpark thing,” I said blankly.

  “Just do me a favor and don’t make any big plans for surprises or major purchases for the next week or so?” I grinned.

  “Well, I will try,” I said. “And I can promise to give you a heads up if I make any rash decisions before I act on them.”

  “That would be nice,” Kara said.

  “Apart from that, I think things are solid,” I mused.

  “Well, as solid as they ever are with you,” Kara agreed, her voice a little tart. “But I’ll get to work on this. You have Sienna coming over for dinner, right?”

  “Yeah, she and Tanya will be here in about fifteen minutes,” I said. “Do you object or something?”

  “Not at all,” Kara said. “I’m actually glad you chose a low-key way to spend time with them. The Museum thing hasn’t leaked yet, but it’s bound to soon.” She stood, stopped recording, and looked at me. “You need to figure out what your intentions towards that woman and her kid are, because if you don’t figure it out and make it obvious soon, the press is going to run away with it.”

  I thought about telling her what I’d learned from Sienna, but things were still so unsteady between us; I didn’t want to make them more complicated, bring Kara in on it just yet. If she knew that Tanya was my daughter, I was pretty sure she’d push me to acknowledge it publicly, so that one more of my requirements to keeping my inheritance would be over and done with. But I also figured that if I did that it might jeopardize everything with Sienna, and I wasn’t going to ruin things with the mother just to get the benefit of the daughter.

  “I’ll keep you posted,” I said. Kara nodded and made her exit, and I looked around the living room, trying to figure out if it was ready for a kid to be in it, or if I needed to child-proof anything. I had never spent more than maybe an hour in a home with a kid before, and my place wasn’t exactly kid-central; none of my friends who came to party had kids, and those who had kids generally didn’t come to party. It’ll be fine. It isn’t like Tanya’s a baby or a toddler. She can behave herself. I grinned to myself at that thought. Tanya definitely could behave herself, but from what I’d seen I wasn’t sure she was always entirely willing to. Something we have in common.

  About ten minutes after Kara left, Sienna and Tanya arrived, and I let them in, feeling a little tense but happy to see both. “Did you bring your bathing suits?”

  “We did!” Tanya hopped up and down, beaming. “Do you really have a diving board?”

  “I do, but I think that might be something for the next time you visit,” I said. “It’s a bit high.”

  “Next time, next time, I can jump next time,” Tanya said in a sing-song voice. I looked at Sienna.

  “Mom gave her a ton of candy before I got home, I think as revenge for not inviting her,” Sienna said, smiling a little tensely.

  “Well let’s get into the pool then, shall we?” I led them through the house and out to the backyard, where the pool was. Tanya’s eyes went wide at the sight of it, and she turned to look at her mother.

  “It’s like the lake! It’s so big!”

  “She’s only really ever seen small pools, most of them above-ground. Even the pool at the apartment building isn’t this big,” Sienna explained to me, as I ushered them through the door and out onto the shaded patio.

  “Well I’ve got the diving board, and I’ve been thinking about having someone install a water slide before it gets cold,” I said. “Tanya, you’ll probably want to stay in the shallow end.”

  “Okay,” Tanya said, nodding, but I caught a look in her eye that told me she was likely to try and test that notion.

  “I’ve got towels over here, and there’s a changing room off to this end of the deck,” I explained, pointing things out. “And I was thinking I could grill up some steaks for us for dinner--do you eat steak, Tanya?”

  “What’s with it?” Tanya’s brow furrowed seriously.

  “Well what would you want with it?” I crouched down to get as close to her level as possible.

  “Ice cream!” I snickered.

  “I think steak and ice cream at the same time would be a little weird,” I pointed out.

  “Beans!” I glanced at Sienna.

  “She likes beans,” Sienna confirmed. “She’ll also eat carrots, potatoes, sometimes broccoli, and cucumbers.”

  “I think we can make something happen for dinner, then,” I said. “Why don’t you and Tanya get changed into your bathing suits and I’ll grab things from the kitchen?”

  “I don’t have to change,” Tanya informed me. “Got my suit under my clothes!” I looked at Sienna.

  “Come with me while I get changed and then we’ll go swimming and let Mr. Clawson get started on dinner. How about that, baby girl?” I grinned.

  “Okay!”

  “Do you want a drink?” I’d asked my personal chef to pick up some kid-friendly stuff during the grocery run, and I hadn’t really given him a budget; most of it was pretty shelf-stable, anyway: juice boxes, things like that.

  “I would actually really like a glass of wine,” Sienna said, and I was more than happy to oblige. “And I think Tanya could use some water.”

  “Your wish is my command,” I said, and left them to go get changed while I grabbed things to make dinner. I had had the chef prepare a couple of things, including prepping the steaks, so all I had to do was heat stuff up and man the grill. I’d never been the best cook in the world, but I could handle a simple dinner like the one I had planned for Tanya and Sienna.

  While Sienna got into her bathing suit, I brought out appetizers: shrimp cocktail, olives, cheese in little cubes, and some raw veggies and fruit for Tanya to enjoy while her mother and I went at the more grown-up stuff. I grabbed a bottle of white wine and a bottle of water, and by the time I was done Tanya and Sienna were just getting into the pool at the shallow end.

  “Let me just get this open and I’ll have a glass of wine for you,” I told Sienna. She gave me a quick, slightly tense smile and I wondered if I had done something wrong.

  Tanya splashed in the shallow end, not veering very far from the sloped, false “shore” of the pool, and I brought Sienna her wine. “Thanks,” Sienna said, sitting on the edge of the pool so she could keep watching Tanya.

  “Something wrong?” I sat down just out of the water, a bottle of water for Tanya ready at hand and my own glass of wine next to me. Sienna glanced at Tanya, who was happily singing a classroom song to herself, playing with one of the pool rafts I’d brought out for the visit.

  “A bunch of reporters hounded me leaving the hospital,” Sienna said, pitching her voice low so Tanya wouldn’t hear. I cringed.

  “I’d ask if they had any sense of decency, but I already know the answer,” I told her. “I’m sorry.”

  “It isn’t your fault, really,” Sienna said, taking a sip of her wine. “But can we keep things low-key for a while? No big outings, nothing that will attract too much attention?” I nodded.

  “That’ll give me a better chance to get to know Tanya, anyway,” I pointed out. “I promise, no big showy things for a while. Kara is on your side as far as that goes, anyway.” Sienna chuckled.

  “So you actually know how to grill a steak?” I looked at her, pretending I was offended.

  “I will have you know that I am a son of the Lone Star State,” I said. “I can grill a steak.” Sienna chuckled a bit at that, and I could feel the tension loosening up between us.

  I brought over the appetizers for Sienn
a and Tanya to enjoy while they swam and got to work on the rest of the dinner, joining them occasionally as things heated up. By the time that Tanya was worn out from swimming, I had everything done: steaks grilled and set aside to rest, baked beans heated up, baked potatoes warmed through, and everything else. I put the bug screen down over the covered part of the patio, and Sienna got Tanya out of the pool and wrapped up in a towel, and we all sat down to eat.

  “This looks delicious,” Sienna told me.

  “Can I have bacon on my potato?” Tanya looked from Sienna to me and I resisted the urge to laugh.

  “First, we say ‘please’, Missy,” Sienna told our daughter. “Second, I don’t know if Mr. Clawson has any bacon for you to put on your potato.”

  “I can rustle some up, I think,” I said. “I keep some around for salads and things.”

  “Please-can-I-have-bacon-on-my-potato-Mr.-Clawson,” Tanya chirped, making it as close as possible to one word.

  “Yes, you can,” I told her. I got some bacon crumbles out of the fridge and we settled in to eat dinner, the sun starting to die out in the sky outside. A year before--even a month before--I never would have thought I could enjoy an evening like this: quiet, just dinner with a woman and the kid, no big deal. Staying in and being domestic. But it was satisfying in a bizarre way, eating a steak I’d grilled and listening to Tanya talk about the homework assignment she’d had. Fortunately Ms. Sellers apparently had a broad view about homework and what it should be: she gave the kids a “weekly homework list” that included things like free-reading, doing chores, playing a sport, talking to a relative, and other assorted tasks.

  Tanya started to doze off and Sienna and I chatted as we finished off dinner, drinking the last of the bottle of wine. Sienna got up automatically to clear the plates and I stopped her, pointing out she was a guest after all. “In fact, do you two want to stay the night? Tanya looks like she’s about to drop off, and you deserve to relax a bit longer.” Sienna looked as if she wanted to disagree with me, but then nodded.

  “Let me just get the pool water off of her,” Sienna suggested. “You wouldn’t happen to have any kids-size pajamas lying around, would you?” I grinned, knowing she was completely joking--but in fact I’d planned for that, too.

  “I actually had someone grab a few big sized shirts and things that Tanya could use just in case anything came up,” I said. I cleaned up dinner while Sienna gave Tanya a shower and got her dressed and tucked into bed, and by the time she came back out into the living room, I had a cup of decaf coffee waiting for her, along with a bottle of cognac and a slice of my chef’s blueberry tart.

  “Okay, now I’m convinced that you’re just actively trying to spoil me,” Sienna said, sitting down. I’d given her a pair of pajamas to wear as well, just for the sake of being comfortable, and she looked so adorable--so sweet and comfortable--that I wanted nothing more than to pull her close to me and kiss her. It was a totally different kind of beauty from what she’d had at the restaurant or coming out of work; something warm instead of fiery, but just as magnetic.

  “Well that’s definitely the case, but just because I’m trying to spoil you doesn’t mean I have bad intentions,” I pointed out. “I want you to like me.”

  “I do like you, Bobby,” Sienna said, taking a sip of her coffee. She glanced at me. “Liking you isn’t the problem. The problem is that I’m not entirely convinced that you’re serious about this.”

  “What is it going to take to convince you?” I helped myself to my own serving of tart and coffee.

  “It’s going to take longer than a couple of weeks and more than a couple of dates,” Sienna told me. “I mean, don’t take that as me going back on how I feel about the money issue; money isn’t want I’m looking for. What I want is to see that you’re really serious, and consistently serious, about being in Tanya’s life.”

  “Then I’ll do that,” I said. “You know it isn’t just about wanting to be in Tanya’s life, right?” I considered telling Sienna about the restriction on my inheritance, but decided it wasn’t the time. And anyway, that was a secondary issue.

  “What do you mean?” Sienna put her fork aside and shifted on the couch to face me more fully.

  “I like you, too. If I’d known, way back when, that you’d wanted more than just a hookup...things could have been different,” I said. And I had to think I was telling the truth. Maybe if I’d known I’d gotten Sienna pregnant I wouldn’t have even gotten started on all the partying and drinking and sleeping around. Maybe I would have grown up sooner; Kara would have liked that. I didn’t know for sure, but I had to think I would have done the right thing.

  “Don’t say that,” Sienna said. “What happened in the past is the past, and there’s nothing we can do to change it.”

  “But we can change the way the future would be,” I countered. “I’m not saying we should just get married now or anything, but I think we both know there’s something between us--don’t we?” Sienna’s cheeks flushed with color and I saw her bite her bottom lip.

  “I have to keep my head as clear as possible,” Sienna said.

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy my company,” I pointed out. “You enjoyed my company the night of our dinner together.” Seeing Sienna in her bathing suit--even if it was a bit demure, a one-piece with fairly full coverage--had just reminded me of how gorgeous she was, and how much more beautiful she was, even, when she was naked. I shifted a bit on the couch, moving a little closer to her. “Do you not enjoy my company anymore? You could tell me if your feelings have changed.”

  “They haven’t,” Sienna said, and I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. I hadn’t made any promises not to put any moves on her for the night the way I had on our dinner-date, but I definitely wasn’t going to push things too hard, either. It was obvious that if Sienna wanted anything at all from me, for herself, it would have to come about slowly. I brushed my lips against her cheek, stopping short of her lips.

  Sienna turned her face, catching my lips with hers, and I reached out, wrapping my arms around her waist but not letting my hands wander. I could already feel the heat rushing to my groin, and from the way Sienna felt in my arms, the tension I could sense in her body, she wasn’t immune to the same kind of feeling. I took the initiative to deepen the kiss when I knew for sure she wasn’t going to pull back or push me away for it, and then, finally, pulled her into my lap, pressing her body to mine.

  “Mama?” Immediately, Sienna was out of my lap and on her feet, and I barely had time to catch my breath. Tanya stood at the hallway leading to the guest room where Sienna had put her down to sleep.

  “What’s wrong, sweet pea?” Sienna was way more in control of herself than I was.

  “I’m thirsty,” Tanya said. “Can I have water?”

  “Of course, baby,” Sienna said. “Let’s get you a bottle of water and get you back into bed.”

  “It is getting late,” I agreed. “Your mom and I were going to go to bed soon, too.”

  “We have a long day tomorrow,” Sienna pointed out. “Gotta get up early.”

  “Where are you going to sleep, Mama? Is it going to be far?” It sounded to me like maybe Tanya was worried to be in a new place, and I could have kicked myself for not anticipating that. But the night was too late already for them to go home. Sienna grabbed Tanya a bottle of water from the fridge and walked her back to the guest room, and I finished off my tart while I waited for her to come back.

  “I think she’s out for good now,” Sienna said when she rejoined me.

  “You look like you’re almost ready for bed, yourself,” I observed. “My bed’s pretty comfortable.” Sienna gave me a quick smile.

  “The bed Tanya’s in is plenty comfortable,” she told me. “Besides, I don’t want her waking up and wandering around a strange house on her own.” I agreed with her, and I had to admit she had a point--but the aching in my balls was not happy. I sat with Sienna as she finished up her dessert, and wished her a good night, an
d went off to take a long, lonely shower.

  Chapter 18

  The next morning, I got up early and left Bobby a note thanking him for his hospitality, before going back to the apartment with Tanya. I didn’t have work, but there was a long laundry list of things to do with my day off, including grocery shopping for the week and getting Tanya’s paperwork together for an after-school program, and of course--always--laundry. Tanya pranced into the house just as happy and chipper as ever, and I called out a hello to Mom who was in the kitchen, making breakfast to judge by the delicious smells permeating the house.

  “...has been identified as Sienna Ross, a local nurse…” I glanced at the TV and told Tanya to go find her grandma as I saw my own picture on the screen, next to the newscaster’s face. I sat down, sighing, waiting to hear about my “Cinderella story” again. Maybe I should just take a break from watching the news at all for a while, I thought glumly.

  But instead of hearing about how the billionaire was whisking me away from my hard life as a single mother, the story was about how I was a “billionaire baby mama,” and as I stared at the screen I felt more and more sick. “Ms. Ross apparently met Bobby Clawson at a mutual friend’s wedding, several years ago; the couple didn’t last more than one night, but a child resulted, and according to anonymous sources close to the situation, Bobby Clawson is newly informed about his paternity…”

  I groaned and put my head in my hands, not even wanting to listen to the local news detailing the salacious details of my life, especially when they seemed to be intentionally leaving out the part about how I’d been raising Tanya responsibly on my own, and that I wasn’t interested at all in getting money from Bobby. They made it sound like some tawdry affair that I was cashing in on, like I was a gold-digger. And of course they used my pictures from the hospital, so anyone who might have known me would recognize me, and anyone who came into the hospital when I was on shift would, too.

  After I got over my initial shock and dread, I started to feel angry--not just at the news for reporting on it the way they were but at the fact that they knew any of the details to begin with. There was only one person I knew who they could have gotten that kind of information from: Anton. I had sworn him to secrecy on it, and I had thought that my coworker was a genuine friend. I had thought that the worst that could have happened was that he might tell someone else at the hospital. But now here my life was, blown up for anyone in Houston who watched the local news to find out about.