Secret Millionaire for the Surrogate

by Donna Alward

  And knew this wasn’t the right time, or the right place. She was so close to giving her heart away. If they made love, it would only make things worse. She knew he was leaving. But she was conveniently ignoring the depth of her feelings. Right now, looking up at him, she was perilously close to losing herself.

  “It’s not the right time, is it?” he asked, as if reading her thoughts.

  She shook her head.

  He took a big breath and then let it out. “Then let’s just hang out. Watch a movie and raid the mini bar for snacks.”

  Relief flooded through her. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to do that!”

  He laughed, and squeezed her hand. “I just want to spend time with you. In bed, out of it...it doesn’t matter. Look at the pay-per-view and pick something out.” He gave her a stern look. “No porn. I’m already going to need a few minutes to, uh...”

  She burst out laughing. Oh, she could love him so very easily. He was sexy and kind and made her smile all the time.

  And when they started the movie and she lay on the bed curled up in his arms, it was the best feeling in the world.

  * * *

  When Harper woke, it was twilight.

  She carefully rolled to her side and watched him sleep, his lips slightly parted and his eyelashes on the crests of his cheeks. They were on top of the covers, and the TV was shut off. She must have fallen asleep first. She didn’t remember watching the end of the movie. It had been so cozy in Drew’s arms.

  It had been a perfect day, better than any she could ever remember. Her heart caught. She couldn’t fall in love with him. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t. And yet now, watching him sleep, there was an expansive feeling in her chest that told her she was dangerously close to losing her heart.

  To the one man who didn’t want it. Who wasn’t looking for love. It’s okay, she told herself. I knew all along he was going. I’m going to cherish this time as a special memory.

  The problem was, she was starting to feel as if she didn’t want just memories. She wanted him.

  A funny sound reached her ears, some sort of music. She blinked and realized it was her phone, which she’d left in her purse. It stopped ringing, but then started again, and with a sigh she slid off the bed and tiptoed out to the living room to grab it.

  The display showed Adele’s number. She kept her voice low so she hopefully wouldn’t wake Drew.

  “Hello, Adele.”

  “Oh, good, you’re there. I’ve been worried sick.”

  “You have? I didn’t answer the first time you called because I was sleeping.”

  It wasn’t exactly a lie.

  “But I texted you like ten times.”

  “Sorry. It was a long nap.”

  Adele let out a long breath. “Okay. I’m sorry. I knew you’d gone into the mountains today and then the storm blew in and the power went out and I was so worried.”

  Yes, because clearly she couldn’t be trusted to take care of herself. Irritation flared, an emotion that felt out of place. Usually she was so easygoing. What had happened to change that? It couldn’t be Adele’s hovering; Harper knew her friend was just concerned. There was a lot at stake.

  Maybe it was stress. Hormones. Or the fact that Drew’s arrival had suddenly made her unsettled and longing for...more.

  “I’m fine,” she said, as kindly as she could muster. “We went early this morning and were back by late afternoon, before the storm blew in. No worries at all. I got some great pictures and it was good to be outdoors for the day. I needed it.”

  “And you didn’t overdo it?”

  Harper pinched her nose, willing herself to be patient. “No, I didn’t. We took our time and rested lots. Had a picnic in the meadow at the top. I’m fine. The baby’s fine.”

  Adele’s exhale sounded relieved. “And we’re still going to do lunch next week?”

  Drew called her name and she went to the door of the bedroom, putting a finger to her lips as she met his gaze. “How about Tuesday?” she asked Adele. “Monday I’ll be trying to catch up after this week’s wedding.”

  “Tuesday’s fine. I miss seeing you, Harper. You haven’t even been here for dinner in ages. Not since we had our last appointment.”

  “I know. You know what summer is like. Busiest time of year.”

  “You know it.” The conversation turned to wedding discussion and Harper rolled her eyes at Drew, eliciting a snort from him. When Adele had finally finished with her story, Harper interjected.

  “Adele, I’m still really tired. I’m going to go back to bed. I don’t mean to cut this off...” She wondered if her nose would grow like Pinocchio’s for lying. But if she said she was in Drew’s hotel room, Adele would lose her mind.

  “Oh! Of course. I’ll text you about Tuesday. And glad you’re okay. Stay dry. I’m glad the power’s back on.”

  That was news to Harper, and she let out a breath. “Me, too.”

  “Oh, one more thing. How was Drew today?”

  Funny how she added it on at the very end, as an afterthought. Harper had no doubt that Adele’s first priority was making sure Harper was home and okay, but she also knew that Adele would be dying to know about her outing with Drew.

  “Oh, fine. I’m sure Dan told you he hired a helicopter. I braved it, even with my fear of heights. So I didn’t even have to hike that far.” She rolled her eyes at Drew again, and his brown eyes lit up with mischief. “I’ll tell you all about it at lunch.”

  “Okay. Well...talk soon.”

  Harper hung up and went to sit on the edge of the bed. “Adele was worried. But apparently the power is back on.”

  He nodded. “You fell asleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Then you took me with you.” His smile was adorable.

  Then he leaned up on an elbow and kissed her, just a simple, sweet kiss, but it caught her by surprise. Then he pulled back, lifted her hand and kissed it. Despite all her best intentions, Harper felt herself make the remaining slide straight into love.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  DREW HELD HARPER’S hand in his and tried not to show that inside he was freaking out.

  It wasn’t that he wanted her to leave, or that their time together had been a mistake. He was freaking out because for the first time in his life, he wanted to stay somewhere and never leave.

  With her.

  Her eyes sparkled at him with good humor. There was nothing he wanted more than for her to spend the rest of the night right here, in his bed.

  But she couldn’t. The very idea made his insides freeze with fear. Instead he looked into her eyes, lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.

  He was falling in love. At least that’s what he figured it was, because it was unlike any other feeling he’d experienced. It should be impossible to feel terrified and happy all at once. Right now terrified was tangling with desire and he had no idea what to do about it.

  “I should probably get going,” she said softly, and there was a pause. Was she waiting for him to ask her to stay?

  He wanted to. God, did he want to. But he knew it was better for everyone if he didn’t. “I suppose you have work in the morning.”

  “Yeah, and a wedding rehearsal tomorrow night.” But her easy words didn’t reach her eyes. It wasn’t how he wanted their date to end, but sex was out of the question. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Besides, she had enough complications with the pregnancy in the months ahead.

  It had nothing to do with being afraid. Nothing.

  “Harper, about earlier... I want you to know that I think we made the right decision. I want to be with you. It’s just that if we go all in with this, it’s going to make it harder next Friday when I fly out.”

  She nodded a tiny bit. “Next Friday, then. That’s the day?”

  “I’ve got a flight early afternoon, through LA.”

 
“You didn’t mention it before.”

  “It happened yesterday. And today I forgot about it while we were out.”

  Which wasn’t exactly true. He’d remembered but hadn’t seen the need to bring it into the conversation. Now it seemed important. To set boundaries where a few hours ago there’d been none.

  She didn’t say anything, and her thumb stopped moving on his hand. The knot of panic doubled in size.

  “Listen,” he said softly, pulling his hand away and brushing hair away from her face. “We both know where this is going and where it isn’t. I don’t want to hurt you, Harper. And I don’t want to make false promises.” The knot started to actually hurt now. “You told me about the guy you fell for and how much it hurt when he left. I don’t want to be that guy. I’ve been that man before and the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

  “You’ve been honest from the beginning and so have I. I know you’re not a forever kind of guy, Drew. I’ve got my eyes wide open, remember?”

  She didn’t mean the words as an accusation, so why did it feel that way?

  “I know you do. But...and I can’t believe I’m about to say this...it might be good for us to use a little bit of caution, at least.” He wanted to kiss her so badly right now he ached with it. She looked so soft, so vulnerable, and yet determined, too. He loved that about her.

  Love. Exactly the reason he had to go.

  She grinned. “I’m already pregnant. We don’t have to worry too much about caution.”

  He closed his eyes, trying not to smile at her dry crack at humor. “You’re deliberately misunderstanding me, and that’s okay.” He opened his eyes again. In the dim light through the blinds her eyes seemed dark and grey and her freckles were barely noticeable. He wished he was as adept with a camera as she was. She’d make a stunning photo right now. “I’m going to be back in town now and again, Harper. For the store. To see Dan. I don’t want it to be awkward or worse, tense and angry between us. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes,” she breathed, and she blinked a few times. He didn’t see tears, thank God. If she cried he wouldn’t be able to handle it. “You’re protecting yourself.”

  “And you.” It was true. Sure, he was panicked enough for both of them, but he also didn’t want to hurt her. “When I go, I want it to be with you smiling. If we play house for the next week, I’m not sure either of us will be able to keep our perspective.”

  Her eyes flashed. “Then I’ll go right now, and we’ll let that be it. The perfect ending to a perfect day.”

  It was like a punch to the gut, but he answered calmly, “If that’s what you want.”

  Silence dropped over the room.

  She touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry I snapped,” she murmured. “It’s just that you make me feel...” Her cheeks flamed. “Ugh, this is so hard.”

  “I make you feel what?”

  “Desirable. Wanted. I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. You can’t expect me to give it up after an hour.” She was bright red now. “I sound like a desperate idiot.”

  “No, you don’t. And I’m glad. Because you are wanted. And very, very desirable. That’s what makes this so hard. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

  He got up from the bed and reached for his shoes. “Come on. I’ll take you home. And we’ll both respect each other in the morning.”

  She laughed a little, and it put his mind at ease.

  But when he kissed her goodbye at her door, his heart caught. He was in far deeper than he intended. And he wasn’t sure he had it in him to stay away.

  * * *

  Harper didn’t see Drew at all on Friday, and she spent the evening at the rehearsal for Saturday’s wedding. Saturday she woke early and showered, dressing in a comfortable maxi dress for the day. Some of her more fitted clothing was getting too tight around the middle now as her waist thickened. In another month she’d really be starting to show. She put her hand to her belly and thought about the baby growing there. She hadn’t even felt him or her move yet. Sometimes it was hard to believe there was really a baby in there.

  At nine there was a knock on the door. She was putting makeup on and had eye shadow on only one eye when she went to answer. It was Drew, carrying a paper bag and holding a tray with cups.

  “I brought breakfast,” he announced, then stepped inside and gave her a kiss.

  “Oh! You didn’t need to do that.”

  “I know. But I missed seeing you yesterday, and you have the wedding all day today, so I thought this might be my window of opportunity. I went out for a morning walk and ended up here.”

  He looked delicious, as usual. Just jeans and a T-shirt but the way they fit his lean body made her mouth water.

  And she did have to eat. Now that the sickness was gone, breakfast was no longer a challenge. She craved it.

  “I haven’t eaten, so thanks.”

  “Uh, you’re lopsided.” He pointed to her face.

  “Oh! I was putting on makeup when you knocked. Make yourself at home and I’ll do the other eye.” She grinned at him and already her heart felt lighter as she faced the day. She hadn’t been quite sure how they’d left things Thursday night, but he seemed his old self. If breakfast was all she got of Drew today, she’d take it. In a heartbeat.

  She didn’t normally wear a lot of makeup, so it took no time at all for her to brush on her eye shadow, add a tiny bit of eyeliner and a swipe of mascara on her lashes. She went back to the kitchen with matching eyes and found Drew putting breakfast on plates.

  “Egg and cheese on sourdough for you, and bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit for me. And fruit salad.”

  Eggs. She craved them all the time now. Maybe her body needed the protein. Stomach growling, she sat at the table and reached for her fork, spearing a piece of melon.

  “This is beyond nice. And it’ll fuel me through the morning, too, until I have time to grab a protein bar or something. I have to grab snacks on the run during the day until the reception, when I can gobble a meal quickly.” She took a bite of sandwich, chewed and swallowed. “Juny’s started coming with me, too, as my assistant. I’m letting her do more and more. She has a good eye and she can help more when I get closer to the due date.”

  “Plus it takes some of the pressure off you.”

  “I’ll confess, the last few weddings have been long and I’ve gotten really tired. It’s been nice to have someone help set up and lug stuff from the car rather doing it all alone.” She shrugged. “I can do it, but it’s nice to work as a team. Sometimes it seems as if I need to be in two places at once.”

  “Well, you look pretty.”

  She nudged him. “Thank you, though compliments aren’t necessary.”

  “It’s the truth. You always look pretty. Though Dan and Adele’s wedding was something else. You looked...” He paused as he searched for the right words. “Like a classic movie star.” He took the lid off her tea and slid it across the table to her. “So, was it as hard saying no to me as it is for me to say no to you?”

  She met his gaze. “Is it hard to say no to me, Drew?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

  “More than you can imagine.”

  Her heart expanded. She was glad. It made her feel as if she mattered. That despite her efforts to hide, someone actually saw past the barriers she put up and saw her.

  “Then no, it wasn’t as hard for me.”

  He burst out laughing. “Cheeky.”

  She joined in the laughter. “Naw, not really. It’s just that the guy at the wedding? That wasn’t the real Drew. Not really. I like you better now.”

  His gaze warmed. “I like you, too, Harper.”

  They were still staring at each other when her phone rang. She reached inside her bag and pulled it out. “It’s Juny.”

  Two minutes later she hung up, turning her worried gaze to Drew.
“Juny’s girlfriend, Renée, was in an accident. She’s okay, or at least she’s going to be okay, but they’re transporting her to Calgary to the Foothills Hospital.”

  “Oh, no.” Drew’s face wrinkled in concern. “Does Juny need anything? Is she all right?”

  “She’s fine. She wasn’t in the car, but she’s going to the hospital to be with Renée.”

  “Of course. What happened?”

  “Juny doesn’t quite know. I wish I could go with her, but I’ve got the wedding.”

  “And she was supposed to be helping you today.”

  “I can manage alone. I do it all the time.” There was no question of expecting Juny to come to work. Not with something like this. It would be a long day, but she could rest tomorrow.

  “I could help you.”

  She’d picked up her tea, but paused before taking a drink. “You?” She chuckled. “I know I let you use my camera yesterday, but Drew.”

  “Ha, ha,” he replied, but he persisted. “I mean, I can carry your stuff for you. Be your right hand. You need a drink or food or anything, I can help. You were planning on having extra hands today. I’m certainly not as qualified as Juny, but I can take orders.”

  She was touched by his offer. “You? Take orders? Mr. President and CEO?”

  “Yeah, me. Unless you’d rather I not be in your professional space. I understand that.”

  The idea of him being with her on a job didn’t bother her in the least. “No, it’s not that. But you’ll be bored, won’t you?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  And having someone along to do the heavy lifting did sound wonderful. “Okay, but only if you have something suitable to wear.”

  “If you’ll run me to the hotel, I can be ready in fifteen minutes.”

  After Thursday night’s quick change, she didn’t doubt him. “Done.”

  “Then it’s settled. Now eat, and we’ll get this show on the road.”