But right now, I need to get back to ironing this shirt.My back aches and it’s hard to be on my feet for so many hours at a time, but this is the hand I was dealt, and I’m going to do my best.With a sigh, I pick up the iron and attack the collar of the shirt with a vengeance.Collars are one of the toughest parts because they need to lie flat but not too flat.They’re also one of the first parts of a shirt that someone sees, so it’s important to get it right.
Suddenly, a massive shadow appears at the door, and I look up.My head whirls and I do a double take because am I dreaming?Is that Nick Bannister glowering at me, looking godawful handsome in a dark suit with his charcoal-colored hair brushed back?He looks like a vengeful god, those blue eyes fierce as he takes me in.
“What are you doing?”he rasps.
I pause after putting my iron down.
“I’m ironing, obviously,” I say with sass in my voice.“It’s my job.I work as a housekeeper here.”
The billionaire shakes his head with frustration.
“I can see that, but why the fuck are you on your feet?Don’t they know that you’re pregnant?What the hell?”
He strides over, evidently determined to help me find a seat somewhere but I back away before he can touch me.
“No, hands off,” I state in a firm tone with both of my palms up and out.“I’m fine.This is my job, and this is what they’re paying me to do.I’m also on the clock right now, so I don’t think my employers will appreciate it if I spend a lot of time talking to you.”
Nick’s eyes practically bulge out of their sockets.
“What the fuck,” he bites out.
I shake my head.
“It’s okay to talk, but obviously, we need to speak at length otherwise you wouldn’t be here.How did you find me, anyways?”
The handsome man lets out a choked gurgle, his expression disbelieving, before pulling out my letter.I see that it’s crumpled and folded, as if it’s been re-read multiple times.
“Because I got this in the mail, informing me of your pregnancy, and then I set out to find you.”
I squint at him.
“But I didn’t say where I worked in the letter.”
He lets out a harsh laugh, those blue eyes fierce.
“Sweetheart, there’s a lot for you to learn when it comes to me.But you’re right,” he says before I can say anything.“I want to talk, Ella.About you, the pregnancy, and the child.”His eyes rove over me again, coming to rest on my belly.“You’re already showing.”
Self-consciously, my hands come up to cover the tiny bump.
“I am,” I say in a quiet tone before meeting his eyes.“But I can’t chat now.I get off at five, so I’ll meet you at the park?”
He lets out another frustrated choking sound.
“Which park?Where in the park?Or should I just wait outside here until you get off?”
“No, no,” I blush.Oh my god, it would be so embarrassing if someone saw the powerful Nick Bannister lurking outside the entrance to Suncrest.He’d attract so much attention with his massive frame and fierce expression, and create quite the commotion among the female population, I’m sure.So I shake my head and pick up my iron again.
“Meet me at McCarren Park at five thirty, near the fountain.You can’t miss it because it’s a small park with only one fountain in the middle.I’ll see you then.”
Then, I bend my head and begin ironing again.Nick’s completely still, as if he can’t believe he’s just been dismissed by a lowly housemaid, but after another pause, his massive form turns and stalks out of the room.I breathe a sigh of relief because I’d forgotten how arresting and commanding the alpha male is.I’d forgotten how every cell of my being is attuned to him, and how all my senses came alive when he was in the small space with me.Even worse, he’s every bit as charismatic, demanding, and magnetic as I remember.Oh my god, how am I going to handle our upcoming rendezvous?
It's not a rendezvous, at least not in that sense, the voice in my head says in a scornful tone.You’re his babymama.Yes, you were lovers for one night, months ago, but that’s a thing of the past.Now you’re just a lodestone around his neck, and who knows?Maybe he’s going to ask you for a termination.
That makes my heart race because there’s no way I’m giving up my child, no matter what the billionaire says.But the voice is right because I’m horrifically outmatched, both in resources and opportunity.Our meeting isn’t going to be a romantic one where we entwine our hands while speaking about a rosy future.Instead, I have a negotiation ahead with the demanding CEO ...one that I can’t afford to lose.
5
Nick
