Surprise Baby for the Billionaire

by Charlotte Hawkes

  ‘Still, I didn’t bring you here to bandy about compliments. I brought you because I want to start over. Talk about our baby.’

  ‘And you want to be part of our lives?’ she asked carefully, not wanting him to realise she needed more reassurance right now.

  ‘I believe I said that earlier.’ He frowned. ‘I’m trying to be understanding here. To bend a little. And believe me, zvyozdochka, I am not a man accustomed to having to bend. I suggest you don’t take it as a sign that you can try to exclude me from any decisions pertaining to our baby.’

  Relief punched through her. And a little bit of her old fighting spirit.

  Andy had crushed it by his betrayal, but it appeared as though her each and every encounter with Malachi went some way to restoring it. As if he was somehow...good for her.

  ‘I wasn’t going to exclude you from anything,’ she managed haughtily, in an effort not to let him see what she was really feeling. ‘But if you’re no longer insisting on marriage, how exactly do you envisage things between us working out?’

  * * *

  How indeed? Malachi wondered, and not for the first time.

  In truth, he hadn’t got that far in his plan. For a man who usually approached business ventures like a chess game, always making sure he was several moves ahead, he was astonishingly poorly prepared when it came to Saskia and his baby.

  It was as though the moment she entered into any thought process he couldn’t even see straight, let alone plan straight.

  It was frustrating, thrilling, and terrifying all at the same time.

  Moreover, her haughty tone seemed to work its way through him like a stormproof match in a state-of-the-art survival kit. Even if she submerged him in the coldest hauteur he was afraid he would still blaze brightly for her.

  Which was exactly why marriage to her had been a reckless idea.

  He was altogether too afraid that having her under his roof, that sinful body of hers within arm’s reach, and knowing exactly how wickedly she melted into him, he wouldn’t be able to stay on task.

  Even now he wanted to touch her, taste her again. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen to fly her out of the country, well away from the temptation of taking her back to his apartment.

  His one priority right now had to be their baby, and after the scan the other day he knew it wasn’t going to be as impossible as he’d feared.

  Even at the memory of that ultrasound Malachi felt his chest tighten. His heart stopped, then restarted with a lurch.

  His baby. Their baby.

  So impossibly, exquisitely perfect.

  Seeing his baby moving on that screen and hearing its heartbeat hadn’t just unlocked the cage on his long-restrained heart—it had smashed it apart and splintered it into a million worthless pieces.

  His entire chest felt full. Bursting. And the baby wasn’t even born yet. How the hell was he going to cope when it was cradled in his arms?

  He had known in that moment that he would protect it with his life. And Saskia, too, of course, as the mother of his child. But marrying her wasn’t the way to do that. Not least because being around her made him feel wholly and completely out of control.

  It all led to a conundrum he was more than happy not to answer. For Saskia, however, it seemed to be the only question she wanted answered.

  ‘Do you intend for me to live out of a suitcase—some nights of the week at your apartment and some nights at my own?’ she asked. ‘Or perhaps you propose to come and spend some nights at the apartment Anouk and I share?’

  ‘There is an apartment available in my building. I thought you could move in there. That way we would still have our own space, but our baby would have both its parents around all the time.’

  It might not exactly be a stroke of genius, but Malachi was more than happy that it was a fair halfway meeting.

  Saskia looked disgruntled. ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘You have an objection?’ he managed mildly.

  ‘Well...yes!’ she seethed. ‘You’re talking about installing me in an apartment in your building like some kind of mistress you’re moving in for your convenience.’

  ‘I was thinking about what makes sense for you and the baby.’ He narrowed his gaze. ‘But I find it interesting that you should use the term mistress. Are you making me a proposition?’

  ‘I most certainly am not,’ she returned.

  But he noted the dark colour staining her cheeks and her long, elegant neck, and could only imagine just how far it spread down her lush body.

  ‘Your body language might suggest otherwise.’

  ‘Then learn to read it better,’ she snapped.

  He tried to suppress the urge to grin, but it was too strong. It was this damn spell that Saskia kept putting him under. The idea was that he was supposed to be taking control of this situation, not falling for her charms like some little lapdog.

  ‘That sounds like another invitation,’ he drawled. ‘A pity that I have to decline.’

  ‘It wasn’t an invitation.’ She jutted her chin out obstinately. ‘And even if it was, I don’t believe you would decline. I remember how your body responds to me, Malachi. I know I’m not the only one who was lost in the moment the other night.’

  ‘You’re remembering what you want to remember, zvyozdochka. My advice to you is to stop fighting me and to remember that we’re on the same team.’

  ‘Yes—because it’s so easy to feel that way when you’re commanding me to upend my life and move away from my support system just to make things easier for you.’

  He hated it that her dismissal of his role in her life stung as it did.

  ‘Do I have to remind you, yet again, that you are carrying my child? I am your support system. From now on we are one unit.’

  ‘One unit even though you no longer wish to marry me?’ she threw back at him. ‘One unit even though you don’t even want to share your home with me?’

  The problem with that, of course, was that he did want to share his home with her. And his bed. Possibly far too much.

  ‘Careful, zvyozdochka, or I might believe that you’re actually pining for that option. That you were anticipating sharing your life with me with pleasure, despite all your earlier objections.’

  ‘You can’t really believe that!’ She laughed.

  It was a brittle little sound that revealed things he imagined she had never wanted him to know. Not least that he was right.

  Lust fired through him like a slingshot, right around his sex.

  ‘I’ve told you how things are going to be. For both you and our child,’ he growled.

  The temptation to take her hand and lead her from this restaurant to an exclusive hotel he knew was right around the corner was almost overwhelming.

  ‘And you’ve said it—ergo that is how it will be?’ she retorted.

  He made an approving click of his tongue, which was guaranteed to get her back up all the more.

  It was either that or stir an altogether different emotion in her.

  In both of them.

  ‘And now, zvyozdochka, I suggest we get back to the helicopter. We have a long flight home.’

  ‘Good,’ she muttered. ‘Because I’m sure I could do with the thinking time.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ‘WHAT’S HAPPENED?’ SASKIA yelled over the rotor blades as she raced across Moorlands General’s helipad.

  The call had come in just as they’d been twenty minutes out. A major incident in the area—some kind of explosion, from what Saskia could gather—meant that all available staff were being called in to the hospital.

  Malachi hadn’t even needed to ask her. He’d instinctively turned his helicopter, calling in a new flight plan and instructing his PA to check that there were no air ambulances in the area before getting permission for him to land at the hospital with Saskia.
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  ‘Some kind of gas explosion on Beechmoor Street!’ her colleague shouted. ‘Near the junction with King’s Boulevard. There are multiple casualties and they’re splitting them between us and the Royal.’

  ‘Where do you want me?’

  ‘There’s a designated area for incident victims in paediatric A&E. Fortunately because of the time of day, there weren’t too many kids around, and those that were appear to have been caught more by the shockwaves than in the blast itself.’

  ‘Thank goodness. Listen, do you know if Anouk—Dr Hart—is okay?’

  ‘I don’t know, sorry. Apparently the area has been evacuated.’

  Biting her lip, Saskia hurried down the ramp and into the hospital. Behind her she could hear Malachi’s helicopter leaving, but she didn’t turn around. There wasn’t time.

  ‘Come on, then. Let’s go.’

  Saskia glanced at the screen as her colleague ran her through the latest admissions.

  ‘First up is five-year-old Molly, who was knocked into a wall during the explosion and suffered a head injury. She was Emily’s patient, but Em’s now tied up with someone else. Molly has already been to CT and everything is clear—she just needs stitches.’

  ‘Okay, great.’ Saskia nodded. ‘Let me go and see her and check the injury, and then I’ll get some kit together.’

  The place was heaving, and her colleagues were triaging new admissions as fast as they came in. The beds were filling up fast. The sooner they could clear the non-urgent patients out, the better.

  ‘Hi, I’m Saskia.’ She smiled as she stepped around the curtain. ‘I’ll be the doctor looking after you. You must be Molly.’

  ‘I am,’ the little girl said proudly, returning her smile with a happy, confident one of her own. ‘And this is my mummy.’

  ‘Hello, Mummy,’ Saskia said dutifully.

  ‘Hi.’ The young woman shot her a relieved smile, the hint of tension around her eyes belying her calm exterior.

  ‘Right, I know you’ve been through this with the other doctor—’

  ‘Dr Emily,’ the girl interjected.

  ‘Right...’

  ‘She’s nice.’

  ‘Yes, she is,’ Saskia agreed.

  Clearly there was no impairment in Molly’s speech or understanding, which was a good sign. But although the little girl had already been checked over, another set of eyes never hurt.

  ‘I think you seem nice, too.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Saskia laughed. ‘I’m glad you think so. Anyway, I know you’ve told the other doctor what happened, but can you tell me, too?’

  ‘Of course I can!’ the little girl exclaimed with an expansive gesture. ‘Mummy and I were out shopping for some new shoes.’

  ‘Oh, lovely,’ Saskia offered, when it appeared the five-year-old was waiting for a reply.

  Clearly, it wasn’t the response Molly was hoping for.

  ‘Red patent leather shoes,’ she emphasised after a moment.

  ‘Wow,’ Saskia managed, relieved when the little girl nodded with satisfaction.

  ‘And when we got them we called in to see Nana, and she thought they were bee-yoo-tiful.’

  ‘Well, of course,’ agreed Saskia solemnly. ‘But I’d really love it if you could tell me some more about how you hit your head.’

  ‘Oh...’ The girl’s face fell. Clearly to her the red patent leather shoes were the most important detail of her experience.

  Saskia stifled a chuckle.

  ‘I don’t really remember. We were walking back, and suddenly there was a really, really loud bang, and then I was on the other side of the pavement and my head was bleeding.’

  ‘Did it hurt?’

  ‘Yes. A lot.’

  ‘Can I see?’ Saskia stood up and Molly obligingly turned around.

  ‘Of course.’

  Tentatively she parted the matted hair and checked the wound. It had evidently been cleaned once, so it was easy to see what was going on.

  ‘Great. And can you remember how you got here, Molly?’

  ‘Mummy brought me in.’

  ‘We were right around the corner,’ the mother put in. ‘The traffic was heavy, and I knew I could get her here before an ambulance even got out. I didn’t even think about head or neck injuries. I know I should have.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ soothed Saskia. ‘I just wanted to see if Molly remembered what had happened and how she felt.’

  ‘I was told the CT scan was fine?’

  ‘It is. Please don’t worry. I just wanted to check once more for good measure. Right, Molly, let me go and get my equipment, and then I’m going to give you just a little injection in the back of your head to make sure you don’t feel anything—okay?’

  ‘Okay.’ Molly nodded cheerfully.

  Confident about her patient, Saskia headed out of the bay for a couple of suture kits and some local anaesthetic, glad the little girl didn’t seem in any distress, either physically or emotionally.

  She was on her way back to the bay when she saw Anouk dashing past the doors at the end of the ward, flanked by two porters pushing a gurney. Relief washed over her. At least her friend was all right. But it didn’t look as though they were going to get chance to talk any time soon.

  ‘Right, here we are,’ she popped back through the curtain. ‘Mum, can you sit here for me? And, Molly, can you lie face down on the bed, looking at your mummy? Good girl.’

  Quickly and efficiently she began cleaning the area, and then carefully administered the anaesthetic.

  ‘You might feel a bit of a sharp sting, but then it should feel better. If you can keep as still as you can, sweetheart? Wow, good girl—that was brilliant.’

  ‘Mummy says I’m very brave,’ Molly said proudly.

  ‘Mummy is right.’

  She distracted the girl for a few moments longer whilst the anaesthetic took hold.

  ‘Okay, this shouldn’t hurt, but if you feel any pinching at all you let me know—all right, Molly?’

  ‘All right.’

  Working speedily, Saskia began her sutures, twelve in all, and they were made easier by the fact that the five-year-old kept still and focused on her mum, who chatted to her quietly throughout about Nana and the red shoes.

  Would she be as calm and collected if it was her child?

  She could imagine Malachi being so. It was a nice feeling. But she told herself it was probably just hormones.

  ‘Okay, Molly, we’re all done,’ she declared as she finished up. ‘You were amazing.’

  ‘Good enough for jelly sweets, Mummy?’

  ‘I think maybe you were.’ The young woman bent down to kiss her daughter tenderly.

  ‘Right, just rest here while I go and fill in the discharge forms.’ Saskia smiled, piling the detritus back into the cardboard bowl and slipping off her gloves.

  Just a little longer, to check Molly was okay, and then they could leave. With a final word of congratulation to the brave girl, Saskia slipped out of the bay and back to the desk, to bring the case up on the screen.

  Her colleague was on her within moments.

  ‘When you’ve finished that one, Saskia, there’s a nine-year-old in Bay Twelve, complaining of shoulder and back pain. Also caught in the explosion.’

  ‘No problem,’ Saskia confirmed.

  It looked as if it was going to be a long night.

  * * *

  It was twenty-four hours before the last of the major incident casualties were cleared, either to various departments or home. There were a few stragglers with non-life-threatening injuries still left to be brought in by road, but most of the air ambulances had stopped bringing in critical cases a while ago. The road ambulance arrivals—along with the usual A&E walk-ins—could be dealt with by the new shift.

  Her work was done, and Saskia was more relieved
than she cared to admit.

  Because the pains that had started in her abdomen earlier were still there. Still worrying her.

  Her mobile pinged just as she was heading into the locker room to collect her clothes.

  Malachi.

  The urge to hear his voice suddenly overwhelmed her. Before she could talk herself out of it she swiped the screen and let her phone dial his number.

  He picked it up almost instantly. ‘Saskia?’

  She stopped in the corridor, staring at her phone as her brain sifted through a dozen things to say, whilst her voice couldn’t articulate a single one of them.

  ‘Is everything all right, zvyozdochka?’

  She bit her lip. What was she even doing, calling him?

  ‘Saskia?’ he barked into the silent line, almost making her jump into action.

  ‘I’m here.’

  ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure.’

  ‘I’m coming in.’

  ‘I... No... Listen, I...’ She was stalling.

  ‘I’m coming in,’ he repeated. ‘Don’t leave without me. Is the incident over?’

  ‘It seems to be.’

  ‘Then I’ll bring the heli in again. There’s so much debris out there the city will still be gridlocked. Besides, it’s getting late and the air ambulance pilots will need to get the copters back to base before it goes dark. I’m closer. I can afford to fly that little bit later.’

  She should say no. She shouldn’t have even called him. They weren’t a couple, as he’d pointed out earlier. Or had it been the day before? Her brain faltered. The emergency had gone on so long and time seemed to have merged into itself. She was so tired. Exhausted.

  ‘Okay, I’ll head up to the roof now.’

  She glanced at the door to the bathroom. Right after she checked that her worst fears hadn’t come true.

  She was just changing her shoes when Anouk rounded the corner, walking straight into her. Without a word she stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

  ‘I was so relieved when I heard you were safe.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ Anouk laughed. ‘And never mind me—the hospital is practically buzzing with some gossip that you arrived by private helicopter?’