by Zena Wynn
“It’s too much,” she argued. “Is this even legal?”
“These are my terms,” Rashid said, refusing to budge.
Sensing Gail was ready to withdraw from their agreement, Crystal stood suddenly, reached down, grabbed Gail by the arm, and pulled her from the room. As soon as the office door closed behind them, she pleaded, “Gail, please don’t make a big deal out of this. Accept Rashid’s offer. It’s the least we can to recompense you for what you’re willing to do for us, and it’s not like we can’t afford it.”
“It’s not what you and I discussed,” Gail said.
“I know, but take it anyway.”
Gail scowled. “Fine, I’ll agree. You’d better be glad I love you,” she muttered as she spun on one heel and stalked back inside the lawyer’s office.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Crystal sang, trotting along behind her.
Though she’d given in, it still rankled. In none of their discussions had compensation been mentioned, and if they had, she would have never agreed to it. Once the contract was signed, they’d gone from the lawyer’s to Dr. Hagan’s office for the first round of exams. Dr. Hagan was the specialist Rashid’s personal doctor had recommended. A copy of her medical records had already been transferred. If everything checked out, the next step would be the monitoring of her body to determine her fertile period.
Two months later, she was back in Dr. Hagan’s office with Crystal by her side, being inseminated. It was amazing how fast things could go when you had enough money to grease the wheels. Crystal was more nervous than she, gripping her hand as though Gail were in labor rather than hopefully being impregnated.
Amazingly enough, either she was extremely fertile or Rashid’s sperm was potent, because his seed took root the first time. Two weeks later, they were having a celebratory dinner to the welcome news that nine months from now, Crystal and Rashid would be the proud parents of a brand new infant.
June—two months later
Gail awakened to the sound of raised voices. She was in the emergency room of Baptist Medical Hospital after having passed out at work. Rashid yanked back the curtain and strode to the bedside. She looked at him groggily. “Rashid, what are you doing here?”
He came to a stop by the bed and put his hands on the rail, gripping it tightly. “Where else would I be when the safety of my child is threatened?”
Gail grimaced and tried to sit up.
“Be still,” he commanded and used the remote to raise the head of the bed.
She studied his stern features before glancing away. “It was nothing. There was no need for you to come rushing down here. I simply fainted at work, and they overreacted. Before I could stop them, they’d called Rescue.”
She worked as a paralegal for a major law firm. The last thing they wanted was to be named in a lawsuit. Being given no choice, Gail had reluctantly allowed herself to be carted off to the emergency room to be checked out. If she had known they were going to call Rashid, she’d have put up more of a fight.
“That’s not what the doctor said. Dr. Hagan says you’re dehydrated and you’re not eating enough. You’ve lost too much weight and are far weaker than you need to be.” He eyed her steadily, his gaze daring her to deny it.
Ratfink doctor! Of course, Dr. Hagan knew on which side his bread was buttered, since Rashid was the one paying his outrageous fees. She should have known the doctor would call him. She glanced behind him. “Where is Crystal?” Maybe she’d be more reasonable.
“Waiting for me to bring you to the house.”
At that, her attention snapped to his face. “I’m not going to the beach. I’m headed home to my apartment when I leave here.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. “You either come with me so we can take care of you, or you’ll stay here in the hospital, doctor’s orders. Now which will it be?”
Gail stared at Rashid in horror. She didn’t want to stay with them. This whole situation was awkward enough. “Why can’t I go home?” She was startled to hear a whine in her voice.
He planted his hands on the rail and leaned forward. “You can’t go home alone because according to what you told Dr. Hagan, you haven’t been eating.”
“It’s not my fault I can’t keep anything down. Blame this child of yours.” Gail placed her hand over her stomach.
Rashid’s eyes followed the motion of her hand, staring at her stomach for a few moments before returning his gaze to her face. She was shocked to see the blatant possessiveness in his expression before he blanked it out. “I am blaming my child for this. That is why you are coming with me. I have a list of foods and beverages you should be able to tolerate, as well as your prescription for the anti-nausea medicine Dr. Hagan recommended. By the time we get to the house, Crystal will have everything prepared. We will care for you and see that you don’t overdo. For the next two weeks, you are restricted to bedrest.”
“Two weeks?” she echoed. “What about my job?”
“What about it? You’re no good to them the way you are, and you definitely don’t need the money. Don’t you think your welfare and the health of this child are more important than your job?” he said sternly.
Gail knew he was right but things were changing too fast. She was trying to hold on to what was familiar with both hands; afraid if she didn’t she’d be swept away. When she’d agreed to be Crystal’s surrogate, she’d forgotten the complete disruption pregnancy caused in a woman’s life. She was only two months along and already she was sick of all the hormonal changes this baby was taking her body through. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so quick to reject the psychological counseling offered by Rashid’s legal staff before she’d signed the agreement.
“You’re right,” she finally told him. “I’m just trying to keep my life as normal as possible. Things aren’t happening the way I imagined. Your house is fine, for now. We’ll need to stop by my place so I can pack enough clothes to tide me over. I have enough leave time to cover the next two weeks.”
Actually, she had enough paid leave time to take off the next six months.
Rashid gazed at Gail, silently acknowledging normal had gone out the door the minute he’d received the call from the doctor an hour ago. He hadn’t known how much he wanted this child until he’d feared losing it. This emergency phone call had reminded him too much of the ones he’d received concerning Crystal. He sat silently listening while Dr. Hagan came in with final instructions, then left when the doctor did so Gail could dress.
He wanted this baby. It shamed him to admit just how much he wanted it. He’d thought he could be satisfied with just the love of his wife, but now that his embryo was growing under the heart of another woman, he realized just how much he had deceived himself. Crystal had been right. Not about being less of a woman because she couldn’t give birth, but correct when she said he wanted a son. One to continue his family name. He would be happy with a daughter, if that’s what God chose to bless him with, but in his deepest heart, he wanted a son. A house full of them.
He looked at the woman who had made all of this possible as she stepped from behind the curtain, and felt gratitude well up within his heart. She was going beyond the norms of friendship in doing this for them. For her to be willing to bear a child for someone else, especially knowing how devastating the loss of her own son had been for her, was beyond extraordinary.
He’d never really given much thought to his wife’s friend. At first, Gail had come with the territory—a kind of ‘love me, love my friend’ package he’d accepted when he married Crystal. Then he’d met Jason and by virtue of familiarity, the men became good friends. At that point, Gail had simply been Jason’s wife. As men do from time to time, they’d spoken of their wives and families and he’d known Gail was a good wife. Jason never had anything but good to say about her as a wife and as a mother. Other than Crystal, Rashid really couldn’t have picked a better or more honorable woman to be the mother of his child if he tried.
T
his had to be difficult for Gail. Her routine, her very life was being disrupted by this pregnancy. She was basically giving up a year of her life to make their dream come true. Money couldn’t compensate for this kind of love. He was going to do everything within his power to see she was well taken care of.
It was the least he could do.
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BEYOND THE BREAKING POINT excerpt
Breaking point. Everyone has one. For Dr. Cassidy Brannon it was discovering her husband, Phillip, in a compromising position with his best friend Max’s almost fiancée, Amber, while vacationing with the other couple. Angry and heartbroken, she and Max indulge in a night of drunken sex. The next day, Cassidy returns home with one goal in mind—divorce.
However, nothing goes as planned. Phillip, hell bent on fixing their marriage, won’t agree to a divorce. What was only meant to be one night with Max has turned into so much more. Then Cassidy finds out she’s pregnant. With both Max and Phillip claiming to be the father, how much more can Cassidy take before she’s pushed beyond the breaking point?
Chapter One
A large hand, calloused from years of playing football and basketball, glided underneath the hem of the flimsy, baby-doll nightie she wore and worked its way to her breasts. “Wake up, beautiful. It’s baby making time.”
Groaning in protest, Cassidy Brannon rolled away from her husband’s touch, drew her leg up in her favorite sleeping position, and hugged her pillow closer to her. “Sleep. Vacation.”
Phillip, her husband of eight years, chuckled huskily. “I see I need to be a little more persuasive.”
He snuggled up so close behind her, she could feel the hard rod of his morning erection prodding the crease of her buttocks. Pushing her mass of unbound hair out of the way, he made a trail of nibbling kisses and love bites, beginning with the sensitive skin behind her ear, to her neck, and gradually worked his way down the length of her spine. As he maneuvered lower, he skimmed the palm of his hand up her thigh to the naked skin of her core. Probing fingers teased, touched, and tested her readiness to receive him.
What Cassidy wanted most was more sleep. She cracked an eye open. The milky whiteness of extremely early morning or of a rain-clouded sky peaked around the edges of the large, wooden-blind covered window. Since today’s forecast called for clear sunny skies, Cassidy had to assume the sun hadn’t completely risen.
“Roll over,” he commanded, his voice low and aroused.
Reluctantly, Cassidy did as instructed, knowing this morning’s opportunity to sleep in had just gone bye-bye. “Mmm, you’re really getting into this,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kneed her legs open. Phillip lowered his heavier frame onto her lighter one, pinning her to the mattress.
As she ran her hands up and down his muscular back, she mused that he still was just as big and muscular as he had been when he played collegiate football. Not surprising since he spent hours in the gym each week working on his physique.
He gave her that smile she adored. “Darling, you know I’m always up,” he nudged her sex with his penis, “for a challenge. The book said early morning was the best time for conception.”
He drew one nipple into his mouth, sucking deeply. Reaching between their bodies, he strummed her clit with his thumb. Cassidy moaned and arched into the knowledgeable hand stroking her body. Maybe morning sex wasn’t such a bad idea after all, she thought hazily as her body came alive.
“You ready for me?” he asked, a hint of strain in his voice.
Her “yes,” came out on a sigh of anticipation.
He withdrew his hand and guided his penis to her opening. Flexing his powerful hips, Phillip pushed steadily until he was deeply embedded. Then they began to move in a rhythm they’d perfected through years of practice.
Phillip changed the angle of his thrust and hit a spot that caused her to jerk. “Ohh,” she moaned.
“Like that?” his deep voice rumbled.
“Yes.” It came out breathy.
He did it again, and again. Cassidy canted her hips to take him deeper, and allowed her nails to dig into her husband’s damp, muscular back. There was nothing like a man who took good care of himself, she mused. She loved running her hands over his muscles.
“That’s right, baby. Tighten that pussy around my cock. Make it good for me,” he commanded. “Dig those nails into my back. Show me you like what I’m doing to you.”
Cassidy moaned, knowing she was getting close. She could feel it in the clenching of her abdomen muscles. “Feels…so…good,” she panted.
His dark-brown eyes stared into hers from inches away. “I love your pussy. It’s so hot, sweet and wet.” He thrust faster, harder. “Come for me, baby. Let go. Let go now.”
Cassidy dug her heels into the mattress, stiffened, and on a strangled groan, let the orgasm take her.
“That’s right, baby. Shit, you feel so good. Hold on. Hold on to me tight. I’m getting ready to let go.”
She wrapped her arms around him and held on to his slick body as he pounded into her. The mattress groaned its protest at the abuse and Cassidy had a moment’s concern, wondering if their condo mates could hear and know what they were doing. Then Phillip went rigid. His hips gave a few spasmodic jerks before he slumped on her, a complete dead weight.
Cassidy gave him a few seconds to recover then poked him in the side. “Can’t breathe,” she gasped.
He hefted his upper body up a few inches and shifted his weight to the side before dropping again. Cassidy lay with her husband curled around her, his head on the pillow beside her. He breathed heavily in her ear, his muscled thigh still sandwiched between hers and his now flaccid, damp cock pressed against her body.
She idly stroked his hair, loving the way his sweat-slicked, low cut felt against her hand. “They’ll be looking for us soon.”
He cupped her breast and toyed with the nipple. “We’re on vacation,” he reminded her. “That means no schedules. Besides, you’re supposed to lie still and give my soldiers a chance to reach their target.”
She laughed. “Like your soldiers need any help.”
Philip propped up on an elbow. “You never know. You’ve been off the pill for six months. I thought we’d have seen some results by now.”
She cupped his strong, handsome face, allowing her thumb to play with his goatee. “Six months isn’t that long, considering. I wasn’t all that regular before I went on the pill and it took a few months for me to start ovulating after coming off. So in reality, we’ve only been trying about three months. The rest was really great practice,” she told him, waggling her eyebrows.
His lips smiled but the eyes remained serious. “I just really want a family with you.” He shifted his hand from her breast and laid it on her stomach. “I want to see my child, children growing here. We’ve waited long enough.”
“You will,” she assured him. “And thirty isn’t that old to be starting a family. Women can safely have children into their forties. We have time.”
“Just to be on the safe side…” Philip slid his hand from her belly to her mound and stroked her clit. “I’d better send in the reserves.”
“Go troops,” she cheered as he dragged her down into another round of lovemaking.
By the time Cassidy managed to escape her husband’s amorous clutches, the sun rode high in the sky. Phillip had always been highly sexed—a side benefit of all the bodybuilding he did—but since they’d decided to become pregnant, his sex drive had kicked into overdrive. It was, she admitted to herself, a little intimidating and frankly exhausting to be the focus of so much male sexual attention. Showered and dressed in a pair of loose denim capris and a bright pink tank top, she slipped from the bedroom, her bare feet quiet on the cool tiled floor.
Cassidy blinked rapidly against the sharp brightness contrasted to the shadowed bedroom she’d
exited as her eyes adjusted. Someone had opened the curtains and sheers, flooding the room with light. Through the double sliding glass doors, sunlight sparkled like jewels on the surface of the lake visible below. From the waves of heat rising from the patio, the day was already a scorcher.
She entered the kitchen to find Max Desalvo, Phillip’s best friend, seated at the breakfast bar, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. Max and his live-in girlfriend, Amber, had invited her and Philip to join them on their vacation. The two couples were sharing a two-bedroom condo timeshare Max had rented from a family member in a luxury resort outside of Orlando.
“Good morning.” She glanced at the clock over the stove. Yes, eleven a.m. still qualified as morning. “Where’s Amber?” she asked Max.
“She’s still in bed. Her idea of vacation is to sleep until noon, spend the afternoon sunbathing beside the pool, and stay out partying until the wee hours of the morning,” Max said, clearly amused by the idea.
A huge yawn taking her by surprise, Cassidy covered her mouth and swayed lightly on her feet before slumping tiredly against the counter. Well, they’d gotten the wee hours part of the morning right last night, Cassidy mused. Unfortunately, she and Phillip hadn’t been partying. It had been midnight before their flight had arrived in Orlando from Philly. The four-hour flight had morphed into a six-hour one when their connecting flight had been delayed. By the time they’d collected their rental, driven to the resort, and unloaded their luggage, it was nearly three a.m.
Thank God Amber and Max had traveled ahead and checked in that afternoon. When their flight had been delayed, Cassidy had Phillip call Max and request he pick up a few things at the grocery store for them since everything would be closed when they arrived. He’d agreed. His generosity had allowed her and Phillip the luxury of sleeping in.
Cassidy reached up into the cabinet to grab a coffee cup, needing the caffeine kick more than she needed sustenance. As she moved closer, she caught the faint scent of clean male musk and looked over at Max, frowning as she noted his mildly sweaty appearance. “You’ve been out already?” She hadn’t heard anyone leave the condo.