“So, what does it feel like then?”
“Like you’re being crazy like you’re invading my space.”
“There’s something you weren’t telling me, Aurora. I needed to make sure you were okay. I can’t afford to lose you again.”
“Can’t you afford to trust me though?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch. “If I tell you I’m fine, don’t come over, that doesn’t mean drive all the way here and force your way into my house. Why would you do that?”
“Because I love you!”
She looked shocked for a moment, and I realized I had never said those words to her before. Perhaps now hadn’t been a good time to bring that up.
“Malcolm,” her voice was softer now. “That isn’t what love is though. It’s not barging into people’s homes and being invasive and suspicious. I know you’re worried about me, but I’m an adult, I can take care of myself, even if I am a lot younger than you.”
“But why won’t you let me take care of you?”
“Because we’re taking things slow, I thought….” she sat down, her face going white and her hand coming up to cover her stomach.
“But is that what taking things slow is? You know we’re closer than that, Aurora. We don’t have to live together, but you could at least let me come over and bring you soup and take care of you when you’re sick.”
“I… don’t want to be a bother,” she said, but I could sense that there was still more she wasn’t telling me.
“Do you think it’s a bother for me to take care of you? I love you, I want to be around you no matter what you’re feeling like, to do absolutely anything at all. I would be happy just watching a movie with you, just to know that I could hold you and comfort you when you’re not feeling well. But you haven’t been communicating with me, and I need that.”
“That doesn’t give you a right to just barge in though,” she said. “You could have called, talked to me again.”
“But you hung up, and it’s obvious you’re hiding something. I don’t know how else to make sure you’re okay—”
Her face was becoming whiter and whiter. With every word that we exchanged, it was obvious that there was turmoil going on deep inside of her. All I wanted to do was comfort her, but here I was, probably making things that much worse.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out, cutting off the rest of what I was going to say.
I couldn’t process it. My mind was going a million miles a minute, in all directions at once.
That was the answer? That was what she had been hiding from me?
I was overjoyed, and angry, and sad, and confused, and concerned, all at once.
Of all the things she might be hiding, of all the things that could happen, this was the last one I expected.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aurora
He looked so shocked, I didn’t know what to think. Was he okay? Was he angry? Was he going to leave me because of this?
He stumbled into a chair, his face almost as white as mine felt, holding his head in his hands.
For several moments there was only silence between us. Neither of us knew what to say, or how to react it seemed. Now that things were out in the open… a weight lifted off my chest. But I still had to navigate things with Malcolm, and I couldn’t tell how he was taking it.
Finally, he said in a low voice, “So it’s mine?”
“Of course it’s yours,” I said. I thought it was obvious, so glaringly obvious. Why would I be involved with anyone else? Did he not trust me?
A smile crept onto his face then, and he looked over at me with absolute joy in his eyes.
Was he actually… happy?
“So there’s nothing else then, that’s why you were feeling sick?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it seems to explain everything.”
“Aurora, this is incredible.” He stood, pulling me into a hug. He was careful about it, as if he might somehow injure the life that was growing inside of me.
I was shocked at how fast his mood changed. Was he being serious? Did he understand the gravity of the situation at all?
“We’re going to be parents,” he said, burying his face in my hair. “Oh, do you need to sit down?” he asked, pulling back slightly.
“I don’t know… maybe,” I said, and that seemed to be answer enough for him.
He guided me over to the couch. If he was already being this cautious of me when I wasn’t even showing signs of pregnancy, I couldn’t imagine how he would act when the bump of my belly became visible.
I had to ask. “Are you really taking this seriously?”
“Of course I am.”
“But it’s such a big deal, Malcolm. It’s so much to think about, so much to take care of. It changes so many things, do you even want to still be with me?”
There were tears welling up in my eyes as I uttered those words. Malcolm leaned closer to me, brushing the tears off my cheeks with a gentle thumb.
“Shhh, it’s alright,” he said. “Of course I still want to be with you, a baby doesn’t change that, especially when it’s ours. I love you Aurora, and I hope that you love me too.”
“I don’t know, it’s a lot, how do I even know what love is? How do I know if I can trust you?”
“Look, Aurora, I can’t give you some magical answer. But do you like the way you feel around me? Can you at least trust me to be honest with you? Because I don’t plan on leaving you anytime soon.”
It was a lot, especially with everything that had happened with my ex-boyfriend. Trusting people to be true to me after that… was difficult. Especially now that there was a baby to consider. I didn’t want to have to raise it by myself.
“I don’t know.”
“Then let me show you. I’ll provide everything you need. I know you work hard, but you don’t have to worry so much. If you still want to keep working, that’s fine, but I want to support you. I’ll distance myself from what I do now if I have to, to keep you and the baby safe. We can move into another one of my properties, and I’ll make sure to be around. Everything will be taken care of, I promise.”
It felt too good to be true.
I wanted to be with him, yes. I wanted everything to work out and be okay, but it was too much to process.
“But what about my dad? You know how he feels about you, how would he even react to this?”
“He loves you, and he might hate me right now, but I’ll talk to him. I know he won’t want to miss out on his grandchild’s life.”
“But what if he does? What if he leaves? I don’t know how I’m going to handle telling him.”
“Then you don’t have to. I will.” He said it with such conviction that for a moment I believed everything was going to turn out alright.
“Are you sure?” I didn’t want to make him do it. I knew how my dad could be when he was in a mood. And towards Malcolm… I wondered if he would take it better if I told him.
“Yes. I want to show him that I love you.”
“Okay, but, this doesn’t mean anything yet.”
“What do you mean?” The look on his face was so betrayed that I wanted to take it all back, just hide how I was feeling for his benefit. But I couldn’t. I needed to be sure
“Malcolm, I trust you, but I have to think. I don’t really know what I want right now, and everything that’s happening is just making it so confusing for me. I hope you can respect that.”
“Of course, I’m sorry for barging in,” he said. “I really will be here if you need anything. I’m serious about that.”
“I know… I just… need some time alone for a bit. You understand how it is, I’m sure.”
He smiled, but it was a sad smile, not containing as much joy as he had shown before. “I’ll give you the space you need, but promise me you’ll talk to me. I don’t want to lose touch with you.”
“Of course. I’ll...tell you when I’ve made up my mind.”
He pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead and then stood. “I’m hoping it
will be good news, but I’ll support you no matter what. Do you need anything else?”
“No, just some time alone,” I said.
“Of course, dear, of course.”
I couldn’t help but notice how sad he looked as he left, shutting the door softly behind him. I knew that it was a good thing that we could have a child together and I was ruining it by being so uncertain.
The truth was, I didn’t know what I wanted for my baby.
Not even five minutes after Malcolm left, my phone rang. I was expecting it to be him, but was pleasantly surprised that it was my dad calling. I picked up.
“Hi Dad,” I said, trying to keep the sadness out of my voice. The last thing I needed was him asking me what was wrong. I could tell him later.
“Hey Aurora, you doing okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, just still feeling a little sick.”
“Okay, I was just calling to check-in. Interviews are going well, and I should be back tomorrow evening, but I can leave earlier if you need me.”
I wanted so badly for him to be back so that he could comfort me and talk me through things. But I knew that he needed this, and that it was important to him that he finished things up out there.
“No, it’s okay. Hailey came over earlier today and I’m doing mostly okay.”
“Alright, but you call me right away if you need anything, okay?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Good.”
I couldn’t tell him over the phone. I knew he would be furious, and I wanted to tell him in person so that he might take things a little better. I hoped that he would be more excited about the prospect of being a grandfather and less angry about the fact that the father was the notorious Malcolm Astor.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon my darling. Get some good rest.”
“I’ll try,” I said. “Love you Dad.”
“Love you too.” He hung up then, and I set my phone down, wondering what I was going to do with myself.
I had a lot to think about and consider.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Malcolm
It was a few days later, and I still had heard nothing from Aurora. I was resisting the urge to drive over to her house again, and demand an answer.
I knew that wasn’t going to solve anything, and that she needed her space.
Besides, I didn’t want Noah to become more suspicious than he already was.
When I had come back that evening, he had asked me what happened, but I told him I just went for a drive. I didn’t feel like explaining how complicated the situation was to him.
Besides, he would be mad at me for how I handled things, and I didn’t know if I could take that right now.
I was busy working through some paperwork when one of the staff came up and knocked lightly on my door.
“What is it?” I asked, not even bothering to look up.
“There’s someone here to see you, sir,” they said. “A young lady, says it’s urgent.”
Immediately, my head whipped up. I checked my phone, but there were no texts or missed calls from her. I hoped it was Aurora, but I couldn’t be quite sure.
I stood, walking past the staff member maintaining my composure. I couldn’t afford to look weak in my own household by rushing to the door like an overexcited child, even though I knew my reactions to whatever Aurora had to tell me would probably make me weak anyway.
When I got into the living room though, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. She was standing in the doorway, light framing her from behind like an angelic being, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
My whole face split into a smile, and I ran towards her, scooping her to me in a hug and burying my face in her neck.
“Please never leave me for that long again,” I said. “I can’t stand being apart from you, it drives me crazy.”
She pulled away from me for a moment, looking up at me with a happy expression as she stroked my cheek.
“I promise not to do that again, I think I finally have things figured out.”
“And? What have you decided?” I couldn’t help the hand that I rested on her stomach, though I knew it was still too early to feel any movement in there.
She sighed. “I think I’m ready. I know it will be tough, but I want to do this with you. I want to raise our baby together.”
“That’s great, I’m so happy,” I said, kissing her face gently. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“I just hope that you’ll put up with me as I’m learning,” she said. “I don’t exactly know how to be a mother.”
“You’ll be fine, I know it. You have such a big heart, and you’re already so great with the animals you work with. Yes, being a mother is different, but there are plenty of resources. I can sign you up for classes if you want, or hire some help for you. Anything you need, seriously.” I was so overjoyed to see her, to hear that she wanted to be with me, that the words were just spilling out of me.
“Thank you, Malcolm,” she said, resting her head against my chest. “Really, I appreciate it.”
“Of course, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I scooped her up again, pulling her tight to my chest.
“It’s been too long,” I said. “Will you come up to my bedroom with me?”
Her breath hitched as her eyes searched mine. “Of course.”
I carried her into the mansion, through the hall, and up the stairs, kissing her gently on the forehead. “I missed you,” I said. “I missed touching you and kissing you. I especially missed making you cum.”
“Malcolm—”
“It’s fine, I promise I’ll be gentle.”
She nodded as I took her through my bedroom door, and laid her gently on the bed.
“You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to kiss you, to hold you. You’re on my mind all the time, and when you cried all I wanted to do was make everything better.”
“It is better now,” she said, arching up to kiss me and weave her hands through my hair. “I promise.”
I rested my weight next to her, holding her gingerly. I didn’t want to risk doing anything that might hurt her, or the life that she was carrying inside of her.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, did you know that?” I said, placing kisses all along her jawline and down her neck. “I just can’t control myself around you.”
She moaned slightly, tilting her head back in pleasure. “It certainly seems that way.”
“You know, I can’t wait until we live together, and I get to wake up with you next to me every day, and hold you every night. You’re going to be mine.”
“I am yours, Malcolm,” she said, wrapping her arms around my torso. “I am yours, I promise.”
“I know baby, but you’ll be even more mine.”
I continued to kiss my way down her neck, nibbling lightly and licking at her more sensitive areas. She gasped, which was a sound I loved to hear. I just loved how sensitive Aurora was, and how unafraid she was to make noise for me.
It turned me on so badly. Even now I could feel my cock throbbing in my pants, and I reached one hand down to try and ease the ache.
I didn’t want to fuck her like that, not tonight. No, I wanted to give her something special, just for her.
“Do you mind, baby?” I asked, tugging at the waistband of her jeans.
“No,” she said. “I’ll even help you.”
I stopped her hand that was creeping down to slide her pants off. “Allow me. I want to spoil you right now.”
My fingers hooked under the edge of her waistband, and I gently began to slide the pants down her legs. I trailed my lips after, leaving her shivering in their wake.
Gently, I tossed aside the jeans, and then did the same with her panties. Already my touches had made her soak through them, which I was pleased to see.
“Oh, you’re so wet for me baby.”
“I can’t help it,” she said, squirming.
“I
don’t want you to help it. I want you to let go.”
I began to trace circles on the inside of her thigh with one hand while I looked up at her. I knew that the faint touch of my fingertips against her skin would feel good, and it appeared that I was right. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were relaxed in a look of sheer bliss.
“That feels so nice, I could just fall asleep,” she said.
“There’ll be time for that later. I promise I’ll do it again when we’re going to sleep,” I said. “But for now, I want to show you the best time you’ve ever had.”
Her eyes flickered open, and she looked down at me with a teasing smile. “And how do you intend to do that?”
“By fucking you real good with my tongue. You like that?”
She bit her lip, eyes rolling back as if she was imagining how it might feel. “Yes. I’d like that very much.”
“Good, because it’s happening,” I said.
I began to kiss up her inner thighs, going very slowly. I found that the trick with women was to go slow, and have lots of build-up. It would allow time for her to anticipate what was going to happen, and made her even wetter in the process, not to mention it brought her closer to climax.
My hands traced circles into her hips, gripping them a little as I got closer to the area of interest.
When I was at the most sensitive area of her inner thigh, I changed my tactic a bit. Now I was licking her gently as well as biting. Just enough to make her make small noises of pleasure or surprise.
My tongue was getting dangerously close to her labia, and I knew she could feel it. It was obvious that the anticipation was killing her as her hands found my head and her fingers twined through my hair.
“Patience, baby,” I said. “I promise this is going to feel good.”
“I know, I just want you now.”
“I know, and you’ll have me, I promise.”
With careful fingers, I parted the lips of her labia, exposing her red, throbbing pussy.
Her clit was already hard and easy to spot, and I set to work on the hard little knob with my tongue, eliciting moans from her immediately.
My Dad’s Billionaire Enemy Page 17