Billionaires and Bad Boys: The Complete 7-Book Box Set

by Nikki Chase

  “You’ve got a baby-names book?” Megan asks.

  “Yeah. I thought I’d come up with some suggestions,” Penny answers matter-of-factly.

  A small smile spreads across Megan’s rosy cheeks. She breathes out a little sigh of relief. She was worried about how Penny would react all day, and now she can relax.

  Megan starts telling Penny details about the pregnancy. and we sit there until late at night, discussing and planning for the new addition to our family.

  In a few months, we probably won’t be able to just have a quiet conversation for any prolonged period of time. I’m sure a baby will interrupt us constantly.

  But who cares? Quiet conversations are overrated anyway. Give me wailing and screaming in the middle of the night instead. I can’t wait for our new adventure to start.

  Megan

  One Year Later

  “Oh my god, look at his little fingers and toes,” says Jessica, a pretty redhead who’s heavily pregnant with her first child. She’s the only one in the group who’s not a more experienced mom than me.

  I mean, yes, I’ve been a mom to Penny for years, but by the time I entered the picture, she was already a tween, and I’ve never had to deal with babies before.

  But right now, I have a baby strapped to my chest, suckling on my nipple, so let’s just say I’m accumulating my experience points.

  “See? I told you it would be good for you to just come here and see for yourself that babies aren’t scary at all,” says Daisy, Caine’s wife, whom I met at last year’s Christmas party.

  “Yeah,” Jessica says. “I’m so glad I said yes when Bertha asked me to come to the city with her.”

  Bertha, Daisy’s mother-in-law, is standing by the door with a tray in her hands. In her floral apron, she looks like she was born to be a maternal figure. The kids in the playroom flock to her as she distributes her freshly baked cookies.

  I must admit, the cookies are delicious. I’d be right there clamoring for seconds, too, if it weren’t for Oliver being attached to my chest. Breastfeeding still feels weird even after four months of doing it, and I just can’t get used to the feeling of walking while a baby is sucking on my nipple.

  When I arrived at the Holts’ Christmas party last year, I didn’t think I’d come with a baby the next time, but here I am.

  Just like last year, kids are clambering all over the plastic fort-and-slide and other toys. A similar group of adults is here, too—the Fosters, the Holts, and some of their friends.

  It feels different this year, though. With a baby in my arms, I feel like I’m one of them now, like we’re all in the same boat.

  There’s probably some kind of a word play I can do here related to the actual, giant, colorful plastic boat in this room, but I’m too tired to come up with clever phrasing these days.

  I’m glad for my lengthy maternity leave because there’s no way I can take care of a newborn baby and still work my old hours.

  Maybe I should quit my job. I never liked it anyway, even though I grew up wanting to become a serious journalist. I mean, I also grew up thinking I wasn’t a kid person, and yet, here I am, a mother of two.

  Alice comes over and sits beside me on the long bench placed along one wall of this colorful playroom. She’s carrying her own new baby in her arms.

  “Blue blanket, I see. What’s his name?” Alice asks me.

  “Oliver. And what’s your little girl called?”

  “That’s a nice name,” Alice says graciously. “This is Maria. Her biological mom gave her that name before she handed her over to us.”

  “Oh, you adopted her?” I ask, a little surprised that she’d talk about such a sensitive issue with no prompting from me.

  “Yeah. We don’t exactly look alike,” Alice says, laughing softly.

  To be fair, the baby’s darker than her or her husband, Seth, but it’s never polite to make assumptions.

  “How old is she?” Jessica asks. She’s about five months pregnant but except for her pregnant belly, she's still super slender. It’s almost unfair.

  “Eight months,” Alice says as she takes a bottle of milk out of her bag.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you come to adopt her?” Jessica asks again. Clearly, she’s more comfortable with difficult questions than I am.

  “Her biological mom was one of the people we’d rescued, and she was a teenager who didn’t feel like she could take care of a baby, especially when her pregnancy resulted from . . . violence,” Alice says, choosing her words carefully.

  Jessica nods.

  “Seth and I, we wanted kids but we never really got around to it," Alice continues. "We were always so busy, both of us. I was old enough for any pregnancy to be classified as ‘high-risk,' so Maria was a welcome addition to our family. It was an easy decision."

  “Sounds like fate,” I say, giving her a smile.

  I don’t want Alice to feel like she has to defend her decision to adopt rather than give birth to her own biological child. She seems happy, and I can see just how much she loves Maria, so nothing else matters anyway.

  “Yeah. It was fate,” Alice says earnestly, smiling with so much feeling nobody would dare doubt she’s Maria’s real mom.

  “I feel like fate’s in control with this pregnancy, as well,” Jessica says. “This is actually my second pregnancy. I had a miscarriage years ago, and I was terrified of trying again. But then, Jacob and I got a surprise.”

  Jessica giggles, flashing rows of pearly-white teeth. "We didn't even have to try."

  “Sometimes, good things happen when you least expect them, and everything just falls into place,” Daisy says.

  “That’s so true,” I say.

  I didn’t get much chance to speak with Daisy last year, but I like her. She has such sweet, kind words to say. Compassion seems to just be part of her nature. Apparently, she used to be a nurse before she met her husband.

  “It’s such a breath of fresh air to talk to all of you,” Alice says. “You won’t believe the kind of hate I get just for being an adoptive mom. Some people say I’m not Maria’s real mom.”

  So that’s why she was being pre-emptively defensive earlier, I realize.

  “A child’s real mom is whoever gives her love,” I say. “I’m a step-mom to my husband’s child from a previous marriage so there are some unsavory stereotypes attached to that, as well. But I’d never call Penny’s biological mom her ‘real mom.’”

  “Oh, you have another child? Is Penny here at the party tonight?” Daisy asks.

  “No,” I say, laughing. “She’s a teenager, and she has way cooler things to do than sitting around with a bunch of babies and old people on a weekend.”

  Alice, Daisy, and Jessica laugh along with me.

  “Don’t let Piper or Rafe hear you call this party ‘uncool,’” Daisy says. “They’re calling it ‘the most happening party in the neighborhood.’”

  “It was ‘the most happening party in the building’ last year,” I say, giggling. “I guess they’ve upgraded.”

  “Nothing people our age do is cool to teenagers,” says a woman who’s just joined our little group and is now playing with Maria’s hair. “I’m Emily, by the way. Maria’s aunt.”

  “Oh, you’re Cole’s wife?” I ask. “Nice to meet you. I met your husband last year but didn’t get a chance to say hi to you before Ethan and I left the party. Oh, I’m Megan, by the way.”

  “Megan.” Emily’s eyes lighting up with recognition. “I’ve heard so much about you in the past few months. Ethan can’t stop talking about you; it’s adorable. It’s crazy that we’re only meeting each other now.”

  Ethan has been working with the Foster brothers on a project here in town. From what he tells me, Emily’s pretty involved in her husband’s business because they both have extensive experience in the hospitality industry.

  “I know,” I say. “So, you’re here on business?”

  “Well, there’s some paperwork we need to review before w
e break ground on the new property. But I’m also here because Alice needs help with the baby. I also think it’s a good idea for Jax, my son, to get to know his cousin.”

  “You’re talking about the big project?” Alice asks. “The one with retail space on the lower floors and residences on the upper floors?”

  “That’s the one,” I confirm.

  "Megan here is the wife of Cole's partner," Emily explains to her sister.

  “Small world,” Alice says.

  “Well, it is the best Christmas party in town,” I say, grinning. “We’re bound to run into tons of people.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Piper asks as she offers us a tray of finger foods.

  “Oh, I was just saying how this is the best Christmas party in town,” I say, smiling.

  “You know it.” Piper winks at me. “Oh, since I have all the moms here, I want to ask you something. What do you think about having a group playdate?”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea,” Daisy says. “Grace and Gavin can always use new friends.”

  “I’d be down, as well, except I’m not always in town,” Emily says.

  “Yeah, same with me,” Alice says.

  “Is Oliver too young to join?” I ask. “I don’t know if the other kids will want to play with him.”

  “Not at all,” Piper says quickly, ever the friendly host. “I’d love to have both Oliver and you here.”

  “Well, I don’t want to miss the best playdate in town,” I say.

  Piper laughs. “Perfect. We’ll coordinate everything by email and phone. It’s going to be great.”

  As the women start chattering about what kind of finger foods to serve at the playdate and what kind of activities to arrange for the kids, I smile to myself. I kind of like this new life.

  I never thought I’d ever want this life for myself. It used to seem dull and boring when I was younger. I wanted to see some action; I wanted to do something exciting and different.

  But as it turns out, this is where I find my bliss: in motherhood and the company of kind, accepting people.

  Maybe it would do me good to get involved with other moms, and it would no doubt be good for Oliver, as well, to have social interactions with kids of all ages.

  I don’t know what the future will bring, but maybe life is not meant to be planned. There are too many unknown factors for one fixed plan to work perfectly anyway, so corrections and adjustments are necessary as those factors make themselves known.

  It's crazy that I have to stick to a certain career path just because I chose to take up journalism as a major when I was eighteen. Now that I realize it's not the right path for me, the right thing to do would be to start moving in a different direction.

  But I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll be a full-time mom, or maybe I’ll do some other kind of work. I can be one of those mommy bloggers. That seems fun, too.

  It’s not that I’m trading my job for motherhood. It’s just that . . . After taking a break from work, I realize how much happier I am, now that I don’t have to deal with the long hours or the constant pressures from my various deadlines.

  I feel more relaxed than I’ve been in a long time, and I now know what really matters, what really makes me happy.

  And, speaking of something that makes me happy . . . My lips curl up into a smile as Ethan walks into the room. He looks around and his eyes light up when he finds me.

  “How are you holding up?” he asks. “Are you tired yet? Want to go back home and take a nap?”

  I almost tear up as I think about the women I’ve heard complaining about how uninvolved and inconsiderate their husbands are once kids are in the picture.

  In contrast, Ethan has been the sweetest, most caring husband and father. He’s always offering to take Oliver into a different room when the baby’s being fussy, or to get up and grab a bottle of milk from the fridge when Oliver cries in the middle of the night.

  “I’m good,” I say. “Don’t worry. I’m having fun.”

  “Oh, you must be Oliver’s dad,” Alice says. She scoots over to make room for Ethan beside me. “Take a seat.”

  “Thank you,” he says as he sits down. Ethan rubs Oliver’s head, playing with his hair, which is dark just like his dad’s.

  I don’t know if it’s the hormones, but my chest fills up with so much emotion it’s almost spilling out as tears.

  “Next Christmas, Oliver may be crawling and walking around with all the other kids,” Ethan says, glancing around the playroom. “Can you imagine?”

  “Yeah,” I say, my voice breaking as tears finally escape my eyes. I wipe them away with the back of my hand and smile.

  “You’re such a crybaby these days.” Ethan chuckles as he wraps his strong arm around my shoulders, making me smile.

  This is what makes me happy.

  In the end, it’s all about family.

  No matter what happens, I know I’ll be okay. I have Ethan, Penny, and now Oliver, too.

  Oh, and my mom, of course. Now that she has a grandson in town, she visits a lot more. She always looks so content when she’s holding Oliver in her arms.

  Whatever the future brings, as long as I have my family, I can be happy. Everything else is just details.

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this collection of my first seven novels.

  Want more?

  Sarah (the vet from Stripped): A tragedy abruptly forces her back home to Ashbourne, where she finds another damaged soul who gives her something she didn’t even know she needed. Click here to read My Brother’s Friend, the Dom.

  Katie (Daisy’s roommate from His Virgin): A chance encounter with a masked stranger in a kinky club leads to one unforgettable night of passion… and a baby. What happens when the mysterious man finally tracks her down? Click here to read Baby for My Brother’s Friend.

  Ava: New teacher in Ashbourne High School gets harassed by her ex-boyfriend. Luckily, the Hunter brothers—five hot, gorgeous, protective men—are ready to help. Click here to read The Five Brothers Next Door.

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  About the Author

  Nikki Chase is a contemporary romance author. After having her own real-life insta-love experience, Nikki now lives happily ever after with her husband in the Pacific Northwest.

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