Billion dollar baby bargain.txt

by Неизвестный

  Standing on the footpath staring up at the shiny apartment complex, she finally allowed the emotion to

  surge up. And surge up it did, nearly choking her in the process.

  She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists inside her coat pockets. She’d had two e-mails since Monday,

  the first from Jenny, Cal’s assistant, seeking confirmation that his design team had arrived. The second

  was sent at some ungodly hour, him asking how the baby was and confirming her return. No phone call

  so she could wallow in the delicious warmth of his voice, no personal queries about her health, her

  feelings.

  Work had once again taken him away.

  With a groan she screwed her eyes shut, blocking out the apartment lights that now seemed to taunt her.

  She wouldn’t go to pieces. She had to think of the baby. Her and Cal’s baby. A baby he wanted, a baby

  she already loved. If she couldn’t have Cal’s love then at least they’d be bonded by this tiny life they’d

  made together.

  But would that be enough?

  “Ms. Reilly?”

  She glanced at the chauffeur, who was holding the doors open for her. A frozen breeze rushed down the

  street, sending a shiver over her skin, propelling her forward.

  It was time to focus on what she was here for. Jindalee. Her baby’s future. If Cal wanted a perfect wife,

  if that meant dressing up and playacting, so be it. If it also meant ignoring the pleasures they’d shared

  and squashing those more frequently disturbing urges to touch, to taste…?

  She couldn’t answer that, not until she was faced with it again. And she sure as hell would not lower

  herself to scheduling in sex like it was some kind of business appointment.

  She absently thanked the driver and pressed the elevator’s top-floor button.

  When the doors swished open, the apartment’s only light came from the aquarium’s muted glow.

  “Cal?”

  The silence was complete. Perversely disappointed, she dropped her bag beside the couch, then swept

  off her coat.

  From inside her handbag, her mobile phone beeped. It was Cal’s office.

  “Ms. Reilly? It’s Jenny.”

  “Yes?” Ava sat gratefully on the couch arm and unzipped her suede boots.

  “Mr. Prescott will be late and told me to tell you not to wait up.”

  “I see.”

  “Also, your engagement party is scheduled for the third of July.”

  “Okay.”

  Jenny paused as if waiting for something more, then said gently, “Have a good night, Ms. Reilly.”

  “Wait! Jenny?”

  “Yes, Ms. Reilly?”

  Ava hesitated, but the desire to know overrode everything else. “Is everything okay? I know One-Click

  is currently virus-testing and I heard there’s a new one doing the rounds…” She bit her lip at the leading

  question, hoping Jenny would fill in the blanks.

  She did. “Yes, we managed to contain it but Mr. Prescott’s working ’round the clock to find a cure.”

  The answer should have allayed her doubts, but when Ava hung up, she knew they hadn’t even made a

  dent. Cal wasn’t just avoiding her, he was at work and she was alone and waiting—an eerie portent of

  things to come.

  Automatically she went through the motions of making hot chocolate, the familiar task soothing her

  troubled mind. She had no right to be angry, but it still didn’t stop the aching throb in her heart. What

  they’d shared at Jindalee was just sex, two people mutually attracted doing what came naturally. A spurof-

  the-moment thing. A one-off.

  It didn’t change the fact that work came first with Cal and he was only marrying her for their child. She

  needed to get that through her head if she was to get through the other side of this marriage with her

  heart intact.

  She’d survive if she had to. And it was really too soon to determine if this was a permanent thing. If it

  was…

  Her child would not have an absentee father. No way. She’d rather suffer the unimaginable but

  momentary pain of divorce instead of putting her child through years of heartbreaking disappointment.

  Nine

  T wo weeks later, on the eve of his engagement party, Cal stared out the window of VP Tech at the

  storm obscuring his view. The Harbour Bridge was barely visible past the slashing sheets of rain

  pounding down, the Opera House only a well-studied memory beneath the iron-grey sky.

  He jerked his gaze from the window to take in the expansive hush of his air-conditioned office.

  There was no sudden screech of rosellas, no gentle ping of a kitchen timer. He breathed in deep. Coffee

  brewed an hour ago left its lingering mark, but besides that, nothing. No baking biscuits, no roast.

  Compared to Jindalee, everything was filed, sorted and in its place.

  Ava had been avoiding him—and not just physically. His inadequate “We have to talk” early one

  morning was met with a curious look and a shake of her head.

  “We’ve got nothing to say,” she’d coolly returned before rushing out the door for yet another scheduled

  interview.

  To his surprise, she’d morphed into a media-savvy ingenue, answering all questions with grace and

  aplomb. Even when people began to speculate about how they’d first met and her future role in the

  Prescott family, her facade didn’t waver; she’d deftly fielded further enquiries with the skill of a pro. It

  was like living with an elegant shell of grooming and poise.

  He ran a hand over his jaw with a sigh. If he’d hated the parties before, he loathed them now. Ava’s

  smile was too bright, the look behind her eyes too controlled. She was turning into everything he’d

  assumed she was and he hated it.

  Last week she’d hired a wedding planner.

  He shoved the computer mouse across his desk with a curse. The joy he took in his work, normally a

  source of deep fulfilment, had waned. Victor had demanded more of his time and focus while he made

  another international trip and as a result, Cal’s working hours had encroached into his Sundays. He’d

  come to resent the intrusion even if Ava hadn’t voiced one objection at his absence. Her silence on that

  topic had spoken volumes.

  In comparison, Jindalee had been coming along in leaps and bounds. He slumped back in his chair,

  massaging his bunched neck muscles with one hand. To his surprise he’d become emotionally invested

  in Jindalee’s progress. It was something about commanding a small team, watching them interact and

  bounce ideas around that gave him a deep and profound sense of satisfaction. Flying west had become

  filled with joy, not obligation, even if it was purely selfish on his part. Because at Jindalee he got the real

  Ava, the woman with the infectious excitement, the woman who moved him. She made him feel needed

  despite her outward show of independence. And despite it all, he wanted her to need him.

  Suddenly exhausted, he closed his eyes, ignoring the phone as it buzzed insistently on the desk.

  Ava was right. It was something about the stunning splendour of the land, the utmost peace and

  tranquillity that called to him. VP Tech had consumed his every waking moment yet the absence of it

  was like a calm, welcome lull.

  The phone continued to scream and with a soft curse he yanked it up and took the call. But less than half

  an hour later, his mind wandered again.

  Ever since their one night at Jindalee there’d been nothing to indicate Ava would welcome him back in
<
br />   her bed. During the week he’d been up to his eyeballs in VP Tech while Ava had returned to Jindalee.

  When they were together, they weren’t alone. And in Sydney he’d come home late too many times to a

  darkened apartment and a closed bedroom door, only to shower, change, then go right back to work.

  It doesn’t have to mean anything more than two people enjoying sex.

  Work now forgotten, he steepled his fingers and stared out the window as the rain lashed down. More

  than once he’d caught her watching him as they silently passed each other in the barely light morning,

  the longing rawness in her eyes barely visible just before she’d glanced away. She wanted him, too.

  And dammit, he was tired of waiting for her to admit that.

  “We’re due in the boardroom in ten minutes.”

  Startled, Cal turned to find Victor in the doorway, a file tucked under one arm. Annoyance rushed in,

  flooding every part of his brain. I’d give a thousand bucks to be anywhere but here. Jindalee. With Ava.

  A strange tightness took possession—panic, frustration and regret all mingled in.

  He rose, reluctance in every muscle, every limb. “I’ll be right there.”

  “A pleasure to see you, Mr. Prescott, Ms. Reilly. Most of your guests are already here.”

  The doorman’s warm smile never wavered as he swept open the large doors of the Observatory Hotel’s

  private function room. They were soon engulfed by a party in full swing. From the corner of her eye Ava

  noticed the subtle glances, the way the other guests pretended not to stare as Cal led her through the

  impeccably decorated interior.

  He made introductions with skilled aplomb, introduced her to a dozen people she’d have no hope of

  remembering after tonight. Still she kept a smile plastered on, tried to respond with genuine happiness at

  the multitude of congratulations. This unabashed luxury was so far removed from the simplistic glory of

  Jindalee; she’d love the opportunity to just absorb the ambiance of this heritage-listed building without

  the intrusion of the gathered throng, to let the smells and sounds of past history rush over her. But with

  Cal’s hand at her back, searing a brand through her elegant sky-blue halter dress, she could do nothing

  but keep moving forward.

  For weeks she’d perfected the charade until she’d finally managed to ignore those minor earthquakes

  through her body. It happened when there was skin-on-skin, when Cal casually touched her arm, took

  her hand, or, on occasion, leaned in to place a searing kiss on her cheek. To onlookers, all very loving

  and intimate but to her pure temptation buzzed through her blood like the gallons of Bollinger

  champagne they’d been constantly toasted with. Champagne that was off-limits, she chafed. Cal had had

  the foresight to fill her glass with sparkling cider and thankfully no one ever seemed to notice.

  The night wore on, through Victor’s formal welcoming of Ava into the family, Cal’s response and a few

  impromptu speeches from the floor. Then the lights dimmed and someone turned up the music—sexy,

  energetic, heavy-on-the-bass dance music that throbbed in her temples—and people started migrating to

  the dance floor.

  She was alone for the first time that night, standing with a half-drunk glass of cider, watching Cal as he

  casually chatted with an eagerly made-up brunette in a tight black dress that looked as though it’d pop if

  she took a deep breath.

  “Not dancing?” Victor appeared at her elbow.

  Ava shook her head. “I’m getting a headache, actually.”

  “That’s not good,” Victor agreed solicitously.

  Ava wasn’t fooled by his demeanour. His eyes were way too calculating. Cal had exactly the same look,

  had perfected that unnerving stare just a little too well. Her head began to throb in earnest.

  “Do you need an aspirin?” Victor asked, waving to a hovering waiter.

  “No, thank you. I’ll just tough it out a little longer.”

  Victor followed her eyes to where Cal stood, still talking. “Cal hates these things, but for you, he suffers

  them.”

  Ava felt her polite smile slide into uncertainty. “Excuse me?”

  Victor turned his full attention to her. “He’s been courting the press since you announced your

  engagement, made sure you’re both on the top of the invite list to a dozen parties he normally ignores.

  And he’s devoted precious working hours to your bankrupt business. Cal’s unfocused and I believe it’s

  because of you.” He flicked a glance to her stomach. “And that baby.”

  Blood pounded through her veins, flushing her skin deep and hot. “How…?”

  “Cal told me.” Victor turned to give her his full attention, blocking her view of Cal. “And given the kind

  of man he is, I’m not surprised he offered marriage. But you must also be aware of his commitments, his

  responsibilities. Tell me, do you know how much he earns?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve never thought about it.”

  “Over six thousand dollars a minute. Now think about how long he’s spent on your business. Time not

  spent at VP. Look at him.” Victor stepped back and she drank in the sight of Cal, formally dressed in a

  black Gucci dress suit and a golden tie, looking way too irresistible. “VP Tech is Cal’s life. One day it

  will be his and he’ll need his wife to support him.” He raised his bushy eyebrows, eyes deadly serious.

  “A wife who won’t make unreasonable demands, one who understands the time and commitment

  involved in running a billion-dollar company.”

  “Like Isabelle.”

  Victor’s face softened for one second before the mask was back. “Exactly.”

  It was Gum Tree Falls all over again. She just couldn’t measure up, could she? He made her sound so…

  inadequate. She rubbed her temple in earnest now. “I didn’t…It wasn’t…”

  “You look pale, Ava. Are you okay?” Cal was suddenly there, his hand on her back before angrily

  turning to Victor. “What did you say to her?”

  The menace below that rough growl was palpably real and Ava swiftly put a hand on Cal’s arm. His

  muscles tightened into granite hardness beneath her fingers.

  “Nothing, Cal. Just a small headache.”

  When he snapped his gaze from Victor to her, she caught the remnants of that simmering anger bubbling

  away in those dark depths before it cleared.

  “Do you want to leave?”

  Around them, the party was in full swing and the warm air and loud music began to pound inside her

  head.

  I want you.

  She nodded, unable to meet his eyes just in case he could somehow read her desperation.

  They were out of there and into the limousine in record time, but even with the heat turned on Ava still

  felt the chilly edges of Victor’s conversation all the way to her toes.

  “What did Victor say to you?”

  “Nothing.”

  He studied her in loaded silence, a silence that pulled at her resolve, twisting and turning until she had to

  say something.

  “I want to thank you for Jindalee—it’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for. But you have other

  commitments and it was never my intention to drag you away from them.”

  The muscles in his face tightened. “So he’s been giving you the ‘time is money’ speech.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He stared out the window as they made their way down Castlereagh Street. “For what? Victor’s been a

  demanding workaho
lic as long as I’ve known him.”

  “So why do you…”

  “Stay?” She noticed the way his jaw clenched. “Sometimes I wonder.”

  She paused. “Look, it might be none of my business…but something’s not right between you two.”

  He swung his gaze back to her, his expression unreadable in the muted interior. “And you’re the expert

  in family harmony?”

  She flinched as the tiny barb hit its mark. “I know when something needs to be talked over, not just

  ignored.”

  “Trust me, Victor’s not talking. He’s more concerned with jetting off to Europe.”

  They arrived at Cal’s building then, cutting off Ava’s reply.

  She suffered the elevator ride under a cloud of thick tension, wishing for the courage to say a million

  things, but the mere act of breaking this awkward moment made her sweat. So the questions sat on her

  tongue, unspoken.

  Finally inside the apartment, she watched Cal shrug off his jacket with sleek efficiency before striding

  into the kitchen. He removed a flat whiskey glass from the dishwasher, muttering something under his

  breath.

  “What?” Ava asked.

  “I said, sometimes I wonder why my mother puts up with him. She certainly doesn’t come first in his

  life.”

  Ava smiled, recalling the night she’d first met the Prescotts. “You don’t know that. They really love

  each other.”

  “Yeah. She loved my father, too, but he refused to marry her. When he left, it destroyed her.”

  The unspoken subtext roared between them but Cal was beyond caring. Love hadn’t destroyed him.

  Instead, he’d used Melissa’s betrayal to drive his ambition to greater heights. And now he had

  everything a man could want—wealth, power, security.

  Their child.

  “Did your father ever contact you?”

  Cal glanced away. “No. Victor went looking for him after he and Mum married.” With a shrug that

  looked a little too casual, he added, “The guy died in a bar fight years ago.”

  Ava blinked. An outsider would’ve detected nothing amiss with his calm answer. But she saw the tight

  muscle in his jaw, the emotion in his eyes so expertly covered. The knife-edge control in his deep voice.