Realization dawned. She’d called out sick. But then again, women sometimes had complications with their cycle that made them ill. Her being out didn’t guarantee she was carrying my child. “What do you think? Is she?” What would she do? If she was, I couldn't force her to have my child.
“I think you should talk to her and find out for yourself.”
He was right. Before I went, I needed to know something else. “Were you able to make that deal happen?”
Ian gave me an answer. After he left, I delayed my meeting and rescheduled my flight. Unfortunately, I still had to go. But I drove to Chloe’s first.
I stood at her door with my hand held up to knock. Only the door opened, and Chloe’s expression of shock and guilt scared me. What was she hiding?
“I can’t talk to you right now. I’m late for an appointment,” she said, schooling her features.
I licked my lips. “Just give me five minutes.”
She crossed her arms over her chest like she was cold. “Fine, but make it quick.”
I pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. She stared at it, not knowing what was inside.
“I made you a promise and I’m keeping it.”
“What?” she asked.
“Inside you will find papers that make you fifty percent owner of your former company. I’m still negotiating the other half. But considering all that has happened, I assumed you would want to leave my company and go back to the job you loved as soon as possible. I will buy it all for you and I promise to leave you be. You won’t hear from me anymore. Ian will keep you informed about our progress.”
I turned to leave. It was killing me to be so close to her and not touch her.
“Wait!”
I shut my eyes a second before opening them and facing her. “Chloe, I’m doing my best here. But I can’t be near you.”
Her face fell and her mouth closed. I nodded, acknowledging that she had nothing left to say. I hadn’t asked her if she was pregnant because I had no right to. Everything I’d done to her behind her back made me sick. What kind of bastard had I become in order to beat my cousin? But it was too late to take it back. The only thing I could do was disappear for a while and let her figure things out on her own. If she was pregnant, I didn’t want to pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready to do. She had my number if she needed me.
Thirteen
Chloe
It only took a few seconds before I called out to Ryan again. He stopped but didn’t turn around. “Chloe, I told you—”
“I know what you told me. But you should come with me.”
That gained his attention. He slowly spun and I noticed his brow was creased. “Where are you going?”
“No questions. Just get in my car.”
I was a little surprised when he followed my orders. I drove him to my appointment and when he saw that I parked at the large medical building, he grabbed my hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I think so. Come on.”
He followed me inside and I observed his expression when we entered the women’s center. His brain had to be churning, but he didn’t say a word. I gave the receptionist my name and we sat down. When they called my name, I grabbed his hand and dragged him behind me.
“What’s going on?” he pressed.
“You’ll see.”
They called me back and had me undress.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked.
“Seriously? You’ve seen more of me than I have.” I quickly stripped and put on the gown. A few minutes later the nurse and doctor came in. She introduced herself as Dr. Williams and I introduced Ryan.
“Ms. Landon, when did you take your pregnancy test?” she asked.
“It was at the end of my week of placebo pills,” I said. I heard Ryan’s intake of air.
Dr. Williams looked up at him and smiled.
“He didn’t know until now,” I explained.
“I hope it’s a good thing,” she said.
“It’s a very good thing,” he answered. Then he took my hand and kissed the top of it.
Dr. Williams asked me, “How many weeks ago was that?”
“I think it was three weeks ago.”
“Then let’s get your ultrasound done. Let’s see if we can detect a heartbeat. How does that sound?”
“Good,” I answered.
“You can do that?” Ryan asked.
“We sure can.”
The ultrasound person came in and I was surprised when she inserted a wand inside of me. I was expecting her to rub the goo all over my belly and put a paddle on it. It was a little weird but when the images popped on the screen, I was amazed. Ryan was fascinated, even though neither of us quite knew what we were staring at until she explained. Then Dr. Williams said the heart was strong, which was a very positive thing.
Ryan looked like he’d gotten clobbered in the head with a hammer. He really was quite comical. We left the office with a long list of things I needed to do and things I wasn’t able to do. When we got in the car, he asked me how I was feeling.
“Sick. I throw up a lot. It’s pretty icky to be honest. And I’m tired.”
“You have to stop working,” he demanded.
“I will not. That’s crazy.”
“This baby takes precedence over everything.”
“I agree, but it doesn’t mean I can’t work,” I huffed.
He ran a hand through his hair. Clearly, he was agitated. But I wouldn’t be dictated to. “Why would you work?”
“Why do you work?” I tossed back at him.
“Because I like to and because it’s in my blood.”
“That’s the same reason I work.” I crossed my arms and was ready for his argument.
“But that’s ridiculous.”
“That I like to work? What’s ridiculous about that?”
He opened his mouth and slammed it shut. Then he steepled his fingers and attempted another approach. “It’s like this. I have to work. You don’t. I want to make this easy on you.”
“I want to work, even if I don’t have to, easy or difficult.”
“You’re impossible.”
I shrugged, started my car, and drove home. He pouted and in my head I shouted, Score one for me.
We were getting out of the car when I asked him, “Why’d you buy me half the company?”
He rubbed his chin. “I made a promise to you.”
“You promised you’d buy the company, not give it to me.”
“Yes, but I wanted you to have it.”
“Why?”
We’d reached my front door by this time. He took my keys from me and unlocked it. “You deserved it. After… well, after everything. You and me… I felt it was more than just a passing fling.”
“How much more?”
He took me in his arms and kissed me. But it wasn’t a passionate kiss like the ones I was used to. “There is more we need to talk about, but I’m already late for a flight.”
“You’re leaving.”
“I have to,” he said. “Trust me, I wouldn’t if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.” I nodded, though I’d hoped he would spend the night. “There is one thing…”
“What?” I asked.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, shocking me to my core.
“M-marry you?”
I’d never seen this man act shy, but he was certainly doing it now. “Be my wife. You’re carrying my child.” A hesitant smile appeared on his face. “It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow. But promise me you will be Mrs. Witmore one day.” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “Think about it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then he was gone, and I struggled with his question. Yes, it seemed superfast. But it was right when it was right, and this felt right. Until he showed up at my door the next day.
He looked handsome as ever in an expensive suit, though something was definitely on his mind. It scared me because I’d seriously considered saying yes to his propo
sal. He loosened his tie.
“Chloe, you remember my question, don’t you?”
“Yes, about that.”
He held up a hand. “Before you answer you need to take a seat.” He waved at the sofa. “Trust me. There are some things I need to tell you.”
I remembered the last time he’d told me to trust him and he’d come through. It didn’t feel the same this time around.
“What kinds of things?” I blurted, putting the tip of my fingernail between my teeth.
“If you sit, I’ll explain.”
I gingerly sat down. He was freaking me out.
“Remember the night we met?” he asked.
“Of course. How could I forget?”
He started to pace, which didn’t help my anxiety. “I knew who you were.”
“What?”
“I didn’t know you’d be there, but I was on a mission, Chloe. A mission to find a woman who I could get pregnant.”
Fury replaced anxiety as a thundering began in my head, but he held up a hand to stop me from speaking.
“I’m in line to inherit a great deal of money, but it will only come to me if I have an heir by a certain age and before my cousin does. My time is quickly running out. When I saw you, Ian had already researched you.”
“What? Why?”
“He thought you’d make the perfect vessel for my seed.” When I glared at him, he amended his statement, “Perfect woman to bear my child, if you will. I know it sounds awful, but it’s the truth. I hadn’t been sure about his plan, but all that backfired when I saw you. More importantly, I never expected to fall for you. When you walked out of my life, I was devastated.”
The chair I sat in flew back as I stood. Steam was surely puffing out of my nose. “You fell for me? After you decided to use my uterus as a vessel for your seed? Is this the Middle Ages? Whatever gave you the right to do this without asking permission? Did you for one second think about the child who would come out of this pregnancy? How could you possibly be so selfish?”
“Chloe, I realize now how horrible—”
“Horrible doesn’t come close to what I’m feeling.”
“Please give me a chance. When we met, I never thought I’d get to this place with you.”
“Get out. Get out now. You can’t buy me or this baby.”
“I want our baby. I want us.”
“You have an awful way of showing it.”
He dropped down in front of me and took my hands in his. “To you it appears that way. I admit, this was far from what you deserved. But for the first time in my life, I’ve tried harder than ever before. I don’t do well at love or relationships. The last time I loved someone this much, she died, and it scared me to the point I told myself I’d never love anyone else again.”
“Who?”
“My mom. It may sound a bit lame, but—”
I wasn’t heartless. The pain was etched in the lines on his face. “It’s not lame at all. I’m sorry she died.”
“So am I. She was everything, a great mother and woman despite my bastard of a father. For all I thought I was nothing like him, I see now how wrong I was. It wasn’t fair what I did. The fucked-up thing about it is, I would do it again because I found you. I’m not a good person, Chloe. You should know that. But what I feel for you is real.” He got on one knee. “Could you marry me?”
I narrowed my gaze. “This isn’t part of that money deal, is it?”
“Not at all. That only had to do with the child thing. Marriage isn’t any part of it. It’s me, Ryan, who wants to marry you, Chloe. Please say yes.”
“You know what? I think I’ve heard enough for one day. I want you to leave. I need some time alone.”
“I’ll leave but wanted you to know how much I want you in my life as my wife and partner.”
As he made his way to the door, I thought back to how lonely and miserable I’d been without him and then back to how great things were when we were together. Did I really want to go through life without him by my side? An image of us naked and of me sitting on his face popped into my mind and my breathing quickened. I ran after him and reached out.
He caught my hand and brought it to his lips. With a simple kiss, I was lost in his eyes. Yes, our sexual chemistry was off the charts, but our connection was visceral. The idea of him being gone completely from my life sent me into a panic.
“What do you need? Tell me.”
“Er, I prefer not to say,” I murmured.
“Say yes and be my wife, and I’ll do some things to you that will make your breath come even faster.”
“Promise?”
“On my life.”
“What if I have conditions?” My mind raced. Was I really doing this?
“What conditions?”
I held up my finger. “Let’s be clear. You’re not the boss of me. If we’re to be in a relationship, much less a marriage, we’re partners, equals. That means if I want to work, I work. If I decide I don’t want to work, then fine. But you can’t railroad me into doing what you want. Understood?”
“Understood.” His eyes sparkled in delight.
He thought he’d won. “You swear?” I asked.
“I swear.”
Nodding, I continued, “Good. And two, no more funny business or tricks. From now on, everything is out in the open between us. Got it?”
A sheepish expression came over him. “Yeah, always the truth. But you have to agree not to hold the past against me. Will you?”
“I won’t.”
Some wouldn’t understand our relationship. They might think it was based on sex. And it had started that way. Hell, it didn’t take long before his fingers were probing my slippery channel and his tongue was thrumming against my clit. My juices flowed for him and I cried out my first orgasm just in time for him to thrust his thick, long cock inside me.
I didn’t care what anyone thought as long as we were together.
But then he stopped. “This won’t hurt the baby, will it?”
Damn if he wasn’t the cutest thing ever. “No, and don’t stop to ask me that again.”
He started pumping into me again but stopped. I wasn’t disappointed though because he did a quick flip and soon I felt the palm of his hand slapping my ass right before he spread my cheeks and probed that hole too.
“Yessss, more, Ryan.” I loved the way this man fucked me. He was sinful and naughty.
“You want more? In your ass or pussy?”
“Both.”
He rocked his hips against me, hard and fast, as his fingers found their way deep inside me at the same time.
“Rub your clit, Chloe. I’m gonna come and I want you to do the same.”
“Oh, yeah.” I reached between my legs to find my nub and it didn’t take but a few circles of that tiny button before I was clamping down on his cock.
“Jesus, that’s right!” he yelled. “Oh, fuck, yeah.” His warmth coated me inside, and when he pulled out, I felt him smear it around. “God, is your pussy ever gorgeous covered in my cum.”
“I want more.”
He buried his face between my legs and his tongue plunged deep inside, over and over until I was completely aroused again. How did he do this to me? I’d just had two orgasms and I was going to come again.
“Ahhh, yes. That’s soooo good, just like that.”
He blew on me, and his tongue drilled my clit hard. I came with a scream as his fingers pumped in and out of my ass.
“Stay like that, ass high,” he said. I felt the head of his penis pushing in. “Ahh, that’s perfect. You’re stretched from my fingers.” He pumped all the way in until his balls slapped my ass. “Are you good?”
“Yeah.”
He backed all the way out then moved back in. In and out, in and out, until I couldn’t breathe. One hand reached around and squeezed my nipple until it nearly went numb.
“Shit, this is amazing.”
He kept this up until I was dizzy with need. My fingers clenched the sheets, and I w
anted to come again.
“Ryan,” I whimpered.
“I know, baby.” Then he let my nipple go and I really did scream. He pulled out and flipped me on my back. He pushed back inside me and as he thrust in and out, he flicked my clit using his thumb and forefinger. The first flick had me popping off the bed.
“Stay still.”
I tried, I really did. But it was difficult. With each flick it became more difficult because I was so close to exploding. He was finally getting ready to come when he said, “You ready?”
“Yes,” I gasped.
He pushed all the way in and stayed there. I felt his dick throbbing deep inside of me, and I thought he was going to forget about me, but no. I was wrong. Suddenly he started flicking me, nonstop, until I climaxed. I tried to make him stop but he grabbed both hands in one of his and kept doing it. I was writhing underneath him, begging him to stop, only he didn’t. One orgasm melted into the next and the next, and soon I was nearly unconscious from them. My clit was numb when he finally stopped.
I didn’t realize he was cleaning me up until he pressed soft kisses to my lips and neck. “One day, I’m going to strap you to a chair and bind a wand against your clit for hours.”
“What?”
“You heard me. We’ll see how many times you can come in an afternoon.”
He had to be joking, right? But one look at his face told me he was dead serious.
“Maybe I’ll do that to you on our honeymoon.”
“Will that be before the baby or after?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Definitely before. I’m not going to wait that long before you’re legally my wife.”
“Don’t I have a say in this?”
“Absolutely. But I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”
As it turned out, we happened to agree on everything. Neither of us wanted to be apart. Marriage was the perfect solution for us both. Since we loved each other, what else did we need… besides a wedding, of course?
“One more thing,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“Ian is out. Fucking my girlfriend was one thing—”
When had I been his girlfriend? I didn’t ask out loud, only smiled.
“—but he’s not fucking my wife.”
Dirty Savage Boss: A Cocky Billionaire Duet Page 7