by Lori Foster
“I gathered as much.”
He grinned at her dry tone. “As I said, I want a baby. I have excellent people who can see to the daily running of my business now, so I no longer need to put in such long hours. I can more than afford to raise a child with every privilege, but not so many that the child is spoiled or doesn’t understand the value of work. I’ll be very careful to make sure the babe is raised with good morals and strong convictions, and—”
Olivia leaned forward in her seat and touched his arm. Tony liked her touch, felt it all the way to his stomach, and immediately cursed himself for reacting in a way he’d forbidden. Olivia, thankfully, seemed unaware of his plight.
“I have no doubt you’d be an excellent father, Tony.”
He felt warmed to his soul by her praise. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But what does all this have to do with me?”
His gaze flickered from her hand on his arm, to her face. “Why… I want you to be the mother.”
He didn’t get quite the reaction he’d expected. She covered her mouth with one graceful hand, and after a long, stunned pause, a nearly hysterical laugh emerged. Tony stood, caught her forearms and lifted her from her chair. “Olivia! Are you all right?”
She shook her head, and another giggle escaped. “Didn’t I just make myself clear? Didn’t I just say that my business was my life? I can’t get married, certainly not to—”
“Married? Good God, I don’t want to marry you!” He immediately realized how horrid that sounded, and quickly explained, “I just need you to carry my baby. After you’ve delivered it, you’re free to do as you please. I’ll make certain you can relocate any place you choose, but of course, you would have to relocate. I don’t want any interference with raising my child, and neither of us would want a scandal. I thought the northwest would serve your purposes.”
“You just want me to…”
“Carry the baby.” He was still holding her arms and felt the way she tensed, the way her body trembled. He forced himself to release her. “As you said, it’s anatomically impossible for me to do so, not that I have any desire to suffer through such a thing. God in all his wisdom knew men weren’t cut out for such a trial. And I don’t want you to think I’m being…well, untoward. There are medical procedures that would guarantee the planting of my sperm. Everything would be…”
She staggered back as if he’d struck her.
“I’m really messing this up, aren’t I?” He ran his hand through his hair, then shrugged. “Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve been uncertain of myself while presenting a business proposition. And that’s exactly what this is, Olivia. A business deal.” He waited, but when she remained silent, her eyes huge, he added, “Well? You could make this a little easier by saying…something.”
“I would. If I had any idea what to say.”
He nodded, then slowly drew a deep breath. “You need time to think it over. Why don’t we sit back down and I’ll go over all my reasons for choosing you, all the benefits that will be yours if you agree, how I intend to handle the legalities involved, and—”
“That’s an awful lot of ground to cover, especially considering it’s near midnight. I put in a full day already, and plan to visit the office tomorrow morning.” Her voice still sounded shaky, but she did resume her seat. Tony let out a short sigh of relief. She wasn’t crying sexual harassment, she wasn’t storming out. No, Olivia, bless her, was a reasonable woman. It was one of the qualities that had drawn him to her.
“First of all, you please me very much, Olivia. Not as a wife or for any other personal relationship, but as a gene donor. Your intelligence sometimes staggers me, especially given what few advantages you had in the world. The way you’ve excelled—”
“Excuse me?”
Tony lifted his brows, silently asking for clarification to her interruption.
“How, exactly, would you know anything about my advantages or disadvantages?”
Uh-oh. He could tell by the mulish set to her chin that he’d pricked her temper. He quickly thought about lying, then just as quickly discarded the idea. As he’d said, she was very intelligent. “I had you investigated. Now, just hear me out, then you’ll understand how necessary it was for me to do so.” He waited, and when she simply watched him, he began reciting his findings. “I know your parents, of moderate, low middle-class income, died in a river accident during a flood when you were only sixteen. I know you carried a full course load in college and kept a job at the same time, that you gained everything you now own by your own wits, without a single smidgen of aid from family or friends. In fact, there was no real family, and as far as I could discern, no close friends.”
He continued, seeing her hold herself silent and still. She managed to look both proud and violated, and he lowered his tone even more, feeling his heart kick against his ribs. “You’ve never been involved with a man for any length of time other than during business to further your goals, you live a modest, understated lifestyle, apparently with quite a substantial savings account, and you keep to yourself. The only social gatherings you attend are business related.”
She was quiet a long moment, and he felt regret, then determination.
“You’ve been very thorough.”
“I had to make certain you would suit, Olivia. Please, try to understand. I don’t want a woman who, after conceiving, will decide she wants to keep the baby, me, or both. Everything I learned about you proves you have absolutely no interest in tying yourself down right now or anytime in the near future. It was completely necessary that I find evidence to prove you wouldn’t want a baby or a husband. And you don’t, do you?”
She turned her head away to stare at the far wall. “That’s right.” After a shuddering breath, she glared at him again. “But I also have no interest in putting myself nine months behind. Carrying a child right now would sorely interrupt my schedule, not to mention what it would do to my reputation. I’d be gossiped about endlessly.”
“Not so. Not if I promised to advance your five-year goal in one year. Not if I promised my backing to make certain you got a better start than you could ever have hoped to achieve, even in five years. Not if I have you relocated immediately, or provide for you to take an extended leave of absence.”
“And you’d do all that?”
She was incredulous, but he didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’m very serious about this. I can afford to be generous, and I want the baby. Now. My birthday is November 14. Little more than a week away. By my following birthday, I want to be holding my own child. I’ll be thirty-five then.” He hesitated, a bit vulnerable in his feelings, but also knowing he needed to explain his desire fully to her.
“Thirty-five is getting up there. If I’m going to have a baby, it needs to be now. I’m still young enough to keep up with a toddler, but old enough to make wise decisions about the child’s future. If I wait, even another year or two, I’ll be close to forty before the child is born. I have to think long-term, of how my age will affect the child during his or her teenage years, when I’ll be needed most.”
She looked incredulous again, and her voice was strained when she asked, “You’re worried about your…your biological clock?”
He felt disgruntled with the way she’d put it, but he nodded. “I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want a child so badly? Why not just get a wife and do things the conventional way? And most of all, why me?”
Since she was still discussing it with him, Tony decided that was a good sign and took heart. He would win her over. After all, he had the advantage, being a man, and a more accomplished business dealer. He’d wrangled tougher deals than this when he’d first taken over the business.
But also true, he’d met few associates as tough as Olivia. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen her, one of the many things he admired about her.
He propped his elbows on h
is knees, leaned forward and forged on. “I want a child now because both my younger brother and sister have children. In fact, my brother only recently got his third child, a little boy, and it made me realize how much I was missing out on, how much I’ll miss forever if I don’t act soon. Don’t get me wrong. I love being the doting uncle, getting to spoil the children and having them shout and jump around whenever I show up. It’s good for the soul to be loved by a child, probably the biggest compliment a person can ever receive.
“But I have no real influence on the kids. And that’s as it should be. I’m not their father, I’m only an uncle, good for bringing gifts and giving occasional unimportant advice. I want to be the one doing the raising, leaving a part of myself behind.”
Olivia smiled. “You’re feeling your mortality?”
“I suppose. But that’s not all of it. Being business minded, forming a successful company and being respected by your colleagues, that’s nothing compared to raising a child. My brother and sister chose not to get too involved in the business, but they’re raising wonderful, loving, beautiful children. And that’s a much greater accomplishment than mine. I want to do something that matters that much.” He faced her, holding her gaze, then added, “And I want to be loved the way they are. Unconditionally, completely.”
“But no wife?”
“The kind of relationship my brother and sister have with their spouses doesn’t come easy, I’m finding.” He was so relieved she hadn’t mocked him that he smiled. It was proving much easier to talk to Olivia than he had thought. Without thinking about it, he’d bared his heart as he had never done with any other person. “It’s almost like they’re one with the other. They share everything, support each other, and they have fun together. Honest, guilt-free fun. They seem to know each other’s thoughts sometimes, they’re so in tune.
“It amazes me. At times, I’m even jealous. I think it would be unbelievable to have that kind of relationship, and after seeing it, I don’t think I could settle for anything less. But I haven’t found a woman who would suit, and to tell you the truth, I’m sick of looking. Most women can’t tolerate the amount of time I dedicate to the business, unless they’re businesswomen also. But then, most of them are so wrapped up in company policies, in proving themselves in the male-dominant corporate world, they don’t have time for me, much less a child.”
He saw her flinch, and realized she’d taken the criticism personally. “Olivia. I don’t mean to condemn. I realize it’s more difficult for women than men, that the same rules seldom apply. And I understand the need to get ahead. I was the same way until recently.”
“Until your business no longer required quite so much attention.”
“That’s right.” He wouldn’t apologize for accomplishing his goals. He’d earned his time off. “You know, there’s a downside to being successful. I always get the feeling women are sizing up my bank account instead of me.”
Olivia gawked. “Don’t you have any idea how attractive you are? How personable you are?” She waved a hand in the air. “How…sensual you are? Believe me, with or without your hotel chain, you’d have women chasing after you.”
Settling back in his chair, he whispered, “Not you.”
Olivia looked as if she wanted to bite off her tongue, but no way would Tony let her take the words back, nor would he fill the silence for her. He suddenly felt predatory, and she was his prey. He could feel the surge of energy her words had given him, supplying an interest he hadn’t felt in too long. It was invigorating, though he did his best to ignore the feelings and concentrate on his goals. Her compliments weren’t necessary to his plan—but they did fill him with male satisfaction.
He waited, his expectation extreme, to see what she would say next.
Her gaze never wavered. “Well, no. As I said, I have other goals in mind besides chasing down a man, regardless of his appeal.”
Tony narrowed his eyes, watching her squirm as he pondered her words, then he smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I chose you. Not once have you ever looked at me in a sexual way.”
Olivia blinked again. “I don’t think…”
“You know what I mean. I don’t have to worry about you accepting my proposition with ulterior motives of trapping me, because you don’t particularly want me.” He waited, then asked, “Right?”
“Ah…right.”
“But you are perfect to suit me. As I said, I admire your intelligence. With the two of us as parents, I know my son or daughter won’t be lacking in that regard. You’re also possessed of a great deal of savvy, something else to admire. You’re healthy as a horse. I checked back as far as the last two years, and you haven’t missed a single day of work. You have a kind and generous nature—everyone who knows you said so. And you’re suitably built.”
“Suitably built?”
She sounded as though she were strangling, and his gaze dropped to her legs. “Attractively built,” he explained, allowing his gaze to linger for a moment. “Your legs are shapely, your shoulders squared, your back straight. You’re large boned, not overly frail, but still very feminine. You’re not prone to excess weight, but you are…sturdy. If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t have to worry about her being too tiny, something I abhor in women. But she would make a very nice appearance. You always do.”
Without his mind’s permission, his gaze moved to her breasts, outlined so nicely by the black knit dress she wore. Tony heard her say, “I’m small busted.”
He managed a shrug when at the moment he felt far from indifferent, then had to force himself to look up at her face. Her look was challenging, and he grinned at her small show of vanity. “Not at all. You’re…fine. Besides, if I have a son, it certainly won’t matter, and if I have a daughter, I won’t have to worry about all the young men chasing after her before I’m prepared to deal with it.”
She gave an uncertain smile at his wit, then looked away, as if considering all he’d said. He felt his stomach cramping in anxiety. And something more. It was so damn ridiculous, but the more he talked with her, the more he liked her. She hadn’t reacted as most women would have, she hadn’t reeled in shock or shouted in dismay. She hadn’t looked particularly insulted, either. She did look a bit disoriented, though. And somewhat contemplative.
He didn’t want to, but he said, “Why don’t you think about it? Take the weekend, and get back to me on Monday. If you agree, we can contact the doctor I’ve spoken with and have everything taken care of well before my birthday.”
She winced. “A clinical procedure, you said?”
“Yes.” He hastened to reassure her. “But from what I understand, it’s not bad. I deliver my sperm—”
One slim eyebrow quirked. “Deliver your sperm?”
“Yes.” He knew his face was heating and felt like a fool.
“How exactly is that accomplished?”
“Never mind.” The order was ground out from between his teeth, and she chuckled. He’d never before seen her sense of humor; usually it was her determination to get ahead that she presented at a business meeting. He felt a touch of warmth at the sound of her laughter, then gave her an exasperated look and continued. “I deliver my sperm and they…well, I suppose it’s much like visiting your gynecologist. Only instead of doing whatever it is they usually do, my sperm will be artificially planted—inseminated, it’s called—and then we’ll wait to see if it takes.”
Olivia chewed her lips, then said slowly, “It sounds rather distasteful.”
“I’ll admit it isn’t quite the way nature intended a woman to be impregnated, but it is certainly less personal, which is the main objective.”
“Why?”
Her pointed look and bald question confused him. “Why what?”
“Why does it have to be so impersonal? Why can’t you just…do it?”
“Do it?”
She made a sound of disgust. “Just impregnate the woman of your choice by nature’s design.”
He knew what she was asking, and felt
an instant, unwanted tightening in his loins. Lust, damnable lust. He swallowed. “I want this to be as much of a business dealing as possible. Getting naked…” He felt himself harden and had to clear his throat. “Making love to a woman isn’t at all a business proposition. It’s very personal.”
Olivia seemed relaxed now, arrogantly so, and somehow determined. Tony knew she was aware of his unease, and planned to take advantage of it—as any good businesswoman would do. She nodded, a pseudo show of understanding. Then she smiled. “I see.”
He felt a twinge of anger at her for prodding him. “I should hope so.”
“I believe I’ll take your advice and think all this over. You said you don’t want to hear from me until Monday?”
“I…” He had no idea what had come over her. She wasn’t acting the way he’d expected, she wasn’t even acting in a way he could have guessed or anticipated. He felt stymied. “You don’t have to wait if you come to a decision before then.”
“I think I probably will make up my mind before then. How about if I give you my decision tomorrow evening?”
He nodded, stiff-backed now, and forced a smile. He knew by her amused expression that she wasn’t fooled, and that she was thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. “I’ll give you my home number.”
“No. I got the feeling you didn’t want the fertile woman who would serve your needs to intrude on your life.” He started to speak, but she forestalled him, her tone not nearly so sarcastic now. “Why don’t I just give you my number instead—my privacy isn’t nearly as threatened as your own. You can call me. Say, seven o’clock tomorrow?”
With her small chin raised, her straight nose in the air, she looked as proud and gutsy and almost as arrogant as he. She looked magnificent to him, and he merely nodded, distracted by thoughts of her feminine body rounded by his babe. They would make a beautiful, healthy child together. He reached out and touched her chin. “I wouldn’t mind if the baby was a boy or a girl. I don’t remember if I told you that.”
She smiled, and seemed to relax again despite herself. “You didn’t. But I had the impression it wouldn’t matter.” Then she went to his desk and picked up the gold pen from the marble holder and scrawled her home number across the desk pad.