CEO's Pregnant Lover Bundle (Books 1-3)

by North, Leslie

  *****

  Chance had too much energy after leaving Rachel’s home so he headed to the office. Shawn was already there when he arrived and they spent several minutes discussing the finer details of yesterday’s retrieval.

  “So, what’s being done about Marco?” Chance asked.

  “Not much right now. He’s out of the country for another three weeks according to our information.”

  “What happens when he returns?”

  “That’s up to Trent and Brianna. Brianna wants me to set up a meeting between Trent and Marco so that they can get everything out in the open. She thinks Marco needs to hear the truth and be forced to accept it.”

  “About his daughter?”

  Shawn nodded, “Yeah. For some reason he blames Trent for her suicide. All of the evidence suggests otherwise, but he’s pretty stubborn.”

  “Maybe he won’t come back when he gets word that the baby has been returned?”

  “That’s a possibility, but not likely. He’s got too many business interests in the states right now. He’ll be back. I’ve got my sources out there and the minute he crosses customs, I’ll know.”

  “Good. So, did Seth tell you he plans on disappearing with Chelsea for a week?”

  Shawn grinned, “I always warned him that when he fell, it would be fast and furious. I love it when I’m right.”

  Chance scoffed, “He just met her, though. I really don’t want to see either one of them set the other up for a fall.”

  Shawn didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “So, tell me about the sister.”

  Chance shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to give Shawn any ammunition to work with since he seemed to be relishing matchmaking today. “She’s got her hands full with those two little ones.”

  “You stay the night and help out?”

  Chance nodded, “She was completely exhausted. Someone had to step in and help her out.”

  “And the babies?”

  “Those two little men are going to be a handful…” Chance launched into a detailed explanation of both boy’s attributes, stopping when he saw the huge grin on Shawn’s face. He knew he had just given himself away. Now Shawn would be taking every opportunity to push him!

  “So when are you seeing her again?” Shawn asked, not willing to let the other Jacobsen brother off the hook when it came to the romance department. He knew from experience that the love of a good woman had saved him and now that both Seth and Chance seemed to be on the precipice of finding someone to share their lives with, he was going to sit back and enjoy the show.

  “Don’t know that I will. She’s got two babies to care for and her husband’s only been dead for a few months.”

  “But you like her?” Shawn asked, changing the question to a statement when he saw the truth written across Chance’s face, “You like her a lot. How’s the chemistry?”

  “Geez, what are we, in high school? I’m not having a locker room discussion with you,” Chance said with laughter in his voice.

  “Oh, well. It was worth a try,” Shawn said before slapping him on the back and heading for his own office, “I’ll let you know when Marco shows back up on the radar. We might need to have a little conversation with our Italian friend. Make sure he knows our position in case he gets any more bright ideas.”

  “Let me know. I’m there.” Chance grabbed his gym bag and headed out the door. He felt a need to expend some energy and pounding on a 100-lb. bag was definitely in his future.

  Chapter 8

  Chelsea was silent on the drive back to her sister’s house until Seth pushed her to talk to him.

  “So, what’s bothering you?”

  Chelsea glanced at him before she turned her attention back to the side window, “Nothing, really. I just realized in the hospital that I want more from my life.”

  “Like what?” Seth had seen the longing on her face as she held baby Faith and was hoping to use that to his advantage.

  “I don’t know. A house. A family. What every girl wants, I guess.”

  “And you didn’t know you wanted those things until today?”

  Chelsea sighed before answering, “Maybe I did, but it was really easy to just go with what was currently happening around me and not wish for anything different.” Glancing at him, “Does that make sense?”

  Seth nodded, “Yeah. It’s hard to get your heartbroken if you never allow it to dream.”

  Chelsea nodded and looked back out the window. “I want to have kids someday. I love babies, but when I was holding baby Faith, I had this overwhelming urge to hold my own.”

  The wistfulness in her voice got to him, reaching over, he grabbed her hand, threading her fingers with his own. “I want kids one day, too.”

  “Really? But you seem so dedicated to your career…”

  “Things can change. I do a lot of the fieldwork right now because I choose to. We have several other men working for us that could do those jobs just as well.”

  Chelsea’s thoughts were halted as he drew his thumb across the inside of her palm. Shivers raced across her spine and heat pooled between her legs. He had been almost brotherly this morning when she’d awakened, and she had feared that last night had been a onetime thing. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  Seth watched her from the corner of his eye, noticing when her pulse kicked up and her breathing hitched. He dragged his thumb across her palm one again, before lifting her fist to his lips and placing a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “You okay after last night?”

  Chelsea blushed bright red before answering, “I’m fine.”

  “Huh…you sure?”

  Chelsea nodded, “I’m sure.”

  “Good.”

  There was so much promise in his voice, Chelsea turned to stare at him, mesmerized as he kissed the back of her hand again, letting his tongue sneak out to taste her skin. The act was so sensual; she melted into the seat, wishing they weren’t in his car so she could press her body up against his. She had never felt this way about a man before, but wasn’t willing to waste time trying to understand it.

  Meeting her eyes for a smoldering glance, he told her, “Think you can pack and get things squared away with your sister in an hour?”

  Chelsea nodded her head. “Good. I think we’ll fly to Aspen, instead of drive. I’ll call ahead and have the jet readied.” Giving her hand one more kiss, he placed it back in her lap as he pulled the car into the driveway of the house.

  Chelsea blinked out the window, amazed that she hadn’t even known they were here. Shaking her head, she exited the car and headed up the sidewalk.

  Rachel saw the car pull into the driveway and put on her best game face. It was only 11 o’clock in the morning and she was already exhausted, but she was determined that Chelsea not find that out. Her sister deserved to be happy and if this man did it for her, more power to her!

  “Hey, Chels. Welcome back.” Rachel gave her a hug and then stood back to admire the gorgeous man entering behind her.

  “Rachel, this is Seth Jacobsen. Seth, this is my sister, Rachel.”

  Seth shook her hand, “It’s nice to meet you. Chelsea’s told me all about you. I understand you have a pair of youngster around here?”

  Rachel nodded, “Yeah. They’re in the playpen. I was just getting ready to feed them some lunch.”

  “Oh, let me help…” Chelsea began.

  “No. I’ve got it. Chance said you two were going to take a little vacation.” Turning to meet her sister’s eyes, she smiled warmly, “I’m really happy for you, sis. Can I do anything to help you pack?”

  “Trying to get rid of me?” Chelsea asked, marveling at how together her sister seemed.

  “No way. But, you deserve a vacation and I hear Aspen is really nice this time of year.”

  Seth had wandered over to the playpen and immediately saw why Chance had been drawn back to this house. The little guys were amazing and already showed signs of mischief.

  Seth hoped that something between his broth
er and Rachel might work out. Chance had been the victim of a childhood illness, which had rendered him sterile. More than one of his past girlfriends had been turned off by the knowledge that he could never father his own children. Chance had come to terms with it years ago, and had learned to be happy with what he did have in his life, not what he was missing.

  But Seth knew the truth. His brother loved children, and hoped one day to find a woman who would be content with adopting children into their home. Their parents had left them both small fortunes, and Seth looked forward to the day when he could spoil some well-deserving kids.

  Finding a woman who already had kids, and babies at that, would be icing on the cake. It would be the closest thing to having his own kids his brother might ever have. If Rachel was anything like Chelsea, she had probably already rocked his brother’s world.

  “Chels, get a move on. The plane leaves in an hour and we still have quite a drive ahead of us.”

  Chelsea and Rachel had been quietly talking, but she answered, “Okay. Give me fifteen minutes and I should be ready.” She disappeared down the hallway, leaving Rachel alone with Seth and the babies.

  “So, you and my sister seem to have hit it off.”

  Seth looked at her, applauding the mama bear syndrome that had her checking out his intentions, “That’s right. She’s the one I’ve been searching for my entire adult life.” Seeing her expression, he continued, “I know it sounds corny. Believe me, I am the last person who would have ever admitted that love at first sight might actually exist. But, there’s something about her. She’s really special.”

  Rachel tried to hide her tears. She could hear the sincerity in his voice and she truly believed that he felt her sister was the one for him. “Just, don’t hurt her. She doesn’t deserve to be hurt.”

  “I’d die for her. You don’t have to worry about that. My sole purpose in life right now is to see to her happiness.”

  Rachel nodded, too choked up to speak. She was happy for Chelsea and mentally girded herself to stand on her own two feet. If Chelsea thought for one minute that Rachel was floundering, she would drop everything and come running to the rescue. Rachel wasn’t about to let that happen.

  Chelsea returned moments later with a duffle bag in one hand and a suitcase in the other. “Okay. I’m ready.” Walking over, she picked each of her nephews up, bussing their cheeks and giving them loving hugs before she turned and hugged her sister. “Are you sure you can manage without me around?”

  Rachel grinned at her, “I’m sure. Have fun and I’ll see you when you get back.”

  Chelsea looked like she wanted to argue but Seth took over and pulled her along after him back to the car. Rachel stood in the doorway and waved until they were out of sight. Chelsea was getting her life back. Rachel was going to start living hers as well.

  Chapter 9

  Rachel sat down on the couch in defeat. It was only day three of her solo motherhood journey and she was exhausted beyond belief. She had put coffee in the bottles earlier and luckily caught the mistake before giving it to her sons.

  She hadn’t showered in two days, she was barely keeping up with the laundry – who knew babies could go through so many clothes, and she hadn’t eaten a decent meal since she couldn’t even remember.

  The babies had finally fallen asleep after two hours of rocking, and walking, and singing, and cajoling. They were teething, their little gums all swollen and sore, and only seemed to be content if she were holding them. She could only hold one at a time comfortably or safely, and that meant having to hear the other baby cry and fuss.

  Dropping her head into her hands, she heard the phone ring again. It had been ringing at least once every hour all afternoon but she couldn’t even remember where she had set the cordless handset. She could hear it ringing somewhere in the living room, but didn’t have the energy to go searching for it. Besides, with Chelsea out of town, there was no one else around who would call her.

  Leaning her head back against the couch, she closed her eyes for a moment – she just needed a moment and then she would change the laundry out and pick up the kitchen.

  *****

  Chance had been dialing Rachel’s number all afternoon with no answer. He had left a message each time, and she hadn’t returned his calls. Seth had called earlier in the day asking if he would check on her. Chelsea was concerned about her sister’s ability to handle both babies and Chance had promised to ensure everything was going okay, and if not, to fix the situation however was required.

  Pulling his car into the driveway, he noticed that the papers were piling up in front of the mailbox. Retrieving them, he also noticed that several days’ worth of mail hadn’t been retrieved. Gathering it all together, he walked up the sidewalk, glancing in the front window before knocking on the door.

  When he spied Rachel leaning on the couch, eyes closed in sleep, he decided to forego knocking on the door, not wanting to disturb her. He tried to doorknob, alarmed to see that she hadn’t even locked the front door before falling asleep. They would definitely have to discuss personal safety before he left.

  Opening the door, he quietly entered the house, setting down the papers and mail on the hallway table. He checked on Rachel and found her gently snoring, the dark circles under her eyes even more pronounced than the last time he had seen her.

  He checked the playpen, and finding it empty, headed down the hallway. Both boys were asleep in their cribs, lying on their stomachs, little bottoms in the air as they pulled their knees under them.

  Satisfied that no one was injured or sick, he returned to the living room, gently calling Rachel’s name to wake her up.

  Rachel heard the man’s voice in her sleep. She’d been hearing that same voice for the last several days and a frown formed on her brow as she tried to deal with the disappointment that would come with opening her eyes and finding herself alone, once again.

  When a hand touched her shoulder, she jerked awake, opening her eyes to stare into the concerned gaze of the face she had been dreaming about. Reaching out her hand, she murmured, “You’re here.”

  Chance wasn’t sure if she was still half-asleep, but when she reached for him, he sat down on the edge of the couch, wanting her touch more than his next breath. “Yeah, I’m here. Are you okay?” Chance let his hand cup her cheek while he tried to see the answer to his question in the depths of her emerald green eyes.

  Rachel leaned into his touch for the briefest of moments before pushing him away and sitting up straighter. Cocking her head to the side, she listened for sounds that would indicate the babies were awake. Hearing nothing, she let herself relax back against the couch again. Closing her eyes, she asked him softly, “How did you get in here?”

  “You left the front door unlocked.”

  “Why are you here?” Rachel kept her eyes closed, listening to the low timbre of his voice, and trying to memorize it for later use in her dreams.

  “Rachel, open your eyes.”

  “Why?” she said sleepily. Maybe if he left she could actually get a few minutes of sleep before the babies woke up.

  Chance watched her for several seconds, angry that she had let herself get so run down and not asked for help. When her stomach rumbled loudly, he grimaced and asked, “When was the last time you ate anything?”

  Rachel shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. I had a spoonful of peanut butter sometime this morning. The babies sleep patterns are all off. This is the first time in days they’ve both decided to sleep at the same time.” She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the censure in his eyes she was sure was there. She already knew she was failing in her role of single mother, she didn’t need to see the affirmation in his eyes.

  Chance’s eyes held only concern for her. She was running herself ragged and being stubborn was only causing her further stress. “You need some help.”

  Rachel was almost asleep and murmured softly, “Chelsea was all I had. I can do this. I just have to try harder.” The last sentence
was mumbled and with a sigh, she drifted back to sleep while Chance watched.

  Picking her up in his arms, he carried her down the hallway to her bedroom. He removed her clothing down to her underwear, trying to be a gentleman and remain detached. That was a pipe dream and he found himself staring down at the body that had haunted his dreams for the last several nights.

  After pulling a blanket over her, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Rachel murmured in her sleep and it took everything within him to walk out of the bedroom and leave her lying there alone.

  Chance used the time between moving Rachel and when Tony woke up to pick up the house and start a pot of soup on the stove. He made a loaf of bread and left it rising in the warm oven while he changed the baby’s diaper and placed a call to Seth.

  “Hey, bro. Did you get ahold of Rachel? Chelsea’s about to go crazy with worry.”

  “I’m over here now. Rachel’s exhausted, but don’t tell Chelsea that. I put her to bed and I’ll stick around as long as I need to.”

  “Thanks man. I’ll pass the good news along. We’ll be back in a few days. Did Trent get ahold of you?”

  “Not yet. What’s up?”

  “They’re having a homecoming party for Brianna and baby Faith. I was told that you are expected and are welcome to bring someone with you. Several someone’s would be acceptable too.”

  Chance was quiet. He had been careful to hide his attraction to Rachel from his brother. Had Shawn said something to Seth?

  “Chance, did you hear me?”

  “Yeah. When is this taking place?”

  “Four days from now. Chelsea’s agreed to try staying at my place a few nights a week, but she doesn’t want to move all of her stuff until we see if things are going to work out between us.”

  “So, what, you’re going to take turns sleeping in each other’s beds?” Chance asked.

  “No. We’re going to stay at my place, but she’s also welcome to sleep at Rachel’s whenever she needs to. I don’t like it, but I’ll take whatever she’s willing to give me right now. Anyway, Trent said the party’s going to be casual.”