I Choose You: A Secret Billionaire Romance

by Krista Lakes

  “Not even Tessa?” he pressed.

  “No, not even Tessa.” I yawned and reached for the paper. “Not Anne, not Nicole, not Dad, not the clerk I bought the test from. I didn't say a word to anyone.”

  “Well, someone figured it out,” James growled.

  I looked down at the paper, squinting to make out the words in the dark. I had to read the headline four times and even then I hoped it was a trick.

  BILLIONAIRE JAMES COLEMAN SLEEPING WITH SISTER

  Right below the headline was a picture of the two of us at the club with Nicole. Except Nicole wasn't in the picture.

  “Nicole's going to be pissed they used this picture and not the one with her in it,” I murmured, trying to wrap my head around what I was reading. How had anyone figured this out?

  “That's what your reaction is?” James sounded ready to explode. “There's a headline saying I'm fucking my sister and you're worried about your roommate not being in the picture?”

  “I just woke up, James,” I replied, staring at the picture and feeling my world crumble around me. “I really just want to go back to sleep and find out this was a dream.”

  “It's not!” he yelled, obviously angry. He slammed the flat of his hand against the wall, making me jump. There was so much defeat resting on his shoulders that he looked small for the first time in his life. My heart went to my throat as I scrambled from the bed to wrap my arms around him.

  “It'll be okay,” I lied, pulling him into me. “Nobody reads this paper anyway.”

  “Right,” James chuckled, but there was no mirth to it. “No one reads the New York Times.”

  I blanched a little and held him tighter. “What do we do? You tell me what we need to do, and I'll do it.”

  James relaxed his grip on me, looking down with those green eyes that seemed to absorb everything around him. “I appreciate that.”

  I tried to smile, but my lips wouldn't move. This was too awful to smile about. “If you want, I'll make a claim that it's all lies. That I think you're gross and smelly.”

  “You didn't read the article, did you?”

  “It says you aren't gross and smelly?”

  “They have pictures. Compromising pictures.” His whole body stilled.

  “How would they get those?” I asked. “Even if they figured us out, how did they get pictures?”

  James sighed. “I don't know. The paper didn't run the photos, saying they were too risque for print. I have no idea what they are.”

  “Maybe there are no pictures?” I didn't think we would get that lucky, but I said it anyway. “What are we going to do?”

  “Wouldn't matter now. The damage is done. It's out in the world now. Even if there aren't any pictures- the idea is in the public eye. It will never go away.” He trembled slightly and it scared me.

  “What do we do then?” I asked, pressing into him.

  James sighed. “Yesterday, I had a plan. I was halfway to hiring someone to pretend to be your boyfriend. To create some distance between us and make it believable that you got knocked up by someone other than me.”

  “You were going to hire someone to be my boyfriend?” I repeated, stuck on that part of his statement. “Like, to take me out on dates and stuff when you aren't around?”

  “Don't worry. The guy I was looking at is gay and has excellent taste in restaurants,” James assured me, as if that was the weird part of his hiring plan. He let me go and started pacing the room. “But now... now I don't know what to do.”

  “Well, you can cross having to have a job interview with the pretend boyfriend off your list.” My voice faded as I finished, knowing that it wasn't funny. I just hated to see James look so defeated. It wasn't James to look like he'd just been kicked in the balls and left in the mud.

  “Not funny, Allie.” He ran his fingers through his hair. He already had bed-head, so he only mussed it up further.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, staring at the paper resting on the bed. This was bad. “At least there's no mention of the pregnancy.”

  “Yeah, but for how long?” James sank into a chair. I'd never seen him look so depressed. “Once you start to show, it won't be rocket science. Even if we avoid the rumors now, they'll come back. There's no running from this.”

  He paused, clearly at a loss for what to do. He needed some help. And I had an idea. “So we own it,” I said.

  “What?”

  “We own it.” I said with a shrug. “We're in love, right? People love a good love story. We make it about how we feel, how you're Romeo and I'm Juliet and we can never be together...”

  “And you think people will go for it? That they'll look past the whole brother-sister thing?” He looked doubtful.

  “The way I see it, we have two options.” I held up one finger. “One, we deny everything. It could work, but if there are actual pictures out there, we'd really be in trouble.” I pulled up a second finger. “Or, two, we acknowledge it.”

  James rubbed his chin, his eyes thoughtful. “We control the angle. We spin it positive, make everyone focus on how romantic it all is instead of how wrong.”

  “Basically.” I chewed on my lower lip, not quite sure if he was going to go for it. To announce our relationship was never part of the plan. Honestly, it was all going so fast, I wouldn't have announced it to more than close friends even if we weren't related by marriage. But, that wasn't an option anymore.

  “It could work...” James' cockiness was starting to come back. “I need to get in contact with Lauren.”

  He pulled out his phone and hit a speed dial.

  “Dammit!” Frustration crossed his face and he slammed the phone shut. “She's not picking up.”

  “That's not usual, right?” I felt an inkling of something darker at work. His secretary was one of the only people that actually knew about the two of us. I thought of the look of horror on her face when she heard my moans from his office. I remembered how awkward she looked when she saw James and I come out of the closet at the coffee shop. “Could it have been her?”

  “For her sake, I hope not.” The muscle in James' jaw twitched and his eyes narrowed. His phone rang and he immediately picked it up. “Hello? No, I'm not ready to give a comment. How did you get his number?” He turned off the call and stared at his phone in disbelief.

  “What's going on, James?” I asked.

  “Damn reporters,” he replied. “I don't think Lauren's picking up for anyone. That's a real problem.”

  His phone started to ring again and he just hit silence this time.

  “Do you have someone else you can use?” I went to my bag and pulled out some clothes and started to get dressed. “A backup secretary?”

  James shook his head and sighed. “Lauren would have handled that.” His phone rang again. “This is not going to work. I need someone to do her job, but I don't know who should do it.”

  I slipped a blouse over my head, pausing as the soft fabric brushed against my stomach. “Just call someone at your company.”

  He rolled his eyes and silenced his phone for a third time. “Who? Who can I trust? The only places where an incriminating photo could have occurred were my office, my home, or a hotel room. The most likely is the office or the hotel rooms- both of which my employees would have access to. I need someone who I can trust and I can't trust anyone right now.”

  I hopped on one foot as I put my leg into my pants, nearly losing my balance as I got an idea. “I know someone you can trust. Someone who has proven they're trustworthy. And local.”

  “If you say Tessa, that's not going to happen,” James replied, not looking up at me as he turned the ringer on his phone off completely.

  “Not Tessa,” I scoffed. There was no way I'd even think about that- not with the weird way Tessa was convinced James was hiding something. “Audrey.”

  “Audrey? Audrey Lipman?”

  I nodded. “She has held up her NDA, even though she could have made a ton of cash by selling you out. Plus, she already knows your lawy
ers because she's worked with them. And she's all of two miles away.”

  A slow grin spread across James' face. “You're amazing, but then again I already knew that. I heard you got Oliver to give you the full amount and then some for the NDA.”

  I blinked, not quite following. What did James' driver have to do with Audrey and finding him a new secretary? “Um, yeah?”

  “If I wasn't so worried about a sexual harassment suit from you, I'd hire you,” he replied, standing up and taking me in his arms. His confidence was coming back. “You've got this business thing down to an art.”

  Chapter 45

  Where the fuck are you?

  My phone chimed with a new message. It was from Nicole. I wrote her back a text immediately.

  Some place safe. I'll talk to you later.

  Bing. Her text arrived just seconds after I sent mine.

  Seriously, where are you? There's reporters all over the place. Wtf, Allie? You should have told me.

  For a moment, I almost felt bad. I thought of all the sexual pictures she had sent my brother and how embarrassed she must feel right now knowing that he was boinking me the whole time.

  I didn't feel that bad, though. She deserved it. She shouldn't have sent him those pictures. I sent her a message back.

  I can't tell you. I'll explain everything later. Don't tell them anything.

  I waited a moment and after a long minute, the phone finally chimed.

  Fine.

  I let out a long breath. That was going to be an awkward conversation later. Hopefully, she'd forgive me and we'd laugh about it later. Hopefully. I wasn't going to hold my breath, though. As long as she kept her mouth shut to the reporters, or at least had them focus on her, I wouldn't have to kill her later.

  James was busy hailing us a cab to take us to Annie's Place where Audrey was meeting us. I had already called ahead and made sure we had reservations.

  James wasn't taking any risks. He was paying cash for everything and not using any of his regular contacts. Even though he had a beautiful Camaro here in town, we were taking a taxi. The longer we could go without someone snapping our picture, the better.

  Luckily, since James' flight had been so last minute, he had paid cash for his two tickets, so no one at his workplace knew where he was. I was incredibly glad I had decided to come home to Springfield instead of heading back to New York or staying in Boston. The flight had been a blessing in disguise, giving us a few more hours before having to deal with the press.

  The ride over to the restaurant was smooth and uneventful. It had snowed the day before and everything outside was still pristine and white. It was a beautiful blanket hiding the ugly dead grass underneath.

  The parking lot for Annie's Place was relatively quiet, which was a good thing for us. James paid the cabbie and we hurried inside.

  “Welcome to Annie's Place,” a bored older woman recited as we walked in the doors. “Two for breakfast?”

  “We're looking for Audrey,” James told her. He flashed his smile at her, but she didn't even blink.

  “She's over there,” the woman said, motioning toward the far right side of the room. She picked up her phone and started playing a game.

  “I think I'm losing my touch,” James remarked as we headed away from the woman. “I usually get better responses than that from women.”

  “I wouldn't worry about it,” I told him. “She wasn't exactly your type.”

  James managed a small chuckle, glancing back at the woman who was at least three times his age. “Fair enough. Hey, there's Audrey.”

  The first thing I noticed was that Audrey was no longer pregnant. She was standing up next to the table, rocking a car seat sitting on the tabletop. I couldn't see the baby from this position, but I could see the happy glow all around Audrey. She looked exhausted, but incredibly happy.

  A thrill bubbled up in my stomach and spread through my limbs. Just a few months and I'd look like that, too.

  “Hi, Audrey,” James said. She startled slightly, looking up from her baby and then slowly smiling.

  “Hi, James. Hi, Allie,” she said. “I'd like you both to meet Eva.”

  I came around to see the most adorable little girl sleeping in her car-seat. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress with a matching pink hat. Little cherub cheeks and a perfect cupid's bow mouth pouted in her sleep. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

  I couldn't wait to have one just like her.

  “She's beautiful,” I whispered. “Absolutely beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Pride filled Audrey's voice. “I know she's still too little to know for sure, but I'm pretty sure she's brilliant. She's already smiling and trying to laugh.”

  “Can I hold her when she wakes up?” I asked, my hands itching to touch the small bundle of pink.

  “Of course,” Audrey assured me. “She'll probably wake up in the next half hour or so to eat and you can hold her after I feed her.”

  “Let me get your chair for you,” James offered, pulling out a seat for Audrey. She smiled and sat down, her hand still protectively on the car-seat. She never stopped the gentle rocking motion.

  “I saw the headlines today. It's all over the Internet,” Audrey said, looking at the two of us as we took our seats. “I had no idea you two were an item.”

  I glanced at James, but he just nodded. “We are,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I'm happy for you, James,” Audrey said, then looked at me and smiled. She turned back to her baby almost immediately. “Oh, she just woke up.”

  Reaching into the car-seat, Audrey pulled her daughter out and cuddled her for a moment. She was so tiny, I could barely believe it. Tiny and absolutely perfect.

  “Do you mind if I feed her here?” Audrey asked, already throwing a blanket over her shoulder.

  “Not at all,” James responded. I smiled inwardly, glad that he was so cool with it. It would make feeding our child that much more comfortable.

  “Thanks.” Audrey tucked her daughter under the blanket. Her face twisted for a moment and then relaxed as her daughter started to nurse. “Anyway, I was terrible to you in high school, Allie. Really, really terrible. But, I think that the two of you make a great match. You complement one another well.”

  “Thank you,” I said quietly. A small blush filled my cheeks, and I fiddled with my menu.

  “But, you didn't come here to discuss your love lives with me,” Audrey continued. “Why did you want to meet with me?”

  “I need your help,” James said. He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward, looking incredibly professional. “I'd like to offer you a job.”

  Audrey's eyebrows arched up. “A job?”

  “I need a new secretary.”

  “And you want me?” She laughed. “James, I have a newborn baby and almost no skills. Why do you want me?”

  “Because you've held up your non-disclosure agreement,” James replied. “In addition, I saw what you've been doing with the child payments. You know what you're doing.”

  “I should have known you'd see my investments,” Audrey said. She shifted her position and closed her shirt before pulling her daughter out from the blanket. “That still doesn't solve the problem of me being a single mother. My hours are rather limited, and I get the sense that you work twenty-four seven. Did you still want to hold her, Allie?”

  I nodded, a greedy smile on my face as she carefully stood and handed me her daughter. The little girl's eyes were closed and she had a pleasant “I just ate” expression on her face. She felt right in my arms, as if I were made for holding children. I gently moved her to my shoulder and tapped gently on her back. I loved holding her so much, I thought that there was a chance that I wasn't going to give her back. Audrey handed me a burp cloth to protect my shirt.

  I looked away from the baby long enough to see James smile at Audrey. It was his business, wheeling-dealing, grin. Audrey was as good as hired. She hadn't flat out said no, so now it was just the negotiation that needed to happen
. “What do you want?”

  Audrey mimicked James' posture and hand placement. “I want to be hourly so I can earn overtime. And I want the ability to work from home when feasible.”

  “Done.” James shrugged. “Anything else?”

  “I need childcare. Either in office or at home.” She narrowed her eyes. “And if you want me at your Boston office, I want both. And moving expenses.”

  “The Boston office already has a child care center and moving expenses are a given,” James replied, waving her concerns away with his hand. “As for the in-home child care, that would be on your own dime.”

  “Even though you'd want me to work your hours? No deal.” She shook her head and looked over at her daughter. “If I'm working, even from home, she has someone watching her.”

  James nodded thoughtfully. “Submit a billing report with child-care expenses with the hours you worked while home. I'm not paying for you to go grocery shopping.”

  “Works for me,” Audrey agreed. “As for hourly wage, I want whatever your current secretary makes. If she's salary, just divide it by forty.”

  “Done.” James leaned back in his chair. “Are we agreed? You'll take the job?”

  Audrey reached her hand out across the table and grinned. “It's a pleasure to be working for you, Mr. Coleman.”

  “Excellent.” James agreed. “You start now.”

  “Okay.” Audrey leaned back in her chair. “But you're buying breakfast.”

  After breakfast, we all piled into Audrey's car and headed back to the hotel. James drove with Audrey in the passenger seat, already on his phone making arrangements for what was going to happen next. I sat in the back seat with the baby.

  She was asleep again, her mouth starting to work as she got hungry again. I held her tiny hand, and just sat there admiring her itty-bitty perfect fingernails. Everything was so miniature and perfect. I loved the idea that something so wonderful was growing inside of me right now.