His Billion Dollar Baby

by Lea Nolan

  He swallowed deeply, his eyes sunken pits. “I’ve been calling you.”

  “I know.”

  “And I’ve sent you gifts.”

  Crossing her arms, she bristled at the thought of him using money, once again, to buy her. “Also, something I know. They were lovely. I’m sure the hospital’s ladies auxiliary put them to good use.”

  “Why didn’t you call me back or acknowledge the deliveries?” His voice was filled with confusion. Obviously he wasn’t used to being turned down.

  Too bad. He’d better get used to it.

  “Because I thought you’d get the hint after the first day.” The distinct scent of alcohol wafted toward her. Had he been drinking? It was only nine o’clock in the morning. She cocked her head. “Are you drunk?”

  He waved her off. “Not since last night.” Glancing over her shoulder he asked, “Can we go somewhere a little more private? There’s so much I want to say to you to make this right.”

  Emerson must be lingering. That was okay. Though she didn’t need him to protect her, it was nice to know he literally had her back.

  “No, I’m fine right here. Although it hardly matters since there’s nothing you can say to change things between us.” The baby kicked hard, causing Gwen to grunt then press her palm against her lower abdomen.

  “Is she okay?” Carter reached his hand toward her midsection then halted mid-air.

  “She’s great. Just like me.” She mashed her trembling lips together. “We’re going to be just fine.”

  “But you left her things at River View.”

  Gwen shook her head. “No I didn’t. I’ve got everything I need.”

  “But what about a changing table and a crib and…”—he scratched his head—“everything else? I thought it takes a ton of stuff to take care of a baby.”

  She counted on her fingers. “I can change her on a blanket spread-out on the bed. A wicker Moses basket works just fine. As for clothes, I’ve got an extra drawer in my dresser. The basics are covered. Believe it or not, Carter, I don’t need a mountain of things. I never did. That stuff Judith bought? It was always intended to go to someone far more needy.”

  He swallowed hard. “I know. The D.C. Home for girls. My mother told me.” His voice was hushed. “I’m so sorry, Gwen. I misjudged you. About everything. I should have been upfront about the proxy shares from the beginning and I shouldn’t have tried to manipulate you into signing them.” His voice was tight. “I let my past cloud my judgment.” He glanced down at the industrial grade carpet and his clenched jaw ticked. “You see, my marriage wasn’t exactly forged in heaven. Everyone I knew tried to warn me, said my ex was only in it for my money, but I was sure I knew better and ignored them. Turns out they were right. After years of riding the gravy train I learned she never loved me, and cheated on me the whole time. When it was clear we were headed toward a split, she got pregnant with her lover’s boyfriend and tried to pass their child off as mine to ensure a larger settlement. Those lies gutted me and hardened me from opening my heart to anyone else. Worse of all, they kept me from seeing the real you. The beautiful, generous, loving person you are. I’ll be forever sorry. For everything.” He drew a deep breath and fixed her gaze. “Especially for what I said about you being a foster child. It was uncalled for.”

  Her breath caught as tears sprung to her eyes. Even though Judith had told her the highlights, his story was gut-wrenching. But she refused to cry. No, despite the fact he’d just laid himself bare and uttered the words she’d longed to hear, she would not shed one single, solitary tear over Carter and what could have been between them if he hadn’t been a giant, hellish ass. They’d been through too much, had too many misconceptions and arguments to try again. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, too.” Her lips mashed together, biting back the torrent of emotion that threatened to overflow.

  He took a step toward her, his expression earnest. “I’ve messed things up so horribly. Both for you and the baby. For myself. But I’ve learned my lesson and I’ll never jump to conclusions like that again. Ever.”

  “That’s good. Because you’re smarter than that. I’m glad you’ve learned from your mistakes. They’ll help make you a better man.” Though someone else would benefit from his lessons because it sure as hell wouldn’t be her.

  He nodded, taking another step toward her. “I was wrong.”

  She stiffened her shoulders. “You were. I never did anything to warrant that behavior. I was good and kind to you and your family, but all you did was accuse and misjudge me.” Gwen leveled her gaze at him. “You broke my heart.” Her lips quivered. As painful as it was to admit, it felt good to tell him and release her pent-up pain.

  “Is there any way you could ever forgive me? Allow me the chance to mend it?” He edged closer, intensifying the scent of stale alcohol. “Can we start over? I want a future with you and a chance to be a father to your child.” His voice was tight as he extended his hand toward her, beckoning her close.

  Was that supposed to be some sort of a proposal? If so, it was the lamest one she’d ever heard. Gwen couldn’t deny her own still obvious feelings for him, but he hadn’t exactly made a strong case for marriage. She wanted her future husband to be thoroughly besotted with her and to propose out of that crazy, head-spinning love, not to assuage his guilt or help him fulfill some tortured sense of obligation.

  Shaking her head, she bit back tears. “Even if I could forgive you and consider a future, there’s no use. I’ve accepted a transfer to the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. The baby and I will be moving right after she’s born.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “Carter. Carter! Wake up!” Devon’s voice boomed, rattling his brain.

  He’d fallen asleep at his desk at Work It Gear’s headquarters again, a bottle of Kentucky’s favorite whiskey still clutched in his right hand. It couldn’t possibly be morning yet, could it? His throbbing head wasn’t ready to face another day. He’d need at least three or four more hours of shut-eye before he could handle another inane meeting. Maybe if he pretended to be passed out his general counsel would give up and leave him to his misery.

  Devon shoved his shoulder hard. “I mean it, Carter. I’m sick of this bullshit. You either get your ass up or I’m quitting. For real this time.”

  Devon had threatened to walk out so many times lately Carter had lost count.

  Grunting, he peeled one eye open. “Who the hell are you kidding? You’d never leave me.”

  Unlike Gwen. It had been only too easy for her to shut him out of her life as if he’d never existed.

  Devon shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m done watching you destroy yourself. At first I understood, even commiserated, but come on, man. She’s been gone two months. Enough’s enough already.”

  He propped himself up. “I’ll decide when it’s enough,” he grumbled. He’d stop when his heart quit aching, which didn’t feel like anytime soon. Wincing, he rubbed his splitting forehead. “Besides, a little relaxation after a tough day never hurt anyone. God knows, I need to loosen up, right? Isn’t that what everyone around here thinks? That I have a giant stick up my ass?”

  “Loosening up is one thing. You’re totally undone.”

  Carter’s lip curled. “No, I’m not.”

  “Have you taken a look at yourself lately?”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, straining to decipher Devon’s point through his hangover haze.

  “Seriously, go look at yourself. Now.” Devon pointed to the private bathroom in Carter’s office.

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “No. I’m tired of trying to get through to you with words. Maybe if you look in the mirror you’ll see what everyone else does. There’s a reason none of the assistants want to come in here anymore. It’s got nothing to do with your view of Rockville Turnpike.” Devon crossed his arms and stared.

  Damn, Devon wasn’t playing around. If he didn’t get up, his brawny best friend was li
kely to yank him from his seat and drag him across the floor.

  With a grunt, he pushed out of his chair and shuffled across the room. Peering into the mirror, he examined himself. The four-days’ worth of beard scruff didn’t look too bad and the dark circles under his eyes weren’t anything a little sleep couldn’t fix. “So what’s the problem?”

  “When was the last time you wore a suit?”

  Since when did Devon join the fashion police force? It wasn’t any of his business.

  Carter ran his fingers through this matted hair. “Who the hell cares what I wear? I run an athletic wear empire. Of all people in the world, I should be allowed to wear a T-shirt and running pants.”

  “Yeah, but they should at least be clean.”

  “They are.”

  “Really, then what’s that?” Devon pointed to a stain that ran down the length of Carter’s chest.

  Tugging his shirt from his body, Carter spied the orange-yellow smudge and tried to remember what he’d eaten the night before. Taking a sniff, it came back. “Kung pao chicken. I think. Maybe it was orange sauce.” There was an equally large smudge on his right thigh where he’d drizzled duck sauce.

  “Uh huh. And when was the last time you showered? Or shaved for that matter?”

  “I shower when I need to.” Scratching his scruffy cheek, Carter couldn’t recall if it had been one or two days since the last time he’d bathed. Scanning the too-long ten o’clock shadow he shrugged. “The whole clean shaven thing is passé. I’m the sexiest man in D.C. I could start a whole new trend, bring rugged back. Maybe even design an entire line around cowboys or lumberjacks.”

  Devon’s brow pinched. “Are you trying to destroy this company?”

  “Of course not. Work It Gear is my life. It’s the only thing I’ve got or ever will have.”

  That was the heart of the problem, wasn’t it? He had wealth, fame and…what? Sweat-wicking performance fabrics, jog bras, and a vast array of athletic shoes. Were those worth getting up for in the morning? Could they greet him when he got home at the end of the day? Hardly. All the money and power in the world didn’t mean anything when he couldn’t share them with someone. Even Judith had bowed out, allowing him to have full control over the corporation. He only had himself to blame. Turning away from his guilty visage, he collapsed on the leather sofa along the wall.

  Devon sat in the armchair across from him. “Look, I know things have been tough, but you’ve got to pull yourself together, knock off the drinking, and get yourself cleaned up. We’ve got a couple big deals coming up and I can’t pull them off on my own. You’re the president and CEO for a reason, not just because you’re the founder’s son. You’re a visionary and the best damn negotiator I’ve ever seen. I need you on your game.”

  Carter propped his arms behind his neck. “Thanks for the pep talk, buddy, but you’re doing just fine. The China deals are in the final stretch and our new thigh and butt shapers are well into development. Take a breath. All the hard work is done.”

  “What about the Walk It?”

  “What about it? It’s dead in the water.”

  Devon shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s very much alive, but since you don’t know that, I’m guessing you haven’t been reading your email. Which means you probably don’t know we’re due to present it to the Department of Defense on Friday.”

  That tidbit was enough to cut through the thickest hangover fog. Carter shot up. “What? Since when? How the hell is that possible when we don’t have data on the trial runs?”

  Shaking his head, Devon sighed. “Gwen submitted her final numbers two weeks ago. She wanted to be finished before she gave birth.”

  Carter’s heart skipped. Even after everything that had happened between them, Gwen had continued the Walk It trials. Could he hope she’d done it, at least in small part, for him?

  Who was he kidding? She’d finished the trials for the wounded soldiers, her clients who treated her with kindness and respect. And now, because he hadn’t, she was leaving the country and he’d never see her again.

  “You mean before she moves to Germany,” he said ruefully. With the help of his security firm, he’d kept tabs on her, just to make sure she and the baby were safe. But after she’d made her disdain pointedly clear, he’d kept his distance.

  “Yeah, that, too.” Devon paused, his words hanging heavy. “Anyway, we’re a go on the Walk It pitch for Friday morning. I don’t know the first thing about the project, so this one’s on you. She’ll be there to help explain the findings from a clinical perspective, but you’ll need to handle the business end of things. You remember how to do that?”

  Carter’s weary eyes stretched wide. “Gwen will be there?” he asked, hope creeping into his voice.

  “Yeah. I was afraid you might not be up to the task so I called her yesterday to ask if she’d lend a hand. By some miracle she agreed to save your sorry ass, so you’d better be nice.”

  Oh, he’d be more than nice. He’d be on his best behavior, dried out, cleaned and pressed, his old self, but better. Because now he had a reason to hope. Completing the tests was one thing, but Gwen had agreed to come to the presentation. That wasn’t out of obligation or to help some wounded soldiers. She had to know her data was solid and would speak for itself. No, she was coming to help him, because although most of her hated him, a tiny portion still cared. And that was all he needed.

  A plan leapt to mind. Carter lunged off the couch and staggered back to the sink. “What time is the meeting on Friday?” He splashed cold water on his stubbly face.

  Devon smiled. “Ten o’clock. But that’s only four days away. Are you going to be ready?”

  It had taken two months and whole lot of whiskey to figure out the key to Gwen’s heart. This was his last chance to change her mind and he wasn’t going to waste it. There were people to be called, contracts to be negotiated, but with hard work and effort he could pull it off.

  Carter smiled. “I got this.”

  …

  On Friday morning, Emerson sprawled on the bed in his guestroom and watched as Gwen applied her makeup. “Are you sure you want to go to this meeting? No one would blame you for canceling. Better yet, you could send me in your stead. I’d love a chance to save his spectacular ass.”

  Gwen chuckled as she blushed her cheeks. “Yeah, somehow I’m thinking that wouldn’t be much of a help. Besides it’ll only be an hour, tops. I can handle it. I’m more worried about going to Stan’s this afternoon. He called and insisted I come down today. I think he wants to share some bad news.”

  “Really?” He sat up. “What’s that?”

  Her throat choked with emotion. “The duckpin alley’s been struggling. He’s probably thinking of shutting it down.”

  “That would be horrible,” he said, his voice solemn.

  “It would. That place was the only real home I ever had as a kid. It’ll break my heart to see it go. But Stan’s getting old, so maybe it’s for the best. Though, I’m not sure what he’ll do with himself without that alley. Duckpin’s his whole life.”

  Forcing the painful thoughts from her mind, she dabbed on lip gloss and stood back from the floor length mirror, taking herself in. She’d been loath to buy a maternity dress this late in her pregnancy, but even she had to admit it was worth it. The dark green skirt’s ample fabric hugged her full, round belly in just the right way, minimizing her burgeoning girth as much as possible.

  Emerson wolf whistled. “Damn. You’re the hottest pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. Carter’s going to eat his heart out.”

  She sighed. “I bet he doesn’t even notice. Not that it matters. I’m sure he’s moved on.” She wouldn’t know. Since she’d moved into Emerson’s, the Washingtonian and all other gossip magazines had been banned from the house and office. For all she knew, he’d been the cover model for each of the last two issues.

  The memory of the last time she’d seen him flashed back. His worn, ragged face haunted her. Rejecting his apology and potential
ly well-intentioned, but half-assed, marriage proposal had broken her heart, but it was the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?

  “What if he hasn’t moved on?” Emerson asked. “What if he’s as broken up as you still are?”

  “First, that’s impossible. Carter’s the ultimate playboy. Second, I’m not broken up over him. I told you, he’s the past. I’m looking forward to a new future.”

  “Are you?” He leveled his gaze at her. “Or are you just running away, hoping to forget him in Deutschland?”

  His pointed question stung, if only because it was filled with so much truth. “How can you say that to me?” Her voice cracked.

  “Don’t get me wrong, he was the absolute jerk of all jerks, and I still hate him for what he did, but I know you. You hardly ever fall for someone and when you do, you go down hard.” He snickered. “Okay, I totally didn’t mean that how it came out.”

  Unable to hold back her laughter, she threw a make up sponge at his head. “You’re an idiot.”

  “Yeah, I am, but I’m also your best friend. And I’m asking you to look inside your heart and figure out how you really feel. Are you over him? Because if you’re not, it might not be too late to change your mind and take him up on his offer.”

  She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Carter doesn’t love me. He only proposed because he felt guilty and a bizarre sense of obligation. I’m going to be a mom. And then I’ll be in Germany with an infant preparing to start a new job. I won’t have the time or energy to think about him. My heart will heal. Eventually.” She rubbed her abdomen. “If I’m lucky.”

  …

  Carter nearly gasped when Gwen walked through Work It Gear’s conference room door. She was a vision in her flowing emerald dress. Springing to his feet, he met her at the entrance and walked her to her seat at the long rectangular table. “Thanks for agreeing to lend us a hand on such short notice.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing really.”