SCOTTISH ROMANCE: My Sinful Surrender to a Highlander Werewolf (Scottish Werewolf Pregnancy Romance) (Historical Medieval Shape Shifter Paranormal Science Fiction Short Stories)

by Fiona Knightingale

  "My cousin works there. She thought I should consider egg donation, well, being a donor. I told her I'd think about it, but that's why I'm here for the job interview. I think I'd rather just get a normal job." She told him and then leaned forward a little bit on her knees. "Why were you there?"

  "I want a baby." He responded, watching her carefully for a few moments. "I am considering a surrogate. I want children, and don't have a wife."

  "I see. So, would you like to get on with this interview, or are we going to talk about personal subjects that might get embarrassing for the both of us?" Kember asked looking nervous.

  "I don't get embarrassed. As you know, I'm hiring a personal assistant. This might include dealing with my personal issues and anything going on in my life outside of a work setting too. If you can't handle talking about this, how can I expect you to handle everything else?" Dennis asked her arching a brow up and tilted his head to the side questioning her.

  "If you want to talk about personal things I can. I came here to interview for a job. I wasn't exactly sure what the job entailed, but I'm open minded and I'm eager to please. I will work hard for you." Kember said in a rush, she needed this job.

  "What if I asked you to consider being a surrogate for me as part of my personal assistance job?" Dennis blurted out before he realized he'd even considered it rationally. She was bright, beautiful, and didn't seem the type of woman to rush into things without thinking them through; it would make her ideal if she could handle a no-strings attached relationship.

  "Are you asking me to have your baby?" Kember asked him, shocked.

  "It occurred to me if you needed the money, there's more than one way you could earn it from me. I find you attractive, and I can afford to pay you a working salary, along with all medical care, legal fees, and the insemination." Dennis told her as the wheels in his brain turned. The more he thought about it, the more he decided he had to have her.

  The bigger her eyes got, the prettier she looked to him and he realized that he was asking her something that would be offensive to most people, but she'd already been at the fertility clinic. This meant she'd considered it before he even asked her.

  "I don't know what to say. I came here to interview for the personal assistant job." Kember told him, feeling confused by this. Maybe it was fates way of telling her this was her only way out. The problem was she wasn't sure she could give up a baby if she carried it.

  "I'm willing to pay you a total of one hundred thousand dollars for your services in regards to the surrogacy, all medical expenses, and I'll still consider you for the personal assistant job, if you want it. I pay fifty thousand a year plus medical benefits for that job. I'd even be willing to do an open adoption type situation so you could know the child as they grow up. You will be their mother; I just want to raise them in the style they would deserve as my child." Dennis told her, feeling excited now that he decided how he wanted to do it.

  "Even if I were to consider this, which I'm not saying I am, I believe a two parent family is important for the stability of a child. I'm not against the idea of donor eggs, surrogacy, or all sorts of other stuff, but what happens if your child needs their mother and you don't have a woman around?" Kember asked him gently, truly wondering what his answer would be.

  "I can hire nannies, I might find the right woman over time, or, as I mentioned before, if you want to stay involved, I'd be willing to consider it if we worked out a parenting or adoption plan that allowed you to get pictures or even have visits with the child as they grew up." Dennis leaned forward and put his hands on his desk when he stared into her eyes, willing her to say yes. "Go out with me tonight. Get to know me a little better before you make a decision either way."

  Kember stared back at him and blinked, feeling confused. "Okay. Dinner, but I make no promises."

  "Good, I have your number and address written in your file, I will pick you up at seven. Let's get on with the rest of the interview for the personal assistant job. You being hired for that and keeping that job if I give it to you will have no bearing on your decision to be a surrogate for me. I'm not the type to hold grudges." Dennis promised her, and then proceeded to start the job interview. Quickly switching over to a professional demeanor as if the surrogacy conversation never happened.

  Chapter 4

  "Kember, are you sure this is a good idea to go out with him tonight?" Kesha asked her cousin as she helped zip up the dress Kember was borrowing from her.

  Kember turned and shook her head. "No, I'm not sure if this is a good idea, or a disaster waiting to blow up in my face. But I want the personal assistant job, and he all but promised it to me by the time I left. It is good money; it will be great on a resume especially if I can last a year or two. The surrogacy situation is your fault by the way. He saw me at the donor class."

  "He's offering a lot more money than we pay for the eggs. Just be careful okay? You're recovering from a broken heart, you’re dirt poor, and you have your whole life ahead of you. So much could go wrong with this situation, just... Be careful, okay?" Kesha hugged Kember tightly, and sighed as she stepped back letting her go. "You are going to be late, go, have fun, and try to enjoy yourself. It's not every day a rich business man asks you out to talk about babies."

  "You make it sound so normal," Kember laughed and was grateful to her cousin. She couldn't believe she was even seriously considering this as a possibility.

  She was finishing the final touches on her makeup when the doorbell rang. Kember walked quickly to the door, trying not to act overly excited and opened the door.

  Dennis was standing there in khaki pants and a blue button shirt, and held a single rose in his hand.

  "This is for you," He told her and handed her the rose.

  Kember smiled, feeling shy and took it. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

  "Are you ready to go?" Dennis asked her and held out his arm.

  "Sure, let me just give this to my cousin to put in some water." Kember turned to find Kesha standing directly behind her, peeking over her shoulder at Dennis. "Here, Kesha."

  "Sure, have fun." Kesha said, beaming a big smile at Dennis. "You treat my cousin right, or I'll have to hurt you."

  Dennis laughed, "I won't harm her, I promise."

  "I'm standing right here, you two." Kember shook her head and then linked her arm through Dennis's and let him escort her to his red Porsche that was parked in front of Kesha's house.

  Dennis opened the door and shut it behind Kember when she got in; he slid into the driver side and started the engine.

  They drove silently until they got to his house and he pulled into the drive way.

  "I thought we were going out to dinner?" Kember asked him, nervous when she realized she was at a very large, expensive looking house.

  "I was going to take you out, but then I realized I wanted to get to know you, and you to get to know me, and I know how to cook so... I was going to make you dinner. If you really don't want to eat what I was going to cook, I'll order pizza, or I can take you somewhere to eat." Dennis said, suddenly looking a little worried.

  "You didn't think this through, did you?" Kember asked him gently, "On how women you didn't know very well might react to being brought to your home instead of a public place?"

  "Well, probably not as much as I should have." Dennis admitted, "Are you willing to let me cook for you? I can turn around now and we can go somewhere else. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

  Kember looked at him and decided to go with her gut. She'd been drawn to him the moment she met him. If she was going to be his personal assistant, she had to start trusting him somewhere. Better to know now, rather than later if he was a total jackass.

  "No, it is okay. We can eat here. My cousin doesn't really cook and she won't let me cook in her kitchen if I use more than the microwave, so a home cooked meal sounds pretty good." Kember smiled at him.

  "I was actually just going to toss some garlic bread in the oven, grill a couple steaks and make a salad.
Nothing too fancy, but I thought we could eat out on the patio." Dennis said, looking relieved and turned off the engine. He got out and opened the car door for her.

  "Thank you," Kember said, taking the hand he offered her and let him help her out of the car. He was a gentleman, it was odd in this day and age to meet someone who should by all rights be arrogant and expect everyone to cater to him, yet he was opening doors and offering to cook for her.

  He was an enigma and she wanted to figure out the puzzle before she made any decisions.

  Escorting her inside his house, she admired the large size of it and noticed he had plenty of room for children, his house was immaculate.

  "I have a housekeeper, I don't have time to clean a house this big all by myself all the time, and I host business events here sometimes, otherwise I'd have a smaller house." He told her as she followed him into the over-sized kitchen that had two full sized professional looking ovens, and a grill that would rival restaurants.

  "Let me just get the steaks out of the freezer." He told her as he walked over to the over-sized fridge in the middle of the kitchen.

  "How about I make the salad while you cook?" Kember asked, not wanting to just stand around and watch him do everything.

  "Sure," He said and tossed her the lettuce and pointed to a cabinet where the bowls were.

  They cooked side by side in relative silence. The kitchen soon smelled like grilling meat and Kember's stomach growled; she'd been nervous and skipped lunch.

  They took their plates onto the patio and he brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses. He popped the cork and poured her an oversized glass of wine and then one for himself.

  "Thank you," Kember said, tasting it. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor. It had a hint of oak, it was good.

  "So, let's talk babies." Dennis told her after he ate most of his steak and drank half his glass of wine.

  "I haven't had enough wine for that," Kember said and drank her glass quickly. She watched Dennis refill it and then nodded when he gave her a look.

  "I have something stronger if you need it. Do you drink often?" He asked her.

  "No, but this is a special occasion," Kember admitted.

  Dennis chuckled, "I suppose it is. I promise I will try not stress you out too much."

  "It's not stress I'm worried about." Kember said as she sipped the second glass of wine. Her head was starting to feel slightly light headed and she was relaxed. She was able to talk about this now without freaking out. Mostly.

  "Is it the money?" Dennis asked, leaning back in his chair.

  Kember shook her head, "No, it's one thing to donate your eggs; it's another to actually carry the baby and then hand it over once you give birth. You go through all the changes, you bond with the child, you hold it in your arms, and then you can't keep it. I don't know if I could do that. I would get attached."

  "I see," Dennis said looking at her, the expression on his face was thoughtful for a few minutes.

  "What if I asked you to be the mother of my child and we agreed to a two parent relationship, we could share the child as it got older?" Dennis asked her. "Do you know how hard it is to find a black surrogate, or even donor eggs? I picked you for a reason. I want you Kember."

  "Are you saying you find me attractive sexually?" Kember said and watched Dennis get up from his chair.

  He walked over to her and took the glass of wine from her hand and set it on the glass table. He pulled her out of her chair by her hand and pulled her into his arms.

  "I find you beautiful. I find you intelligent, and your personality attracts me in ways I don't even have the words to describe. I want a baby, but I'm not against trying to get to know you personally in the middle of the situation." Dennis told her.

  "What happens if you end up hating me?" Kember asked him, realizing his lips were a hair from hers. Searching his gaze she was trying to find something in it to make her say no and walk away. Everything about him pulled her in and she wanted to kiss him.

  "I don't think I could end up hating you. You're a good person Kember." Dennis told her, right before pressing his lips to hers.

  Kember gasped, and the flicker she'd felt in her stomach every time she was around him exploded into an ardent fire that he stroked with his lips and tongue. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she could feel his facial hair tickle her skin. It made her want to rub her cheek against it and revel in the sensation.

  Dennis finally pulled his head back to look down at her, "Would trying this the old fashioned way be such a horrible idea?"

  "I like you Dennis, I really like you, and I just don't know if being a surrogate is the best idea. Let me think about it first. I don't know if getting romantically involved and doing it the old fashioned way is the best way to do it if I agreed." She whispered and then detangled herself from his arms. "I think you better take me home. Let me think about it over the weekend and I'll give you my answer on Monday."

  "You still plan on working for me?" Dennis asked, "Or do I need to keep doing interviews."

  "I'll still work for you."Kember promised him, though in the back of her mind she wondered if he'd still want her if she told him no.

  Chapter 5

  "Don't be a freaking idiot Kember. It's a hundred thousand dollars. It's a year of your life; you won't make money like that for years to come. You could put the entire thing in an emergency fund and live off your day job. You could buy your own house. There are so many things you could do with the money, and he's offering to let you stay involved with the child, do it." Kesha told her cousin, they were sitting in the small backyard together and Kesha was lecturing her for not being able to make a decision.

  "So you think I should do it?" Kember said she'd already was leaning towards doing it for him. She really liked Dennis, and she could see him with a baby in his arms. It didn't help she was fantasizing about being in the picture, but maybe if she said yes, over time, he would want more from her. She just had to be okay if the fantasies in her head didn't extend to reality.

  "Yes, I think you should, it's a lot of money." Kesha said and leaned forward on her knees to look at her cousin. "I'd do it without thinking twice for that kind of money."

  "Okay. Call and set it up at the clinic. We'll do the artificial insemination." Kember told her, and then rubbed her face. She was still picturing Dennis's offer of doing it the old fashioned way, but needed to stay emotionally detached enough right now to go through with it.

  It was a couple weeks later, they had to wait until she was ovulating, and had signed all the paperwork. She'd been working with Dennis at the office as his assistant, and so far, it was basic stuff. Cleaning his office, keeping track of his appointments, filing, and now apparently giving him a baby.

  She lay on the exam table with her legs spread as they stuck the catheter in. It pinched a little and she winced. The nurse ignored her and then injected the sperm a few moments later then withdrew the thin tube.

  "I'll be back in about fifteen or twenty minutes and you can go home." The nurse told her.

  "Okay, thanks." Kember said and then pulled her cell phone off the table next to the exam bed and texted her cousin to tell her it was done. Now they just had to wait a couple weeks to see if it took.

  A few minutes later, a text came back and her cousin asked her if she was feeling okay.

  'Yep, all good, just waiting to go home, thx for asking.' She texted back to her cousin. She set her phone back down and stared up at the ceiling, with the white tiles, she started counting them until the nurse came back in and told her she could go.

  Going home, she drove slow and let her mind wander. She knew she was doing this, but the one question she couldn't really answer herself was why. She'd even signed a contract agreeing that the baby would be his and she wouldn't have any rights to it. She felt that she'd regret that decision. She didn't know why she felt like it didn't matter what she signed and everything would end up working out right in the end.

  She trusted her gut,
she just didn't know why.

  A couple weeks later she went in for the follow up blood test. Dennis had let her out of work early to go get it, and gave her explicit instructions to text him the results when they confirmed.

  "Congratulations." Kesha said and hugged her cousin. "You are definitely pregnant." She announced when she got home from work.

  "Thanks, I think. You found out before I did, I was waiting for them to call me." Kember blinked.

  "I know! I asked them to let me tell you the good news." Kesha hugged her again and did a little happy dance making Kember laugh at her silly antics.

  "Okay, I guess now I need to go tell Dennis. I think I want to tell him in person." Kember said, feeling a little sick to her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was nerves, or an early pregnancy symptom.

  "Good luck?" Kesha said, sounding unsure. "Are you sure you don't want to just text him the results?"

  "I'm sure. This is something a father needs to hear in person." Kember said as she grabbed her purse and keys and drove over to his house. She texted him on the way there and knew he was at home for the night.

  She parked in the driveway when she got there and then rang the doorbell, waiting for him to open the door.

  Walking through after he held it open for her she smiled at him as he took her into the living room to sit down.

  "Well?" He asked her, looking anxious.

  "It worked." She told him, and was still waiting for the shock in her own body to really sink in the fact she was truly pregnant.

  "That's wonderful news, thank you for coming over to tell me in person!" Dennis said and walked over to her to hug her.

  Kember closed her eyes and smelled him, he smelled good to her and it was hard not to kiss him. She tried to just remind herself that he was hugging her because he was happy, not because he was her boyfriend.

  "Are you okay?" Dennis said, pulling back after a minute, realizing she was stiff as a board.

  "I'm...Ok. I am still processing everything and I know we agreed to this and I wanted to do this for you and I won't regret it," Kember said, and then burst into tears. "I don't know what's wrong with me."