It’d been a mistake, she’d realized at some point in the middle of the night. She never should’ve mixed business and pleasure. It had been a mistake to leave her children for the weekend and that mistake had been compounded by sleeping with Eric.
He would be upset, she knew. But the plain truth was that she did not have the time or energy to start a relationship. Her children had to come first and Eric was a bachelor. A gorgeous billionaire bachelor. Frankly, she’d never figured out why he was interested in her in the first place. Not when he could have his pick of anyone—and they both knew he could. He was the very highest of the high and she was...
Well, she was more than just the maid’s daughter. But she was a single mom, an office manager. She didn’t fit with him. That’s all there was to it.
Still, she thought as she sank back into the luxurious leather seating of Eric’s car, being with Eric had been a gift in and of itself. A misguided one, but still. She had not died when her husband had. She had struggled and mourned, but she hadn’t given up and she still had the capacity to open her heart to someone else. She still needed love. She still wanted to share her heart—and her body—with someone.
It just couldn’t be Eric. A weekend’s wardrobe of couture clothing didn’t change the differences between them. Billionaire bachelors didn’t get involved with widowed office managers with twin toddlers. They didn’t deal with dirty diapers and barfing and the constant messes and sleepless nights. They jetted around the country with supermodels on their arms and partied with the rich and famous.
Her head hurt just thinking about Eric in the arms of another woman, which was, again, not logical. She couldn’t have him and she had no right to be jealous of someone else having him.
Eddy fussed mightily as they pulled up in front of the house and Sofia unbuckled him. She was suddenly desperate to see Addy. It wasn’t fair to her daughter that she hadn’t been able to get home and see her yet.
Sofia followed her mom inside, dragging hard. She needed to change and she couldn’t remember the last time she ate something. But she had to see her baby girl first. “Addy? Honey, Mommy’s home,” she called out softly.
“She’s in the living room,” Mom said as she headed for the kitchen. “With—”
Sofia came to a stumbling halt as she turned the corner. Because Addy was, indeed, in the living room—fast asleep on Eric’s chest. Eric was sprawled out on the ancient family couch. He’d lost both his jacket and his button-up shirt at some point and was wearing nothing but a T-shirt that, even at this distance, Sofia could see was stained. Addy had a blanket draped around her, and Eric was holding her, one hand under her bottom, the other across her back.
Oh, God. Had he been here with her daughter the entire night?
She must’ve gasped or something because just then, Eric’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked and then focused on her. “Hey,” he said, smiling sleepily. “You guys are home. That’s wonderful. Addy and I have been holding down the couch for you.”
And it wasn’t fair, damn it all, that he was here with Addy while she had been at the hospital with Eddy. It wasn’t fair that, even in a stained T-shirt, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And it wasn’t fair that, just when she’d realized she could never be right for him, he went and made her fall in love with him all over again.
“How long have you been here?”
“What time is it?” he asked, stretching carefully so that he didn’t jostle the baby girl.
“Two thirty.” It was naptime, she realized. Eric and Addy had been napping together and it was so perfectly sweet it was going to break her heart.
He yawned. “I think I left the hospital a little before four? Addy was pretty fussy, but she seemed calmer when I held her, so I stayed. Sorry I didn’t get back to check on you and Eddy. How are you doing, big guy?” he asked when Eddy swiveled his head around at the sound of his name.
At the same time, Addy jolted awake. She looked up and saw Sofia. Instantly, her lips began to quiver.
Eric sat up and kissed Addy’s head and it wasn’t fair because Sofia wanted him so much and it simply wouldn’t work. There were reasons she couldn’t have this. Good reasons. That she couldn’t think of right now.
Eric stood and came toward her and her breath caught in her throat. “Trade you,” he said, as Addy leaned toward Sofia and Eddy pitched toward Eric because even her son was happy to see him. Eric caught the little boy in his arms and Sofia knew she wasn’t imagining that the man was happy to see her baby boy.
She caught Addy in her arms and hugged the little girl to her chest, trying to find her balance. But before that happened, Eric leaned over and kissed Sofia’s forehead. “I’m so glad you’re home, babe. I hated leaving you there, but I figured you’d want me to be with Addy.”
“I...” She blinked at him. His jaw was scruffy and he was rumpled and he was still the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
“Listen,” Eric said, his voice low as he rubbed Eddy’s back. “I was thinking—your parents are great, but this is a super small house and the kids need room to grow. My dad was touring a condo on the Gold Coast that would be perfect for us.”
“Us?” He hadn’t said us, had he? No, she was just hearing things. She was tired and—
“Three thousand square feet, a great view of the lake—plenty of room for the kids. Closer to everything. And we could get a better couch,” he joked, stretching like a cat.
“Eric...” Maybe she was still dreaming. She’d fallen asleep in the hospital and was hallucinating that a man like Eric Jenner had spent the last God-only-knew-how-many hours taking care of a sick baby.
And waiting on her. Waiting to—to what? To ask her to move in with him? Or just... “I can’t afford a Gold Coast condo, Eric.”
He had the nerve to snort in amusement. “I wouldn’t expect you to split the cost with me, babe. It’s a gift for you. For us.”
There was that word again. Us. And Eric was saying it while soothing a clingy Eddy.
But Sofia was not feeling calm. “What are you talking about? Because it sounds like...” Like he wanted her to move her whole family in with him. How did that make any sense?
It didn’t.
“Not today, of course,” he said, completely oblivious to her confusion. “The condo needs to be remodeled. But I can buy it and when it’s ready, we can move in together.”
Her mouth flopped open. She wasn’t dreaming this, was she? He was asking her to move in with him.
“I’d hope,” he went on, stepping in closer and shifting so he could cup her cheek in his palm without disrupting Eddy, “that you’d consider getting married before that point, though. I’ll take you any way I can get you, but if you’ll have me, I’d consider it the greatest honor of my life if you’d marry me, Sofia. I promised I’d take care of you and I meant it. For the rest of our lives, let me take care of you.”
His thumb stroked over her cheek and Addy sighed in what felt like happiness and Eddy smiled at her from where he was tucked against Eric’s chest and Sofia almost, almost said yes. This was every fantasy come to life—a hot, rich, single billionaire who liked small children and was great in bed and was promising to give her the world on a silver platter.
But when she opened her mouth, yes wasn’t what came out. Because she did love him and she did want him and her babies loved him...but how on earth could he think she could fit into his world?
How much would it cost him if she said yes? Not just this deal. There was always something with kids.
She couldn’t do this to him. She couldn’t saddle him with her life, her problems, couldn’t expect him to step into the role of father to someone else’s children.
Oh, this hurt. But it was the right thing to do. He’d see that soon enough.
“Eric, no.”
Sixteen
Eric stared down in confusion at Sofia, who was clutching Addy to her chest as if the toddler was a shield. “No what?”
Because it seemed like there should be an additional thought there. No, she didn’t like the Gold Coast. No, she didn’t want to wait to get married.
Not no thank you. She couldn’t mean that. He forged ahead. “We don’t have to live on the Gold Coast. We can look around. I want you to be happy with whatever place we choose.”
Her eyes bugged out of her head and she stepped away from him. Eric had no choice but to let his hand fall away. “Eric, no,” she repeated with more force. “I can’t marry you. What the hell—heck,” she quickly corrected, glancing at her children, “are you even thinking, talking like this?”
He could understand that she was upset. It had been an upsetting couple of days. But this was different.
“I was thinking I care for you. And your children. I was thinking...” He swallowed nervously as her eyes opened even wider. “I was thinking we could be a family.”
All the blood drained out of her face and he wasn’t sure she was breathing. She took another jerky step away from him before he could wrap his free arm around her.
“I can’t do this, Eric,” she said, her voice breaking. “What happened this weekend... I can’t. When they needed me I wasn’t here. I was with you and it was fine when we were alone but I don’t know how to live in your world and I don’t want to damage your business and...”
“What are you talking about?”
She swallowed hard a couple of times, squeezing her eyes shut. That didn’t stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks. “I can’t be with you. I have to put my children first. Always.”
He opened his mouth, closed it and then tried again. How did that make any sense? It didn’t. He wasn’t trying to get rid of her kids. He loved these babies. He wanted to give her children a father. He wanted to be her husband. “Babe, you’re tired. You’re upset. You’re not thinking clearly right—”
He knew the moment the words left his mouth that they were wrong. Her eyes flashed with anger and she reached out and plucked Eddy from his chest. Even though he’d known the babies such a short time, Eric felt almost lost without a twin in his arms. “I am thinking clearly, Eric. What happened this weekend risked everything. I shouldn’t have left my kids. I shouldn’t have been with you. I shouldn’t have been so stupid, so damned selfish.”
“Sofia,” he managed to get out. “Slow down. Kids get sick, don’t they? And you didn’t cost me a deal. I promise you—even if it falls through, it’s not going to bankrupt me.”
She stared at him and then barked out a bitter laugh. “No, of course not. Of course you could afford to lose a deal this huge. Don’t you see, Eric? I don’t fit in your world. How could I? I’m just the office manager. The maid’s daughter. A widowed single mom. I’ll never belong and every time you try to make me fit, something bad will happen.” She choked out a rough sob. “And I can’t let anything else bad happen. I couldn’t take it if something bad happened to you.”
Both babies began to cry and her parents appeared in the doorway behind her, looking frantic.
“Sofia,” he said softly, holding up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “You do fit. I thought this weekend proved that.”
“Oh, please,” she said and he honestly couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or if she was begging him.
Timing was everything, however, and there was no mistaking that his timing sucked. She was still in her cocktail dress and she probably hadn’t slept and she’d been in a state of constant panic for the last day. “We can talk about this after you’ve gotten some—”
But she cut him off. “No, Eric—we can’t. I...” She swallowed, apparently realizing they had an audience. She turned and handed the fussing babies over to her folks. “Can you give us a minute?” When her parents didn’t move except to exchange worried glances, Sofia added “Please?” with more force.
“We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us,” her father said. Then he shot a look that Eric hoped was encouraging over Sofia’s head.
Sofia glared at Eric until her parents were gone. And all he could do was stare back at her in surprise. “Babe,” he began again, but she cut him off.
“No, Eric. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but no.”
“I care for you,” he got out before she could launch into another denial. “That’s what I’m thinking. And I thought that, after what we shared this weekend, you cared for me, too.”
Her throat worked and he got the feeling she was trying not to cry. “Damn you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Of course I do. Of course I care for you.”
“Then why won’t you let me take care of you?”
“You really think it’s that easy? That you just snap your fingers and the world falls all over itself to meet your high expectations?” She snapped for emphasis. “That I meet your high expectations? For God’s sake, Eric—look at me! I live with my parents because I can barely function on my own! I’m struggling to put one foot in front of the other!” She choked on the words again, curling into herself.
It about broke his heart because she wouldn’t see reason. How was he supposed to comfort her if she wouldn’t even let him touch her?
“Sofia,” he said quietly. “What did Wyatt say to you?” Because yeah, she’d been worried about his deal before he’d left her at the hospital—but she hadn’t been this frantic. And Eddy was doing so much better—so where was the disconnect?
It had to be Wyatt. Damn that man.
“He didn’t say anything, Eric—except to tell me that Eddy would be fine.” Her eyes were shiny and her voice wobbled as she spoke. “But don’t you see? You’re a man who can fly me home at a moment’s notice and call in favors from the heads of pharmaceutical companies and—”
“To make sure you’re okay? And your kids are okay? You’re damn right I’m going to do that—that and more,” he cut in, trying not to yell. The maddening woman wasn’t making any sense!
Which only made her look sadder. “But that’s not my world, Eric.”
“I don’t care.” Yeah, he was yelling. “I wouldn’t care if you lived in a box! You’re beautiful and intelligent and the bravest woman I’ve ever met! And I...” His throat caught but he pushed on. “You were my best friend when we were kids and that hasn’t changed. I still love you—but now I love you more. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why that makes me the bad guy here!”
She began to shake and he tried to pull her into his arms and make sure she was all right. But she moved—away from him. “I think you need to leave.”
“Babe,” he said, his voice gruff. “It never mattered to me. How different our lives have been.”
But again, she dodged his grasp, turning and all but fleeing from the room. “It matters,” he heard her mutter. In seconds, she was gone.
He heard a door slam from somewhere deeper in the house and then her father was back, looking apologetic. “Eric, I am sorry. It’s been a long weekend and she’s upset and...”
“I know.” Eric scrubbed at the back of his neck. “My timing was crap. I was just so glad to see her and Eddy, you know?”
Emilio nodded. “I understand.” He held out Eric’s shirt and jacket. “I, ah, I do not think she will be in tomorrow.”
The way the older man said it made Eric’s stomach drop. “Of course not,” he quickly agreed. “She’s worn ragged and she’ll want to make sure the kids are fully on the mend.” He shrugged into his jacket. “But tell her I hope to see her on Tuesday, okay?”
Emilio nodded, but he didn’t look convinced and Eric’s stomach dropped another two notches.
He’d just found Sofia and her family.
He wasn’t going to walk away from them all.
* * *
Sofia didn’t come to work on Monday, which Eric expected. She also didn’t show on Tuesday. “Her son was released from the hospital,” he told Meryl and Steve when they came in to work on Tuesday. Sofia wasn’t the only one who needed to recover from the weekend.
“Thank goodness for that,” Steve said.
“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” Meryl added.
But Eric just nodded and smiled and, when he got back to his desk, ordered two dozen roses delivered to Sofia’s house.
She didn’t come to work on Wednesday, either.
By Thursday, he was feeling frantic. Where was she? She hadn’t quit. He was pretty sure he’d remember that. And it wasn’t like Sofia to hide. Back when they’d been kids...
Eric slumped behind his desk. They weren’t kids anymore. They couldn’t go back to that easy friendship. He couldn’t be just friends with her anymore. Or even friends with benefits.
He wanted to be with her through good and bad. He wanted to see her children grow up. He wanted children of his own. God, to see Sofia’s body change and grow with his child—the longing was physically painful.
He wanted everything. With her—only with her—he could have it.
By God, he was Eric Jenner.
He was going to get it.
Seventeen
They didn’t talk about the business trip. Or Eric. Or about the fact that Sofia hadn’t gone back to work.
Suddenly, Sofia’s household was quiet and tense, everyone walking around on eggshells. And, after Tuesday, they couldn’t even hide behind the lie that it was because the twins were sick because they weren’t. Dr. Robert Wyatt had been correct—Eddy and Addy bounced back as if they’d never been sick at all.
Twins for the Billionaire Page 14