“Are you going to go in there, my dear?” the butler asked then. “I know that this is a huge decision for you to make, and I have to wonder why a girl like you would even be here. Surely you could easily find a better way to make money. But like I said, I’m not going to pry.”
“Th-thanks for asking, really,” she said shyly. “It’s just that I’ve got no place to go, and I just can’t seem to make enough money to get a decent place to live. I was saving my money, but my rotten roommate stole all of it and spent it on drugs, and I’m just—I’m just so tired of nothing I deserve coming my way. Maybe this—well, maybe I could get on my feet this way, right? I mean, I’m certainly not in a position to lose much right now, since all I even have is one small storage rental unit to my name. Everything I’ve ever owned is in there, though, so I really don’t want to let it go.”
“I hear you,” he agreed with a nod. “So, if you’re sure, there’s the door.”
Kady stared for only a few more moments before she resolutely walked up and grabbed the knob, giving it a twist. She could hear voices on the other side of the door, mostly female, and when she walked in she found three other women sitting on sofas there.
The sofas themselves were probably the most expensive-looking furniture she’d ever seen. When she sat primly down on one of them, she thought she was being cushioned by a cloud. She couldn’t help but get comfortable on it.
The other three women were all beautiful. Two were white and one was an Asian, and they all stared at her for a moment as if waiting for her to speak, causing her to sit up straighter and offer a nervous introduction.
“Um, hello? I’m Kady. Are you all here about the surrogate job too?”
The Asian girl giggled and patted Kady on the head. Actually on the head. Like a dog that had done something amusing for its owner. It made Kady’s hackles rise in instant dislike, and that feeling only grew as the condescending stranger continued in a high pitched voice. “Oh, you are so adorable! We are here because we know Archer must hope to settle down at last, or why else would he wish to become a father?”
She turned to the two other women, both nodding vapidly in agreement. “And those ridiculous flyers!” They all gave the same forced laugh, “I mean really, anyone at all could waltz in here, looking for a way to climb the social ladder,” she cast a sideways glance towards Kady, “or a hand out.”
“So, you guys know each other then?” Kady clarified, trying to ignore the last part of that statement. “Have you met Archer himself?”
“No, we have not met him,” said the Asian. “We only know him by reputation. One thing is for sure, a girl could really get her foot in the door by giving him his first son, don’t you think?”
“I think I’d like to know a few things, first,” queried Kady. “Like why he wants to have someone birth him a child, but it isn’t because he has a wife who can’t get pregnant or anything. I mean, I heard from the guy who drove me here that this guy is some kind of a playboy. What would a billionaire playboy need with a child and not somebody to help him raise it anyway?”
“That is a very good question,” a mellow baritone voice commented from somewhere across the room. “I’m really glad you asked that.”
They all gasped, and turned around to see a tall, handsome man with long dark hair drawn back into a ponytail step into the room through an inner door. He walked with the confidence of a man who was used to getting anything he wanted through his own efforts—he had a charisma that held them all spellbound and speechless, but his eyes were now locked only on Kady’s, and they did not waver as he came in and threw himself into his easy chair, casting her his most dazzling smile.
“Mr.—Mr. Devonshire?” she stammered, feeling the heat of a blush spread slowly across her high cheekbones. Still, Kady steeled herself. “I’m so sorry, but you must admit it is a legitimate question.”
“As I believe I just did admit,” he mentioned, his tone slightly condescending. Kady blushed even hotter under his scrutiny, but remembering the butler’s words, she did not allow herself to look away. “And the answer to your question is simple. I am tired of my former reputation and want to begin a better, more responsible life. However, thanks to my previous exploits, it’s difficult to find a woman who isn’t after me just for my money or the prestige of having had me at some point. I guess I’m too popular for my own good, you might say.”
“But isn’t advertising for a woman to bear your child just going to attract people who are only after you for the money?” she pointed out. “I fail to see how that’s a long-term solution.”
“Then you’re saying the money is your reason for being here as well?” he asked, one brow raised in a lazy manner that set her on edge.
“Mr. Devonshire, surely since I have never met you before and you are offering room and board, it isn’t a large stretch of the imagination to assume that to be the case, is it?” Kady replied.
“I suppose not,” he had to agree. He continued in a brisk, business-like tone. “Now, on to the job at hand. I know that some people like to have their child implanted into the mother in some stuffy lab, but I don’t really think that would be necessary in this case. I’m sure that there’s nothing wrong with getting a little job satisfaction if you’re going to have to carry a child in your womb for nine whole months, right?”
“You mean, you want to have sex?” Kady clarified uneasily.
“That is the usual way it’s done,” he answered with a smirk.
“I see,” she said, and that was when she finally looked down.
“I will want to interview each of you ladies briefly in private before I select the candidate of my choice, of course,” said Archer then. “Firstly, I’d like to know all of your names so I don’t have to call you ‘hey, you’ all day. That might be a good place to start.”
Kady looked up again, watching as the others introduced themselves, but she didn’t say another word until he looked at her again. Her heart was racing as their eyes met, the nerves in her gut so jangled she didn’t even know if she could speak, let alone tell him anything he might want to know.
“And what’s your name, sweetheart?”
“I—” she began, then cleared her throat. “I’m Kady Ross.”
Chapter 6
“Very well, ladies,” Archer directed. “If you will follow me, I’d like to show you around the place. That way we can all talk a bit along the way, and maybe I could find out more about you.”
“That’s a great idea, Archer!” said the Asian woman, who had introduced herself as Mia. She practically grabbed his arm and staked her claim as they walked, but Archer did nothing to stop her. Kady wondered if he was being polite, as she suspected, or if he actually liked the attention.
It was a bit odd how annoyed she became by the other woman’s proximity to a man she had only just met and who had no intentions of claiming anything but her body for the duration of a pregnancy, and yet Kady felt decidedly jealous. How was she supposed to get a chance to tell Archer anything significant with her around? And why hadn’t she already bolted for the door, anyway? Did she really want to give up her virginity to some guy she didn’t even know?
Judging by the surge of heat and wetness between her legs, her body seemed to think the idea had merit. Who would have thought it would take a situation like this to catch her interest?
And the worst of it was, it probably wouldn’t matter anyway with the three other women around. He was bound to choose one of them since they all flocked around him like a bunch of brooding hens or something, and they looked like they all already belonged in his world with their designer outfits and obviously wealthy backgrounds. He wasn’t very likely to have a chance to learn much about her, and that would lead to her sleeping on a park bench. She might as well prepare for the backache right now at this rate.
But that wasn’t what she wanted. Maybe part of the reason she kept failing was that she didn’t take the initiative to succeed. Hadn’t she left the interview yesterday just b
ecause there were so many other people in the room? What made any of them more likely to get the job? It wasn’t their superior qualifications or their better looks or talents, but the fact that they hadn’t left before they’d even been interviewed. Was she going to let this opportunity slide from her grasp the same way?
No, she decided. It was time to take some action. She’d been hanging toward the back of the group as Archer had shown them the billiards room, movie room, and wet bar. However, as they entered the gate to the swimming pool, she stepped in front of them all to get a better look at the unusual shape.
“Is this an arrow, Archer?” she chuckled. “You must have had the thing made to order, huh?”
“Yeah, I did,” he smirked. “So, do you like swimming, Kady?”
“Sure I do,” she answered. “I have to keep my body toned up somehow. I like it better than some of the more strenuous exercises since I don’t want to form muscle mass. Who wants to see a girl on the runway who looks more like a bodybuilder than a lady?”
“Oh, you’re a model?” he questioned, glancing at her body appreciatively. “I might have known.”
“Well, yeah, I do a bit of modeling, even though that wasn’t my major or anything. I actually went to college for computer science, but I have a special interest in fashion. I always thought it would be great to come up with my own designs someday.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of ideas about how you want your future to go for you,” he smiled. “Let me guess: you’re having a tough time getting there from where you are right now?”
“I’ve recently been dealing with housing issues thanks to my roommate,” she admitted, although that was putting it mildly. “She didn’t pay her half of the bills, so things have gotten really tough really fast.”
“You’re more worried about a roof over your head right now than the money, aren’t you, Kady?” he inquired softly in her ear so the others wouldn’t hear.
“You could say that,” she admitted quietly, the feel of his breath brushing down the side of her neck made her own catch as tingles of awareness spread throughout her body.
Archer nodded as he gave her shoulder a little squeeze before stepping back. Kady wasn’t sure if she was relieved to have a little more breathing room, or regretted the end to the closeness of his well muscled body. She could still feel the warmth of his touch on her shoulder like an echo.
“Well ladies, I had intended to go for a bit of a swim before getting down to business, but I just don’t think lending any of you my swimming trunks would be at all helpful,” he teased. “So, since you’ve seen pretty much every part of the house, I suppose we could return to the study and begin our interviews.”
“Oh, but Archer!” complained Mia. “It’s so hot out today, a nice swim would have been perfect!”
“Miss, I’m not in the habit of allowing my decisions to be questioned,” he told her sternly, his eyes suddenly shuttered for a moment, before returning to normal. “Now, come along everyone, we’ll get the interviews started and perhaps we’ll have a bite to eat at the same time. Kady? I’d like very much to talk with you first.”
“She’s not so great,” Mia smirked as she spoke to her friends. “I bet he just wants to get her out of the way so he can choose one of us.”
Archer’s hand was still on Kady’s elbow when he heard the other girl’s words. She felt rather than saw him tense up, but when she turned to look at his face, he wore the same mellow mask he’d been affecting the entire time. Only a slight downturn of his lips gave away any indication at all that he was displeased.
His hand came down and took Kady’s as they continued to walk. The gentle touch left her feeling butterflies all over her body.
Damn, she needed to stop that. He probably wasn’t going to pick her, so all that would happen if she kept wanting him so much would be that she’d find herself alone on the park bench and not even able to deal with the needs he had stirred to life. Well, unless she wanted to get arrested for trying and thrown in jail with a bunch of women who would be more than willing to help her out instead. Not!
But the feel of his large, masculine hand encompassing hers felt so right, so natural. It was like they had done just that a hundred times before. A thousand. And it made the ache that had been on a slow burn since she had first seen him earlier throb to life as she imagined what it would feel like to have his hands on other parts of her body. Knock it off! She mentally chastised herself, trying to dispel the image of their bodies twined together.
“This way,” motioned Archer, interrupting her thoughts as they all headed back the way they had come. When they reached the dining room, he paused. “You three remain here. I’ll send someone for you when it’s time.”
Chapter 7
Archer did not surrender Kady’s hand once they left the other women behind. In fact, he drew her slightly closer to his side as they continued on their journey. He smiled down at her and she shyly looked away, suddenly overwhelmed by his magnetic presence as it was focused solely on her. There was no one else there to buffer the affect he had on her, and now, walking alone with him through the empty hallway, those butterflies in her chest started beating their wings again. She had to swallow against her growing nerves, the tension evident in the stiff line of her shoulders.
“Tell me why you’re here, Kady,” he inquired softly, obviously trying to put her at ease with his gentle tone. “I want to hear the whole story. I want to hear your whole story.”
“There’s not a whole lot to tell, unfortunately,” she replied, letting out a sigh of frustration as she dredged up memories of the unfortunate last few years. “I finished college around the same time my mother decided to marry a complete jerk who said I was too old to come home, so a high school friend and I got a place, and I started taking all kinds of modeling jobs while still trying to find work in computers, since that’s what I have a degree in. Then she decided to get heavy into the drug scene and failed to pay her rent. I never thought that she would steal from me, but now my nest egg went missing and she ran off with two guys and left me to clean out the apartment alone. I just gave back the key yesterday and slept in some seedy motel for the night. But now I have nowhere left to go, and I saw that flyer, so I figured I would try coming here. Just to see. Maybe this would give me the time I need to land a real job or make a few designs or something. I could get back on my feet again.”
“And have a baby that would remain here with me?” he reminded her gently of the one thing about the position that had her heart breaking a little every time she thought of it.
“Yeah, and that, too,” she agreed, with a shaky sigh.
“That’s not to say I wouldn’t be willing to share, though,” he pointed out. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other and make that decision before it’s done.”
“I guess we would, huh?” Kady said, the thought of sleeping every night in the same house as this charismatic man made her pulse start to pound faster, heavier.
“Of course we would,” he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, although its effect was just to make her heart race faster, rather than calm her at all.
“It’s just that I—I need you to know something important, but it’s kind of embarrassing,” she stammered, thinking of the caveat he had mentioned earlier. His, uh, preferred method of getting whomever he chose pregnant.
“Talk to me,” he encouraged her, sensing her sudden spike in nerves.
“Well, I—I haven’t ever actually had sex before,” she managed to say, flushing bright red at the admission.
“What?” he asked, surprise and a flicker of something else, something darker, more masculine, and decidedly satisfied shone from his eyes. “A beautiful girl like you?”
“I guess I was just too busy with college, and then with making ends meet, to even try to find someone to be with, you know?” she admitted. Kady knew it was odd for someone her age to still be a virgin in this day and age, but she was never one to party, and she hated
the idea of hooking up with a random stranger. It had just never appealed to her.
“Well, if that’s true, then I suppose I won’t have to be worried that I’m paying dividends on somebody else’s investment,” he pointed out, a touch of humor in his deep voice.
“Oh, that’s such a terrible way to put it!” Kady protested, unable to hold back a scandalized chuckle.
“Maybe, but true nevertheless,” he said. They had reached the door to his office now, and he released her hand so he could open it.
“You know what, I—” Kady blurted out as she stopped, staring at the giant hard wood door, glistening with age, use, and polish. Its intricate scrollwork and expensive looking heirloom doorknob in complete opposition to her own state of dress, not to mention the state of her life. Where that door could take an earthquake and keep standing, she was caught in a current and felt like she was swiftly getting pulled under. “I really think this was a dumb idea. I should just—I should just go now. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time.”
“Kady, wait—”
“I’m sure that you can pick one of the other girls, and they’re probably all really good at having sex and all that,” she continued, not listening to him as she started backing away from the door, him, and this whole mad idea.
“Kady!” he said firmly, taking both her hands and giving her a little shake, forcing her gaze to meet his own, struck by the sincerity in his eyes.
“Wh-what?” she asked, looking up at him.
“The other girls have already left,” he told her then.
“They—what?”
“I’ve already chosen,” he explained, and she stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Dazzle: The Billionaire's Secret Surrogate (Contemporary BWWM Romance) Page 3