The Breeder

by Lynne Silver

  “You’re the Breeder,” the woman answered, as if it were obvious. She stuck a thermometer under my tongue before I could get any more questions out. A flexible sticky patch was slapped over my heart to get the rest of my vitals. I knew the drill and sat quietly to not interfere with the results.

  A second later, she removed the patch and attached it to her electronic tablet, which displayed the results. I waited. She didn’t seem disposed to share anything with me. I was aware of a similar drill happening on the other side of the bed. I grinned over at Ethan, who sat on the edge of the bed watching the male doctor.

  Finally both doctors seemed satisfied with their data and started packing up their equipment. “How soon could you tell if she’s pregnant?” Ethan asked.

  “Within forty-eight hours of conception,” the female doctor replied then turned to me. “You’ve been taking your vitamins and supplements?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. You’re setting the right pace for success. Three incidents of intercourse within twelve hours is excellent.” She glanced at Ethan. “We have supplements for you, if you need assistance.” Her eyes flickered to Ethan’s lower body then back to me. She glanced at her watch. “It’s been eight hours since the last attempt. You should probably engage once we leave.”

  I felt my jaw lower and looked to see how Ethan was handling the news we were being watched. He didn’t look at all disturbed. As soon as the apartment was cleared of medical personnel, I turned to him. “Are there—”

  “Hang on,” he said, standing and reaching for my hand. He tugged me into the bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water was hot, we stepped inside. “We can talk privately in here, but I’m sure they’re watching.”

  My head swiveled as I scanned the small stall, trying to see cameras. Ethan’s back was to the water stream, and moisture beaded on his chest.

  “Why are you shocked?” he asked me. “Did you really think they’d leave the Breeder on her own? It’s for your own safety. What if I turned out to be abusive? They couldn’t risk their most precious asset.”

  I put my palms flat on his chest and leaned my cheek to his skin. “It makes sense. I guess I felt private here. Special. Like we were the only two people in the world. I know everyone saw us during yesterday’s big show, but today I don’t like knowing strangers are watching us. It was one thing to allow it yesterday for the world, but that was ceremonial. This month belongs to us.”

  His strong arms came around my body, squeezing me in a warm hug. Hot water sluiced down, getting caught where our bodies connected. “When this is over and you’re pregnant with my child, I’ll take you to my farm where we’ll have as much privacy as we want.”

  I couldn’t imagine it. I hadn’t been truly private since getting my period six years ago. Living on a rural farm sounded like heaven, and I knew if anyone had the resources to make it happen it was him. But not even Ethan Green could change the laws of succession if I didn’t get pregnant by him. I smiled up at his compelling face. When I was fourteen, I’d been positive he was the most handsome boy in the universe. Now I wasn’t sure if he was handsome. I didn’t have enough experience or data to make a judgment, but to me, Ethan’s face was beyond appealing. “I’d like that,” I said and leaned up to kiss him.

  He caught me in a tight embrace, backing me up against the shower wall. My legs came around him and I guessed we were about to make love again. I guessed correctly.

  Chapter Five

  Two weeks later

  I sat on the edge of the bed waiting for my vitals to be taken. I’d learned the female doctor’s name was Doctor Judith and the man was Doctor Brown. “Hmm.” Judith stared intently at her tablet then back at me.

  “What is it?” Ethan asked sharply.

  She didn’t answer him. She walked to me and reached for my arm, syringe in hand. My skin was bared to her. We were naked, as usual. I didn’t think we’d been dressed for more than a few hours in the past weeks, and then only to host a visit from Zoe, who’d given birth and was pushing for the freedom to move to her own apartment near mine in Windy City. I’d asked Ethan to see if he could pull strings. I had complete faith he could.

  Despite our frequent sex schedule, he spent much of his day working and making calls to run his farm or investments. He never said anything, but I could tell he was antsy to get out of the apartment and get back to his real life. His only stumbling block was his refusal to leave without me, but it couldn’t happen unless...

  Doctor Judith painlessly drew some blood and placed it on a slide for analysis on her tablet. I held my breath and reached for Ethan’s hand. We didn’t have long to wait. After a few minutes, Judith shook her head at Doctor Brown.

  “I’m... I’m not pregnant?”

  She didn’t need words to tell me. It was all detailed in her sour look. My fingers went bloodless as I squeezed Ethan’s hand. He tugged it out of my death grip and stood.

  “But her ovulation is scheduled to start today,” Doctor Judith said quickly in a meager attempt to offer assurances.

  “Good to know, but you need to leave now,” Ethan said, a military general firing orders at a cadet. Even naked, he radiated power and the doctors yielded to his authority. They may have been government representatives, but in this apartment, he was king. He followed them out the door then returned to the bedroom where I huddled under the comforter in a tight ball.

  “Jane, look at me.” He sat, then picked me up and plunked me on his lap. His strength overwhelmed me. “I’m going to take care of this,” he said. “I promise.”

  “How? We only have two weeks left, and then I’m scheduled for my week off between candidates while I menstruate.”

  “Two weeks is a long time. I’m not worried. And she said you’re ovulating.” His large hand rubbed circles on my back and I curled into him.

  He might not have been worried, but I was panicking. “Ethan, you’re a wealthy man, but you can’t change laws. At least not in two weeks. Either I get pregnant or you go back to the farm and candidate number two moves in.” I could feel a sob welling up, threatening to burst. The skin on my chest was red and blotchy.

  “Jane, we’ll figure something out. I swear.”

  I wanted to believe him, but I had twenty years of living in this country. The Breeder ceremony and laws were sacred. One man, even one as rich and powerful as Ethan, couldn’t change the laws. Could he?

  Two weeks later

  He hadn’t packed. I stepped out of the shower and eyed the razor on the glossy white tiled counter. The doctors would show up any minute along with a government representative to make the changeover to candidate number two if today’s pregnancy test was negative. I knew Ethan had a plan, not that he’d shared it with me. His confidence impressed me, but I had my doubts.

  His face appeared in the mirror behind me. I smiled at his reflection. “Good morning.”

  He leaned down to plant a row of kisses on the side of my damp neck. “You’re still worried. Don’t be.”

  I turned, getting the damp blue terry-cloth towel caught between our bodies. “How can I not be? You might leave today.”

  He cradled my face in his large palms. “I’m not going anywhere without you.” Our stares remained locked, each trying to convey something silently to the other. Finally I broke away and went in search of my clothes. Ethan went to the living room to await our unwanted visitors. We’d agreed to hold negotiations on neutral territory outside the intimacy of our bedroom. We’d also agreed to not be naked. Which meant I had to hurry.

  Despite my rush, Ethan was already talking to two unfamiliar government representatives when I emerged into the living room. Doctors Judith and Brown huddled behind the couch trying not to look as though they were eavesdropping on Ethan’s intent discussion. They frowned slightly when I walked in the room, because now they’d have to go to work. There was no reason for them to exami
ne Ethan today. I was their target.

  I held out my arm, walking toward them, ready for the pinprick of pain when they took their sample of blood. As soon as they had what they needed, I walked to the front of the sofa and sat next to Ethan. He was dressed in business attire, the first day I’d seen him dressed in such. I rather liked it and felt bad for dampening and wrinkling the shirt when I’d hugged him straight from the towel. The clothes gave him armor. He wasn’t my Ethan dressed in them. He was farm owner and successful investor Ethan Green.

  I was almost afraid to approach such a distinguished man, but he wrapped his arm around my shoulders as soon as I drew close, reminding me we were a unit. I didn’t wait to be addressed or to hear how the negotiations were going before I blurted out my plan. “I won’t cooperate.”

  Three sets of eyes turned to me. Ethan’s arm stiffened on my shoulder. “If I’m not pregnant, I won’t spread my legs for the next candidate. I want to stay with Ethan.”

  “Jane, I have this,” Ethan said in a low voice. “We’re coming to an agreement.” He gave his chin a jerk toward the two middle-aged representatives from the government. One was a tall male, dressed in a dark suit with a black leather briefcase at his feet. The other was a petite woman with caked on makeup in an obvious attempt to appear like a mature woman.

  “She won’t have to cooperate with candidate number two,” announced a voice from the back of the room, where the doctors had retreated to set up their mini laboratory. “She’s pregnant,” Doctor Brown said.

  My entire body froze as if an invisible seatbelt had clicked into place. I was pregnant. My body carried Ethan’s baby. Tears started streaming down my cheeks, but I barely noticed as I threw my arms around Ethan.

  The two government officials had stood and were grinning and shaking hands as though they were personally responsible for solving the human reproduction problem. I couldn’t speak. I clung to Ethan and sobbed with relief. My shoulders shook as I wiped my entire face against the pale blue material of his dress shirt.

  “An escort will be sent tomorrow morning to transport you to Mr. Green’s farm,” the government man said, but I barely heard him. I let him and Ethan work out the details while I cried and grinned madly, unleashing my strong reaction against his poor shirt, which would likely never recover from the salty tears and snot.

  It seemed to take forever before everyone left and Ethan and I were finally alone, standing in front of the low boxy sofa. “We did it,” I said, my words bouncing off the walls like a cheerleader’s. I beamed at him but was startled when he didn’t smile back. “Ethan, why aren’t you happy? I’m pregnant, we’re free to go live on your farm.”

  My happiness melted like the top of a child’s ice cream cone on a hot summer day as I took in his serious, uncompromising face. He shook his head at me and led me to the bathroom, where he turned the shower on so we could talk privately. Some drops of cold water splashed onto my arm and caused me to feel icy with dread.

  “You’re not pregnant,” he said.

  I blinked. Surely I misheard him. Why was he denying the doctor’s claim?

  “I paid off Doctor Brown.”

  “What?” What?

  His arms reached for me, but I slapped at him.

  “I paid Doctor Brown to lie and falsify the test,” he said, his words as calm as the shallow canal that ran behind my school.

  “I’m not pregnant,” I said, testing out the words.

  “No.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I couldn’t take it in. A glance in the mirror showed my face was red with tracks of tears intersecting. Ethan’s lie and betrayal hit me with the force of a truck.

  “I wanted your reaction to be more authentic,” he said.

  “Oh it was, all right. It was so authentic, I believed it myself.” A fresh round of tears started. “What are we going to do now?”

  He grabbed me by my upper arms and bent until our faces were inches apart. “We’re going to do what we planned. We’re going to live on my farm and make a baby. We needed more time, and that’s what I got us. I bought us more time.”

  I swallowed over the egg-size lump in my throat. “What if we fail? What if I don’t get pregnant?”

  His fingers dug into my skin. “Don’t talk like that. We will get pregnant. But if not, Doctor Brown will return to claim you miscarried. You’ll get time to recover while I come up with another plan to keep you.”

  The back of my thighs found the bathroom counter and I used it to prop me up since my own legs weren’t handling the job. I tried to process everything Ethan had told me and landed on the most minor of details. “So what were you discussing so hot and heavy with the government officials when I came into the living room?” I asked.

  “I was putting up a good fake front,” he said. “I threw around my money and position to get them thinking I was trying to negotiate another month with you.” He gave a laugh like a dog trying to rid his throat of grass. “Surprisingly, it was working. I was actually making headway.”

  “You were?”

  He nodded and smiled, tipping his head to look at me closely. “I’m sorry I lied, Jane, but I couldn’t think of another way. Now we have time. Now we can stay together.” He stepped closer for a hug, and I clung to him, my mind spinning with the implications of what Ethan had done. For me.

  I wrapped my arms around his lean waist and squeezed, trusting him to keep me safe. Tomorrow we’d leave for his farm and the real world where I’d share him. No more long days naked in our private apartment, free to enjoy each other’s bodies whenever the mood struck. He’d have work responsibilities, and I’d have a huge one of my own. To get pregnant.

  At that moment the door buzzed again. “Who could that be?” I asked.

  “Stay here,” he said and went to go answer the door. I ignored Ethan’s order and followed him to the living room.

  Doctor Brown stood in the entry fiddling with his tablet.

  “Did you forget something?” Ethan asked.

  The doctor gave a faint smile. “Yes. I forgot to tell you that I didn’t falsify the pregnancy test.” He directed his next words to me. “You’re really pregnant.”

  I leaped for Ethan, who was making his own leap toward me, and we met to wrap each other in a tight unyielding hug.

  “You’re mine,” he murmured in my ear. “For always.”

  Epilogue

  I eyed the lumpy oatmeal that Zoe was feeding to her daughter, Chloe, and my stomach lurched at the food, which looked suspiciously like...urp. I made a dash for the open grass off the porch where we’d been eating breakfast. Yep, I’d lost my breakfast again.

  Instead of looking contrite or worried, Zoe laughed. “Your little boy doesn’t like the smell of oatmeal.”

  “Mama vomit,” my son, Jonah, announced.

  “Vomit,” Chloe echoed, banging her spoon on the table like a good three-year-old.

  I weakly walked back up the porch steps, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My foot was lifting to make the second step when strong hands grabbed me from behind, lifting me to carry me to my chair. Or rather, to a chair that now had Ethan as its base, and me ensconced in his lap.

  “Is this normal?” he barked at Zoe. “I’m calling a doctor.”

  Zoe smiled, a brighter smile now that she was living on Ethan’s farm with us, safely away from Chloe’s cruel, abusive father. “It’s normal. Some say lots of nausea is a good thing. Means the pregnancy is strong.”

  “She didn’t throw up this much with Jonah,” he said, still looking worried.

  “I’m fine, Ethan,” I said, leaning back against his chest and cupping his cheek with my palm. The doctors who’d come out last week had done some genetic testing, which was how we knew we were going to have another son.

  Zoe and I were already jokingly planning a wedding between Chloe and my Jonah. Now she need
ed to hurry up her flirtation with Ethan’s farm manager so she could have a second child. We joked about planning weddings, but a deep-seated tiny kernel of hope existed within.

  There were rumors of an experimental medicine in India that was intended to induce puberty in girls. If it worked, the Breeding system would die out. Chloe wouldn’t be given to a man on a public stage and would be free to marry Jonah or another man of her choosing.

  I hoped for her sake the rumors were true. Not that the Breeder system was all bad. For me, it had been the best thing. It had brought me to Ethan, the love of my life.

  “For someone who just lost her breakfast all over the lawn, you’re pretty happy,” Ethan said, cuddling me closer.

  “I am happy. How could I not be? I have you.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE ROSWELL AFFAIR by Anne Bordeaux.

  Acknowledgments

  Huge shout-out to my writing buddies, Kerri Carpenter, Carlene Love, Alison Aimes, and my readers, the amazing Silver Divas. I couldn’t do this without all of you, and I wouldn’t want to. Thank you so much to the team at Carina Press.

  About the Author

  Lynne Silver is the author of sexy contemporary romance novels such as the popular Alpha Heroes and Coded for Love series. She enjoys traveling and exploring new cities. She has a slight (huge) addiction to donuts, fancy purses, romance novels and video games. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two sons. She loves connecting with readers, so please find her on social media and sign up for her newsletter.

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  Also available from Lynne Silver:

  UNWORTHY, Book One in THE WORTHY series.

  Copyright © 2016 by Lynne Silver

  His best friend’s little sister... Off limits.