by Sam Crescent
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2021 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0333-6
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
BABY FOR TWO
Curvy Women Wanted, 27
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2021
Chapter One
“This is crazy. Insane.” Meredith Shaw sat back and glanced around the café. Two hours ago, she’d sat behind a sperm bank, ready to go in and make herself an appointment. At thirty-five years old with no daddy prospects in sight, she was in a stable enough position to not need a man to help her get what she wanted. A baby. She wanted to be a mother so badly.
So far, she hasn’t been all that lucky in that department.
She’d never been the kind of person men wanted or fought to get their hands on. All of her life, she’d been considered boring, which was one of the many reasons she’d simply thrown herself into her work.
“Is it, really?” Jared Peltzer, recent stranger and soon-to-be baby daddy, said.
She brought her attention back to him. “You need to ask me that? We’ve known each other what? Two hours, and we’re writing up plans for a baby. You don’t know me and I don’t know you.”
“You want a baby, don’t you?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“So do I.” He pointed at the papers on the table. “This makes perfect sense. You want to keep getting someone else’s sperm. It doesn’t just work the once, you know.” He held his hands out. “Yes, I know, some people just get lucky, but what if we’re not those people?”
He made a damn good argument. She didn’t want to have to deal with disappointment, not again.
“I need more coffee,” she said.
“When the baby comes, you can’t have any.”
She glared at him. “Right now, no baby is happening.” She climbed out of the booth. “Do you want one?”
“Yes, please, but don’t worry, when you’re pregnant, I’ll join you in not drinking at all.”
“You’re so nice.”
“Almost too nice.” He winked at her.
She rolled her eyes and made her way to the counter, ordering them both the same, paying, and carrying them back to the booth.
Sitting down, she took a sip, not minding the hot liquid that scolded her throat on the way down. She needed to do something, anything, right now, to take her mind off this crazy train.
It was insane.
Completely. Totally. Insane.
“Okay, let’s break this down again.”
He groaned. “Do we have to?”
“Yes. This is important. You don’t just go out and make a baby without thinking of all the consequences.”
Jared snorted. “Do you live under a rock? It’s what a lot of people do.”
“Not everyone.” She ignored his eye roll. “We both want to have a baby. If we’re successful, we will share custody?”
“Yes, or you can move in with me. I’m not picky.”
“No, no, I really do like my own space, and besides, it’ll be good for our baby to know we both live separate lives and well, we can make it work for them.” She smiled just thinking about it. She didn’t care, boy or girl. Just a healthy baby.
Wanting a child wasn’t some kind of reaction to a body clock ticking. No, this was a burning desire to finally be a mother. She’d always imagined herself being a wife, having a bunch of kids around while she made chocolate chip cookies. It would be fabulous, but it hadn’t been in the cards for her.
Rather than cry about it, though, she was positive and happy.
It was all she could be when this was her only option. The last boyfriend she had was over four years ago, and that hadn’t lasted long. He’d broken her heart, saying some cruel things in the process.
“This all sounds good to me, but you know we’re not going to know everything until our baby comes.”
Every time he said our baby, she got a little fluttering in her stomach.
“Before we move onto the … er … actual way of conceiving, why do you need this?”
He frowned. “I want a baby.”
“I know, but, don’t you have, like, a slew of women waiting for you?” This man was hot on a big scale. The suit, rather than making him look stuffy, made him look calm, collected, and put-together. There was no doubt about it, he was ripped. She didn’t know any personal details about him, other than his age and name.
He didn’t know anything about her either.
“Ah, you think I can have any woman?”
“Well, you do look … amazing.” Now her face was on fire. This couldn’t be any more embarrassing, or maybe it could. She honestly didn’t know anymore. For all she knew, this could be mortifying.
“It’s good to know the future mother of my child thinks I look okay.”
“Stop, you know you’re hot.”
“I do, and I have to say, you’re not too bad yourself.”
Now he was lying. “Can we stay on track please?” She’d been called a lot of things in her life, but hot wasn’t one of them. “I think we need to talk about conception.”
“I want to go natural,” he said.
This time, she frowned. “What?”
“You heard me. I approached you, and I don’t want anything to be scientific or mechanical. When you and I conceive this baby, it’s going to be because we want to.” He winked at her. “What do you say, baby momma? Do you want to sleep with me for this baby?”
Her heart raced.
Sex.
Again, that had been even longer than her last boyfriend. Yep, that was what was so mortifying. He hadn’t wanted to sleep with her. She was a wonderful person, he’d said, sweet and kind, and an amazing cook, but he didn’t want to have sex with her. She reminded him of his sister and that just grossed him out.
She’d been thrown that card so many times, she wasn’t surprised she didn’t have some kind of sign over her that marked her as unlovable. It would make total sense if it did.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.” There was no way they’d get their baby if that was how he wanted to conceive.
****
This had to be the single most insane thing he’d ever done.
Jared wanted a kid, sure. He’d gone to the sperm bank as he didn’t exactly know how to go about getting a surrogate mom, or whatever the hell that all was. At forty years old, he wanted to be a dad so badly.
All his life, he’d been dedicated to his work. Where his family had an empire of their own, he’d been able to do the same but with software. Over the last twenty years, he’d expanded and was now the proud owner of his own corporation, rivaling that of his family. They were proud, of course. His two brothers and three sisters, all younger than him, had stayed within the family business.
They’d all be laughing at him now. To keep his desires to a minimum, he’d purposefully gone out of his way to
find a place that wouldn’t know who he was or what he did for a living. Being a successful millionaire within his own right came with a whole load of problems.
For instance, some of the women he knew only wanted him for his money. This was one of the many things that made him different from the rest of his family. Where they only cared about money and power, joining like-minded families, he’d inherited a gene that said he actually cared about people.
Staring at Meredith, he couldn’t help but find her beautiful.
She didn’t wear any makeup, all natural. No breast implants or ballooned lips, Again, this was all common within his circle of friends. His family would turn their noses up at someone like Meredith.
Jared hoped to have all the details he needed about this woman soon. He adored the way her cheeks heated and she kept pushing strands of blonde hair out of the way. He could see himself fisting those golden locks as he pounded inside her.
Her body. Fuck. The moment she removed her jacket to showcase a pair of jeans and a sweater that molded to every single perfect curve, he’d been drooling ever since. It amazed him how he was able to hold a conversation. All he wanted to do was take her to the nearest hotel and fuck her brains out. Once wouldn’t be enough either. Hell, no, he was going to need a lot more time to win this woman’s heart.
He wanted her so badly, but he kept his thoughts to himself, instead watching her and smiling as she enchanted him.
She sipped at her coffee and he had to wonder why no one had stolen this beauty. Not that he wouldn’t win her back—he would.
The moment he saw her today, leaning against her car, staring up at the building, he’d just swooped in and taken the chance. Now as he sat opposite her, there was no way in hell he was masturbating into a cup when sex sounded so much more appealing.
“Why isn’t it a good idea?”
“We don’t know each other,” she said.
“So? You think everyone who sleeps together knows each other? Believe me, they don’t, and I can guarantee they have a whole lot of fun in the process.” He winked at her, hoping in some weird way to put her at ease. It didn’t work.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” She reached out to take her coat, and he didn’t want her to leave.
Putting a hand on her arm, he had no choice but to turn on the charm. “Stay, please. Look, I know I’ve been a little forward, but if we’re going to go back to use cold materials, then why not call this quits? You want a child, I want a child, and I think we can come up with a great plan that will satisfy us both. I’ve got no one in my life and I’m guessing you don’t either, otherwise, you wouldn’t be going to a sperm bank. Doing this the natural way feels right to me. Our child will have so much love, so why not give them a good start?” He had no idea what the fuck he was saying.
He could charm the pants off of billionaires, rub shoulders with royalty, and not fucking once could he get beneath this woman’s skin.
“Do you want to be spread on a table when they, you know, do that kind of stuff?”
She started to chuckle. “You know, you’ve got quite the way with words, in a rather strange way.”
“It’s what I go for.”
Meredith took another sip of her coffee. “Look, I know you mean well, but me and … sex, it never works out.”
He stared at her. Clearly, he hadn’t heard right.
She pushed some hair out of her eyes. “I’m not very good in bed. I don’t tend to inspire enough desire for a man to … complete. They don’t like making love to me at all.” Her face had gone an even deeper shade of red.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“No, it’s true. You have no idea how many times I’ve been told I remind someone of their sister.” She looked down at the table.
“I have sisters, and believe me, Meredith, you don’t remind me of them at all.”
She licked her lips. “I don’t want to be in pain anymore. I haven’t had a good track record with relationships, and I just feel if we get all personal, you’re not going to want to have a kid with me.”
He reached over the table. “Meredith Shaw, there is no one else I’d want a child with more. How about we do a full physical? I can prove to you I’m healthy, and I want to have this baby the right way.” And he so badly wanted to get into her pants, it was unreal. He hadn’t had a woman do this to him in a very, very, long time, in fact, not at all.
Meredith was the first woman who made him lose his mind.
Chapter Two
One week later
Meredith tried to rub out the wrinkles in her shirt, but nothing was moving or sticking, or doing anything she wanted.
This was a mess. A big, old, fat mess.
She tried to rearrange her bun, but again, not working. Pushing some hair out of her eyes, she glanced in the mirror and frowned. She looked like a stern teacher. Quickly, she removed the clip from her hair and allowed the locks to fall all around her face.
“This is so stupid.”
It had been a week since she’d made the arrangement with Jared. Since then, she’d talked herself out of being a mother to his baby at least a hundred times. She’d gotten the full physical and of course, she was healthy, for the most part. The doctor still liked to complain about her weight and she got the usual spiel of losing extra pounds.
Doctors sucked.
Pushing the meeting to the back of her mind, she took several deep breaths while Jared rang the doorbell another two times.
Finally, when she’d composed herself enough, she opened the door, offering him a smile. “Hi.”
“I don’t like the security here. You know the man at the front desk just let me come right up? No looking at my ID. Nothing. I have to complain,” Jared said. “Security must always come first.”
She took his jacket. “That was Phill on the door, and he knew who you were. I showed him your picture and asked if he’d send you right up.” She nibbled on her lip. “The security here is good, I promise. Phill is a great guy. A dad to three girls and he takes all of our safety seriously.”
There had been a story of a rape and murder a couple of blocks away, and no one got past Phill now. One woman’s boyfriend on the floor above her was nearly arrested when he refused to show his ID. It was why she’d taken the cautious step of showing Phill Jared’s picture, so she wouldn’t have to be embarrassed.
“Oh,” he said. “I’ll be leaving a tip.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I do.” Jared smiled. “Nice place.”
“Thank you.” She prided herself on her apartment. It was two bedrooms. Right now, the second bedroom was her workspace where she had endless projects on the go. As he hung up his jacket, she caught the designer label, but she didn’t react. Jared clearly had a lot of money, not that she cared.
She owned three haberdashery shops all around the city. Each shop was doing amazingly well. She had an online store as well. Whenever she saw an opportunity, she expanded.
Her love of sewing and crafting was evident around her apartment. She was the one who made the quilts, the throws for the sofa, and she’d even covered old chairs with beautiful new fabrics. She liked to create, and when she wasn’t working, her time was spent doing what she loved. What she wanted to do was make some baby blankets and little onesies. She wanted a baby so badly. For a long time, she’d waited to see if the right man would come along. No one came and this was her final resort.
Again, this was another of those areas where people felt she was too old for them. Spending her time quilting and sewing, she’d had a few people berate her over the years. She’d never been a party animal.
“I got the results from my exam,” she said, brushing past him. “Here they are.” She picked up the letter and handed it to him.
“I got mine as well.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.
She opened it up and saw he was all clean.
“Right, so we’re both good to have … sex,” she said. Damn, did s
he just whisper the last word? This was mortifying. In her apartment stood a man who probably was used to women throwing themselves at him, and she couldn’t even talk normally in front of him. “Do you want a drink? Hot chocolate? Wine?”
She winced. The wine was a cheap bottle for the occasional glass.
“I’d love a hot chocolate. Your apartment is great. It’s very cozy.”
“Thank you.” She escaped to the kitchen. After grabbing the bottle of wine, she poured herself a glass and took a large gulp before starting on his hot chocolate.
“Do I make you that nervous?” he asked.
She spun around to find him leaning up against the doorway.
“You weren’t supposed to see that.”
“Is that a problem?” he asked. The humor in his gaze made her aware he was having a joke with her.
“Very funny. No. It’s not every single day I have a guy who’s waiting to have sex with me.”
“There, you said the S-E-X word without whispering.” He winked at her. She put the bottle back into the fridge and took out some milk.
“How do you want to do this?” she asked.
“We get naked and we have some fun. You know, the normal way.”
She spilled milk over the side of the pan. What was this man doing to her?
“No, I know what you mean. I’ve had sex before.” Not good sex, and it was so boring, but she’d experienced it. “I think I need to go to a clinic and they can help me judge when I’ll be at my most fertile. I can call you, or you can have like an alert on your phone.”
“Hell, no.” He held his hands up, wrinkling his nose. “Not going to happen. Not even funny. I don’t want any part of this to be like a machine. We’re going to make love, Meredith. Not to a timer or a chart, but with each other. Do you not find me attractive?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re not saying that you are?”
“Please, don’t. I’m not used to this.”