Christmas Baby for the Billionaire (South Shore Billionaires 1)

He gazed into her eyes for a long moment, then leaned closer, slowly, giving her lots of time to move away, or put a hand on his chest to stop him, or say no. But she couldn’t, because the truth was she wanted him to kiss her. Wanted to feel his lips on hers again. His arms around her without mistletoe overhead or staff meters away.

He touched his lips to hers, and she let out a breath. More of a sigh, really, as his arms came around her and pulled her close. Her mouth opened beneath his and she let him guide her, softly, seductively, no rush. Like they had all the time in the world.

She melted against his chest and tilted her head up a bit, hungry for more. Her wordless request was rewarded with a deeper kiss, more urgency, and the desire that had been a slow burn began to blaze brighter.

This was what had gotten them into this mess in the first place. Not that her baby would ever be a “mess,” but the situation was certainly complicated.

She pulled back a bit, startled by her response to him, needing space to breathe and think.

“I, uh...” That was as far as she got. Actual words weren’t making it from her brain to her mouth.

“I know. It’s not what we expected. Well, actually, it is what I expected when I came back. That we could go out again, have some fun. I think it’s clear that the attraction is still alive and well. We can’t ignore it, you know? Because it’ll crop up from time to time.”

“I can’t deny that, after what just happened.” She moved another step backward. His unflinching tendency to state the obvious was at times refreshing and other times vastly uncomfortable. He liked to deal with problems head-on. She did, too, or so she had thought. Still, highlighting the fact that there was still sexual attraction simmering between them threw her off balance. It wasn’t something they could compartmentalize in a little box, isolated from the situation.

The sad bit of it was, she wanted him to kiss her again, and again, until her head was swimming with it, and the scent of his co

logne, and the feel of his hands on her... Being pregnant hadn’t eradicated her libido. Actually, in this moment, she wondered if it hadn’t increased. She crossed her arms in front of her and tried to ignore the sensations running through her body.

“We’re having a child,” she said, and wondered how many times over the last week she’d said those words. “Where do you see this going? Because we’re going to be tied together for life, do you understand that? If this goes sideways, it could be a disaster.”

But if it didn’t...

A secret want bubbled up in her. What would it be like for them to be a family? The two of them together, their child...more children? She gave herself a mental shake. How would that even work? Once again she reminded herself they were from two very different worlds. That the fairy tale had never been in the equation.

“You think we need to set boundaries. Figure out the what-ifs.”

“Yes,” she said, letting out a huge breath of relief. “That’s it exactly.”

He went to her, took her hand and led her to the sofa. “Come, sit down. I don’t like the idea of us staring each other down like we’re in a negotiation.”

She followed him and sank into the sofa, the cushions cradling her lower back, which had started to bother her a little after the long day.

“You want to know what happens if we try this and one of us walks away. From a romantic relationship,” he clarified. “Not parenthood. We both agree we’re in that for the long haul.”

“Yes. And there are a lot of things to figure out. I live here. You live in New York. How would it work?”

“I actually have an idea about that,” he said, reaching for her hand. He turned on the sofa a bit and tucked his left ankle under his right leg, so he was facing her. “Come to New York with me for a week.”

Her stomach plummeted. “A week? In December? Before Christmas?”

He nodded, undaunted. “Yeah. Christmas in New York is amazing. I can show you the sights... Have you ever been?”

She shook her head. She really hadn’t traveled much of anywhere. One year, in high school, they’d taken the CAT ferry from Yarmouth to Bar Harbor and gone to Old Orchard Beach. The rest of her travel had been east of Toronto.

Jeremy squeezed her fingers. “I’ll take some time off. We can spend it together, figuring things out. With no one interfering.”

So this wasn’t a ploy to convince her to move there, but to give them time away to evaluate? She sighed. “I don’t know...” She pulled away a bit, feeling incredibly overwhelmed with it all. “Jeremy, a week ago I hadn’t even decided how and when to tell you, and now you’re here, and we’re trying to sort out how we’re going to do this, and you’ve kissed me...twice...”

“And you kissed me back,” he said firmly. “If it’s boundaries you’re worried about, then let me put it plainly for you. If for any reason something...more...comes of this, but then either one of us wants to pull the plug, then we can. With the important thing being we do so amicably with the well-being of the baby first and foremost.”

It sounded so simple and logical when he put it that way. Could it really be that easy?

Her heart—and her head—said no.

And yet the man sitting next to her, with the earnest eyes and seriously kissable lips, made her believe yes. The idea of a whole week in New York was enticing. She’d only ever seen videos and pictures of things like the giant Christmas tree in Rockefeller Square, the shops on Fifth Avenue...

“I don’t know, Jeremy,” she whispered. “This—all of this—is so crazy and scary. Everything about my life is changing. Now, talking about going away for a week, together...” She bit down on her lip. “I’m finding it hard to keep up.”