Billionaire's Baby Contract (Hawthorne Brothers 1)

Ethan’s eyes narrow. “Why not?”

Because he’s already done so much for me. “Because you’re my boss and – ”

“Which means you do as I say. And I say I’m paying.”

“But – ”

“No buts,” he cuts me off as he raises a finger. “Just consider it my way of thanking you for letting me share your umbrella.”

No way. I open my mouth, about to protest some more, but the look on his face tells me he isn’t going to hear any of it. I let out a sigh instead. I can’t believe I’m getting three boxes of luxurious chocolates just for sharing an umbrella with someone.

Speaking of umbrella…

I glance out the window.

“The rain has stopped,” I observe out loud.

Ethan turns his head as well. “So it has.”

I look at him. Was it just my imagination or did I hear a tinge of disappointment in his voice just now?

“So where to next?” he asks me. “Walk around some more?”

“Actually, I’m getting a bit hungry,” I confess.

I only ate a sandwich, after all, and I’ve walked a lot since then.

“Me too,” Ethan admits.

Come to think of it, I don’t believe he’s eaten today.

He gives me a grin. “Since we’ve already had dessert, what do you say we have dinner?”

~

“That was lovely,” I tell Ethan after dinner as I dab my moist lips with the table napkin.

It may not have been a four-course meal at a fancy restaurant, just a hearty main course – a flavorful pork stew – and a simple dessert – the best apple strudel I’ve ever tasted – at a cozy little place by the side of the road, but it was just as satisfying.

“I know,” Ethan agrees. “I can’t believe I’ve never eaten here before.”

“I can.” I reach for my glass of wine. “Don’t you usually eat in restaurants where they have at least four sets of utensils?”

He leans back in his chair. “Believe it or not, the most expensive meal I’ve had was a single platter of sushi which I ate with a pair of chopsticks.”

“And the least expensive?” I ask curiously after taking a sip.

Ethan touches his chin as he pauses to think.

“I bet you’ve never had a burger and fries from a fast-food chain,” I tell him. “Or eaten at your school cafeteria.”

“I did eat at the school cafeteria, actually.”

I lean forward. “Let me guess. Your school cafeteria had steak, lobster and caviar.”

He chuckles. “I wish it did.”

“So it had soggy tater tots and bland meatloaf?”

His eyebrows crease. “Not exactly.”

I thought so.

“But that doesn’t mean my life has been perfect.”

I know. Losing your mother at twelve and having a father who expects so much from you must be hard. And I have a feeling I’ve just reminded him how hard.

I take a gulp of wine.

What am I doing ruining such a lovely meal?

“At least you have your brothers,” I tell him in an attempt to undo the damage I’ve done. “They’ll be here tomorrow, so you can bring them here.”

“They’ll be busy,” Ethan answers. “We all will be.”

Of course. “But at least you’re all in this together.”

I know they don’t agree on everything. I’ve witnessed some of their disagreements firsthand. But I’ve also seen how much they care for each other and how well they can work together.

“True,” Ethan agrees.

I smile. “I’m envious, actually. Growing up, there were many times I wanted to have even just one sibling. I was supposed to have an elder brother, but he died hours after he was born.”

“You wanted an elder brother?”

“Or a younger sister,” I answer. “So I would have been able to teach her a lot of things and bask in her awe and admiration.”

Ethan grins. “I think you would have made an excellent elder sister.”

I try not to blush at the compliment.

“What about you?” I ask him. “Do you like being the eldest brother?”

He sits up straight. “I don’t like being the eldest son.”

I wasn’t expecting that.

“Because you’re the one who had to take over the company?” I ask.

“I don’t mind that, actually,” he replies. “I do believe I have a knack for business.”

He’s not wrong there.

“If I didn’t have to take over the family company, I think I would have founded my own.”

And been successful, no doubt.

“The company-related responsibilities and expectations I can handle,” Ethan adds. “It’s the personal ones I find taxing.”

“Like?” I ask.

Ethan sighs. “Like my dad nagging me to get married.”

My eyebrows arch. I had no idea that was going on. It would make sense for Ethan to get married, though. He’s already made it to the top of the corporate ladder, so there’s no better time for him to settle down. Besides, he’s thirty-six already. A lot of men get married before they’re even thirty.

Why didn’t that occur to me before? Or was I trying not to think about it because I wanted him to remain a bachelor? Why? Because I was afraid that if he had a family he wouldn’t be able to work as hard? Or was it because of my little crush, which I’m realizing may not be so little after all? Have I been secretly relishing the fact that he’s too busy with work to have a personal life because I don’t want him to pay attention to any woman other than me? Have I secretly been hoping he would never get married?