Billionaire's Baby Contract (Hawthorne Brothers 1)

But I have to.

“Leave him alone, Asher,” Ryker says.

“What?” Asher turns to him. “Would you like me to pick a woman for you instead, little brother?”

Ryker frowns. “Stop calling me that.”

I finish my Scotch. “Cut it out, Asher.”

“Fine.” He lets out a sigh. “But promise me that the two of you are going to have some fun in Switzerland.”

“Sure,” Ryker says.

I don’t answer because I don’t make promises I can’t keep. I’m going to Switzerland with one goal in mind – to make sure this acquisition goes through. Then again, who knows? Something tells me things will be more interesting now that I’ve decided to change my plans a bit.

I just have to let Stella know on Monday.

~

“Come in,” I tell Stella after she knocks on the door to my office.

She steps into the room. She’s back in her usual attire – crisp gray dress with a thin black belt around her waist. The strands of her hair are confined in a bun.

Too bad. She really does look better with her hair down. But maybe this is better. Maybe this way, I won’t have a hard time remembering that she’s my assistant even though I know more about her now.

I listen as she informs me about my schedule for the day. As always, when she’s done, she puts the tablet down and meets my gaze.

“Is there anything you would like me to change about that, sir?”

“No. It’s fine.”

Even though I want to take it easy, I still have a lot of things to do to prepare for the trip to Switzerland. Also, I need to take care of some things so the company doesn’t fall apart while I’m gone.

“Anything else I can do for you?” Stella asks next.

“Yes, actually.” I lean forward on my desk and keep my eyes on her face in anticipation of the change in her expression. “I want you to pack your things.”

Her eyebrows arch and her jaw drops. Disappointment spreads over her features.

“Am I… getting fired? If this is because of what happened last…”

“No,” I cut her off. “You’re not getting fired. In fact, I’m giving you a raise.”

Her eyes grow wide. If she’s surprised and thrilled now, I just know she’ll be over the moon when I give her my next bit of news.

I draw a breath. “The reason I’m asking you to pack your things, Stella, is because I’m taking you with me to Switzerland.”

Chapter Three

Stella

Ethan is taking me with him to Switzerland? I can’t believe my ears.

He’s never brought me along on his business trips before. Why now? Why all of a sudden? If he was planning on bringing me along, he could have told me weeks ago. I’ve already made all the arrangements. He didn’t think of it then, so why think of it now? What made him change his mind?

“I know it’s a bit sudden,” Ethan tells me. “But I’ve realized that this trip is even more important than I thought. I’ve never handled an acquisition this big. I want to be prepared for anything, so I need you there.”

Perfectly understandable, but I still can’t bring myself to believe it. My fingers clutch the edges of the tablet in my hands, afraid that like this dream come true I’ve just been handed, it might slip away and shatter.

Can this be real? Is it really alright for me to go to Switzerland with Ethan? I mean, we’ll be traveling together and we might find ourselves alone together. What if I lose my composure again like I did last Friday? What if he notices that I’m attracted to him? What if I make a mistake and embarrass him?

“Of course, if you don’t want to come or if – ”

“I want to come,” I blurt out as I find my voice.

What’s wrong with me? I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this ever since I started working here. I’ve been wanting to travel to Europe ever since I can remember. Why am I hesitating now? What am I so afraid of? So what if Ethan and I are going to Switzerland together? It’s a business trip. We’ll be busy. If ever we’re alone together, we’ll be working. And I won’t lose my composure again. I won’t make any more mistakes.

I clear my throat and hold my chin high as I regain my bearings. “I mean, if you need me there, then I’d be happy to go with you and help you in any way I can… sir.”

Outside, I’m trying my best to stay calm. Inside, I’m bursting with excitement. Fireworks have gone off in my head. My heart is leaping out of my chest, as if wanting to get to Switzerland ahead of me. My toes are curled inside my pumps. My feet are itching to propel my body off the floor, my shoulders yearning to do a little dance.