The Baby the Billionaire Demands

Rodrigo scowled, then turned away, staring out the wide windows toward the infinite blue water of the Pacific.

Lola took a deep breath. “Look, if you want out of this marriage—”

“I don’t,” he said, cutting her off.

“Are you sure?” She set her jaw. “Because I’ve packed my bags. If you’re just going to ignore me, I’m taking Jett back to New York. To be with friends.”

Rodrigo slowly reached out to stroke Jett’s hair. Then his dark eyes met hers. “You’re right. I never should have left.”

She sucked in her breath. She hadn’t realized until that moment how tense she’d been. She hadn’t expected Rodrigo to admit fault. He never had before.

“I’ll never abandon you like that again, Lola,” he said quietly. “I give you my word.”

Lola felt a strange sensation in her chest. She’d been so ready for the worst. She cleared her throat. “Oh. Well, good.” Her voice was a little hoarse. “We’re supposed to be a family.”

“I want that, too.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then she turned away.

“Jett’s started to get a tooth, did you see?” Lola pointed at his mouth. The baby, now four and a half months old, was cuddled against her hip, babbling happily to himself as he tried to chew on his pudgy hand. “That’s why he’s drooling. Yesterday, he rolled over for the first time. And he’s gained another pound. His pediatrician says he’s doing great.”

“Look at you, pequeño,” Rodrigo said, putting his hand on the baby’s back. As he moved, his fingertips briefly brushed the bare skin of Lola’s arm. Electricity went through her.

“You missed so much,” she whispered. “I wrote to my sisters.”

“Yes. You sent the gift?”

“Yes.”

“You said how much it cost,” he said dryly. “You didn’t say what it was. A new house?”

The corners of her lips lifted. “I promised to pay for the entirety of their college educations. Medical school, law school, anything they want, at any university in the world.”

His eyes widened. Then he smiled. “Very nice.”

“And I passed my GED.” In spite of her best efforts, hurt filled her voice. “I sent you a message. I wanted you to be proud of me.”

“I was proud. I knew you could do it.”

“But you ignored me!”

“I told Marnie to arrange flowers. Didn’t she send them?”

Her eyes narrowed. “No. She didn’t.”

His jaw, dark with a five o’clock shadow, tightened. “You need to get over your irrational hatred for her, Lola.”

Her eyes went wide. “Irrational!”

“She thought I had the right to know about your past. Both as your employer and as your lover.”

“She’s a smug know-it-all!” Lola thought of all the times Marnie had put her down for her lack of education, implying she wasn’t smart enough for her job. “She wasn’t doing it for your sake. She was trying to get rid of me!”

His expression shuttered. “Stop blaming her for your own bad choices. She’s not the one with half-naked pictures, or who tried to sell herself at eighteen to be a star.”

“I never tried to sell myself!” Lola cried, her hands tightening on her baby, who was fidgeting in her arms.

Rodrigo looked at her incredulously. “I saw the pictures. Why won’t you admit the rest?”