#Babymachine (Baby Crazy 1)

The butterflies fluttered in my stomach all over again as a woman sitting before massive wooden doors greeted me.

“Good evening, you must be Elizabeth White,” she spoke in a modulated, professional tone.

“Yes, I have a five o’ clock meeting with Mr. Carlton,” came my trembling voice. I cleared my throat resolutely. Don’t sound so nervous! the internal voice scolded again. This is just the receptionist! Keep your wits about you.

The woman smiled kindly, her blonde head gleaming under the lights, headset plugged in almost like it was a part of her.

“Mr. Carlton is expecting you. Go right in please.”

And nodding gratefully, I pushed open the wooden double doors. Simultaneously, the woman shut down her sleek silver computer, and carefully removed her earpiece, placing it in a locked drawer. Hmm, was she leaving? Evidently so, because the receptionist grabbed her purse out of the top drawer and stood, smiling like a professional robot.

“If anything comes up, please reach out to night reception. Take care.”

That answered my question.

And with quick footsteps, the woman departed, the floor eerily still afterwards.

Oh well.

On to meet the King.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside the CEO’s office, legs shaking.

“Hi –” came my breathless greeting. But there wasn’t much more than that because oh my God, the office was bigger than my entire apartment.

Luxurious with high ceilings and huge picture frame windows, there was a sprawling view of Manhattan below. The sunset spilled in, illuminating the simple but undeniable signs of Mr. Carlton’s wealth. The cutting edge computer on his desk. An actual diamond studded pen near his hand. A colorful painting on the wall that looked like it belonged in a museum.

I’d never seen a place like this outside of a movie. My hands twisted together with nerves and honestly, a panic attack roiled in the pit of my stomach. This wasn’t really happening, was it? Me, Beth White, had never been to a place like this. I did some subtle deep breathing and forced myself to calm down.

“Hi, Mr. Carlton.” I stammered out a hello while trying not to stare. My eyes flickered back and forth uncertainly before landing on the gorgeous man behind the desk.

But that just made it worse.

Because the billionaire was undeniably commanding. Dressed in a black suit, an ice blue tie brought out the glacier-like edge of those azure eyes. Plus, the broad shoulders were even more imposing here in this big office, with strong arms and long, powerful legs.

“Glad you made it,” he rumbled, like everything was normal. Of course, I was having a panic attack while he was experiencing a walk in the park. “Come in and make yourself comfortable.”

But I couldn’t stop staring at the view to obey.

“It’s so beautiful,” came my low murmur, half in a trance.

I looked out to the bustling streets below, unable to imagine the kind of wealth that could afford a place like this. Finally, my eyes tore away from the cityscape to look straight into his eyes.

The billionaire wasn’t smiling. He was eating me up with that gaze, eyes running hotly all over my body. The flush was immediate, making my nips go hard, insides gushing with warmth.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” the billionaire drawled lazily. “So gorgeous.”

Did he mean me? Immediately, my heart started racing at a million miles an hour then. Oh god. If I was going to have a panic attack before, then now it was even worse. I was going to have a panic attack combined with a heart attack, a double whammy for the ages. Blushing furiously, I bit my lip and looked down. Could he mean me? Was it possible?

But there was no time to find out because the big man merely smiled enigmatically, gesturing to a giant glass table in the middle of his office.

“Should we get started?” came that amused drawl.

Oh god! That’s right, I was here to teach. Immediately, my curvy form bustled into motion.

“Of course,” I said hastily, sitting down and pulling out my notes and books. “Of course, of course.”

And as Mr. Carlton lowered that massive frame into a chair, I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. He was so big and imposing. So totally unperturbed. His blue eyes sparkled with humor and something else that scared me a little. But it excited me too. Are all powerful men like this? Making you feel nervous and turned on at once?

I almost swallowed my tongue when he leaned forwards subtly, getting comfortable. And even though it was the end of the work day, that masculine scent drifted to my nostrils, like fresh laundry mixed with a musky male fragrance.

Focus, came the stern voice from inside. Focus, girl. Don’t get lost in his cologne.

Okay. Here we go.

Opening one of the books to a page on female anatomy, I pointed to a bookmarked image and tried not to blush. Again. Taking a deep breath, the words began to flow.