AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The answer was automatic. "More than my own life."
"Then how can you exploit the loss of mine?" he thundered, fiery emotion blazing. “How could you remind me of what I almost had… what I lost.” The last words were but a whisper, pure grief.
The oxygen thinned in the room, awash with a million unshed tears. She had to fight, had to keep chaotic emotions from overwhelming her. His fury was warranted, for only a truly cruel person could exploit such a tragedy, yet was she doing worse by not immediately telling him about Jeanie? Guilt sliced through her, indecision and uncertainty muddying every path. No – she needed to protect her daughter, and that meant waiting to tell him until she had time to consider her new reality. “Mr. Bancroft, I’m so very sorry. I obviously came under false pretenses, and your comments were completely understandable. I’ll let myself out.” She pivoted towards the door.
She didn't make it far.
A hand brushed across her arm, igniting an electric spark. Sensual awareness rocked her body. “Wait.” His eyes danced with suspicion. “What are you up to?”
Had she imagined he would just let her go? She stared up at a mountain of power. “Nothing. I thought about what you said, and I felt guilty. We reporters do have consciences, you know.” She shrugged, feigning cool indifference that could not be further from the truth. “Your story just tugged at mine.”
“You’re lying again.”
Laura nearly stumbled. He grasped her arm with one large hand, easily encircling her as he steadied her. Once more his eyes flashed withsomething. Did he feel the current between them, just below the surface, far beyond the quest? Something indescribable, an inexplicable connection unlike any before?
No.She couldn’t succumb to whatever this was. She pulled back, smoothed invisible wrinkles from her inexpensive suit. She should expect perceptiveness from a man who made his first million by the time he reached twenty, his first billion by twenty-five. But now she had to get past it, had to convince him her story was true. “I thought you’d be happy. I'm not going to write an article, and I'm certainly not going to blackmail you. Please believe me.”
Aidan tilted his head back. Slowly, he spoke, “Even if you're telling the truth, I still don’t understand. You come in here with a story worth a fortune, and now you’re going to walk away? I’m putting two and two together and not coming out with four.”
Laura shuddered under the man’s heavy gaze. At least he wasn’t putting one and one together and coming up with three. She fought the urge to tell him everything, to give in to his demands. Although he probably wouldn't believe the truth, what if he did? Likely, he would control everything about her and Jeanie’s life from that moment forward. She needed time to ponder her choices before making a move. “There’s nothing,” she said slowly, “except for what I’ve already told you. I have to go.”
The man in front of her did not move, an insurmountable obstacle seizing all power. And judging by his solid form, she had no hope of getting past him should he not wish it. "You're playing with fire.” He moved closer, crowding her. "I performed three hostile takeovers from corrupt executives this morning, and that was just business. But this… this is personal."
Laura notched up her chin. "This isn't a hostile takeover."
"Is that right?" he drawled with complete control. “Are you certain?”
No. Not really. Not even a little.
Suddenly he relaxed, and his lips rose, forming what could only be called a smile. It created an extraordinary transformation, an astounding change that stole her breath. It revealed what lay beneath his powerful and cool exterior – the beauty, the wisdom, the power. Soft lines appeared around his eyes, telling her that despite what she had seen today, this was a man who liked to smile. What would it be like if they met in different circumstances?
“I don’t know why, but for some reason I believe you won’t print my story.”
Story? Still dazed from the smile, Laura fought to return to the present. Ah yes, the story he thought she was writing. Relief slipped through the chaos unnerving her mind.
“But–” He held up his finger. “I know there’s something more. If it has anything to do with me, I’m going to find out.”
Laura's breath hitched. Little Jeanie had more to do with him than he could ever imagine. Nodding as her only response, she inched around the tycoon, grateful when he allowed it, even as he watched her every step. She walked through the beautiful house, to her sensible yet cheap car, away from a life of privilege and power to the everyday world. Moments later, she sped along a well-packed highway, amidst images of Aidan Bancroft and what he might do when he found out he was a father.
How could this happen? How could the clinic make such a mix up? Most of all, how could she let him affect her like that? She breathed deeply, giving herself exactly ten seconds to ponder her completely ridiculous attraction. It would be a massive mistake to let that play a part in this. Clearly nothing could ever come of it. No matter how strong his biceps, powerful his demeanor or tight his–Stop!Time to focus on the true issue here: her daughter.
So putting his biceps completely, 100% totally behind her forever, or at least to the side for the next thirty seconds, she pondered her next move. She could keep the secret hidden and attempt to forget all about the father of her child, yet that path possessed numerous disadvantages. Even if she could forget about the powerful man(Chances: Somewhat less likely than her winning the lottery. Twice. Without even buying a ticket.),Mr. Bancroft promised to uncover any secrets related to him. If he dug deep enough, he’d have no difficulty discovering the truth. If he found the fertility clinic and asked the wrong questions, he’d get the right answers.
Even more importantly, was it right to keep a man from his child, a daughter from her father? Obviously, Aidan valued fatherhood, and from his words, he would want to be part of Jeanie’s life. Was it fair to rob him – and Jeanie – of that? Finally, there remained the issue of the medical records.
Only exposure could turn her and Jeanie’s lives upside down. She never regretted the decision to have a baby by herself. Everyone had showered her with doubts, unable to understand why a happy single woman would want a child without a husband. She had always imagined she would wait for Mr. Right, but when he had not yet come (as had every Mr. Wrong, Mr. So-Wrong-It’s-Scary, and Mr. No-One-Is-This-Desperate Wrong) Laura had not wanted to wait any longer. She never regretted the precious child who was her dream come true.
What would happen to her family if the ultra-powerful Aidan Bancroft learned the truth? Could he take Jeanie away? It was without his permission that he created this child, thus it was without his permission that he gave her up. Would he try to claim what was his?
Endless what-ifs and life-changing ramifications tangled as she drove home, amidst the all-consuming need to see her little girl. The journey seemed endless, as she hit every red light, several twice and one four times. Twenty-six pedestrians, a toddler on a tricycle and a literal turtle passed her. When she finally arrived, she didn’t say a word before racing to the room that held her baby. And when she reached the beautiful sleeping form, peace infused her, incomparable love as her path became clear.
“How'd it go?”
Laura smiled warmly at the voice of her friend. Tara knew the entire story, except of course that Aidan didn't actually know he had a child. She took a deep breath and recounted the tale in its entirety, sans that ridiculous moment she thought she was attracted to him.
"Despite everything, I can’t just walk away," Laura said when she had finished. "I love the life Jeanie and I share, but how can I deny her a father? On the other hand, I can't just let a stranger take over our lives. So I'm going to do this logically. I'll research Aidan Bancroft, make sure he's safe and responsible and then decide if and when to tell him.”
"Wow." Tara embraced her. "Are you all right?"
