Regency Romance: The Rake's Fake Marriage (Historical Arranged Marriage Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) (37 page)

At least,
he’d helped me make the decision.  I didn’t know if I wanted to keep it to begin with, but the idea of being a mother sounded like a great adventure.  I was feeling more confident now than I ever did when I was drinking.

I plucked the pamphlet from my purse that I’d never taken a chance to look at in the past.  The mothers looked so happy in the photographs, and I wanted that.  Jake would have been a great father, not that I expected him to become one. 

I called in to work and took the day off.  I had a lot of thinking to do and work was the worst place for it. 

My phone began to vibrate; Jake was calling.  I cooled my head for a moment and answered the phone.

“What,” I
said angrily
.

“Can
we, at least,
talk about this?”

“I thought we talked about it.  I know what your opinion is on the matter, and I’m going to choose what I want.”

“Angie, I always told myself that I would have a family someday, but not like this.  I want
a proper
family, where you get married, and settle down, get a dog and a house; all that stuff.”

“And you think I don’t?” I replied. “
I
didn’t want to have kids, but I can’t imagine giving up a child that we made.  You do what you want, but I’m done talking about this right now.”

I clicked off the phone and noticed a missed call from Martin, so I quickly dialed him back.

“Angie, where the hell are you,” he said.

“I was out on a date,” I replied.

“You called out today, but I need to talk to you right now, and in person.”

The line went dead; I guess he was serious again.

I hopped a cab uptown while pondering what was in store for me at the agency. 

The office was mostly empty today, just a few personal assistants running about and grabbing one thing or another.  I strode into Martin’s office, hoping
not to be noticed
.

“Angie, this is a real mess I’m in now,” he said, “and you know why?”

I shook my head no.

“I got a hot tip from a waiter at a breakfast bar about twenty minutes ago that says
you’re having
a kid.  And, not just anyone’s,
you’re having
the quarterbacks kid.”

I felt a little timid about responding, so I waited for him to continue.

He plopped himself in his old leather roll chair and reached to the bottom floor of his desk and drew out a bottle of bourbon and a glass.

“I’d offer you some, but I had a feeling you’d say
‘no’.
”

He gave himself a healthy pour and belted it back in one gulp.

“I knew this thing would start getting messy.  Hell, I got some
half-assed
threat from Bob upstairs that says he wants you gone.  What did I do?  I laughed at him.  He’s got about as much control of my staff as you do.”

“Martin,” I started.

“Don’t start
tryin’
to talk sense to me now. 
You gotta
bury this thing, Angie.  I can’t tell you what to do right now, but the way I see it is that you got a choice.  Either you have the baby, or you have your job.  I won’t let this place become a media circus over your torrid love affair.  Get out, and don’t come back until you’ve decided.”

I stood up sheepishly, starting my way toward the exit.  How could I choose between one and the other, at this point I wanted both. 

Unfortunately,
it looked like the media had gotten their hands on my work address, as I exited the building I saw a small crowd of reporters. 

One of them in the group looked at me and started scampering my direction.  I was too shocked and confused to talk to reporters right now.  I scurried to the rear of the tower, to a small service exit, and ran out and around the corner to avoid them.

I had a feeling that it would be just as packed at my apartment, but I felt the need to check
anyway
.

The short ride back had me feeling incredibly nervous.  I had never been the center of attention like this.  Normally I was the one on the sidelines pulling my clients out of view, or doing a small announcement for the agency. 
But, I had never been the center of something so big.

Rounding the corner, I saw a crowd gathered, larger than the one at work.
  I couldn’t dream of dealing with them right now, either.

I could use a drink.

9.

I had the driver drop me off in an empty alley near Devlin’s bar down the street.  Upon entering the
bar
, I found it nice and empty, save for the usual barfly that sat
on
the back stool.  I meandered to the closest table and sat, waiting for service, and partially hiding my face with my jacket. 

The air was full of cigarette smoke, and I let out a cough to clear my lungs.  I looked at my
phone;
it was dead silent.  A loud crack f
rom
the back room and out popped Devlin; tossing the server door open and carrying a
case full
beer, only stopping
for a moment
to hand one to the barfly.  With a quick look around the
bar,
I could tell he noticed me at the table.  So, he sat his goods on the nearest countertop and walked over my way.

“Congratulations, girlie.  Looks like you bagged a winner,” he said with a smile.

I pushed myself lower into the booth.

“Oh, don’t be so shy.  I’m sure everyone will stop caring by tomorrow,” he took a seat opposite me.

“What am I going to
do
this time, Dev?  If I have the kid, then I’ll be jobless, and homeless.  Jake doesn’t want
a kid,
and I don’t want to make him be a father.  But, if I terminate then I keep my job and everything goes back to the way it was.”

Devlin pulled off a shoe and started to massage his foot through his sock.  I tried my best to pay little attention to it.

“You know, Angie.  Being forced to do something that you don’t want to do is
little
fun,” he said.

“I know,” I replied.

“What do
you
want to do?”

I thought about it for a moment.

“I want
not to think
about
this,
that’s what I want to do.”

He nodded.

“We all have things we don’t want to
think about
.  See the barfly in the back?  He’s avoiding talking to his son about becoming a dad for the first time.  His son is barely out of high school and already starting a family. 

“He doesn’t want to do it, but at some point he’ll have to put away the liquor and deal with the
problem,
or it just won’t go away.  You have an interesting choice ahead of you, and you’re the only one that can make it. 

“Still, though.  I’d fancy you a mother.  I think you could be one of the greats, cause I’ve
seen
how you handle the people that come
through
my bar.”

I smiled at the compliment. 

“
Thanks
Devlin,” I said.

Then my phone started vibrating.  It was Jake again.  I picked up the phone and answered.

“Jake-“

“Angie, I need to talk to you, as soon as possible. Where are you?”

“Devlin’s bar where we first met,” I replied.

“Just wait there, I’ll be right down.”

Devlin gave me an approving wink and returned to getting the bar ready for the evening.  Ten minutes passed and the door flew open. 

Jake walked in, and I could see that he had some reporters with him.  But, before they could enter he turned around and locked the door.

“Hey, that door needs to remain unlocked during business hours,” shouted Devlin from across the bar.

“Just ten minutes,” replied Jake.

He came over to me and pushed his way into the booth next to me. 
At least,
his shirt wasn’t covered in scotch this time.

“Angie, I know it’s only been a
couple of
hours since we last talked, but I can’t get this out of my head,” he said.

“How do you think I feel, Jake?  This decision is driving me insane.  And with all the reporters outside, I can’t say no.  But, I can’t say yes either.  If I have this baby, then my career is over.”

“Angie, I can’t stand the thought of being without you,” he said, “and I can’t stand the idea of you losing the baby, either.” 

It pricked my ears up.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked.

He pulled himself away from the booth and knelt down on his knee, producing a ring box from his pocket.

“Angie, I’ve been all over downtown in the last two hours, once you walked out I realized that I couldn’t say goodbye to you again, not like this.”

He creaked opened the small box and showed off a gorgeous and simple ring.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The burden in the back of my mind dissipated
instantly
as I looked into his soulful eyes.

“Yes, Jake.  Let’s get married,” I said.

I stood up from the
booth,
and he picked me up triumphantly. 

Devlin, the sneaky bastard, had taken the chance to come up
behind
us and unlock the front door.  I had never been in the center of such a media affair.

The next week was nothing but my face in the paper next to his in that
silly
booth at Devlin’s. 

The marriage got him so excited that Jake went on a winning streak, and became much more popular.  With us getting married, Martin had nothing left to say.

I could still remember the last game of the season, sitting in the box seat not as an agent, but as a wife.  The other players wives had started to accept me.  Monica ended up moving across the country, last I heard, she hated every second with her new husband.

We had each other, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

*****

THE END

The Billionaire’s Secret Love Child – A BWWM Billionaire Romance

Chapter 1

Cambry didn't want to out with her friend that evening. They'd been going to clubs for the past three weekends in a row and she just wanted to rest. However, her best friend Jenae was begging her to go. They were in Cambry's room while Jenae was trying on her friend's clothing. "Please, Cambry?" Jenae whined as she admired herself on the full-length mirror that hung on the closet door.

Sighing, Cambry stood and handed Jenae a pair of heels. "Fine," she said. "But next weekend we're staying in. Or, at the least,
I'm
staying home."

Jenae nodded, an excited smile spreading across her face. "It's a deal. Now, what do you think about this outfit?" She had chosen a black dress with a low v-cut and had on the black heels that Cambry had handed her.

Cambry nodded approvingly. "You look hot."

"Great! Let's figure out what you're going to wear," Jenae said, digging into Cambry's closet. After a moment she pulled out a sleeveless, sparkling silver dress. "What about this?" she asked.

Shrugging, Cambry took the dress from Jenae and pulled it on over her black lace panties and matching strapless bra. The sparkling silver complemented Cambry's cocoa-colored skin. Jenae gasped. "You look incredible in that!" she exclaimed.

With a smile Cambry said, "Thanks." She put a pair of silver hoops in her ears and a silver necklace around her neck. She fluffed her curly hair into an afro and added to her make-up while Jenae curled her red hair. Once they were ready, the women grabbed their clutches and called a cab to take them to the club.

Twenty minutes later the bouncer had let them inside where a crowd of people danced on a hardwood floor. Behind them was a raised section with tables so that the customers could sit and drink their drinks. Opposite from the tables was the bar, behind which stood several men pouring drinks. The soft blue lighting created a classy but still party-type atmosphere.

Across from the entrance a DJ stood on an elevated platform, providing the music. Immediately Cambry began to sway her body in time to the song. She and Jenae moved into the crowd and began to dance. After several songs they decided they needed a drink and the two made their way to the bar.

While they waited for one of the bartenders to approach them, Jenae struck up a conversation with a handsome man standing next to them. He flashed his pearly-white teeth at her as they talked and Cambry found herself rolling her eyes. He told them he was a male model. His tan skin and bleach-blonde hair certainly helped that image, but Cambry figured he was probably just trying to impress them. It certainly seemed to have done the trick for Jenae, but Cambry quickly lost interest.

Finally a bartender approached them. His dark hair and light eyes caught her attention and she found herself captivated by him. "What can I get for you?" he asked, flashing her a smile.

Returning his smile, Cambry asked, "What's your specialty?"

"Well, that depends on how drunk you want to get," he replied with a wink.

Cambry laughed. "Let's say I want a good buzz but to still maintain my inhibitions."

"Well, now, that's no fun," the man said.

She shrugged. "Depends on your type of fun."

"For a lady like you, then, I would suggest my Blue Mango Breeze," he told her.

"Sounds delicious," Cambry said. "I'll take it."

He smiled. "Great. I'm Brooks by the way." Brooks held his hand out for her to shake.

Cambry accepted, noticing how soft his hand was. "I'm Cambry."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cambry," he said before he walked away to make her drink.

Jenae turned to her as the man she had been talking to walked away. "He's
hot
," she said.

"Who?" Cambry asked, her eyes still on Brooks. He laughed at something with the other bartenders and she smiled, enjoying the sound.

"Um, that hunk of meat you're devouring with your eyes," Jenae said.

Cambry quickly turned her head to her friend. "I wasn't," she protested.

Jenae laughed. "Right. And I'm the queen of England. You should ask him for his number. I bet he would give it to you in a heartbeat."

"Whatever. He's not into me," Cambry replied. Brooks returned and set a glass of blue liquid in front of her. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, opening her clutch and pulling out a ten.

"It's on the house," Brooks said with a wink.

"No, I'll pay for it," Cambry protested, ignoring Jenae's nudge in her side.

"Let me re-phrase that," Brooks said. "It's on me. If I wasn't working, I'd be buying you a drink. So instead, I'm giving you one."

Cambry couldn't help but smile. "And what makes you so certain that I'd let you buy me a drink?" she asked.

"The smile on your face tells me," he replied.

Jenae purposely cleared her throat and Cambry shot her a glare before looking back to Brooks. "Well, you've caught me. I have a feeling if you asked, my answer would be 'Yes.'"

"Why don't we settle for this?" Brooks asked. "I give you this drink and you give me your number."

"I think that's a good deal," Cambry said. She picked up the drink and took a sip. "Mmm, that's good."

"I know," Brooks said. "So how about that number?"

"So humble
and
patient. We have a winner, ladies," Cambry said, still smiling.

Brooks laughed. "I'm anxious for a pretty woman's number. Can you blame me?"

Cambry had pulled a small piece of paper out of her clutch. "I guess not. Do you have a pen?"

Nodding, Brooks pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. "Are you ladies going to be here for a while?"

"Yes," Cambry said, nodding. "We plan to dance the night away."

"Guess it's my lucky night, then," Brooks said. "I'm off at midnight. Maybe I can find you two in the crowd afterward."

Cambry smiled and handed him the piece of paper with the pen. "Maybe I'll be waiting."

Brooks mouth widened into a smile that made his eyes sparkle. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment until someone yelled, "Hey! Can I get some service down here?" making him look in that direction.

He turned back to Cambry. "Gotta get back to work. I'll see you later."

When he had walked away, Cambry turned to Jenae. Her friend had a very smug look on her face. "What?" she asked innocently.

Jenae just shook her head and began to laugh. "Oh nothing. Except for I told you so!"

Cambry shrugged. "You're right. He is hot."

"And he's clearly into you!" Jenae said. She took Cambry's drink out of her hands and took a sip through the black straw. "Oh my. That
is
good."

"Yes it is," Cambry replied. "I believe it's also mine." Chuckling, she took the drink back and sipped on it. Once they had finished it, the women headed back to the dance floor and began to sway their bodies once more.

About an hour and a half later, Cambry felt someone's hands on her hips. She turned to tell the man off who was touching her without her permission when she realized it was Brooks. Instead, she said nothing and began to dance with him, enjoying the way his hands slid over her body as she swayed with the music.

Looking into his eyes, she pressed herself against him so that her breasts were pushed up, making her cleavage look fuller. She watched as his eyes roamed over them and he bit the side of his lip. His hands wrapped around her waist and her arms wrapped around his neck. He guided her body to match his as they moved together.

After a few moments, Cambry turned in his arms so that her back pressed against his front. Her ass rested against his crotch and she could feel his cock pressing into her. He was slightly hard and she smiled, knowing that he was hard for her. His hands slid down her sides and rested on her hips as she stuck her hands in the air.

Brooks leaned in and whispered into her ear, "You are beautiful."

Cambry smiled. "You're not too shabby yourself, cowboy," she replied.

Laughing, the two continued to move their bodies in time to the music, keeping them close to each other. For the next several hours they danced, occasionally grabbing drinks from the bar. Cambry stuck with her goal to not grow too drunk, but to have just a light buzz for the night. Brooks seemed to follow the same plan, as he didn't drink too much either. She liked that he maintained control over himself.

For several hours they danced together until the club was ready to close. For having not wanted to go out with Jenae, Cambry realized she'd had quite a bit of fun and was excited that she had met a guy who seemed to be really into her. Jenae had left them to be, disappearing to a table on the raised platform where she talked with the man who had first approached her at the bar.

Eventually, though, it was time for them to go home. Jenae had to make her way onto the dance floor, which had cleared quite a bit, and pull on Cambry's elbow to convince her to leave. Brooks walked with them out into the night air and waited while the girls hailed a cab. The driver pulled up and Jenae climbed in right away, but Cambry hung back to say goodbye.

"Are you going to call me tomorrow?" she asked.

Brooks leaned in toward her, his arm resting on the open car door. "Do you want me to?"

Cambry pushed herself against him so that her cleavage showed well. "What do you think?"

He leaned in even more so that his lips and her lips brushed against each other. "I think you want me...to call," he said, pausing to place emphasis on what exactly he thought she wanted.

"Well, then you'd be right," she whispered.

She could feel his smile against her lips and also see it as it reached his eyes. Then she pushed her lips against his, sliding her tongue along the bottom lip. He opened his mouth slightly and pushed her tongue inside. She loved the way he tasted and found herself moaning as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

After a moment she heard Jenae clear her throat and pulled away. Smiling shyly, Cambry said, "Goodbye," and climbed into the cab. Brooks closed the door for her and waved as the cab drove away.

"Wow," Jenae said as they turned a corner. "You must really like him."

Cambry shrugged, trying not to show how much she did. "He's hot," she said, digging into her clutch for her chap stick. "And he's a good dancer. And a
really
great kisser."

Jenae giggled. "Well, it seems like it was a good thing that you decided to agree to go out with me tonight."

"Yeah. Just think! I could have missed out on meeting him!" Cambry replied. She could still feel his lips against hers and she pressed a finger to her mouth.

"I don't want to say 'I told you so...'" Jenae said, trailing off.

"But you told me so," Cambry finished for her. "I know. I know. It's just been a while since I've had a calm weekend that I was tired. Well, I am tired. But I'm glad we went out tonight."

Sitting back with a satisfied smile on her face, Jenae nodded. "Next time you protest to going out, I'm going to remind you about this."

"Next time you want to go out, I may not need to protest," Cambry pointed out as the cab pulled in front of their apartment. "If everything works out with Brooks the way I'm hoping, then I'll be glad to go out with him."

Jenae paid the cab driver, giving him a generous tip, and the two climbed out of their cab and took the elevator to their floor. As soon as Cambry had taken her dress off and hung it in her closet, she collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 2

The next day Cambry slept until noon. She hadn't planned on staying out so late the night before, but because she did, she was tired and needed to get her sleep. Luckily it was a Saturday and she didn't have any plans, other than to read her book. Ever since she learned how to read she had loved to lose herself in a good book. First it started out with Dr. Seuss and now she found that she loved just about anything that was suggested to her. She spent most of her down time devouring any book she could lay her hands on.

Jenae had managed to get up before her, so there was already a full pot of coffee ready. As Cambry walked into the kitchen, Jenae handed her a full mug. Cambry accepted it gratefully, wrapping her hands around it to warm them. "Thank you," she said after she had taken her first sip.

"I figured we could both use it," Jenae said. She sat at the counter flipping through a fashion magazine, circling the information about the clothing that she liked.

"So who was that guy you spent most of the night with?" Cambry asked as she grabbed a yogurt out of the fridge.

"Oh you noticed him, huh?" Jenae said, raising one eyebrow.

Cambry stuck her tongue out before she replied. "Yes, I noticed him. And how you were hanging all over him. I was just too distracted to ask about him."

Jenae laughed. "I guess I can't blame you. Brooks is definitely a fine piece of ass."

"Yes, he certainly is," Cambry replied. She took her yogurt into the living room and plopped down on the couch, resting her feet on the arm. "Think he's going to call me today?"