Dazzle: The Billionaire's Secret Surrogate (Contemporary BWWM Romance) (13 page)

“Good evening, my beauty,” said Archer when Athena pressed the speaker to answer the house phone a while later.

“Thanks, son,” she chuckled.

“Mother? You’re still there?” Archer grumbled. “I thought I talked to you this morning. It’s Kady’s turn right now.”

“Don’t worry, dearest, I didn’t intend to stay,” she reassured him. “I just thought you might like to know about the bit of trouble we ran into while we were out shopping today.”

“Oh no, now what happened?”

“Your little China girl is out causing more trouble,” she told him.

“Well, I had a bit of trouble in here last night, too,” Archer admitted. “I just ran across the guy who actually committed the crime that landed me in here, and a few of his friends. I have no idea why they think they should be mad at me when he is the one that did it, but I guess he’s been telling them that I ordered him to skim funds and they believe it. So anyway, Kady, when you see me tomorrow don’t be too surprised by the black eye they gave me when they knocked me out. I really can’t say what they may or may not have done after that, but at least they didn’t kill me. The warden asked if I wanted to be placed in isolation but I told him no.”

“Oh, but Archer, you might not get so lucky next time,” Kady gasped, suddenly terrified for the father of her child. “My friend Juno’s brother was killed in prison, and he was a real bad ass. I can’t imagine what they might do to you if that guy didn’t even survive.”

“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart,” he replied smoothly. “I may not be a bad ass on my own, but I am able to buy protection same as him. Remember, we’re in a completely different kind of prison than the one that guy probably died in. Not one inmate in here has less than a million dollars in the bank, you know. I’m sure I’ll be just fine. Which reminds me, I need you to put money on somebody’s books for me. Remind me to give you the details before you come out here tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Kady agreed.

“Now go home, Mom, unless you want to listen to mushy stuff.”

“But I didn’t tell you the important part,” she complained, interrupting him.

“Go on,” he sighed.

“Mia was leading around some reporters in the middle of a baby furniture shop and kept pointing to her abdomen,” she explained. “Why on earth would she be doing that?”

“I have no idea,” he said, sounding so tired all of the sudden that Kady felt her heart break just a little. She knew it must be difficult for him, a man who was used to taking action, not being able to lift a finger to help or protect his family. “The woman is totally crazy. Just stay away from her.”

“I know I would, if she would let me,” Kady grumbled.

“I know, hon, she keeps following you,” he sighed. “But was she closer than five hundred yards?’

“Technically, she was,” Kady said. “But she could easily lie and say she didn’t know I was there since we were in a department store. I’m not sure how we could prove otherwise.”

“Well, why don’t you snap pictures of her with your cell if she does it again?” Archer suggested.

“I guess I could try that,” Kady said. “I mean, she’s the one who keeps bothering me, so what difference does it make if I do it back?”

“Yeah, that might just work,” Athena agreed. “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to talk, then. Just remember before you get too frisky that you’re being recorded. Ta ta!”

“Good-bye, Mother,” Archer called out as she went. Kady just waved since the woman could actually see her.

“Is she gone?” Archer wanted to know.

“Looks like it,” Kady chuckled.

“Do you have any idea how much I miss you, Kady?” he wanted to know, the tenderness and love in his voice swept over her, erasing the more painful moments of the day. “When I was lying there on the floor with five guys punching and kicking me, I wondered if I was about to die, and all I could think about was you and never getting to see your face again, or even knowing what our baby looks like. It was really tough. I really want to hold you in my arms right now.”

“I thought you said it was just a black eye,” Kady protested, her fear for him coming back in waves at his more detailed description of the attack. “It sounds like they really hurt you, Archer. I really wish you would have taken the warden up on his offer to put you somewhere safe. It can’t be good for the baby if I’m worrying about you throughout most of the pregnancy, you know.”

“Ah, trying to guilt trip me, huh?” he laughed, somehow still managing to sound like the same old carefree Archer despite the drama they were both going through.

“It isn’t funny, Archer,” Kady insisted. “You lost consciousness. You might have ended up dead right then and there.”

“Well, all that tells me is that whatever their agenda was, they obviously don’t want me dead,” Archer pointed out. “Which makes me wonder just exactly what they do want instead. They never even asked me any questions, and they didn’t even bother to threaten me. They just dragged me down and beat me senseless. When I came to, they had just left me in the hallway and a medic was working on me. They took me to the infirmary and gave me a few stitches where someone had bit my thigh, so I really don’t think I want to know anything more about it, if you know what I mean.”

“You don’t think they violated you?” Kady asked with concern.

“I don’t think they raped me, if that’s what you’re asking.” He paused for a brief moment before continuing. “Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. I’m just glad to be alive.”

“I’m glad you’re alive too, honey,” Kady told him. “I don’t know what I’d do if they had taken you away from me forever. I’m already going crazy after just a couple of months.”

“Don’t you worry, Kady, I’ll be out of here before you know it,” said Archer. “With good behavior, I may even be out in just three months.”

“Three whole months,” Kady groaned, unable to fathom how she could possibly last that long without him by her side. “I think I’m going to die!”

The following day Kady headed for the prison to visit Archer in person. They could only talk to each other through the glass on a phone, but it was better than nothing at all. It took about half an hour after she signed in to even get to see him, and then they were given only half an hour. However, she was allowed to repeat the process three times before they made her leave, and she intended to take full advantage of the fact.

“Archer, your eye!” she gasped as soon as she saw him, her concerned gaze sweeping over the heavy dark ring that circled his left eyes, and the various other scrapes and bruises marring his handsome face. Kady spoke into the receiver with low, sharp words. “I hope a big gang of bullies takes out whoever did that to you.”

“Settle down, Kady,” he said. “You know that they listen randomly. If they hear you talking about violent acts they might make you leave, and that’s the last thing I want to have happen.”

“Sorry,” she said contritely. “I’ll try to behave myself—for now.”

“Good—I think,” he said. Both of them laughed, and then he asked, “So what have you been doing all week, anyway? I know you wouldn’t just sit around watching television.”

“How do you know that?” she smirked.

“Because you start itching for something to do after one sit-com,” he chuckled.

“Oh! I don’t either,” she grumbled as she suppressed a smile. She loved that he knew her so well.

“Let’s see what you came up with,” he teased. “I know you brought it.”

Kady laughed. “Fine, spoil sport,” she said as she pulled her sketch book out from behind her back and set it on the counter. This wasn’t the first time she had brought it there, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. She flipped through numerous pages to show him all her designs.

“You really do have a rare talent,” Archer said with a nod when she closed the book again. “Mother has been hounding me to enroll you in some more classes.”

“Well, she just asked me to model a few maternity clothes next week,” said Kady, biting at her lower lip. “I know you don’t really want me to work right now, Archer, but with your accounts frozen I’ve been relying entirely on your mother, and you know how much I hate that.”

“Wouldn’t you technically still be relying on her, though?” he pointed out.

“But at least there it’d be easy,” she said. “You know I couldn’t go get up on some runway in my condition. Besides, I really don’t want to go back to it unless I really have to. If I do a few shots for your mom and then take the classes in fashion design, maybe by the time the dust settles I’ll be doing what I really enjoy.”

“You’ve got a point,” he agreed. “And if it’s you who wants to take those classes, I’m all for it. But I think you should apply for financial aid again, though. I don’t want my mother to think she owns you or your talents once you get done. You should be free to go anyplace you want afterwards.”

“Hey Archer, I don’t know why you’ve got so much pent up frustration where you mother is concerned, but she really is only trying to help,” Kady pointed out. “Would it hurt you greatly to show her just a little appreciation for everything she’s done for you? And for me and our baby? Some mothers might not have even gotten you a lawyer at all.”

Archer was frowning by the time Kady had finished her little speech. “She’s really gotten into your head, hasn’t she?” he wanted to know. “What do you want to do, become her little lap dog and perform tricks for her? Trust me, the more you give, the more she will take.”

Kady sighed. “I don’t want to be caught in the middle between you two, and it’s not–” she paused and took a deep breath before explaining what had happened between her and her own mother. “I called her to talk to her, you know? To fill her in on all the amazing things that happened in my life the past few months, and she called me…” Kady had to stop again, the pain cutting through her as she remembered the words.

“She called me nothing but a gold-digger, a– And a slut.” She finished the words on a whisper, still disbelieving that her once loving mother would ever say something like that to her own daughter. Archer’s frown was even deeper now as he watched her solemnly through the glass.

“I’m so sorry, Kady, I don’t even know what to say, except…” He shook his dark head, trying to find the right words to make it better, but failed, “I’m just so sorry, that’s a terrible thing to have your mother say.”

Kady took a deep breath and continued.

“But I do want to break into the fashion industry, and like it or not your mother is already in it. She knows all the ropes and pitfalls. I could do worse than to learn from somebody like her.”

“How come you’re always so damned level-headed anyway?” Archer sighed, then broke into a grin despite himself. “Fine. I will tell my mother how much I appreciate everything she’s doing, and I won’t even complain about your upcoming photo shoot. Better?”

“Much,” said Kady with a grin, feeling relieved now that everything was out in the open. “What do you think of teddies?”

“Mm, I think they are really hot,” he grinned, his eyes taking on a devilish sheen making her laugh.

“No, Archer, I mean teddy bears,” she said. “For the baby’s room.”

“Oh,” he said with a blush. “I think they’re great. But so are the other kind, too. You should totally get some of those to wear after you give birth to the little dear.”

“Do teddies come with breastfeeding flaps?” Kady wondered with a flash of inspiration, already imaging a line of post pregnancy lingerie geared at making women feel sexy and being practical at the same time. “Maybe I could design something like that, too!”

“Yeah, those classes are most definitely your idea,” Archer chuckled warmly. “God, you’re beautiful when you’re ready to draw. Go ahead, I miss watching you.”

“They don’t let pencils or pens come in,” she reminded him. “I’ll do it during the break.”

They talked for the next fifteen minutes, keeping the conversation light and laughing often until the officer buzzed in, telling her that her visiting time was up for now. She went to the break room with ideas swirling in her head, already itching to get the drawings down on paper.

And so that’s exactly what she did, and by the time she returned the third time, she already had created an entire line of clothes for the mother and infant and was just itching to color them in. “Your mother will love these, don’t you think?”

“Don’t give them to her,” he grumped. “You could start your own line.”

“Think, Archer,” Kady scoffed. “Your mother has the resources for fabric, sewing machines, models and warehousing already in position. Why would I want to waste that much of a good thing like that? That would be like you telling me not to buy shares in a growth industry because they won’t print their stocks with recycled paper.”

“Damn,” he laughed. “You’re even sexier when you figure out the best way to convince me that you’re right. You have no idea how desperately I want to kiss you right now.”

“Well, it has been a while,” she smirked, desperately aching for the exact same thing. She missed his kiss, his touch, being wrapped in his strong arms and feeling completely safe and protected from anything the world could throw at her.

“When I get out of here you’d better have a teddy and a bottle waiting.”

Kady snickered at this. “Okay, I will.”

“I don’t mean a teddy bear and a baby feeding, Kady,” he smirked as well.

“Okay everyone, time’s up,” the guard announced.

“Damn,” Kady said as she hung up the receiver. Then she kissed her fingers and set them on the glass. Archer pretended to take the kiss and put it onto his lips, then waved good-bye as she backed away for the last time that day. Kady had to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.