Dazzle: The Billionaire's Secret Surrogate (Contemporary BWWM Romance) (9 page)

“Hey! Kady, wait for me, will you?” Archer called after her, finally catching up. He was breathing hard by the time he pulled up even with her long strides. “Will you stop running? You’re going to hurt your ankle even more. Come here, will you?” He reached for her arm, trying to pull her to a stop, or at least slow her furious pace down a bit. She finally slowed, careening into him as he cradled her against his solid chest. The steady sound of his heart beat was loud and calming under her ear and she paused for a moment, just drinking in the wonderful sound. The amazing feeling of being wrapped in Archer Devonshire’s tender grasp.

“I’m sorry, I know I promised not to let her ruin the evening, but I guess it happened anyway, huh?” Kady said, her words were slightly muffled as she wiped her tears off on the front of his expensive suit coat. Archer didn’t even care if she ruined it, as long as he was able to make her feel better about all of this.

“You really missed out, hon,” he said with a laugh. “I guess my mother was also up there. She showed up right after you headed for the door.”

“Oh, wow, I’m sorry!” Kady gasped, feeling even worse for abandoning him to deal with the fall out of their ruined evening. “I’ve heard enough stories about you two to be sure that didn’t go very well. How did you handle it?”

Archer smirked. “I left that little bitch Mia with her and came after you, of course. The old bird’s useful for some things, anyway.”

“Oh, now come on, Archer, she can’t be that bad,” Kady grumbled in automatic defense. Although the whopper of a lie that his mother told to the judge told a different story, at least she had done that while trying to protect her son. And where would Kady be without that lie, anyway? It might just be because of that she was there at all, instead of broke and homeless in Central Park.

Their car showed up and Daryl got out, opening the back door, so she climbed inside.

“Not to anyone else, I don’t suppose, but she’s really got it in for me,” he replied. “She doesn’t get that just because I spent the last ten years acting like some sort of party-crazed playboy doesn’t mean I’m still the same guy I used to be. I’m a reformed party animal nowadays, and I don’t have the slightest interest in being with more than one woman anymore. It just got old, and I’d never want to go back to it, especially now that I’ve got you. I wish she would understand that.”

Daryl closed the door behind them and headed back to the driver’s seat. “Ready, boss?”

“Yeah, Daryl, go ahead:  we’ll just go get an ice cream or something,” said Archer. “You could have some too.”

“Thanks, sir,” he said, and started driving.

“You know what, though?” Kady said. “I never see you call and talk to her or anything. If you’re not willing to talk to each other about all this, you’re never going to understand each other.” She looked up at him, seeing his serious gaze brighten in sudden humor.

“I understand my mother just fine,” Archer laughed, albeit ruefully. “She rules her businesses with an iron fist and throws herself into the work she loves. What’s not to understand, since I do exactly the same thing? It’s just that I’d fallen in with a pretty jaded crowd, and working my way to the top was all I cared about. Well, now that I’m up here, I don’t have to play their games anymore.”

“But you still didn’t tell her that, did you?” Kady pointed out.

“No, I don’t suppose that I did,” he agreed with a sigh. “Maybe I’ll talk to her once we get past this damned court date.”

“Does everything have to revolve around that stupid court date?” Kady snapped irritably. “Damn thing’s driving me crazy.”

“What is it with you, Kady?” Archer asked. “You’re usually never this cranky.”

“I don’t know, I just can’t seem to quit wanting to kick the crap out of something.”

“Almost sounds—hormonal,” Archer said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Hey, Kady, were you dizzy when you tripped on the stairs?”

“What? Why does that matter?” she asked. “Maybe a little.”

“And you felt ill after breakfast,” Daryl pointed out, as he pulled into a parking stall at the ice cream parlor.

“You’re right, I did,” she agreed, catching on to the thought process. “And to tell the truth, I’ve had a few other suspicions as well.”

“You mean when you shied away when I tried to take off your bra last night,” Archer said in her ear.

“Shut up, Archer!” she said with a blush as she covered her eyes with a graceful hand, shielding her face from view. “Daryl doesn’t need to hear about that.

“I didn’t hear a word,” Daryl said, obviously trying to hold back a chuckle. “Shall we go inside now?”

“Yes, let’s,” Kady agreed. “I’ll just make an appointment at the doctor and see if we’re right, okay? No need for further speculations about the state of my anatomical sensitivities.”

Archer chuckled as he helped her out of the car. “Well, princess, we’re pretty overdressed for this place. We could just send Daryl in there.”

“No way,” Kady chuckled. “Might as well have a bit of fun.”

“That’s what I love about you, kid,” Daryl laughed.

“Hands off, Daryl, this one is mine,” Archer said as he wrapped Kady into his arms.

“Okay, then, that’s what I
like
about you, Kady, since Archer feels completely threatened by that other word. You enjoy shocking the masses. You really should become an actress or something.”

“Yeah, right,” Kady scoffed, she’d been lucky enough to snag the few lowly modeling gigs that she had before. Not to mention she had absolutely no experience in acting whatsoever, unless you counted the rendition of “The Little Mermaid” she was in when she was eight at the community center. Which she didn’t. Kady really didn’t think portraying a goofy sea gull counted as real acting.

“No, he’s not wrong,” Archer agreed, distracting her from her memories. “Although I’m such a possessive kind of guy, I might find it even more difficult to share you even than I would if you were just on the runway. My mother always said I wasn’t good with sharing my toys.”

“Yeah, well I’m not a toy,” Kady reminded him light heartedly as he held open the door. “But really, if I wanted to work on a movie set, I’d probably rather make their clothes.”

“Why could you not do both?” Archer wanted to know, the business like wheels of his brain already spinning. She could practically see the cogs moving behind his enchanting eyes.

“I have no clue,” she said, more sharply than she intended. “Have I ever been on a movie set?” Kady instantly regretted her outburst. “Damn!  Sorry I snapped. I really am kind of cranky, huh?”

Archer and Daryl exchanged a glance, and then Archer said, “That would be a yes.”

Kady smirked and leaned against him as he stepped up to order. When it was her turn she said, “I want goo goo cluster in a bowl, please.”

“That sounds really good, but I’ll take mine on a cone,” said Daryl.

Armed with their ice cream, and a stack of much-needed napkins, the three of them found a table and sat down to enjoy.

A couple of teens came inside and shouted, “Hey, there’s a sweet limo outside! Oh, it must belong to you guys, huh? What did you do, get married or something?”

Laughing, Kady replied, “No, we just decided we didn’t like the atmosphere when we tried to go out to dinner. But you know, ice cream really can make things better.”

“Wow, Ted, we’d better get some goo goo cluster too!”

“Yeah!” Ted agreed, and that’s exactly what they did.

Kady was so excited as she and Daryl drove back from the doctor’s office three days later that she couldn’t possibly convince him to wait until she told Archer before he weaseled the test results out of her. Positive, of course. With all the sex she and Archer had been having, it couldn’t have possibly been anything else.

“Oh no, Archer with a kid?” Daryl teased. “Now there’s a scary thought. Say Kady, don’t let the man browbeat you into doing everything his way. He and his mother are two peas in a pod, and neither one of them is willing to admit it. You’re such a sweet girl, I think you could probably break the trend if you just put your foot down.”

“Come on, Daryl,” she grumbled. “Archer likes some things a certain way, I’ll admit, but I doubt he’d try to tell a baby that stuff as soon as it was born. Even he isn’t that bossy.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he chuckled as he disagreed. “The man didn’t become CEO of his own string of companies by allowing chaos to reign, you know. His very first rule at the office has always been ‘my way or the highway’, so who knows if he’ll adapt well to fatherhood or not.”

“Dude, quit trying to harsh my mellow,” said Kady, imitating one of the men her old roommate had brought home the day her money was stolen.

“Okay, okay,” he said, laughing at her phrasing. “Just a friendly warning.  You don’t have to grouch me to death over it or anything. Hey, whose car is that?”

Kady glanced out the window at the little red two-door sitting near the entrance to their driveway. Her heart sank when she noticed who was seated in the driver’s seat. One of Mia’s sidekicks. The other two women were, however, decidedly missing. What were they doing here in the first place, and where were they in the second?

Her elation at the good news from the doctor turned to dread as they pulled into the driveway. It was so unfair that this woman, basically a complete stranger, could waltz in and throw her life into such chaos. Kady remembered that night at the restaurant, and couldn’t even imagine what her reaction would be when Mia found out she was pregnant with Archer’s child. She had a moment of fear and panic for herself, and her unborn baby just starting to grow inside her. That woman was seriously, certifiably crazy!

“Dammit, Archer told Mia to stay away from our home,” Kady practically yelled.

“Hey, calm down, will you?” Daryl said, trying to ease the situation and the tension that now held Kady in its grasp. “You have to stay healthy for two now.”

“I swear if they’re in the house again, I’m calling the cops,” she retorted hotly, trying to take Daryl’s advice at least for the baby’s sake. “I don’t know how much clearer he needs to be beyond ‘stay away from my house’.”

“If they are in there, Archer appears to be in there as well,” said Daryl with a little frown.

Irritated now, Kady got out of the car and stormed inside through the kitchen door, the same one she had entered so unsure of herself that first day those few weeks ago. She walked through the small entryway into the large, extensively equipped kitchen and saw two female figures, both trying to be stealthy, crouched by the back wall.

Her temper erupted full blast as Kady saw them creeping through what had become her home, what would soon be her child’s home.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here!” Her voice was like a canon shot breaking the tense silence, making both women jump and spin. Kady normally would have felt some satisfaction at the look of guilty horror on their faces, but the thought of any threat to her and Archer’s child had her moving towards them, the phone already in her hand and ready to dial.

“Oh, Kady. You’re home.” Mia’s sickly smile did nothing to hide the hatred burning in her gaze. “Archer just invited us over–“

“You need to get out right now! I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

Kady cut her off just as she opened her mouth and before she could spew any more lies.

“If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the cops and filing charges against you for harassment, and breaking and entering.” The deathly seriousness of her voice convinced them that she wasn’t bluffing. And she really wasn’t. There was a fierce protective flame burning inside of her like a raging bonfire and she pitied whoever was dumb enough to threaten her or her baby.

There must have been an echoing spark shining in her eyes, because the women took one look at her and scurried back out through the door, leaving Kady to fume alone in the resounding silence. She was really beginning to despise that woman and the drama that erupted whenever she smashed into her normally peaceful, happy life.

What would it take to make her realize that she would never have a chance with Archer? That they had something real together that her crazy could never touch. With the thought of Archer, Kady wrapped her hands protectively around her still flat middle. A surge of joy swept through her, calming a little of the rage that Mia and her sidekick had kindled inside her.

After making sure that they really had left for good, she shut and locked the kitchen door. Then she went in search of Archer and found him upstairs in his office.

“Do you even know who I found in the kitchen just now?” she asked him in an angry tone.

“No, who?” he asked, his interest clearly still mostly on the work he appeared to be doing on his computer. It looked like stocks or something, but since he was suspended from buying or selling until after the hearing, she supposed he was probably just keeping up with the market.

“I can’t believe this,” she growled. “Mia and that other chick were down there looking though the cupboards. I kicked them out, of course, but don’t you think it’s time we did something about them?”

“I’m trying to stay under that judge’s radar,” Archer reminded her, angry at the intrusion of their privacy, and at his inability to act on it. “If he sees me in the same report along with that stupid little socialite, he might lock me up and throw away the key without even bothering to read the article at all, and then where would we be?”

“Well, at least we can tell him about this baby,” she whispered softly, patting her still-flat belly with a wry smile. “Six weeks, I guess.”

“Huh, what did we do, tag you on the first night or something?” Archer chuckled as warmth spread through his gaze, wrapping around her and squeezing her with a feeling of tenderness so intense it nearly took her breath away.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you did it at least within that first week in any case,” she said with a grin. “You tried hard enough.”

“Well, I didn’t see you complaining about it,” he reminded her, smirking triumphantly.

“Why would I complain about that?” Kady asked. “You are a magnificent lover and you know it.”

“Wow, you really are in a good mood about this,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “You want to go make sure he stays in there, just in case?”

“What? How does that work?” Kady asked innocently, playing along.

“Oh, you know, we just keep having sex as much as possible, same as before, and eventually the belly would get in the way so we’d have to be more creative,” he teased her. “Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Making love to you always sounds fun, you silly man,” she commented, and stepped over to give him a kiss.

Archer wrapped her into his arms and held her there, his embrace just tight enough that she almost had to tell him to ease up, but it felt so good she just let her head fall into the cradle of his strong chest. There was nowhere she felt safer or more loved in the entire world than in Archer Devonshire’s arms.

She sighed in regret when he pulled back, kneeling down and putting his face against her belly to whisper in soft tones. “Hey in there, this is your dad. Are you going to come out as a really hot girl who also has a flair for business or something?”

“No, he’s a really hot boy who wants to be a lawyer, so if those crazy women try to pull this stunt again, you’ll be ready for them,” Kady said, making him frown. “Sorry, just saying.”

“Yeah, I suppose there is some merit to an idea like that,” he had to agree. “But on the plus side, at least my mother’s pregnant girlfriend nonsense has been tended to.”

“You do know that I’m not nearly pregnant enough for that whopper to have been proven, right?” Kady had to point out. “Lay bets they’re just going to say you impregnated me so you wouldn’t get into trouble.”

“Hey wait, I thought that when you impregnated your girlfriend that meant you
were
in trouble,” Archer teased, once more wrapping his strong arms around her, pulling her close, and exactly where she wanted to be.

“That’s only for people who were not trying to do it in the first place,” she giggled. “I don’t think you’d qualify.”

“Mm, true,” he agreed. “I just hope the lawyer’s come up with a better defense than ‘he didn’t know what Parker was doing because he was too busy dealing with home life’ because that’s a load of crap. If they hadn’t frozen my accounts at the time, I could probably have recruited a much better lawyer than him.”

“Your accounts are frozen?” asked Kady. “Then where is the money you’ve been using coming from?”

“They were only allowed to freeze my accounts in America,” he explained. “I jumped on the Swiss bandwagon years ago. We’ve been living off of that.”

“No wonder they’re looking at you,” Kady replied, looking at him askance. “I thought only naughty people took their money offshore.”

“Not true,” he said. “Though admittedly a lot of them do. Either way, I’m finished with this stuff in here, so what do you say we go down for dinner?”

“Yes, and hopefully there won’t be more uninvited guests down there trying to eat it along with us,” Kady sniffed, still trying to calm herself after she had to take out the trash. The thought made her grin, the humor relaxing her tense muscles even more as Archer grabbed her hand, and they walked downstairs to the dining room together.