Page 35 of The Billionaire's Accidental Daddy Duty
“You’re still young. You’ll find yourself another Steve.” I leaned forward to read her facial expressions. When her eyes didn’t water, when her breath didn’t hitch at the mention of her ex-boyfriend, my body relaxed. She didn’t love him anymore. I liked that very much.
“It isn’t that.” She cleared her throat. “I can’t have children.”
“What? What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s just one of those things. When Steve brought up the idea of moving in together, he made it sound like he was ready to propose. Of course, I had to go and make plans. I got tested to see how the baby maker was doing. That’s when I found out there’s some sort of blockage.” She pointed at her abdomen. “It doesn’t matter. Steve was only interested in my apartment and its proximity to the train station.”
The sadness in her eyes broke my heart. I was such an asshole, complaining about having a baby dumped on my door. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I think the part that gets me is the fact that my choice was taken away.” Her gaze shifted toward Joey then back to me. “I’m happy for the time I got to spend with him. Maybe that’s why you’ve been so grumpy about this whole thing.”
“I haven’t been grumpy.” I knew that was a lie.
“Yeah, you have. The choice was taken away from you, too.”
“I suppose you’re right.” I watched Joey play with the puffs on his tray. “It isn’t fair Harper is now a single mum because of me. That he’ll grow up like me, without a dad.” What the hell was I saying? He had a dad. Me. “You know what I mean.”
“I think I do. But she was part of it, too, you know? You didn’t do this to her.” She inhaled deeply and then blew out a breath. “Have you considered marrying her? Youknow because of the baby. Sounds old school, I know. She wouldn’t be a single mom then.”
“No. I mean, yeah sure. But I can’t tether myself to someone I barely know just because we made a baby.”
“That’s a tough choice.”
“You don’t say. It isn’t entirely up to me. I still need to find Harper. And um…” I hated myself for saying this but being pragmatic was how I had managed to be successful in my career. I felt a connection with Joey, but that wasn’t enough. I needed the truth in black and white. I needed a paternity test. “I need to find out for sure if he’s mine.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Would you go with me?” Anyone outside looking in would think I was asking her out on a date.
“Me?”
“For moral support. I’ve been meaning to run over to clinic and get it done for weeks now. I just can’t seem to find the balls to do it.” Always with the oversharing. Lucky for me, Isla didn’t seem to mind it. “If you want.”
“I would love to. What are nannies for?”
She said the word just as I was taking another sip of wine. I coughed to ease the burn in my chest from swallowing too hard. Hot blood rushed through me as the image formed in my head, detailed and surreal at the same time—Isla bent over my knee, her skirt high over her waist, and my palm on that perfect ass of hers.
“Oh.” Her mouth lingered in a shape of an O. She shook her head as red crept up into her pretty cheeks. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
14
YOU'RE NOT PLAYING FAIR
Isla
The look of lust in his eyes turned me into a puddle of desire in my seat. When I turned to face Joey, he smiled at me. And dammit if that didn’t make me feel like the worst nanny in the world.
“I think he’s ready for a bath.” Declan glanced down at his watch.
“I’m sorry, what?” I had a very vivid image of Declan in a bath, all wet and shiny.
“Joey.” He smirked.
My ears burned hot. He knew exactly what I was thinking. “I knew that.”
“Whatever you were thinking.” He leaned forward. “Yes.”
I laughed aloud. “You’re impossible.” Irresistible was another word for him. Unattainable. He wasn’t mine to keep.
