Page 74 of Billionaire Accidental Daddy

As an Ashford Marketing employee who helps design a lot of our digital advertisements, I should probably care about how the results of that meeting could affect my job. But all I care about is how much Cole wants this win. How relieved he’ll feel when it’s finally over.

Maybe he’ll be able to sleep through the night now.

Or maybe he’s having trouble sleeping because you haven’t given him an answer about marrying him, a voice inside me whispers.

I grimace. I need to make a decision on this fake marriage thing. It’s not fair to either of us to stay in limbo like this.

I resize the design on my screen, mentally listing out my options.

Tell him I can’t extend our deal because I’ve got real feelings for him.

Take the deal, and hope that at some point in our yearlong sham marriage he starts loving me, or I stop loving him.

If I go with option 1, either he returns my feelings, and we can start something real. Or he doesn't, and we end our relationship.

Option 2 is...well it’s basically the same thing. Just slower.

What if I discover three months into a twelve-month marriage that Cole doesn’t love me back, and never will? But I still have to keep up the lie, see him every day, at home and at work.

The imagined pain of that possibility slices through me. I don’t think I could do it.

There’s heartbreak, and then there’s heart-obliteration.

I suppose there’s also just the possibility that Cole and I won’t last long term. Sure, we like each other now. But he hasn’t seen me when I’m truly pissed off at a client, or when I’m burnt out, or when I’m sick, or when I’m in an argument with one of my friends.

Hell, he hasn’t even seen me on my period.

I snort at the thought, imagine Cole trying to placate me with chocolate and french fries when I’m PMSing. The thing is, I have a sneaky suspicion all those things would be better with Cole.

Wait a second. I’ve been living with Cole for two months. Shouldn’t I have had my period by now?

I count back in my head, double checking, sure I’ve done the math wrong. But I haven’t. I definitely should have had my period by now.

Something weird and fluttery happens in my stomach.

Cole and I have been sleeping together for about a month and a half. Alot.

What if ...?

No. It can’t be.

But what if I’m...?

The thought is terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

I log out of my workstation and head down to the lobby, in search of a pregnancy test.

An hour later,I’m standing over the sink in the work bathroom, staring at a pregnancy test.

It’s positive. I’m pregnant.

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