Page 60 of Secret Baby for Dr. Billionaire

“I don’t smoke in this house,” Ben pointed out. From where I was, I saw Ben standing beside her, his hand crossed across his chest, looking so fine in his white shirt that didn’t do anything to hide his biceps. As if I wasn’t hurting enough, I couldn’t help but see that they would make a good couple.

Gwen rolled her eyes at Ben’s words, which the latter ignored. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Can’t a friend come over and say hi?”

“Hi,” Ben said calmly. “Now, please, leave my penthouse.”

“C’mon, Benny,” she whined, and I couldn’t help but frown at how nasal her voice was. It rang all over the quiet and still house. “That’s not the right way to treat a friend, is it?” She placed a hand on Ben’s biceps like she’d done it a hundred times.

This probably shouldn’t have affected me, but it did. It was clear evidence that my feelings for Sofi’s father weren’t pretended anymore. If they were, it shouldn’t hurt this much, right?

As if sensing my pain, Ben gave me a quick look. Under the dim lights of his kitchen, his eyes were visibly filled with regret. I pressed my lips into a forced smile, stopping the welling tears in my eyes. I told myself that the last thing I’d do tonight was cry in front of this woman.

How could I have been so stupid to think I could waltz into Ben’s life again and not think there would be competition? Ben was a fine, well-off man and knew how to raise children. There were beautiful women before me and women right now who fawned all over him. Women like Gwen.

“Honestly,” Gwen started, her voice feigning a sad tone. But I could read that it was all bullshit. “I came to talk to you about something.”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? Maybe over the phone? It’s past midnight, Gwen. And my girlfriend and I have work in the morning.”

Gwen flinched back at the word as if we weren’t introduced back at Janice’s party. She dared a peek at me under her long lash extensions. A look of subtle disgust painted her face.

“Right,” she said, her voice dripping with disgust. God, I wanted to say something to hurt her, but I knew better.

“Hi, Wren,” I mustered a forced greeting, faking a grin. “Lovely to see you again.”

“It’s Gwen,” she corrected, narrowing her eyes at me. She knew I didn’t like her. I ate girls like her back in the foster system for lunch. I wasn’t afraid to push when I needed to. But that didn’t mean I was going to stoop so low for her.

“Whatever.”

“Look, I need a word with your boyfriend, Chloe. If that’s okay.”

I glanced at Ben, and I couldn’t read the look on his face. But he stared back at me as if he wanted to tell me that this was nothing and that if I wanted to leave, I could.

“He’s a big boy, Wren. He can talk to whoever he wants to.”

“It’sGwen, you bitch.” There it was. This felt like high school all over again.

“Hey!” Ben snapped. “Watch your mouth. You’re in my house.”

“She started it,” Gwen whined. God, who is this woman? She was acting like a child. She rolled her eyes at Ben before returning her attention to me. “I wanted to talk to himalone.”

“Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of Ch—”

“Actually,” I interrupted, pushing myself off the couch. “I’m going to check on Billy Anne and let you two talk.” I walked towards the kitchen, my gaze not leaving Ben’s. I could feel our guest’s eyes burning a hole in my head. But I didn’t give two shits about her.

I rounded the island and reached Ben, and like he was reading my mind, he turned to face me and cupped my face with both his hands.

“Good girl,” he murmured as he brought his lips to mine and kissed me so intensely I thought I might melt in front of him. He was letting Gwen know that whatever this thing was, she couldn’t do anything about it now.

I felt his hands trace my sides before bringing them down to my ass, cupping my butt cheeks.

“Subtle, Hayes,” I joked before I pulled away. I wasn’t actually planning to get naked in front of Gwen. And if I kept the kiss going any longer, that was exactly what would’ve happened.

Walking away, I gave Gwen one more glance, only to see that she was already staring. She could kiss my ass.

I entered Billy Anne’s room, and the soft melody from Sofi’s lullaby machine filled my ears. Charlie was on the bed, and his head snapped up in attention when he heard me come in, but he went back to sleep when he knew it was safe.

Sam had positioned the portable crib by the foot of Billy Anne’s bed, and from the doorway, I could see my daughter fast asleep with a binky in her mouth and her favorite stuffed animal on her arm.

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