A Baby For The Billionaire (10 page)

The doctor came to her room just after
she’d eaten a light lunch, giving her a prescription for some
low-dosage pain medication and orders for her to rest for the next
few days. “No heavy lifting or doing anything too strenuous; you
need to let your head and your back recover. I also have a diet
sheet for you because you’re underweight— it’s even possible that
your accident happened because you’re not getting enough nutrition
inside of you.”

Alicia promised the doctor that she’d
do as instructed and he shook her hand and walked towards the door.
“I’ll inform the nurse that she can call your friend to come and
collect you. If you have any problems or concerns, either call us
or just come right back here.”

“Thank you, doctor. I’m very
grateful for the care you and your staff have given us both.” And
she was;
very
grateful.

Chase collected her mid-afternoon and,
despite her protests, insisted on taking her out of the hospital in
a wheelchair. Once he’d made sure she was safely buckled up in the
front seat of his Jaguar, he jumped in behind the steering wheel
and pulled out of the hospital grounds, driving expertly back to
the mansion.

The drive was made in silence, with
Alicia not wanting to distract him, or, if she was being completely
honest with herself, not really knowing what to say anyway. She was
quite relieved when the front door of the house was flung open as
soon as the car came to a stop and Julie came rushing down the
stone steps, throwing open the passenger door and leaning into the
car to hug Alicia as best she could.

“You’ve had me worried to death! What
on earth were you thinking, girl? Not telling me about the baby was
so silly! I could have made sure that you weren’t overdoing it or
asked to do any jobs that could have put you at risk.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you,
Julie. I don’t want any special treatment just because I’m
pregnant. That’s not fair to you or to the rest of the staff.”
There was also the fact that she couldn’t have taken the chance of
Chase finding out. She loved her friend, but she knew just how much
of a gossip she could be, and it wouldn’t have taken long for the
news to spread like wildfire and reach Chase’s or Vanessa’s
ears.

Chase had gotten out of the car and
walked around to the passenger side, reaching in past Julie and
helping Alicia to get out of the vehicle herself. “Well that’s
something that we’ll be discussing further later on, but for now
let’s get you inside and resting.”

Alicia felt sore and achy, and even
though she was usually very independent, having Chase to lean on
made her feel a lot better right now. She couldn’t believe how weak
she was feeling, and her legs had a distinct wobble as she walked,
but she couldn’t decide if it was due to the after effects of her
fall or her proximity to Chase. Either way, she clung onto his arm
for dear life, afraid that this would be the one and only time she
ever got to be this close to him, especially in front of other
people.

“Okay, Julie, you can get yourself off
home now that you’ve seen her. I’ll make sure that she’s looked
after.” Chase smiled at Julie as they passed her on their way
through the front door, showing that he understood her concern
about her friend.

“Okay, Mr. Chase, but just make sure
that you do or you’ll have me to answer to.” Alicia’s mouth was
agape. She had never heard Julie talk to their employer like that,
and she quickly looked up into Chase’s face, amazed even more when
she saw the indulgent smile that played across it.

“I’m well aware of that, Julie.” He
was grinning, and Alicia started to wonder if she’d banged her head
harder than she’d realized. Either that or she’d woken up in the
twilight zone. “Now get gone. Alicia will be more up to visitors
tomorrow and you can take an extra-long lunch break and spend it
with her. Will that make you feel better?”

“You’ve got it, Mr. C.” Julie gave
Alicia one last bear hug and then turned and walked back down the
stone steps, disappearing around the corner and out of sight before
Alicia could get her wits together.

Before Alicia could get her bearings,
Chase had walked her into the formal sitting room, ensconcing her
in the oversized armchair with orders that she wasn’t to move or do
anything. She sat on the edge of the seat and watched him leave the
room, and even in her fragile state she couldn’t help but admire
his taut backside while she stared. She knew it was wrong, but the
attraction she’d always felt towards him had just seemed to
increase exponentially since he’d found about the baby and hadn’t
thrown a fit over it. She had always been afraid that he would
demand she get rid of the child, or even deny that he could be the
father.

She made herself comfortable and
before she knew it she had nodded off; her feet coming up to tuck
beneath her in her sleeping state, while her head rested on the arm
of the chair. She didn’t know how long she slept for, or what woke
her up, but as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes she caught sight
of Chase sat on the couch opposite her. He was reading a newspaper,
but when he heard her move he looked up and smiled.

“Well hey there, sleepyhead. Do you
feel better after your nap?”

Alicia could feel herself blushing.
She hated the fact that he’d been watching her while she slept. It
made her feel vulnerable and she never wanted him to think she was
weak in any way. “I’m so sorry, Chase. I must have been more tired
than I realized.” She was quick to apologize, but he immediately
put her mind at ease.

“Don’t be silly. You were told that
you need to rest and take it easy for a few days. You took quite a
tumble yesterday and I dread to think of what the outcome could
have been if you were just a few stairs higher up, so let’s count
our blessings and go and have some dinner, yes?”

He held his hand out, helping her to
her feet, then indicating that she should walk ahead of him into
the dining room. Alicia walked through the door and stopped dead in
her tracks at the sight before her. The table had been laid at one
end with two settings, and was adorned with crystal water glasses,
silver flatware, a beautiful bouquet of flowers and candles in
crystal holders.

Chase walked past her, pulling out a
chair and pushing it in under her when she sat down. “I’ll be right
back. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

Alicia didn’t think that she could
have gone anywhere even if she’d wanted to; her curiosity was so
strong that she was determined to see what would happen next. Had
Chase prepared all this, or had he asked one of the staff to do it
before they went off duty? Either way, it didn’t really matter. The
fact was that he was looking after her, and that made her feel
scared even while it made her feel warm inside.

Chase returned a short while later,
carrying two bowls of what turned out to be the most delicious
French onion soup Alicia had ever eaten. French bread and gruyere
cheese were grilled directly on top of the soup, and the
combination of flavors had her finishing the bowl in record time.
She dabbed at her mouth with the linen napkin and looked up at
Chase for the first time since the meal began.

“That was delicious, Chase. Thank
you.” He smiled and placed his spoon on the plate beneath his bowl,
and she frowned when she noticed that he’d hardly eaten anything.
“Are you not hungry?”

“I’m more concerned with making sure
that you eat a hearty meal right now, and I guessed that you
wouldn’t just sit here and eat alone. So…” His words trailed off
with a shrug of his broad shoulders, and Alicia was touched at his
thoughtfulness.” Are you ready for the main course, or would you
like to rest for a few minutes first?”

“I don’t think I could eat anything
else for a little while.” She hadn’t been able to eat large meals
in quite a few weeks, what with nausea and nerves taking their
toll. “What would you like to talk about?” She had a feeling that
the baby would be the topic of conversation, but once again he
surprised her.

“Tell me about you. What were you like
as a little girl? Do you have any siblings and are you close to
your parents?” he seemed genuinely interested, and Alicia found
herself opening up more than she ever did.

“My dad passed away a few
years back and I’m an only child so it’s just me and mom now.” She
hesitated before going on. “Mom has an auto-immune disease so is
sick a lot of the time, which is why I always try to spend my off
days with her.” She didn’t add
while I
still have her
, but the words resounded in
her brain and she was filled with instant sadness.

Chase had been watching her intently
while she spoke, and didn’t miss her expression when she talked
about her mother. “I’m sorry to hear that, Alicia. Is she
undergoing any kind of treatment?”

Alicia nodded slowly. She didn’t want
to lie about the seriousness of her mother’s condition, but she
didn’t want Chase to think that she was angling for money from him
either, which was a bit ironic considering that she’d toyed with
the idea of blackmailing him not so long ago. “She is, but it’s not
proving to be very effective now. We’ve been told that there is one
other type of treatment available which has a fairly good prognosis
for most patients, but it’s too unrealistic for us to contemplate
right now.”

“Does she know about the
baby?”

Alicia cringed at the question,
because the answer could be taken badly. “Yes, she does. I didn’t
tell her, but she guessed it on my last visit with her. You should
have seen her light up, Chase. It was as though a switch had been
thrown and she was so excited at the prospect of becoming a
grandmother.”

Chase smiled as he listened,
and Alicia’s heart skipped a beat at how very handsome he
looked.
Why couldn’t he be like this all
the time
, she wondered. And then she
remembered that he couldn’t be like this because most of the time
he was dining with his wife—which was as it should be, she
supposed.

“So what about you, Chase? Do you have
a large family?” It was something Alicia had often wondered, but
despite how affluent Chase was, she had never been able to find out
much information regarding his personal life when searching
online.

“I have a younger brother who is the
bane of my existence. I love him dearly, but he’s always been a
pain in the ass and will do anything he can to infuriate me.”
Regardless of his words, Alicia could hear the affection that Chase
felt towards his younger sibling. Both my parents are still very
much alive and kicking, and they live on a ranch in Texas. It had
always been their dream to breed horses, so when I was lucky enough
to make my millions, I made sure their dream came true.”

“That’s so nice.” Alicia felt a sense
of wistful longing as she listened. She would have loved to give
her parents the same kind of gift.

“Nice be damned.” Chase chuckled in
response. “They were the nice ones for putting up with my bullshit
while I was growing up. Making sure that they are well provided for
now is the least I can do to make amends for my antics.”

They talked about their families for a
little longer, and somehow Alicia found herself opening up to
Chase, telling him stories from her childhood that she had never
told anyone else before. She even went as far as telling him about
how she had dropped out of college so that she could work full-time
to support her mother, but she made sure to keep her tone light so
he wouldn’t realize just how much her mother’s illness had cost
her—in more ways than just financially.

“Do you know if the baby is a boy or a
girl yet? The hospital wouldn’t give me any details once they
figured out that we weren’t a couple.” Chase had leaned a little
closer to her across the top of the table, his chocolate brown eyes
still watching her intently as he brought up the subject of their
baby once more.

“I won’t know for a couple of weeks
yet.” She repeated the same answer she’d given her mother just a
few days previously. “So long as it’s healthy I really don’t
mind.”

“I can imagine a little girl with her
mother’s green eyes and dimples.” Chase grinned at her, and she
felt herself blushing in pleasure at his words.

“And I can see a little boy with his
daddy’s dark brown eyes and thick hair. I don’t know what the
future will hold, but I do know we are sure to have created a
beautiful baby.” As much as she would have liked to have been in a
proper relationship with her baby’s father, Alicia felt warmed and
encouraged by the fact that he seemed genuinely interested, and
even sounded as though he was looking forward to having a child
with her.

“I know we were stupid and we should
have taken precautions, but I can’t say I’m sorry I got you
pregnant, Alicia. This situation we’re in might not be ideal, but
don’t think for one minute that I’m just going to abandon you or
the baby, or that I’m not going to support you both.” His sincerity
was obvious, and Alicia immediately felt as though a great weight
had been lifted.