The Billionaire Wins the Game (13 page)

When she reached Lucas, she slammed
into him and started sputtering water. “Oh, excuse me,” she said as
she started to look up. When she noticed who it was she’d run into,
she seemed to freeze in place. “What are you doing here?” she
stuttered.

“I thought tonight was a great time for
a swim,” he replied and took off at a fast pace across the pool.
Amy stayed in place, holding on to the edge of the pool, trying to
decide if she wanted to finish her laps or just get out.

She was about to exit the pool, when
she decided she wasn’t letting him chase her away. She started her
laps again and finished her set amount. When Amy climbed out, Lucas
was still swimming.

She went over to the hot tub, which was
a part of her routine. She sat down and let the hot water wash her
worries away. Amy knew the moment Lucas joined her. Her head was
back and her eyes closed, but she could feel him. She didn’t say a
word. She just pretended he didn’t exist. If he wanted to make her
uncomfortable he was doing a great job, but she wasn’t going to
show it.

At least, she thought she was doing a
great job of not showing it. Her body could hide nothing in her
swim suit, though. He was eyeing her nipples as they pebbled into
hard points, looking as if they were bursting to break free of the
suit. He was more than willing to accommodate her with
that.

She sat in the tub for a few more
moments and then decided enough was enough. She climbed out quickly
and wrapped herself in the towel she had nearby. She didn’t say
anything to him, just headed off to the locker-room to get
changed.

Lucas was glad she’d decided to get out
of the tub. He had to wait for her to leave, because he couldn’t
have hid the evidence of how she affected him, and he was ready to
get her upstairs.

He quickly got out of the tub and
dressed in record time. He then headed for the lobby and chatted
with Fred. She finally emerged, looking shocked to see him standing
there. She narrowed her eyes and stomped, almost like a child
throwing a temper tantrum, to the elevators.

“How was the pool, Ms. Harper?” Fred
asked.

“It was just what the doctor ordered,”
she answered. “I’m bushed, though. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told
him, as she pushed the elevator button.

The second the doors opened she stepped
in and quickly pushed her floor’s number. When it started to close,
she breathed a sigh of relief, until Lucas jumped in at the last
second.

“Is there something you needed to speak
to me about?” she decided to throw out to him. “Or do you just
follow all employees to their homes and act like a stalker?” she
spat, no longer having any patience for the new game he’d decided
to play.

“Stalker?” he questioned. “I happen to
live here too, Amy, or did you not notice my parking place?” he
lifted his brow.

“You live here?” she asked,
dumbfounded. Why in the world would he live in the apartments when
he could live anywhere he wanted? She looked at him without knowing
how to reply to this latest information.

She hadn’t seen him around the building
and she’d assumed he had his own parking place because he did a lot
of business there.

“Yes,” was all he said in reply to her
question.

“Why would you live in an apartment
when you can have a house?” she let her curiosity overrule her need
to not speak to him.

“I prefer the apartment because I’m a
busy man, and here I don’t have to worry about keeping up a
property,” he answered.

She snorted quietly. Like he’d have to
worry about the upkeep anyway. He’d hire minions to do any of his
grunt work. He wasn’t the type of man who would pull the lawn mower
out of the garage and take it for a spin around the yard. She
shrugged and went back to ignoring him.

The door opened on her floor and he
stepped out with her. It was at that moment she realized he was who
lived in the other apartment on her floor. How had she not figured
that out in the months she’d been there? They worked and lived in
the same place and she had no idea he was living a few feet
away.

She was going to have an even worse
time sleeping now, knowing how close he was to her, and yet how
very far away. Why couldn’t she get over him?

She picked up her step and almost ran
to her door. She was having difficulty with the lock, when he
stepped up and took the key. His body brushed hers and she just
about jumped out of her skin.

He felt so good against her, if only
for a moment. He took her key and slipped it into the lock, rubbing
against her the entire time. His scent was surrounding her, making
her miss his touch.

The door finally opened and she slipped
inside, turning, with her hand out for the key. He looked at her
for a moment and slipped in, shutting the door behind him. How much
was she supposed to take? Her willpower was slipping
quickly.

“May I please use your
bathroom? Then, we need to talk about some stuff.” He didn’t even
wait for an answer. He just headed toward her bathroom. She leaned
against the door and tried to strengthen her willpower.
She could handle this. She handled it fine at
work. Her apartment was no different
, she
tried to convince herself. She really, really wanted a stiff drink
right then. She knew she couldn’t, but she could wish.

Lucas took a deep breath while walking
to the bathroom. He could be civilized. Maybe they could even start
some kind of relationship. He wasn’t good with being in a
commitment but he was willing to give it a try. He couldn’t stop
thinking about her, so there had to be something worth pursuing.
That was more than other people had going into a new
relationship.

He may have jumped to conclusions,
thinking she’d be after anything. He smiled to himself sheepishly.
He didn’t normally admit to being wrong, about anything, not even
to himself. They would have a nice, reasonable, adult conversation
and then he could take her to bed without feeling bad about
it.

Lucas was feeling good with his
decision as he walked into the bathroom. He finished up and then
washed his face and hands in the sink. He turned around to leave
and that’s when his world stopped turning.

He almost missed it. In her garbage can
was a pregnancy kit box. What the hell? He’d never felt as scared
as he did reaching for that box. He looked inside and found the
little stick. There were two lines on it. What did that
mean?

He quickly read the back of the box and
time stood still. She was pregnant. Holy Hell, she was pregnant!
Had she planned the pregnancy? How could she have? He couldn’t even
think, as he stood staring at the pregnancy test. A few of his
ex-girlfriends had tried to trap him into marriage by getting
pregnant and he’d deftly avoided them. Somehow, though, his
assistant had gotten pregnant the one and only time they’d made
love. He was angry with himself and even angrier with her. He knew
it wasn’t logical, but he couldn’t be logical at that
moment.

Many women had tried to
trap him into giving them his name, and all the money that came
along with it, but none had succeeded, until now.
Well,
I better get out
there to the future Mrs. Anderson,
he
thought bitterly. Lucas took a few extra moments to compose his
face before walking back out to her.

Amy was sitting on the couch when he
entered the living room. She didn’t look at him, which he was
grateful for, because he was having a heck of a time composing his
features.

“I’ll be right back. There are a couple
of phone calls I need to make,” was all he said as he walked past
her and through the front door. He picked up the phone as soon as
he sat down in his home office.

“I need to speak with my father,
please?” Lucas asked without any preambles.

“One moment, Lucas.” He was put through
to his father a minute later.

“Hello, Son, how are you?”

“I’m getting married and I want it done
this week. I’m busy with work so can you take care of the
arrangements. Normally, I would have my assistant do it, but since
she’s the bride, I need someone else.”

“You’re getting married to Amy? I’m so
happy for you, Son. She’s a real keeper. I’ll take care of all the
arrangements. How about Friday evening?” he asked with no surprise
in his voice. Lucas was taken back a little by his father’s
attitude. He was in too much shock to be suspicious,
though.

“Friday will be fine. Amy’s pregnant so
I want to keep this discreet, please. Just you and mom, and Amy and
I,” he said cautiously. He knew his father’s love of throwing
parties and he didn’t want a mass of people there to witness the
charade.

Lucas finished speaking with his father
and then called his attorney to draw up a prenuptial agreement,
making sure he was protected.

The phone calls took him about an hour.
He finished and then drank a shot of bourbon. “Okay, Amy, let’s get
this over with,” he mumbled out loud. He knew he was in for a fight
once he told her they would wed.

He walked back down the hallway, to her
apartment, and used the key he hadn’t given back to let himself in.
Amy was still sitting in the living room. At first it looked like
she hadn’t even moved, then he noticed the bowl sitting on the
table.

Well, he guessed her pregnancy hadn’t
ruined her appetite. He took a closer look and didn’t see any
differences at first. She was only a few months along, after all.
Then he did notice some changes. Her breasts seemed to be fuller,
although she hid them well in her loose clothing. She also seemed
to have a glow in her cheeks.

“Why haven’t you told me
you’re pregnant?” he asked without easing into it. He believed you
should always get straight to the point in a conversation. Why
waste time to
beating around the
bush
, as the old saying went. If you
wanted an answer, then you should ask the question.

She hesitated a few moments as she
stared at him, seemingly shocked he knew about her pregnancy. How
had he found out? Then, she realized he’d used her bathroom and she
hadn’t yet emptied the trash can. How could she have made such a
foolish mistake?

Well, it was easy to do when she didn’t
think he’d ever step into her apartment. Had she known he lived in
her building, she wouldn’t have left the kit anywhere it could’ve
been spotted. The only visitor who’d been there in the months since
she’d moved in had been Tom.

“I didn’t see that it was any of your
business. My job performance hasn’t been affected by it and in this
day and age it’s nobody’s business if you’re a single mother or
not. You can’t fire me for being pregnant.” She finally sucked in
enough air to reply to his question.

He stared at her open mouthed. None of
his business? How the hell could she say that carrying his child
was none of his business?

“You won’t be a single mother, Amy, and
you know that. I won’t allow my child to be raised as a bastard.
He’ll have my name.” His voice told her his way was the only way
they were handling the situation. If she didn’t like it, then too
bad.

“This isn’t your child.” Amy looked
directly at him as she spoke those words. There was no emotion to
her voice. He stared at her dumfounded. Not his child? What was she
talking about? He knew she’d been a virgin when he’d had sex with
her. The timeline fit. Of course it was his child.

“If it’s not my child, then whose is
it?” he decided to see what she would say. He was watching every
move she made. There was no way she’d be able to come up with some
story out of the blue.

“I told you I was in a relationship. It
progressed, but he didn’t want the baby so we split up,” she lied.
She’d rehearsed the story many times over and said it with
conviction. She wouldn’t even attempt to go into a custody battle
with Lucas.

He saw the tiny flicker in her eyes as
she lied. He knew she wasn’t telling him the truth. He knew the
baby was his, but he couldn’t figure out why she’d tell him
otherwise. What if he allowed her to convince him the baby wasn’t
his? He couldn’t figure out what she would gain by that.

“What kind of game are you playing,
Amy? I don’t get it. We both know the baby you carry is mine, so
why would you lie to me about it?” In his confusion, he let down
his guard and spoke to her puzzled instead of with
anger.

“I’m not playing games with you, Lucas.
This is my baby and no one will take him, or her, from me. I’m
qualified to raise this child.” She said almost pleadingly. “I’m
telling you the truth. The child isn’t yours,” she was trying to
will him to believe her words.

He finally understood why she was
denying he was the father. She thought he’d actually take the child
from her. He was furious she thought so little of him, that he
could rip a child from his mother. If she wanted to believe him a
cold-hearted bastard, that’s what she’d get.

“Don’t worry, Amy, you’ll
get to be a mother, and
wife
. We’ll be married Friday. I’ve
already made the arrangements.”

Lucas suddenly leaned down, trapping
her between the couch and his arms. “Don’t get me wrong, though, my
dear fiancé, if you try to cross me, or run away with my child,
you’ll never see him again. Do I make myself clear?” he whispered
in a deathly calm voice.