Page 38 of The Billionaire's Baby

"Now you’re accusing me of what? Being too close to my business?"

"All I am saying," I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans, "is that you need to take some time to breathe, to recalibrate, and give your body and emotions a chance to readjust to this new reality you want."

"Which is?" She frowns.

"A child."

"Yes, of course. I know that." She huffs. "All of this is about me having a kid, isn't it?"

"I get that." I peer into her face. "Your wanting a child? I get that, loud and clear. What I don't understand is how, if you are so career-oriented, you are going to have time to bring one up?"

"I'd, uh, I'd prioritize the baby, of course," she purses her lips, "if I get pregnant."

"Whenyou get pregnant," I correct her, "you'll have to rearrange your entire life around the child. You can't be this focused on your career. If all you think about is your job, how will you make the space in your life for a kid?"

She rakes her fingers through her hair, "I'd, uh, I'd manage."

"Will you?" I fold my arms across my chest. "It seems to me, you haven't really thought through the dynamics of how you're going to raise a child."

"Oh?" She draws herself up to her full height. "And you know everything about childcare, huh?"

I do, because I wasn't prioritized when I was young, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Are you going to elaborate on the details for me?" She huffs.

"No, I am giving you the space you need to think things through." I lean forward on the balls of my feet. "Being away from your job and your daily life is the perfect opportunity for you to process the issues. You’ll be surprised how much clarity you get with distance."

"Is that what you’re doing?" She glances around the space. "Putting distance?"

I chuckle, "Now you’re reading too much into my statement."

"But that is what you’re doing, aren’t you?" She searches my features. "You’re running."

"Next, you’ll tell me it’s because of the incident, where I was kidnapped as a kid, that I like to spend time away from the world and on my own, sailing around the world."

"Don’t you?"

I roll my shoulders. "No."

"No?" Her forehead wrinkles. "Then why do you—?"

"Prefer the company of the waves to the city?"

"And your friends."

"The Seven." I nod. "I keep in touch with them via regular calls. Besides, the frequency with which they have been getting married, I’ve seen them more in the past few months than I have since right after the incident."

"You guys supported each other a lot during that time?"

I rub the back of my neck. "More like, used each other as punching bags.’

"You mean sounding boards?"

"Punching bags." I widen my stance. "Put seven boys who’ve been through an emotional and physical rollercoaster, not to mention impending puberty which has all of us in a tizzy, and the last thing we want to do is talk."

"Ah," she nods, "and how did your families react to what happened?"

I set my jaw. "The incident was hard on mine. But they supported me. They were there for me, when I needed them most."