Page 90 of The Billionaire's Baby

"And here I thought you were calling to say ’hi’ to me and check in how my day was going."

"Of course," I swallow, "that too… I mean… I… Ah." Tears knock at the backs of my eyes. Fuck. The hormones I’d been injecting myself with in advance of the IUI are clearly messing me up.

"And…and…before that, I asked him to father my child."

"You did what?" Her voice rises in pitch.

"Yeah…" I nod, "I was scheduled to get artificially inseminated, only instead of making it to my appointment, I ended up being stuck on the yacht with Arpad."

"So, you asked him to step in?"

"Pretty much."

"And… uh... How did your proxy jizz maker perform?" There’s a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Can't complain," I mumble. "And now you’re having fun at my expense?"

"No, babe. Of course, not. It’s just, you have to admit, as stories go…and trust me, I’ve heard some pretty crazy shit from each of the other women as they got together with one of the Seven… But your story—" She blows out a low whistle.

I press the heel of my palm into my forehead. "That bad, huh?"

"It’s…up there with how Harry met Sally or Ennis and Jack inBrokeback Mountainor Blake and Dan inGossip Girlor…"

"I get the picture," I say hastily. "So," I jump up and begin to pace, "what do you think I should do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I don’t know what I want to do; that’s why I’m asking you."

"Bullshit," she snaps, "of course, you do."

"No, I don’t." I pull the phone away from my ear then speak into the mouthpiece, "Are you going to give me the benefit of your advice or what?"

I hold the phone to my ear again, and she blows out a breath.

"Do you want to walk away from him?"

"I’m not sure."

"Do you want to stay with him?"

"Not sure either."

"Maybe you should give it some time. Perhaps you’re not ready to make the decision yet?"

"May…be." I stop again by the window. "There are times I want to punch his face, other times I want to kiss it… But most of the time I want to—"

"—Be close to him?"

"Not quite…" I bite the inside of my cheek. "I admit, I don’t want to give up this chance of getting pregnant, you know? It’s the one thing I have always wanted, a kid of my own."

"You’re brave, wanting to do this by yourself."

"Or a coward?" I raise a shoulder. "It seems less stressful if I don’t have a man to deal with. Besides, this way, I get to do what’s right for the kid without always having to fight it out with the father."

"Or maybe, you and the father would discuss it and arrive at a decision that would benefit the child the most?"

"Are you trying to push me in his direction?"