Page 38 of The Billionaire's Bad News Baby

Kayla was a hard worker; Elio had known that much from the moment he’d met her. People prone to lazing about didn’t fly across the world and sneak onto a private island to serve court documents, and they certainly didn’t come back to the same island half a year later to tell you they were pregnant, in person, because you didn’t pick up the phone. So it was obvious that Kayla was struggling with Dr. Albero’s orders to remain on bed rest. Despite being exhausted and sick, continually a little green about the gills, she would get the fidgets, bored with being stuck in one place no matter how unwell she felt. Gianna and Isabella had told him as much while he’d been hiding out in his office, thinking that emails were more important than the actual human being currently living down the hall. Well, today he intended to find out for himself how Kayla was doing.

The morning after his apology on the beach, Elio had taken the breakfast tray intended for Kayla from a baffled Isabella and made his way to the guest suite — Kayla’s suite now — and knocked on the door. When Kayla opened it, her hair wilder than he’d ever seen it, it was fairly obvious that she hadn’t been expecting him. She’d had a bright smile on her face that fell off in an instant, replaced by surprise. It only served to show Elio how much catching up he had to do to regain her trust.

“Hi?” she said, and it came out as a question.

“Hi. Breakfast?”

She nodded, still looking a little unsure and stepped aside for him to enter. Elio took the tray into the main room of the suite and set it down on the coffee table with a clatter. He’d managed not to spill anything, so at least that was a bonus.

“You look better,” he said, and it was true. There was more color in her face, not a whole lot, but it was better than nothing.

“I feel better,” she said, taking her time to walk slowly over to the window seat, every step seeming to take effort. Elio was glad that he’d brought her breakfast. She needed to rest. At least if he stayed to keep her company, he could help her do just that instead of finding her wandering around on the beach.

“You’ve really got to stop getting trapped on private islands, you know,” he said, suddenly desperate to see her mood improve, even just a fraction. “You’re making a habit of it.”

That earned him a grin, and his heart soared.

“At least I’ve got luggage this time,” she said.

“That’s a bonus. Though I’d be happy to split my wardrobe with you again.”

“Thanks, but your clothes wouldn’t really fit me in my current state,” she said, pointing fingers at her extended stomach, almost comically round under her shirt.

“Is it heavy?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He felt his neck turn red within seconds, even though Kayla just seemed bemused.

“Sorry, what?” she asked.

“Your stomach, is it heavy? I worry you’re going to fall forwards.”

She smiled, and it matched the brightness of the grin that his arrival had knocked off her face. Elio was able to breathe a little easier after that.

“Yes, it is heavy,” she said, resting her hands on top of her bump. “And yes, I worry about falling on my face as well.”

Elio grimaced at the thought. “Well, please don’t do that.”

Kayla laughed. “I’ll try my best, I promise.”

She sat on the window seat while Elio leaned against the wall, but when she surveyed the breakfast that Isabella had prepared for her before he’d commandeered the tray, Kayla looked slightly dismayed.

“I can get you something else,” Elio said, quick to offer her anything she might need. That just seemed to make her smile again. Making her smile was going to get addictive, it seemed.

“No, it’s beautiful,” she said, nodding at the plates of fruit, juice, and an egg white omelet. “There’s just no way I’m going to be able to eat all of this.”

“Isabella won’t mind.”

“You could share? If you wanted?”

It was so obviously an olive branch, Kayla tilting her head to the empty space beside her, that Elio immediately went and sat down. It earned him another smile. So perhaps he was on the right track.

“You didn’t bring your laptop?” Kayla asked.

God, even the fact that she was so surprised about that told him everything he needed to know. Maybe being a workaholic was more than just a turn of phrase.

“I figured I could take some time off to keep you company,” he said, trying not to grimace at himself. “It’s the least I could do.”

“You’re doing plenty,” Kayla said, gracious as always as she nibbled on a piece of apple.

“Well, I guess my time to shine will come in the future, you know,” Elio said, taking a piece of kiwi fruit from the plate.

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