Page 1 of Bedding the Baby Daddy

Chapter One

Aurora LeMonde smiled serenely at each guest who passed her, determined to exude confidence and calm at her company’s latest fundraising gala even though she felt like she’d swallowed razor blades. She commanded herself not to do it. Not to torture herself. Not to look at him—at them—again. Unfortunately, as was too often the case where her boss, Giovanni Esposito, was concerned, Aurora’s self-control was nil. Within seconds, she sought him out, spotting him across the room looking like Italian sin in a perfectly tailored suit. He didn’t glance her way, his complete attention focused on the redhead by his side.

Whether he knew it or not, Gio was looking down at the love of his life.

Aurora’s eyes threatened to fill, her throat closed and everything behind her eyebrows tightened. With the ease of practice, however, she took a deep breath and swallowed her feelings down.

She’d worked for Gio for five years. Lived and breathed him. Loved him hard and quiet.

Convinced herself that at some point, the Universe’s cosmic puzzle pieces would fall into place and Gio would walk past her office, see her in the right pencil skirt in the right lighting with the right amount of hair tumbling over her shoulder, and he’d just suddenly… requite.

But she’d missed her chance. Or maybe she’d never had a chance at all. Because all along, a lovely redheaded woman had been living and breathing, and now Gio was looking at her like that. As if he’d only just started to exist when she showed up.

So really, Aurora had never had a chance. Not for his heart. Because that look on his face? That was the look of Destiny.

On impulse, Aurora snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and drank the liquid down. Maybe she hadn’t had a chance at his heart, but damn, it sure would have been nice to sleep with him a time or two. Something to remember fondly in the old folk’s home where she would inevitably die alone.

Not that she was feeling bitter or anything.

She scanned the people around her. She knew most of them, Gio’s clients, business associates or friends. There they went, smiling and friendly, some of them gazing at her with warm familiarity, but none of them truly knew her. None of them knew that on the inside she was holding her knees and rocking in a corner. Or that she would leave here and climb into bed alone, just as she always did. She hadn’t dated in years. Even flirting with a man had made her feel disloyal to Gio.

She couldn’t help but chuckle mirthlessly into her champagne at that one.

She’d been faithful to a man who’d seen her as a sister, a friend, a colleague.

Faithful to a man who’d touched her but never touched her. She’d made too much of the occasional tap on the shoulder, or hand to help her into a cab, or a few, glorious times, a victory hug when something had gone right for the firm.

Oh how pathetically she’d burned those moments into her brain.

Aurora took another gulp of champagne and told herself that she only had to give it twenty more minutes here before she could escape. This was a fundraiser for lung cancer research, and many of their clients had donated generously to the cause. There were heavy hitters in attendance, including Los Angeles billionaires Jamie Whitcomb and Eric Davenport, who’d flown in from Montana and his self-imposed exile specifically for this event. She needed to put on a good face and mingle, even if her heart was breaking.

She set her empty champagne glass on a side tray and turned to face the music. Unfortunately, she came face-to-face with George Mills Jr., the son of their oldest client. George was one of the slimiest men Aurora had ever had the misfortune to meet, and she’d had to put up with his leering advances for years. Although she’d been quite clear in her disinterest, he’d shown no signs of giving up the pursuit.

His persistence was rivaled only by one other man’s, a business colleague who’d made his interest in Aurora very clear, as well. Only that man was far from slimy.

A perpetual, incorrigible suitor.

Infuriatingly confident.

Exceedingly handsome.

Out-of-this-world sexy.

Yes, Dante Callaghan was all of those things.

But Aurora hadn’t been interested in the notorious playboy when she’d first met him four years ago. And despite the way he’d managed to steal into her dreams on more than one occasion, she still wasn’t interested. As far as she’d been concerned, Gio had been the man for her. Now she had to accept they weren’t meant to be, but oh how she wished she didn’t have to do it in George Jr.’s company.

“Refill, Ms. LeMonde?” he asked, shoving a champagne glass in her hands before she even had a chance to answer.

She took it, but no way in hell was she ever going to drink something George Jr. gave her.

He leered at her, his eyes barely making it above her neckline. Aurora was tall, and at 5’10” she had a perfect view of the pink half-dollar at the crown of George Jr.’s head.

Finally, his beady eyes made it up to her face. “You having a good time?”

What did he expect her to say? It was her company that was throwing the fundraiser, after all.

“Of course,” she answered smoothly. “It’s a wonderful event. Is your father here? I’d love to see him.”

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