Page 94 of The Billionaire's Demand

‘So that’s what brought you to New York?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why New York?’

‘The first global company I acquired was based here. I bought the building with the company. It just made sense.’

Her eyes widened. ‘The whole building?’

His smile was slow to spread. ‘Yes.’

‘Just how rich are you, Raul?’

His laugh was low and gruff. ‘I’ve lost count.’

‘Whereas I have spent the last however many years knowing down to the last cent what’s in my bank account,’ she volleyed back with a small shake of her head.

‘Speaking of which—’ He stood, moving to the kitchen, where his jacket had been discarded, and removed his wallet. He walked towards her. ‘This is for you.’

She took what he was offering without looking, but when she drew the item closer, she saw it was a credit card, with her name on it.

‘Oh.’ Her cheeks flushed. She wished she could say she didn’t need it, that she could decline, but the reality was, she would need his financial support. That was part of the deal they’d made.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, crouching down in front of her, staring at her in that way he had, as if unpicking every little piece of her.

‘It’s just... I’ve worked and earned for a long time. It’s going to take some getting used to, just accepting money from you.’

‘I respect that,’ he murmured. ‘This can be temporary, Libby. Once the baby is born, when you’re ready, you can go back to work, or study, whatever you’d like. Don’t overthink it.’ He reached out then, almost as if against his judgement, and put a hand on her knee. ‘We both know I can afford it.’

Libby’s heart raced as she placed the credit card on the end table and forced a smile to her face. It would be different if they were in a real relationship, a real marriage. Then she’d have no trouble considering whatever was Raul’s to be hers, and vice versa—such as it was.

‘You’ll need to come by the bank to sign some papers this week—to do with the trust funds I’ve set up.’

‘Oh, when shall we go?’ she asked, factoring that into her busy schedule of wandering the streets.

‘You won’t need me,’ he said, standing and returning to his own seat. ‘Justine can schedule it at your convenience.’

‘Great,’ she said, over-bright, feeling like a fool for expecting him to accompany her. Silence fell, but it was a heavy silence, at least, for Libby. She was aware of too much. Of what she’d learned about Raul and what she still didn’t know, of the disparity in their finances and general life experiences and, most of all, her awareness of him as a man, which was making it hard to think with the objectivity she suspected she needed.

‘I have also made enquiries about an obstetrics team,’ he said, leaning forward, elbows resting on his thighs.

Libby’s mouth formed a perfect O. ‘You have?’

‘You’re pregnant, remember?’ he drawled, face deadpan, but she smiled anyway.

‘That’s right, I’d forgotten,’ she joked, patting her stomach. In the last couple of days she’d felt different, a little softer, and her jeans had become harder to button up, so she’d taken to wearing them with just the zip in place. ‘But isn’t there just a local hospital or something I can go to?’

‘This is better.’

Libby dipped her head to hide a smile. She wasn’t about to argue. If he wanted to pay for the best medical care money could buy, who was she to disagree? But...

‘A whole obstetrics team?’ she said after a beat, recollecting his phrasing.

‘A nurse, midwife, two obstetricians—’

‘Two?’

‘In case one is unavailable.’

---