Page 43 of The Nanny's Bossy Billionaire

“Brooke, for the love of God, tell me you and Xavier have been careful.”

Her meaning dawns on me. “No, come on, that can’t be. I’m on the pill.”

“Which means you’re not using protection.” Stella throws her hands up in exasperation.

“It’s impossible, I can’t be pregnant.”

“I think you better tell that to the half dozen test sticks I’m getting right fucking now.”

Thirty minutes and five tests later, I know without a shadow of a doubt I’m carrying Xavier’s baby.

“Well, there goes your date tonight for one thing.” Xavier is taking me on a doors-off helicopter ride tonight.

“But I still don’t see how. I’ve been regular.”

“Did you miss any pills?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What about Cancun?”

“Yeah, I ran two packs together to avoid having a period, so no miss.”

“What about when you went to Prudence? Oh, you hadn’t met Xavier then…”

And suddenly I know. I was meant to start a new pack on the day I went home, but I forgot the pack here. I had gone straight from Prudence to Boston to see Steve, so the new pack was delayed for… I count my fingers… three days. I met Xavier on that third night. I’d been so worried about the debt I must have had the days confused.

I look at Stella. “It was that first night I came back from Boston. I left in such a hurry I forgot my pills here…I didn’t start when I should have, and I had been off for a week before then. Stella, what am I going to do?”

“Tell your boyfriend, for starters.”

“I have no clue how to begin to tell him. I don’t even know if he wants kids. The issue has never come up.”

“Now’s the time to bring it up then. And he might take it better than you think. He adores his little niece, doesn’t he?”

I nod.

“He won’t freak out, okay; just tell him.”

God, I hope so.

Chapter Sixteen

Xavier

For such a hecticday, I’m unusually energetic. It started with a seven a.m. troubleshooting meeting with the Canadian team and things went downhill from there. But every time I remember the softly whispered “I love you,” I want to howl in pleasure. The feeling it gives me in the pit of my belly is indescribable. Possession. Need. Bone-deep joy.

When was the last time I allowed myself to just be happy?Since before Taylor. I’d been in such a dark place after Taylor died; Zoey had constantly begged me to get grief counseling. She still thinks I have a lot of unresolved issues, but Brooke… Brooke is my happy place. Proof that I can love another woman even more deeply and fiercely.

These past few weeks, Brooke has settled really well into my life. My friends adore her and I got to meet her family. I’ve known deep down for a while that Brooke loves me. I feel it in her touch, the way she responds to me. She looks at me as if she wants to give me the world, despite everything I already have,everything I could give her. But to hear her say it was another feeling entirely.

My phone vibrates and I see her text.

Brooke:

Xavier, I’m so sorry, can I take a rain check on our date tonight? I don’t feel very good.

I call her immediately. She picks up on the second ring.

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