Page 40 of Dirty Billionaire

I thought I’d be playing a stupid amount of golf and hanging out in some gentleman’s club talking smack about all the billions we’ve made over the years. Comparing the success of our children.

Clearly, I’d win—Levi is an NFL quarterback.

But wanking off into a plastic cup and giving this woman a baby? No, I did not see that coming.

I pace the full length of the area in front of the elevators about fifty times, then stop and stare at the floor.

My children all reacted differently when my dating status was announced.Thank you, Atlas.And aside from Bella, who cried and then told me she was happy for me, which we all knew was a lie, they said it was inevitable and didn’t expect me to stay alone forever.

“I did,” I replied.

“You can’t. Mom loved you. She wouldn’t expect you to stay alone for the next thirty or forty years,” Atlas said. “If it was her—”

My eyes stopped him from finishing that sentence.

That’s when it hit me. While the thought of another man with my wife made me turn all kinds of murdery, if it had been me taking my last breath and leaving Tina behind, I know what I’d tell her.

Love.

Grieve.

But when you’re healed, go out there and love again. Life is short, and if you’re blessed to life a long full life, then do not spend it alone feeling obligated to me.

Let someone else into your heart and live it to your absolute fullest.

The words sat in my chest for weeks before I saw Penelope on the TV this morning. Then Knox’s wisdom just cemented it.

To ask her on adate.

Not offer to be herbaby daddy.

Christ.

I lift my head and stare at the ceiling, rubbing my hand over my forehead. Then I glance at the door to the medical clinic and stride back in.

I don’t want Penelope to walk out and find me gone. So I ignore the glower from the receptionist and squeeze my body back into the stupid small chairs.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PENELOPE

I CAN BARELY FOCUSon what Dr. Qwann is telling me. She’s throwing numbers and data at me while I nod, but all I can think about is the Ward waiting outside the room.

“You will need to get these tests done to determine the quality of your eggs and if you have enough. Then we will talk through the best way to move forward,” she tells me.

What she hasn’t done is give me false hope. In fact, if anything, she’s been rather pessimistic. If I wasn’t so agitated by the six-foot-four distraction sitting outside, I might have felt quite crestfallen.

If you want a baby, I will give you one.

I am not going to let myself believe his words. It was said in the heat of the moment and without thought.

I think I fucking love you!

It’s taken him two weeks to respond to what I said and for some reason he needs to tell me as I take this enormous step in life.

Sure, I might not be successful in getting pregnant via IVF, but just coming to this appointment has been emotional.Walking through the building having Ward in tow only added to that pressure.

“Penelope?”

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