Page 25 of The Virgin's Baby
“That’s a good question.” She looked at me right in the eyes, and I felt thunder booming inside of me. “You see, I need the money like I need air to breathe. But I kept thinking about what you’d said, about me having blood in this world if I did this. The idea just keeps going through my head, like some kind of a looped track. Also, I know any kid of yours will never have to worry about money. So, who better to have a baby with than you?”
“I’ve been researching thein vitroprocess. It’s a little intimidating, especially for the female. There’re lots of things that you’ll have to do. You’ll really want to have this baby to go through all this.” I pulled out my cell to show her some of what I’d found.
She scooted closer to see my phone. The scent of her made my mouth water. Strawberries and cream came to mind. And I wondered if she would taste like that if I kissed those plump pink lips of hers.
Aspen pointed to a photo of a woman pinching a chunk of flesh on her stomach for a needle to be inserted into it. “Shots? I’ll have to have shots?”
“Yeah.” I hoped that wasn’t a deal breaker. “Are you afraid of getting shots?”
She shook her head. “Not afraid. Just not keen on the idea.” She looked at the phone image again. “Are there lots of them to take?”
“I think so.” I began to worry, not only about her, but about any woman that I asked to do this for me. This was a hell of a lot to ask of a stranger.
“On top of the actual shots, there must be some side effects from them,” she mumbled. “Ah, here it is. Changes in mood. I thought as much.” She looked at me with a smile. “Well, at least you won’t be affected by my bad moods.”
“And why wouldn’t I?” I had to ask.
Her lips broke into a wide smile, and I nearly forgot to breathe. “Because I won’t be around you.”
I had to concentrate in order to take in air. “Why not?”
Her brows furrowed. “Because I’ll be home, and you won’t be around, I suppose. Or are you planning on going to the doctor with me? I don’t know how this will work.”
“Oh, now I see.” Being around her, I had some trouble thinking clearly. “I forgot to tell you something. It’s pretty important. See, I want you to come live at our estate. And not for only for the time it takes to have the baby. We want you to stay on permanently.”
Confusion riddle her pretty face. “Like, forever?”
“Well, at least until our kid moves away, I guess, or is old enough not to need us around all the time. Whichever comes first.” I knew that sounded a little crazy. “You see, I want you to be a real mother to our kid. Not just a surrogate that has a baby and hands it over to me.”
“This just got a heck of a lot more serious, Ransom.” She looked away as if looking for the answer. It wasn’t out there anywhere. She had it inside of herself.
I wasn’t sure how to phrase things, but I had to try. “You’ll still be a free person. I won’t try to keep you captive in our home or anything like that. My grandfather is the one who thought this child should have both parents, and he says he’s running short on time. If he wasn’t, then I wouldn’t ask this of you or anyone.”
“And you will lose your inheritance if he dies without a grandchild, right?” she asked as she tapped her chin.
“I will.” I thought she needed more incentive. “I’m still willing to compensate you adequately for this. Not only will you be paid for having this baby, but I’ll get a contract drafted for us that will make everything legal. For every year you live at the estate, I will pay you. We can negotiate the amount together. I want you to feel that it’s fair.”
“So, this is looking more and more like a full-time job for me.” She shook her head and frowned. It didn’t make her face one bit less beautiful. I thought that was amazing.
“Tell me, Aspen, do you ever not look so perfectly beautiful?” I ran my fingertips over the satin smooth skin of her cheek. “You’re so symmetrical. Like a statue. A perfectly proportioned, perfectly sculpted statue.”
“I’m far from perfect,” she said as a pink blush flooded her cheeks. “It’s funny that you should think that. No one has ever told me that. You’re the first.”
I could not believe that. She was gorgeous. “No way in hell am I going to believe that. If you haven’t heard that before, then that’s because you just weren’t listening.”
Her eyes bore seriously into mine, as if looking for threads of honesty in what I’d said. “I don’t get you, Ransom Whitaker. I really don’t. But it might be fun trying to figure you out.”
“I wouldn’t bother if I were you. I’m a riddle wrapped in a puzzle then sealed shut inside of a Rubik’s Cube. Even I don’t really understand myself most of the time.” It was true. When I’d told my buddies what my grandfather was making me do, they all told me that I was a fool for going through with it. Any one of them could set me up in one of their family businesses. But I wanted to do this for some odd reason.
“I don’t know what will really come out of this, Ransom, but I’m in. If you want me,” she said.
Part of me knew she was just too desperate, and that I shouldn’t ask her to do such a thing. But another part of me wanted her to be the one I shared DNA with to make a baby. A perfect little angel: half me, half her.
All I could do was smile at her as joy filled my heart. “I want you.”
I’m going to have a baby!
Chapter Twelve
