Page 2 of Raising His Baby (The Sartoris 2)

Standalone

Involuntary Daddy

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Chapter 1

Romy drummed his fingers against the steering wheel of his Porsche 911 Carrera as he waited at the light. Ever since he made the decision to propose to his latest lover, his stomach didn’t want to settle down. He couldn’t concentrate on work, which meant he made mistakes that led his brother Ezio lighting into him. Worst of all, he wasn’t even sure this was the right move.

Not that he loved her. Romy refused to fall for any woman after the one that broke his heart a few years ago. They were all deceivers, manipulative and out to satisfy only themselves. He knew some women weren’t nearly as bad as others. Yet, he couldn’t see where he should let himself love ever again. Heck, even Ezio’s wife married him for money.

Lately, it looked like his younger brother and his wife were in love, but Romy figured Shakarri just felt it more convenient for her own purposes to show affection for Ezio. He wasn’t worried about Ezio because if any of the Sartoris was immune to being bested by a woman it was Ezio.

Romy on the other hand had always been awkward around women. He could keep a cool head when it came to business, and he almost never lost his temper unlike Ezio. When the situation called for romance, a sense of shyness surfaced that he despised in himself. The only way he had learned to deal with it so far was when he was in Cason’s presence. His youngest brother was a born charmer, and a bit of Cason rubbed off on Romy when he got around Cason. He could tease and flirt with a woman and hide who he truly was.

Knowing he didn’t desire an endless life of seducing women just to satisfy his baser needs, Romy had come to the conclusion that the only way out of it was to propose to someone. He considered taking the exact route Ezio had done, by making the woman a proposition, but that seemed too cold for him. He didn’t think he could remain married to a woman who he didn’t at least like. That led him to his current situation.

Today, he planned to propose to his lover. He liked her. She was fun and open to having a family someday. She wasn’t too materialistic, although she enjoyed it when he gave her gifts. All women did. Romy had some reservations, but he put them down to distrust because of past experiences. Everything would be fine so long as he didn’t make her promises and spout off foolish declarations of love. Just the thought of it gave him a sour taste in his mouth.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” he coached himself and drove on when the light changed. Just a few more minutes and he would arrive at his lover’s apartment. He grinned. “Maybe I could learn to have…affection…for her.”

He chuckled. Affection sounded ridiculous. Ah well, that was all he had to give, and it shouldn’t matter. She would enjoy the prospect of a secure future. Romy might not own the bulk of Ezio’s businesses, but he did hold a healthy share of stock in them, which put him into wealthy territory in his own right. Outside of working for his brother, he had other investments, and if he chose to pursue them more aggressively, he might meet or exceed Ezio’s status. Money had never meant much. Nor was he as driven as Ezio. He liked a peaceful life, and working as one of Ezio’s executives suited him fine.

Romy left his car in the lot and jogged up to the entrance. He paused before opening the door and looked to his left. Nervousness turned to dread in his stomach when he spotted the yellow McLaren P1 parked a few spots down from his vehicle. A blind man couldn’t miss the flashy ride that Cason loved to tool around Southern California.

Why would he be there? As far as Romy knew, Cason wasn’t seeing anyone that lived in this area. In fact, Romy told Cason just a couple days ago about his plan. Cason, who never took anything or anyone seriously had laughed and walked away. His attitude annoyed Romy at the time, but he was used to Cason’s ways. His youngest brother never disrespected him but always did exactly what he wanted, no matter what anyone else’s opinion was.

“Can’t be him,” Romy muttered as he entered the building. Yet, he couldn’t see many others, especially over this side of town, being able to afford a McLaren. A testament to Romy not being ready to face the truth, he avoided checking out the front plate, which should read Cason.

When he reached the second floor, his lover’s apartment door stood slightly ajar. Romy pushed it a tad bit wider and prepared to call out. The words stuck in his throat. Strewn across the floor were pieces of clothing—a pair of shorts, women’s panties, a man’s shirt, and others all leading toward the hallway.

Common sense told him to turn around and get out of there. He kept walking farther into the apartment, and when he stood outside the bedroom door, the high-pitched giggle and the teasing deep voiced response washed away the last of his denial. He was a fool.

He kicked the door, and it banged against the wall. The sound of plaster crumbling made no difference to him. All his attention laid on the couple tangled in the bedsheets.

“Cason,” he croaked.

The blond squeaked in alarm. “Romy, it’s not what you think.” She clutched the sheet to hide her nakedness.

He ground his teeth. “I don’t know how I could misunderstand my brother sleeping with my lover.”

Cason watched him in silence for a minute as if judging Romy’s reaction. Of course, he wouldn’t cower or make excuses. His younger brother leaned back against the headboard, chest bare and one arm tucked behind his head.

“Nothing happened yet,” Cason said.

“I told you—” Romy began.

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