Page 43 of The Billionaire's One-Night Baby

‘They are predicting a torrential downpour this afternoon, with the possibility of huge hail.’ Right, Jago did check weather reports. That made sense, as he had a habit of scanning his world for potential disruptions and changes.

‘It’s going to cause havoc on the roads. I don’t want you driving in it.’

She’d navigated the crazy roads of this city for a long time and she wasn’t worried.

‘Can you leave work early today?’ Jago demanded, and Dodi bristled at the command she heard in his voice. ‘They are expecting the worst of it to hit around six, but I’d prefer it if you were off the roads way before then.’

Dodi pushed her hand through her wet hair. ‘I’ll be fine, Jago. They always exaggerate!’

She could see the irritation in his eyes, the tension in his jaw. ‘I don’t want you driving in torrential rain,’ he stated through gritted teeth. ‘Close your business early and get home. Please.’

Thepleasehe uttered didn’t detract from the force of his order. How she hated being told what to do, being made to do something she didn’t want to do!

Deciding to play him at his own game, she tipped her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. ‘Okay, then you get home before the storm strikes too. I don’t want you driving in torrential rain either. Blow off your appointments and get home early.’

‘I have a board meeting at five that’s going to take about five or six hours—’

‘Five or six hours? What are you discussing, how to rule the world?’ she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He didn’t smile. ‘Micah and I are presenting some new projects to the board, some of which will take the company in a whole new direction. It’s a meeting that will have massive consequences for the company and will present some significant risks. It’s probably the most important board meeting since my father died. But I wish we could delay it.’

‘Why don’t you?’ Dodi asked.

‘It’s difficult to find a date that suits all the board members, and some of the projects are time-sensitive. If we don’t get their approval tonight, we’ll miss our window of opportunity,’ he explained. ‘I have to be there. It’s vitally important.’

And her business was vitally important to her. ‘I have brides coming in at four. I can’t leave L&E either.’

Jago slammed his coffee cup down and rubbed his hands over his face. ‘I just want you to be safe, dammit.’

‘I’m a grown woman, Jago—I can make my own decisions about my business, my safety and my actions.’

‘You’re pregnant!’ he yelled.

She was, but so what? ‘I didn’t lose my ability to act independently, or to think, when you impregnated me, Jago.’

He released a low growl and stomped over to the walk-in wardrobe, where he’d hung his suit jacket. He returned, pulling it on with jerky movements. ‘I’m just trying to look after you, Elodie Kate! I’m concerned, that’s all.’

She was pretty sure he was, but it felt as if he was trying to bend her to his will. Maybe she was overreacting, maybe not, but she couldn’t allow him to bark orders at her and expect her to obey. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself, and she didn’t need a big, bossy billionaire telling her what to do and how to do it! Jago stopped in front of her and glared down at her.

‘Will you, at the very least, let me know your plans? I need to know when you leave and that you are safely home. I’ll be in the board meeting, so I won’t be able to respond, but I’ll see your message.’

He still looked frustrated, but his suggestion was reasonable, so she nodded. ‘Okay.’

Jago bent down and dropped a hard kiss on her mouth. ‘It would be so much easier if you just did as I asked, Elodie Kate.’

‘I’d bore you within a week if I did that,’ Dodi informed him.And I’d lose all respect for myself.‘You should go, Jago—you said you’re already late.’

Jago nodded and walked to the door. He placed his hand on the doorframe and looked back at her, his expression hesitant. ‘I’ll probably only make it home by midnight tonight, if I’m lucky. I’ll see you later, okay?’

He thought of her home as his and she thought of his as hers. Was he, maybe, feeling something more for her? Could he, possibly, be having feelings for her? The thoughts made her stomach fizz, her brain a little fuzzy from happiness. She knew hope was dangerous, that she was setting herself up for disappointment, but Jago was a deliberate guy who was careful not to raise expectations. What he said, he meant...

‘Do not drive in that storm!’ he told her again, the command in his voice unmistakable, and her excitement fizzled and died. She heard the sound of his size thirteens running down her steps, the slam of her front door. Dodi shook her head, bewildered by their argument, the confusion it raised, and the highs and the lows of their interactions. Ten minutes ago, she’d been considering a life with this man, living together, trying to build something. She’d thought that he might be feeling the same, just a little. But then his commands and demands, his banked frustration at not getting his way, made her wonder if she could be with him, whether they had a future together.

It made her question whether he’d ever consider her an equal partner and not someone under his protection, someone whose life he wanted to manipulate and direct, someone who’d manoeuvre her into situations she didn’t want or choose. And if she didn’t do as he wanted, if she baulked too often, would he decide that she wasn’t worth his effort and time? Would he think that his life was better off without her in it? Would he abandon her, leaving her holding her shattered heart?

Maybe it was better not to take that chance, maybe it was better to keep her emotional distance, to erect her emotional guardrails again.

Dodi flopped back on her bed and turned her head to look out of her window. She scowled at the blue sky. There was a storm on the way, and not just in the meteorological sense.

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