Page 62 of The Billionaire's Accidental Legacy

They continued walking until they reached the hotel, which was glorious naturally, but mostly, he just saw her.

“Our room awaits,” he said.

They went through the lobby—all sleek black marble and highly polished gold. He realized then that he could have her if he wished. Because she looked soft and sympathetic to him. And their bodies already knew what to do when they were alone. They already gave in to such things. They had already built a pattern of falling into each other’s arms because it felt right. Because it felt necessary. Because it would erase the pain that he felt over having bared his soul to her in regard to his mother.

And he needed to avoid it. He needed to tell himself no. Because he had to prove that he had control here. He had given in to her because it was easy. Because he had let himself believe for a moment that he was the playboy that he pretended to be.

He’d been so dead inside when his father had died that he’d told himself there was nothing left in himself that felt.

And then, when he had come to her the day he learned about the baby, when he had run...

He had run away.

Like the frightened boy he’d been. A boy who hadn’t been able to run. Who hadn’t been able to escape the estate. And it was as if he had fled on behalf of that child.

But he would not fall into a lack of control now. He would not give himself over to this thing between them. Because he had agreed to come back. He had known he needed to care for her.

To marry her. To make his child legitimate, whether he felt that mattered or not. He would give his child everything.

And then, in the end, he and Jessie would live their own lives. Separately.

Because she needed him now. The child needed him now. But they would not always.

Tonight he would not touch her.

Tonight he would be...different. Not the playboy, but not himself, either. Something better.

When the elevator reached the penthouse, he let her get off first. It was a mirror of that night they had spent together. And he would not allow it to end the same way.

“Go and get your rest. You must be tired.”

She looked at him, somewhat shocked. “Yes. Of course. That’s... It’s a good idea. I will get some rest.”

“We can do some sightseeing tomorrow if you like. And then we will go back to Scotland.”

“Sightseeing and everything. For a whole day. You know how to show a girl a good time.”

“We could go straight back.”

She fixed him with a pout that was far more charming than it had the right to be. “Don’t be mean. You promised to show me Paris.”

“I suppose I have.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

JESSIEFELTODDLYDEFLATEDhaving been sent to bed by herself, but she knew that it was a good thing.

She knew that it was better for her to learn to spend some time with him without...

Well, too bad for her in the way her brain worked; all she did was think about him naked, and picture him in excruciating detail whenever he came to mind.

So maybe that was the thing. She needed to build some new images around Ewan.

It was so difficult. Because she liked the naked ones.

But he had promised to take her out and about in the city today. So she supposed she needed to act happy. And grateful.

She paused, putting her outfit on for the day. Just a black stretchy dress that covered her baby bump, and a pair of boots that were also black. She looked a bit witchy, and she liked it.

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