Page 9 of Playboy Billionaire's Secret Baby

“No, it’s fine. Neither of us meant for this to happen; it’s just one of those things.”

I offer her a one-shouldered shrug, trying my best to remain all blasé, but I don’t know if Allegra buys it. She can see that I’m nervous as hell and not sure if this is something I can do by myself.

“Well, you know that I will be here for you, right?” Allegra insists. “Me and Adam will do whatever we can to help you out. You don’t need some dirt bag guy, you have us.”

She gets up from her seat to hug me, hold me close, and let me know that I’m really not on my own. I do feel a little better, despite the fact that she lives in a different country. I know she’ll do whatever she can to make sure I’m not by myself.

“Thank you, Allegra,” I whisper thickly. The emotion is real and raw, filling up my throat. The tears threaten to come but I hold them back for as long as I can. “I appreciate you…more than you know.”

“I love you, girl. I will always be here for you.”

Chapter 6

Frederico

“Frederico,youhavebeenon your phone all night long,” the woman sitting across the table from me moans. Her fingers edge toward mine as she begs for my attention. “We’re supposed to be on a date. When are you going to pay me some attention?”

“I just need to get these emails finished, that’s all,” I reassured her. “My brothers need this shit done sooner rather than later… they’ve been on my ass…”

“Oh, Vicenzo and Elio? Tell me more about them…”

I shoot her a look. When women talk to me about my brothers, their eyes lit up. I know it doesn’t matter which one of us they are out on a date with; they just want to be out with the D’Amici billionaires. I don’t usually care but tonight it sucks. It pisses me off and immediately turns me off from the date. I might just go.

“I didn’t come here to talk about my brothers,” I shoot back coldly.

“Well, it seems like you didn’t come here to talk to me either, so what’s the point?”

She places the straw between her lips and sucks back some of the cocktail she’s been nursing for the last half an hour with her eyes on me the entire time. I suppose it isn’t her fault that her eyes are too blue and don’t have the green sparkle, I know I shouldn’t be chasing endlessly. It isn’t her fault that she doesn’t give me that wild excitement only one person ever has.

Lexi isn’t here; she’s back in England living her own life, just as she has been for the last few months. So why can’t I get her out of my mind? I’m never like this but I just can’t shake her off. I can’t let go of the memory of our one night together, no matter how hard I try.

What is wrong with me?I think angrily as her soft smile infiltrates my brain once more. What the hell did Lexi do to make such an impression on me? Needing to forget about her, I shove her out of my mind. I put my cell phone away and concentrated on the beauty sitting across from me. Sheisgorgeous, no doubt about it…she’s a famous model after all. But she isn’t making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Maybe I haven’t given her much of a chance…that might be the issue. I should try.

“Tell me more about yourself, Laura…”

“Lara,” she snaps back angrily. “I’ve told you my name like a million times. Why aren’t you listening to me? It’s starting to get really annoying Frederico.”

“Sorry, I’m listening now.” I hold up my hands to say so. “Please, tell me all about yourself, Lara. I’ve put work to one side now. I want to get to know you.”

“Well, I’m a model as you know.” She smiles, the icy exterior cracking because she has my attention. “And I have just walked in Milan Fashion Week, which was really exciting. I got to work with some of the great designers there, who taught me a lot of things…”

Oh God, I can’t stop myself from slipping back into bad habits. Drifting off and not paying any attention as she talks. I’ve mastered the art of making agreeable sounds on auto pilot whenever I feel I should, which allows me to drift and daydream.

I’m not supposed to be doing that anymore. I liked engaging properly with Lexi and actually learning more about her. I thought that might be a positive step for me moving forward. And not because I’m looking for a deep and meaningful love but because I just want to change things up a little. I want a bit more from my romantic interactions.

But now as Lara talks about something she’s clearly very passionate about, I can’t find the focus I so desperately need. Every single time I try to zoom in on the conversation, my brain flutters away once more. I keep thinking about Lexi, even though I don’t want to. Even though I know I shouldn’t…

It makes me want to call Adam right here in the middle of this date, just to see if I can ask a question about Lexi in a roundabout way. I haven’t mentioned Lexi once since Adam and Allegra got back from their honeymoon. I didn’t want to give him any clues that something might have happened, but he hasn’t mentioned her either and that’s annoying.

“So, what do you think about that movie?” Lara touches my arm and drags me back into the present moment. “Did you even see it? Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to have noticed me because I was only an extra in the background. But did you see it?”

Shit, I don’t even know what movie she’s talking about. I think it’s safer to say no.

“I haven’t seen it, but when I watch it, I’ll make sure to look out for you.”

She beams ear to ear but that smile doesn’t affect me in the way that Lexi did. I keep telling myself that it was more the magic of the wedding than Lexi herself, but I really don’t feel that way. Unfortunately, I really can’t let her go and it is annoying.

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