Page 46 of The Billionaire's Secret Child

“But it’s true.” His voice was raw, honest. “Every single word.”

She swallowed as the orchestra started a lilting melody. Her partner bowed and held out his arm. “May I have the honor?”

Laura actually curtsied. “You may.” She managed to keep some smidgeon of control as they walked to the dance floor, but when he put his arms around her, she was lost. Ever since the realization of her love, her feelings had increased like the waves of the sea. She relished in his nearness, adored the strength surrounding her, basked in his protective force. They swayed softly to the music, holding each other close. The attraction that existed from the beginning took a new, beautiful meaning.

The song ended and another began, but they didn’t move from their spot on the dance floor. They stayed there for song after song, until well after they should have joined the others. Finally they did, but they always stayed in close contact. Aidan never let go, whether he was holding her hand, encircling her waist or splaying his fingers on her back, he was always touching her, claiming her for all to see.

They enjoyed a four-star Italian feast of steaming lasagna smothered in vine ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, crusty rosemary bread with organic olive oil and chocolate ganache cake still warm from the oven. As soon as was socially acceptable, they retook the dance floor. There they stayed for the entire evening, wrapped in each other’s arms. She no longer cared about being linked with the powerful man – instead she was happy and proud to be with him. Now the town knew their secret, and soon Aidan would know hers. When midnight came, she was ready to leave.

It was time for Aidan to discover he was a father.

The drive home seemed but moments in length, the idle conversation forgotten as soon as it was uttered. Soon, they reached the building and stepped out into a night scented of lilies, roses and temptation. She pushed it aside as they walked through empty hallways and into the apartment.

“Today was magical,” she murmured, as she closed the door.

He smiled. “It certainly was.”

As her guest removed his coat, her heart quickened, for once not in response to the powerful man, but the conversation that would shatter his world. How would he react? How would he feel about Jeanie?

Would it change how he felt about her?

As certain as she was about her decision, she was as uncertain of how to tell him. Should she start at the beginning, with her desire to have a child? Or should she just blurt it out and then backtrack? No matter her method, she had to make him understand she only recently discovered the truth and hid it solely for Jeanie’s safety. Her love for him had nothing to do with her daughter.

“It’s time.” His expression reflected keen perception, as if he could read her very thoughts. “What do you want to tell me?” He walked closer, grasped her hands. His voice was soft, coaxing, commanding. “Tell me.”

She should just say it. Should just tell him. Her mind thought the words, her brain formed her lips, but she just couldn’t give them a voice. It was the right thing to do, but the very thought was beyond overwhelming. Perhaps she should start by talking about Jeanie. She glanced around the room, stopped at an old photo album. She broke off from Aidan and jogged to the book.

He watched her carefully as she retrieved the heavy volume from the shelf and lumbered to the sofa. She patted the seat next to her. “Before that, let's look at some of Jeanie's baby pictures.”

"Okay." Aidan lowered himself to the seat next to her. His gaze was confused, but not distrustful. She opened the fabric-covered album and immediately relaxed at the first picture: Jeanie, one year old in a purple sundress with a matching bonnet and purse. Aidan's lips quirked up in a warm smile. Perfect.

She turned the page, smiling at more baby pictures. They perused snapshots of precious moments, neither speaking, neither moving. Undoubtedly, he was waiting for her. Whether he guessed the secret had to do with Jeanie was uncertain, but she couldn't stall for much longer. Finally, she looked up from the book, smoothing out the old pages. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

He took a deep breath, set his jaw. She opened her mouth and then closed it, briefly shuttering her gaze. She could do this. She would just get it out, and then everything would be all right. Fortifying herself, she lifted her lashes, finally ready to share the long-guarded secret, but he was no longer looking at her. Storms blackened his eyes to darkness, as his piercing gaze searched the album.

What had he seen? Anxiety and confusion lassoed her lungs as she followed his thunderous gaze. He gripped the photo album, or rather a piece of paper protruding from it. Her breath caught in her throat, at the small paper that changed a destiny. She could not deny its significance. Or what itrevealed.

Old and faded, yellowed and aged, the torn pamphlet was small, seemingly insignificant. Only a smidgen of it peeked through the pages of the album, but that was enough. Because written in large black letters, bright, clear and painfully blatant, were four telling words:

Peace Fields Fertility Clinic.

Chapter 13

The world around him faded, his senses dimmed to static. Noises ceased, sights diminished, scents vanished as the world – his world – focused on one thing and one thing alone: the Peace Fields Fertility Clinic pamphlet. Worn by age, tattered by time, the document signified something impossible…. something possible?

Like a computer, his mind worked, a mathematical psyche analyzing a lifetime of data in a moment of passionate momentum. Supporting and contrasting evidence filtered through possible and probable outcomes: Laura's knowledge of the clinic, her about-face, Jeanie's features, her age, the strange feeling of familiarity, the father who wasn't part of her life, but might soon become so, thepamphlet. It all came down to the improbable, the impossible, the unattainable.

The dream, the hopes, the prayers.

Could there be any chance, could it possibly be true? He allowed himself a second to consider, and that second grew to a minute and minute to minutes as he just sat there, as his world changed and he accepted the chance, the possibility…

That he was a father.

And like a blooming flower, that chance grew, cultured by promises, sustained by unlikely coincidences. Could he really be father to that beautiful little girl, that tiny ray of sunshine whose smile brightened an entire world? Could there have been a mistake, a mix-up, at the clinic, a life-changing error? He knew Leanne's baby had been his, they had done genetic testing because of their fertility problems, but could another baby have been conceived? One for Leanne Jo Bancroft and one for Laura Jane Bl… his breath caught.

Aidan breathed deeply, as unlikely coincidence changed to likely truth, as an impossible vision turned to simple reality. As he realized…

His dream had come true.

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