The Billionaire Baby Bombshell (10 page)

“Finished looking?” His voice was husky, his eyes amused.

Her body hummed with energy, as if she’d stuck her finger in a light socket and the powerful force now thrashed to break free.

“I…” She paused, struggling for the upper hand. “So if it wasn’t you, who?”

He shrugged. “Who else knows you’re here?”

A spark of irritation nipped at the edges of desire. “My father. Carlos.”

He didn’t have to say a thing, his expression mirrored her thoughts. Carlos wouldn’t. Her father, on the other hand, was Jonathon’s squash partner.

Contrite and embarrassed, she broke eye contact. “I…I’m sorry. I may have jumped the gun.”

“Not a problem.”

She glanced back up and caught his smile at the worst possible moment. Now all she could think about were those curved lips nipping at her hot skin.

“Okay. Er…” She clasped her hands nervously in front of her body. “I’d better be—” she gestured one thumb over her shoulder, towards the door “—better be going.”

“Okay.”

Still she remained rooted to the spot, until Alex added helpfully, “Anything else?”

“Yes. No! No, I’ll…” With a whoosh of breath she whirled to the door.
Estúpida. Surely you’re not waiting for an invitation into his bed?

She paused, her hand on the door handle, her back to him. Thanks to what would've undoubtedly been a skillful, off-the-cuff comment, her father had effectively undermined her and cast doubt on her abilities, reducing her to fifteen all over again, and with all the accompanying emotions of confusion, isolation and anger.

The same emotions Alex himself had dealt with on a daily basis since his father’s death. Without her.

“I’m sorry, Alex.”

“For what?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “For not being there for you when your father died.”

She paused, waiting, but his silence said it all. With a pained frown she cracked open the door, prepared to make a dignified exit.

It happened so suddenly she barely got out a squeak of surprise. One moment she was grasping the handle, the next Alex had slammed it shut, grabbed her arms and whirled her, pinning her up against the door.

He was in her personal space, close enough she could see the dark navy flecks in his eyes and the rough stubble on his strong chin, feel his warm breath brushing her cheek.

Then he kissed her, hard.

Their breath mingled, tongues tangling until her nipples pebbled in painful arousal beneath her shirt. His manhood pushed hard against her belly and when she shifted, his groan was a mix of vexation and desire.

She felt it, too, this fierce need that scorched like a fever under her skin, her willpower bending and swaying under its awesome power. Her mind tangled as she felt his hands under her shirt, slide up over her waist then her ribs, before he cupped her breasts.

His soft murmur of approval in her mouth fired her blood, sending aching shards of longing into her limbs, fanning across her body.

He fiddled with her bra clasp as they kept on kissing, and when her bra fell free, he bunched up her shirt and latched hot mouth on to one tight nipple.

“Alex…” A groan of pleasure ripped from deep within as her legs began to buckle.

“I have you,” he murmured, his lips full of her flesh. It was true—his arms wrapped securely around her, the hard door at her back. His knee wedged between her legs, offering erotic support.

He was everywhere, in her senses, her mind, under her skin. In her blood. She took a breath and he was there. She opened her eyes and his face filled her vision. Her palms, shaking with passion, ran over his shoulders, until she cupped his nape, that special erotic area where his hair met vulnerable flesh.

It turned her on every time. She tunneled her fingers in his hair, gently pulling, a deep burst of satisfaction as she heard him grunt. Yet despite the raging desire in her blood and her desperation to have him inside her, she couldn’t relinquish herself. Not tonight. Not now.

“Alex…” she whispered, desperate to ignore the shocks of pleasure as his tongue ran over her nipple, teasing and arousing it to painful erection. “I need to gooooooo…” Her plea ended on a groan as his hand dipped into her pants,
his fingers quickly finding the damp sensitive nub of her arousal.

“Do you?” His teeth toyed with one rock-hard nipple, making her hiss.

“Your…mother and Chelsea…. are…. with—” his tiny strokes made her body jerk with pleasure; she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing her body to settle even as it screamed in joy “—Bella. We can’t do this right now.”

His hand stilled and Yelena breathed a sigh. Relief or disappointment? Right now, she had no idea.

Slowly, he lifted his head and Yelena nearly lost it then—the fire in his eyes still raged, bathing her in desperate yearning. His hand was still down the front of her pants, his fingers wedged intimately in her flesh, flesh that throbbed and ached beneath his touch.

“I need to go,” she repeated breathlessly.

The moments ticked into seconds, long, apprehensive seconds that did nothing to clear the passion-fueled moment. Yet Alex finally gave in. In one slow, excruciating movement, he slid from her, the sensual glide of his fingers forcing her to swallow a frustrated groan.

Then the cool air rushed in. She opened her eyes just in time to see his jaw tighten before he turned away, tunneling fingers through his hair.

Abject disappointment warred with common sense. “Alex…”

“Don’t.” He got out hoarsely, his back still to her. “You need to go.”

She blinked, still dazed. Then without another word she opened the door and finally escaped.

Alex whirled to the closed door, a deep scowl across his brow. Gently he thumped a clenched fist on his forehead, one hand on his hip. His groin throbbed, a painful reminder of what he’d had, what he still wanted. Yelena.

He muttered a few choice curses under his breath before
yanking his shirt free from his pants. This wasn’t him, unable to figure out the simplest of problems. He’d had a mission—destroy Carlos’s world by sleeping with his precious sister. But instead of triumph, bitterness tainted his every move, his every thought. Even when he thought about how amazing Yelena had felt in his arms, how mind-blowing it had been to finally taste her, to kiss her, to be inside her, a surge of guilt always followed.

Something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

He’d used her in his revenge plan, even though he’d never been certain it’d work, even though he’d begun to believe she hadn’t played a part in Carlos’s lies.

The kicker was she had no idea how much of a bastard Carlos was.

The injustice of it burned like fire as he strode into the kitchen, wrenched open the fridge door and grabbed a beer. He scowled at nothing in particular, until his gaze landed on Yelena’s file for the Sunset Party. He still hadn’t given her his guest list—

It hit him like a bolt from heaven, immobilizing every muscle in his body. With a rush of breath that ended on a stunned grunt, he slammed a hand on the counter top.

If Yelena couldn’t see the kind of person Carlos was, then it was up to him to
show
her. And he knew just the thing.

S
aturday morning—the day of the party—slowly blended into early afternoon. After fussing over her hair, her makeup and her general nerves, Yelena walked into her lounge room for Chelsea’s inspection.

“How do I look?”

Chelsea frowned, gently replacing Bella across her other shoulder. “As if you’re about to chair a board meeting.” The teenager looked fabulous in a sleek, dark blue halter neck, the empire waist slashed to reveal aqua-and-black satin that shimmered as she walked.

“What’s wrong with this?” Yelena ran a hand down her red silk shirt then readjusted the waistband of the black wool pencil skirt.

“It’s hardly a party dress, is it?”

“Well, I’m working.”

“You’re always working.” Chelsea rolled her eyes. “It’s a
party,
for heaven’s sakes. You know—food, people, music?”

She sighed melodramatically. “Okay, you’d better let me look at what you’ve got.”

In less than ten minutes, Chelsea declared every piece of clothing in Yelena’s lineup unsuitable and was on the phone. Three minutes, to the dot, and the concierge was at her door with a special delivery.

“Open it,” Chelsea commanded after she’d signed the slip and closed the door. To Yelena’s surprise, a scorching-red dress unfurled beneath her hands.

“Go and try it on.”

“I can’t—”

“Yeah, you can,” Chelsea countered firmly, hands on hips.

Yelena finally caved. “All right. Can you watch Bella?”

“Sure. And loosen up that hair!” Chelsea added as she went once more into the bedroom.

Yelena pulled on the delicious dress, the fabric pouring over her skin with silken cool fingers. She couldn’t suppress a shiver of excitement as she stared at her reflection.

It was one of the most gorgeous gowns she’d ever seen. Stylish, dramatic and totally sexy. The strapless bodice hugged her figure to snug perfection, the sleek material emphasizing her waist and generous curves to flare past her hips into an elegant, floor-length train. A swathe of sheer red floated behind her, a flirty mermaid tail with tiny seeded crystals on the hem to add extra oomph when she walked.

There was a small knock on the door before Chelsea opened it a crack.

“Mum’s here. Come on out and show—wow!” Chelsea’s eyes widened. But her smile faltered when she came to Yelena’s hair. “Hair down. Fluff it out.”

“Yes, miss.” Yelena grinned and reached for the pins holding it in place. It tumbled down, the soft whisper across her bare shoulders sending another shiver down her spine. “You know, Gabriela used to boss me about like that, too.”

Sadness flittered across Chelsea’s eyes before she smiled. “Well, she
did
have style.” She eyed Yelena before adding, “And you have awesome hair—why on earth would you tie it up all the time?”

Yelena grinned at her though the mirror. “Try living with it.”

“Pleeeease.” Chelsea tweaked Yelena’s curls into place, smoothed her own shiny, straight hair behind her ears then nodded at their reflections. “Okay. Let’s go.”

When Yelena swished into the lounge room, Alex stood there, talking in hushed whispers with Pam who was holding Bella. Alex and she had barely spent an hour together since that kiss. Yelena had been gratefully busy with the party preparations and via Chelsea, she’d gleaned that Alex was dealing with the day-to-day running of his father’s businesses.

Yet when he glanced up, saw her and smiled, her normally iron composure just crumbled.

“You look gorgeous.” His eyes told her much more, all of it definitely X-rated, judging by the glint in those jeweled depths.

“Thanks” was all she could choke out, more than aware of his sister and mother standing discreetly to the side, Chelsea attempting to fasten a simple gold necklace around Pam’s neck as Bella gurgled.

“I didn’t think a ball gown would’ve been on your packing list.”

“The dress is yours, bro,” Chelsea piped up, too focused on pretending not to listen to actually carry it off. “Lori at the boutique gave me a loaner.”

Yelena met his eyes head-on, a small smile hovering over her lips as she shrugged.

“Nice,” he murmured. But the timbre in that one word said so much more. Like,
I’d much prefer you out of it.

Even as her body leaped in response, she gave him a steady
glare, telling him she knew exactly where his mind was at. He remained unfazed.

Just as Alex was about to offer his arm, Yelena took Bella from Pam.

“You’re bringing her?” he asked, surprised.

Yelena shot him a cool look. “It’s her first party. I have Jasmine coming over at six.”

He eyed the gurgling baby, sitting comfortably on Yelena’s hip. “Won’t she—”

“What?”

“I don’t know—throw up or something?”

Yelena laughed. “Maybe.”

“What about your dress?”

“Then it’ll get dirty.”

Her smile stretched as the women shared the joke, one that made him feel uncomfortably male.

“Yelena’s letting me show Bella off.” Pam finally came to her son’s rescue. “And after the wonderful job she’s done, we can at least give her a dress.”

“It’s not that,” he began, glancing at his mother. She was looking chic in a black pantsuit, a burnt-orange wrap around her shoulders. When she smiled, it was a real one, not those fake smiles that never reached her eyes, ones he’d seen her give way too often when his father was still alive.

They opened the door, Pam and Chelsea going first in a rush of excited whispers.

“My earrings!” Yelena said suddenly. Then to Alex, “Can you hold Bella?” and just like that, the baby was suddenly in his arms.

God, she was so tiny! He blinked, awkwardly clutching her to his chest like an oddly shaped piece of delicate china. Bella gurgled and gnawed on one fist, a thin line of drool slowly dripping from her mouth.

He shifted her minuscule, yellow-jumpsuited weight and studied her with a frown. Large, brown puppy-dog eyes
fringed with thick lashes stared up from a round, cherubic face. Abundant, curly dark hair capped her head, her tiny mouth stretching into a wide grin, still full of baby fist and drool.

She was a miniature version of Yelena.

Something fluttered inside, making his breath catch, prompting a darker frown. Yet when Bella kept grinning at him and two tiny dimples appeared on the baby’s cheeks, his heart skipped a beat.

The sight that greeted Yelena’s return stopped her in her tracks, stuttering her breath. Alex cradled a tiny gurgling Bella in his powerful arms. And they were grinning at each other.

Oh, my Lord.
The perfect picture sent a slice of yearning into her very soul, her heartbeat engulfing her heavy swallow. She blinked.
What am I supposed to do with that?
“Alex?”

When his eyes swung to hers she nearly crumpled at the dazed expression there. A mixture of awe, delight…and something else, something she recognized but did not want to name because then she’d have to acknowledge it. And worse, deal with it.

Longing.
Her conscience overrode common sense at the worst possible moment.

She dropped eye contact and reached for Bella. “Pam and Chelsea are waiting. Shall we go?”

But when he remained still, staring at her with Bella still in his arms, a spurt of panic erupted.

“Alex?” Yelena said softly.

Inscrutable eyes studied her, as if he wanted nothing more than to crawl into her mind and read her thoughts. She returned his gaze steadily, unblinkingly, even as her whole body inwardly trembled.

“She could have been ours.”

No bitterness, no accusation. Yet the pure simplicity of his statement made every cell in her body weep.

Anguish threatened her composure: ruthlessly she choked it down. “I know.”

He sighed, severing the moment as he firmly handed Bella over. “Let’s go.”

For a week, construction on two marquees had been underway, and now the results of everyone’s hard work was clearly visible. Inside the main entrance, fake trees sparkled with tiny lights and a canopy of dark blue silk dotted with tiny diamantés gave a starry effect. A small pond and miniature waterfall had been built and, surrounding it sat massive toadstools with assorted fake bugs and critters as big as cats. Children squealed and shrieked and adults gasped as they discovered replicas of popular Aboriginal folklore creatures scattered amongst the scenes—a platypus in the pond, an emu grazing behind a tree. Koalas hid in the branches and kangaroos grazed lazily on the long painted scrub.

The back of this scene opened up to a huge, carpeted area, where long trestle tables were laden with a veritable feast, the local cuisine mixed in with Diamond Bay’s offerings. Chelsea had dubbed this area the ‘party tent,’ where a bunch of local bands were setting up their equipment.

As Yelena watched the flow of guests arrive, she realized most of the small but fiercely strong community had turned up.

Which hopefully meant it was going to be a roaring success.

To her right, at the back of the marquee, her daughter commanded the attention of a handful of women. She chuckled, watching the way Chelsea kept on touching Bella’s hand, how Pam gently patted her back. A baby had an amazing ability to bring out women’s mothering instincts.

Most, that is, except Maria Valero’s.

She blinked, burying that thought away. Now was not the time to dwell on things she couldn’t change.

She glanced over at two reporters filming their segment
intros. The press was here; the guests were arriving. With a smile she watched a bunch of excited Aboriginal children run full tilt through the marquee, laughing as their squeals of delight filtered outside.

“Looks like it’s going to be a hit.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin as Alex’s seductive breath washed over her shoulder.

She swiveled to meet his eyes. “You doubted my skills?”

His smile spread slowly, creasing his eyes in mischievous glee. “Not in the least.”

As they exchanged a silent look she sensed a ground shift. As if something had changed in some deep, profound way.

“We’re talking about the party, right?” she said slowly, her eyes flitting back towards the arriving throng.

“Of course.”

She avoided his gaze, nervously pressing one hand to her abdomen before flicking a long curl over her shoulder. It obviously proved too much of a temptation because Alex retrieved it, twirling it around his finger in deep concentration.

The look in his bright blue eyes made her knees buckle. “You’d…” She swallowed and tried again. “You’d better go and attend to your guests.”

His mouth spread into a grin. Then to her astonishment he took her hand, kissed it and bowed low like a gallant courtier. “Of course. I’ll be back.”

Yelena watched him go, smiling as guests continued to arrive. Pam mingled with natural ease, talking to employees and their families, local business owners, even Yelena’s contacts from Sydney and Canberra.

She spotted Chelsea shyly chatting to the waiter who had caught her eye a few days ago and her smile widened.

Then a broad figure cut through the crowd and that smile froze in place.

“Carlos!”

From his vantage point across the room, Alex watched his enemy greet Yelena with a smile and a hug. Yelena’s obvious joy at her brother’s presence sliced Alex’s insides. But his veins iced over when he caught Carlos’s complacent smirk, a look that said he knew and fully accepted his sister’s worship as his God-given right.

Yelena’s eyes sought his, yet he met her curiosity with a raised eyebrow and a shrug. The grateful smile she shot him dug in the knife just a little more.

She won’t thank you after tonight.

Swallowing that bitter pill, he grimly reconnoitered and moved forward.

“What are you doing here?”

He heard Yelena’s happy exclamation then saw her brother’s mouth curve. Yet those dark eyes remained wide and alert. “Is that any way to talk to one of your guests,
cigüeñita?
”

Her smile faltered. The nickname “little stork” had annoyed her ever since tenth grade, but her irritation only amused Carlos.

“I got an invite in the mail. I would’ve expected at least a phone call,” Carlos said casually as she grabbed him a drink from a passing waiter. The gentle yet obvious rebuke wrinkled Yelena’s brow.

He took a gulp of his drink, gagged then choked it down. “What the—?”

“Iced tea. Yandurruh is an alcohol-free community.”

“Great. Another reason why I hate the Outback.”

That was Alex’s cue. He stepped up behind them. “We have a fully stocked bar at Diamond Bay if you prefer, Carlos.”

“Alex.” Carlos slowly turned and they both went through the motions of shaking hands.

Yelena glanced from one man to the other, studying them closely. They were both tall and strikingly good-looking. But where Carlos had that Antonio Banderas, swarthy-romantic-
screen-idol look, Alex’s appeal was infinitely more subtle. From his short-cropped hair to the strong, stubbled jaw and piercing blue eyes, his appearance reminded her of powers barely leashed, of treacherous waters lurking beneath his cool, controlled exterior.

Seeing them together was palpably uncomfortable to watch, like witnessing two rival politicians exchange pleasantries just before they ripped each other to shreds.

“I’d kill for a real drink,” Carlos said gruffly as they broke the handshake.

Yelena winced at his word choice, noticing the dark clouds passing over Alex’s face.

“I’ll show you the way,” she said quickly, linking her arm in his. As they walked away, she chanced a backwards glance.

Pam and Chelsea had joined Alex and as she watched, Alex’s gaze landed on Bella.

His mouth curled up, his finger going out to stroke the baby’s soft cheek.

Carlos frowned down at her. “You all right?”

She nodded, releasing her tight grip on his arm. He glanced back and his frown deepened.

They silently made their way through the night until they reached the security gate that signaled the perimeter of Diamond Bay property. Yelena keyed open the gate and led Carlos through.

“Nice place,” Carlos mused as they followed the path through the lush vegetation. “Must’ve cost billions to develop.”