Baby for the Billionaire(79)
“A baby? How lovely.” But Victoria was looking at him, her hazel eyes velvety with concern.
“I always wanted a baby. Didn’t I, Connor darling?”
A wedding ring, more like. Threaded through his nose. Marriage to a wealthy man and a generous prenuptial contract had figured heavily in Dana’s goals. Her own success had not been enough. She had craved more. More money. More status. More power.
He met Paul’s gaze. “I wish you both every happiness.”
The tension in Victoria’s shoulders eased a little.
She’d obviously been worried he might create a scene. He wanted to reassure her, tell her that Dana truly meant nothing to him.
He smiled at her instead, a slow, sensual smile, and watched as awareness flared in her eyes. Heat spread through him. He suppressed a silent groan. What had he started?
“Does Victoria know you don’t intend to have children?” Dana’s comment was as unwelcome as a bucket of cold water.
But Victoria only arched a well-shaped brow. “I don’t think it’s true that Connor never wanted children. Otherwise, why did he choose to become a sperm donor?”
Connor tried very hard not to laugh. It made him sound like he’d done it for a living. Victoria was outrageous.
Dana’s mouth had fallen open. Even Paul looked startled.
“Connor donated sperm?”
“You didn’t know?” Victoria did great work of looking amazed. “Connor and I donated so that friends of ours could have the child of their dreams, didn’t we, Connor darling?” She drawled darling in a wicked imitation of Dana’s use of the endearment, and Connor bit down on the fierce urge to laugh.
“That was very generous—of both of you.”
“Suzy was my best friend. That’s what you do for friends, help make their dreams come true.” She gave an angelic smile as she encountered Connor’s arrested gaze. He wondered if only he knew that she was actually chastising Paul.
“Do you often see the child?” Paul looked sheepish.
“His parents were killed and—”
“—we decided to adopt him, didn’t we, Victoria?” He knew it was wrong to railroad her into something they hadn’t even discussed. But the last thing in the world he wanted was a divorce. He’d be foolish to let Victoria slip away.
“Er … yes.” Her eyes lit up with joy.
“So you only got married because of the child?” Dana had been silent, obviously thinking it through. Now her features relaxed in relief.
“Isn’t that why many couples get married?” Connor gave the other couple a narrow stare. Paul glanced away first. “But at least I wasn’t trapped into a marriage I didn’t want.” In spite of the fury that glittered in Dana’s eyes, Connor didn’t feel the satisfaction he’d expected as he made the comment. He had no need to pay either of them back further for what they’d done to him—they’d landed in a hell of their own making. With its huge mortgage that house would be a noose around their necks, and no doubt Paul was still struggling to service the interest on the loan he’d taken to pay Connor out for his share of Harper-North.
“Marrying Victoria is the best decision I’ve ever made,” he continued softly, reaching over to stroke Victoria’s hand.
Dana rose to her feet with an angry rustle of taffeta. “We should be on our way.”
Paul’s expression was far from happy. “Nice meeting you,”
he said to Victoria, and she smiled back at him as Paul sidled out of the booth.
Connor couldn’t help thinking that even Paul knew who had gotten the better deal. And it wasn’t Paul.
Thirteen
When they arrived home it was late, and Dylan was asleep. After seeing Anne out, Connor locked the front door and Victoria headed for the stairs.
“Victoria …”
She froze on the first step as Connor’s deep voice cut into the night. He came up behind her, his breath warm on her bare shoulders. “I forgot to give you your birthday gift.”
Swinging around, she saw with a shock that he was very close. Standing on the step put her directly at eye level with him. She took the flat parcel that he offered.
“Thank you—you didn’t need to do it.” She gave him a bright smile. “But it’s very much appreciated.” Turning, she ran lightly up the stairs, through the sitting room that adjoined her room with the nursery, into her bedroom.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. Drawing a deep breath, she hoped that he wouldn’t hear the thunder in her heart as she turned around.
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Her fingers were trembling as she untied the ribbons. The gay wrapping paper fell away to reveal a picture frame. She turned it over and found herself looking into four smiling faces under the arch of a church door.
“You remember that photo, don’t you?” Connor was much too close. “You even told me to smile.”
“I remember.” A soft ache welled up as Victoria stared into Suzy’s beloved face … and then moved on to Michael’s grin. Flanking Michael, even Connor’s hard face wore a smile.
“We all look so happy.”
“That’s how Suzy and Michael would want us to remember them,” he said.
She swung around to face him. “Thank you for this. You couldn’t have given me a better present.” She flung her arms around his neck, the frame dangling over his shoulder, and kissed him.
After a moment he kissed her back.
“Tory!”
She pulled away and looked into the face that had become as familiar as her own. The hewn cheekbones, the bladed nose and those penetrating eyes.
Connor wasn’t her father.
There wasn’t a neglectful, irresponsible bone in his body. He’d done everything he could to give Dylan a future that would be secure. And he’d always been there for her.
She owed him an apology. “I’m sorry for believing that you were a jerk.”
“Oh, Tory.” His hands tightened on her bare arms. “And I’m sorry for believing you were dull and dreary.”
“What?”
His eyes laughed down into hers.
“I know. I don’t know how I came up with that.” This time the kiss was deep and very, very hot. By the time it was over they were both breathless.
He took the photo frame from her and set it down carefully on the dressing table.
Then he returned to her.
“We’re going to make love,” he told her. “No casual encounter. And this time you’re going to stay—no rushing off before I let you go.”
“Never again,” she vowed.
“Oh, God, Tory.”
She curved into him, her body so close that she could feel the outline of his chest muscles against her. “I’m staying right here.”
“Forever.”
“If you want.”
“I want.”
His fingers pulled down the zipper at the back of her dress. She shimmied out of it and it fell in a pool on the carpet.
He’d trodden out his shoes and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and now he pulled the white shirt over his head. He stepped out of his pants a moment later. He wore only close-fitting boxers, and the sight of his hard, muscled body gave her a secret thrill.
Victoria kicked off her heels.
And trembled a little with anticipation as his arms came around her and he undid the hooks of the white lacy bra that she wore. He skimmed his hands over her hips, sweeping the brief bits of lace down her legs, leaving her naked to his ravenous gaze.
A moment later he was naked, too.
The hard ridge of his erection revealed how much he desired her. And he swept her into his arms and lowered her onto the queen bed.
“This is going to be over way too fast,” he murmured into her ear. “I want you so badly.”
He licked the shell-like shape of her ear and Victoria shivered with delight.
But despite his forecast he stretched the pleasure forever. He used his hands, and his lips, and his tongue to bring Victoria to heights that she’d never experienced.
When he finally parted her legs, she was on fire for him.
Connor positioned himself over her and drove deep.
She closed her eyes and let the passion take her. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders. He gasped and drove again.
Arching beneath him, Victoria found the rhythm. And then they were moving in unison, as one.
The pleasure rose in a bright, blinding arc. And as the light exploded behind her eyes, she heard Connor whisper, “I love you, Tory. How I love you.”
The words tilted her into a dizzying whirl of color and ecstasy that seemed to go on forever. And she found herself gasping, “I love you, too.”
Afterward they lay on their backs on the bed, their hunger for each other temporarily sated.
“Did you mean what you said?” she asked, turning her head to meet his warm eyes.
“That I love you?”
She nodded.
“Of course I did.”
She gave him a slow, dreamy smile. “I love you, too. I’ve been thinking, Connor. That billion-dollar baby bargain of yours? I got the best bargain of all—as well as Dylan, I got you.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “I definitely did better out of it. I got you, when I might have ended up with Dana in the greatest mistake of my life. My guardian angel must’ve been looking out for me.”