thing he hadn’t tried. She freely admitted that she hadn’t loved her fiancé and was just marrying him because it “made sense.” Well, Nick would be damned if she considered Silvestre a better bet than him. It was going to kill him to play it cool, but if pretending their interaction was just a business deal got him what he wanted, then he wasn’t above a little deception.
“Help me out? How likely is that? It’s not like I’m asking to borrow a cup of sugar, Nick! How many men would offer to father my child?”
Nick stood and thrust his hands in his pockets, aware that his next words would change his life forever.
“You’re looking at one.”
C H A P T E R F I V E
FOR A MOMENT, Raina wondered if it was possible to be dreaming while standing up. Because she was pretty sure Nick Alexander had just offered to get her pregnant.
And he wasn’t laughing.
“Are you crazy? Why would you say that? You and I don’t even get along.”
Not to mention that she’d been shutting him down for months. Why would he want to do her a favor now?
“Well, as you just pointed out, it’s not about being in love. It’s about shared goals. I’m a businessman, Raina. I can appreciate the logic of what you’ve described. A stable mother for my children and someone who has the kind of DNA that money can’t buy.”
Nick stood and joined her at the window. If it was possible, he was even more handsome with his clothes all rumpled and his tie askew. He looked like he’d just been rolling around in bed. Which made her think about what he’d just offered to do.
Focus, Raina!
“You want to do this because you like my DNA?” she asked skeptically.
“You are without a doubt one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,” he stated. “Clearly you’re smart, your career trajectory proves that, and you seem healthy, fertility issues notwithstanding. I want children and I want them to have the best mother possible. Why shouldn’t it be you?”
He said it so matter-of-factly, as if he picked out the mother of his children every day.
“Nick, are you serious? Please don’t toy with me about something like this.”
At that, his face softened. “With all that you know about me, have I ever been cruel? A little too persistent, perhaps, but never mean.” He looked tense despite his relaxed pose, the lines around his eyes and mouth more prominent.
“No, you haven’t. That label probably applies more to me than you.”
“Well, I’m guessing you had your reasons.” Nick regarded her from beneath lowered lashes. “I bet you never expected this. Contemplating carrying the child of a man you hate.”
She squirmed. Was there any tactful way to respond? Even though he drove her crazy and she didn’t really want to get emotionally attached to him, it didn’t mean she wanted to hurt him. She was just trying to keep her own emotions in check so she wouldn’t grow to depend on him.
“I don’t hate you, Nick. I could never hate you.”
“Well, then, what is it? Tell me what it is that’s keeping you from saying yes.”
“I’m trying to understand why you want to do this.”
“Raina, men are wired differently than women. I think we only have three levers. Food, money, and sex. Most men don’t have a biological clock. We have children when we feel it’s time to settle down. This is a little earlier than I’d planned, but if I wait I might not find anyone as well-suited to me as you are. Especially sexually.”
“That makes sense but, Nick, let’s be real. You’re used to having a lot of women. Getting pregnant can be a lengthy process. It’s going to screw up your game if you’re spending so much time with me.”
He curled his hand around her neck, tangling his fingers in her long curls. His thumb stroked her bottom lip. “You’ve already screwed up my game because I can’t get the night we spent together out of my mind. I can’t sleep without reliving it. I
“Help me out? How likely is that? It’s not like I’m asking to borrow a cup of sugar, Nick! How many men would offer to father my child?”
Nick stood and thrust his hands in his pockets, aware that his next words would change his life forever.
“You’re looking at one.”
C H A P T E R F I V E
FOR A MOMENT, Raina wondered if it was possible to be dreaming while standing up. Because she was pretty sure Nick Alexander had just offered to get her pregnant.
And he wasn’t laughing.
“Are you crazy? Why would you say that? You and I don’t even get along.”
Not to mention that she’d been shutting him down for months. Why would he want to do her a favor now?
“Well, as you just pointed out, it’s not about being in love. It’s about shared goals. I’m a businessman, Raina. I can appreciate the logic of what you’ve described. A stable mother for my children and someone who has the kind of DNA that money can’t buy.”
Nick stood and joined her at the window. If it was possible, he was even more handsome with his clothes all rumpled and his tie askew. He looked like he’d just been rolling around in bed. Which made her think about what he’d just offered to do.
Focus, Raina!
“You want to do this because you like my DNA?” she asked skeptically.
“You are without a doubt one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,” he stated. “Clearly you’re smart, your career trajectory proves that, and you seem healthy, fertility issues notwithstanding. I want children and I want them to have the best mother possible. Why shouldn’t it be you?”
He said it so matter-of-factly, as if he picked out the mother of his children every day.
“Nick, are you serious? Please don’t toy with me about something like this.”
At that, his face softened. “With all that you know about me, have I ever been cruel? A little too persistent, perhaps, but never mean.” He looked tense despite his relaxed pose, the lines around his eyes and mouth more prominent.
“No, you haven’t. That label probably applies more to me than you.”
“Well, I’m guessing you had your reasons.” Nick regarded her from beneath lowered lashes. “I bet you never expected this. Contemplating carrying the child of a man you hate.”
She squirmed. Was there any tactful way to respond? Even though he drove her crazy and she didn’t really want to get emotionally attached to him, it didn’t mean she wanted to hurt him. She was just trying to keep her own emotions in check so she wouldn’t grow to depend on him.
“I don’t hate you, Nick. I could never hate you.”
“Well, then, what is it? Tell me what it is that’s keeping you from saying yes.”
“I’m trying to understand why you want to do this.”
“Raina, men are wired differently than women. I think we only have three levers. Food, money, and sex. Most men don’t have a biological clock. We have children when we feel it’s time to settle down. This is a little earlier than I’d planned, but if I wait I might not find anyone as well-suited to me as you are. Especially sexually.”
“That makes sense but, Nick, let’s be real. You’re used to having a lot of women. Getting pregnant can be a lengthy process. It’s going to screw up your game if you’re spending so much time with me.”
He curled his hand around her neck, tangling his fingers in her long curls. His thumb stroked her bottom lip. “You’ve already screwed up my game because I can’t get the night we spent together out of my mind. I can’t sleep without reliving it. I
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