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Blurb:

A surrogate pregnancy, interracial, billionaire romance novel. Kayla is not a stranger to hardship. After her father’s death, she is left to care for her ill mother and pay her medical bills. Knowing that she needs financial stability for the family she supports, she decides to accept a billionaire’s request for her to be a surrogate mother.

Enter Ryan, a CEO whose difficult past and loneliness overshadow his financial success. Their relationship quickly transcends the boundaries of a business deal, morphing into a deep connection that challenges them both. As they grow closer, they begin to question the true value of wealth.

Can their growing bond teach them that joy and fulfillment can’t be bought? Or will the challenges of their unconventional bond prove too much, leaving them to question if they’re ready for the emotional depth it demands? Get answers in this BWWM surrogate romance book by Samantha Drake.

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Chapter 1

She felt the chilly air of the autumn night as it caressed her damp cheeks while her slender fingers brushed a strand of curly black hair from her face. She allowed her hand to fall back into her lap where the white envelope with her salary rested. Her fingers brushed the white piece of paper while her eyes scanned the horizon, watching as the last rays of light died behind the rising buildings. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d watched the sunset from outside. She usually admired it from inside the restaurant where she worked. The red rays of light sneaked into the dining area, reflecting against the golden pillars and ivory walls.

Never in her life had she imagined that a day like this would come, when she wished she was running between the kitchen and the tables, listening to the rude comments and judgmental words of the customers. Or at least she’d imagined that a day like this would come, but she never thought that it would be so soon.

She gulped and closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm the frantic thoughts that rushed through her head, hammering against her skull violently. She could still feel the weight of the walls that seemed to have crumbled above her chest. The memory of the events that had occurred, not so long ago, vividly played against the dark canvass of her closed eyelids. The memory of the scarlet wine as it seeped into the baby pink satin dress still played at the back of her mind, followed by the colorful words that had left the parted red lips of the blond woman.

She bit her lip as she remembered the way the woman had looked at her, the chilly feeling of her dead stare still running down Kayla’s back. Her heart was still hammering against her ribcage as she remembered the disappointed look of her manager, her body barely able to forget how small it had felt under the deep gaze of Mr. Anderson.

But those memories were not the ones that brought tears to her eyes. She wasn’t one to allow some snobby person and a ruthless manager to kill her soul and wet her eyes. No, she was crying because of her misfortune. She’d been working there for three years, the blisters on her feet the solid proof of how many times she’d walked that marble floor, snaking around the tables scattered around the grand room. And she was bound to lose it all because of one mere, innocent mistake.

Somehow, she had anticipated that the minute she’d spilled the drink. She knew that the high-class costumers that dined there were ruthless and would take everything as an offense. The woman seemed to be important too. After all, the manager himself asked Kayla to take especially good care of her. However, she hadn’t expected Mr. Anderson to speak so badly to her once inside the small office at the back of the restaurant. She could barely remember the words that were thrown at her, she could only remember one sentence, three mere words that echoed inside her mind, promising to raise a thousand other thoughts that were meant to drive her crazy.

“You are fired!” he’d said, his finger pointing towards the door with such determination.

The events that had occurred after that were a blur. Kayla could barely remember how she came to sit there, on the metallic bench a few feet away from the bus station. She didn’t even know how long she’d been sitting there. She just knew she was subconsciously trying to delay her arrival home. Because she knew that she would have to deliver the sad news to her sick mother.

Her mom wouldn’t say anything, she knew that. But she would start worrying about the bills as soon as she heard the news. Kayla was so sure of that because it was exactly what she’d been doing herself.

Taking a deep breath she brushed the drying tears with the back of her hand and allowed the chilly air to wash over her lungs and refresh her from inside. With determination, she stood up and forced herself to stand up and raise her chin.

No! she thought. She wasn’t going to allow those snobby people to ruin her life. She would find a better job, one that would allow her to spoil both her mother and herself. She was unsure of how she was going to do that. It had been a while since she’d searched for a job. But that wasn’t going to stop her from fulfilling the newly sworn promise.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see the dark cloud that peered through the horizon, threatening the city with its blue thunder and cold rain. Kayla took that as a sign that it was time to return to the warmness of her home, where her mother was surely waiting for her.

Her mother. Kayla’s heart burned as she imagined her worried face the minute she found out about what had happened. Her mother didn’t deserve this fate. Kayla had always wanted to make her proud. In her dreams, Kayla was a successful African-American woman, making her way into a man’s world but that was unfortunately not her reality. No, she wasn’t bound to fulfill such a pure goal and wish.

Sniffing, she bit her lip and shook her head, seeking the silence that would entertain her while she returned home.

The smell of freshly baked pie welcomed Kayla as soon as she opened the front door. Her hand rested on the chipped white wall of the hallway while she kicked her shoes off. A half smile played upon her pink, slightly dry, lips as she heard her mother’s low voice.

“Kayla, is that you?” It had been a while since her mother was able to stand up and actually welcome her, let alone cook. That in itself warmed Kayla’s heart. It meant that the new treatment the doctor had recommended was working wonders.

The corners of Kayla’s lips curled as she watched her mother’s fragile and petite body slowly approach her, her slender arms wrapping themselves around her daughter as she greeted Kayla.

“You’re home early.” Kayla pursed her lips and nodded, still not finding it within herself to actually speak aloud about what had happened. She was sure her mother could sense that something was wrong, but she was glad when her mother didn’t question her further.

“The food isn’t ready yet, but you can freshen up while I finish.”At first, Kayla wanted to object and help her out. But she desperately felt the need to feel the rush of hot water as it poured over her body. “Okay. I won’t take long.” Kayla said, the ghost of a smile still painted on her face.