The Married Billionaire’s Surrogate

Chapter 4

“What do you think you’re doing?” Alicia pulled back, startled. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that Steven would kiss her so quickly. “You don’t even know my pet’s name for God’s sake,” she shouted at him.

“I’m sorry.” He reached for her hand, but Alicia put it on her back. She met his owlish look and anger rose up within her. What did he think? That she was some kind of a property to him and he could use her whenever he wanted to?

“Why are you doing this? I am not your mistress and I don’t want to be. I haven’t even answered yours and Elizabeth’s offer yet.”

“Don’t you get it, Alicia? I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you and I will say it a hundred more times if you want. Me and Elizabeth… It was a set-up marriage and it was over before it even began,” he said looking into her eyes.

“I don’t understand… How?”

“There’s nothing to understand, sweetheart. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you no matter your decision about the baby.”

“You’re married, Steven! And… And if I say yes, how can you bring yourself to have a baby with your wife and at the same time love your maid.” Tears welled up in her eyes, both from excitement and pure joy at hearing his confession. He seemed so honest and desperate like a small boy wanting someone to love him like no one ever did.

He came closer to her, placing his wide hands on her forearms and she let him. “Take it easy… Let’s dine first and we’ll have the whole night ahead of us to talk about everything.”

She decided that it was a good idea, nodding at him. Both of them, hand in hand, entered the magnificent restaurant and were quickly directed toward their table. Steven pulled the chair out for her to sit and then occupied the seat opposite of her, all the time staring at her hazel eyes. For no reason, she felt really shy, her cheeks slowly flushing and a wave of uncertainty still passing under her skin. To break the look she turned around and marveled at the huge space and the vines on the walls, but it was truly the white flowers wound up the columns that caught her attention.

Bringing two glasses before them, the waiter asked about drinks and he confidently ordered some French wine and a champagne both with unfamiliar names. She gently smiled at Steven, suppressing the will to compliment his looks. Then a sudden thought stuck in her mind again. The decision she had already made early in the day, even before Steven asked her out and she said it aloud.

“Steven… I want you to know that I made up my mind. I’ll… I’ll be a surrogate mother to your child.”

What she saw in his face was something she had never seen before on any man’s face. Some mixture of bewilderment, gratitude, happiness and love all at the same time. She reassuringly nodded as a tear slid down his cheek and he swiftly wiped it with the back of his hand. The matter was obviously far more important for him than she could understand.

“I will, Steven. You did so much for me… You and your wife-I mean Elizabeth. And I want to,” Alicia told him seeing his fingers curl around hers.

“Thank you,” he said in a teary voice and then for a moment they remained silent until he could compose himself.

“Anyway… What is your pet’s name?” Steven spoke after a while.

She chuckled. “It’s Bingley. It’s a dog, a golden retriever actually.” And that’s how the anchor was dropped and their conversation sailed like a ship in calm waters. They told each other everything they could think of, about their childhoods, music tastes, some events and memories from school and college, friends, family, books, movies, hobbies and so much more. All of it cheering them up and warming their hearts. Alicia’s mouth hurt in the end from laughing so hard after finding out that Steven was drunk-calling the dean in college, telling him about how tough his classes were and how little time he got for dating.

“And he sent me two tickets to a concert the next day with a note that said only one word – sorry.” Steven laughed and she joined in again.

She hadn’t noticed when the restaurant emptied and they remained the last guests of the night. She guessed that time did fly by when you were having fun and with a person you hold dear to your heart.

“It was a beautiful night,” she said to him as they were entering his car, a little bit drunk and too happy.

“It still is.” He showed her his pearly white teeth and pecked her on the cheek.

He drove in silence, Alicia’s head still buzzing. The moment when they arrived at the mansion and climbed the stairs to his bedroom was all bits and pieces in her mind; fragments she couldn’t quite remember. Only his hands on the small of her back and his breath on her neck.

“I know you want it as bad as I do.”