One million dollars -- a dream come true for struggling college student Ashlynn Morgan. All she has to do is sign on the dotted line and agree to become surrogate mother for CEO multi billionaire Felix Dunnerson and his wife Deborah.
Yet, during th...
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Felix shows up at the condo the day before New Year's Eve. His eyes are wide like those of a madman, which he explains away with jet lag. I can't shake the feeling, though, that he's in a terrible mood. He confesses that the issues his company is facing in China have been escalating and that the new game release just before Christmas suffered a big blow.
Not eager to aggravate him further, I don't bring up my chat with Deborah. Anything to salvage our time together. We can discuss it when he's feeling better. I lure him into the bathtub with the promise of some tender loving care. The warm water and my shoulder massage seem to relax him. He leans his head against my chest while my fingers draw little squares on his stomach.
"I could really get used to this," he mumbles with his eyes closed. "There's nothing better than coming home from a stressful day at work into the arms of a loving woman. I'm just so glad to have you in my life."
His words drive a snippy "then why haven't you told Deborah you're leaving her" onto the tip of my tongue, but I swallow down the sudden resentment. I'm sure there's a logically explanation. He came home to me—not her—right after the long flight. That counts for something. It's obvious he's making an effort.
"How was your Christmas?" he asks.
"Alright." I grimace behind his back, not eager to admit is has been shitty.
"When did you get back?"
"Already on Monday."
He shifts around and stretches his neck to find my eyes. "Weren't you supposed to stay until this morning?"
"I didn't feel like it. The weather was dreadful and I missed the Californian sun." I omit that the walls at my aunt's house were closing in, making the whole atmosphere suffocating.
"Next time you tell me when your plans change." He cradles back against my chest with a low huff. "I don't like it when I don't know where you are."
"Why?"
His body tenses. "Because I'm worried. You're pregnant and I need to be sure that you have medical support in case of an emergency." He pulls my hands in his and squeezes them gently. "I think it's only normal that couples tell each other these things. I'm not trying to control your life."
The words are laced with a certain coldness, and the snappy reminder that he left for China without informing me is swallowed down. I don't want to argue after we haven't seen each other in almost two weeks. To ease his tension, I run my hands further south. It doesn't take long for his body to respond. His breath becomes heavy, and he pushes me onto my knees, sliding into me without consideration or foreplay. It's not the way I like having sex, but I let it slide. He is under so much pressure and pampering him for a change is the least I can do.
After we get out of the tub, he massages lotion onto my back when his cell phone buzzes. Checking the display, he gives me a crooked smile. "Sorry, I have to take this."
