Carrying The Billionaire's Baby

“Okay.”

Relief washed through her. It wasn’t exactly the culmination of any of her plans, but she’d won a significant victory.

“Good. Let me pack a few things and we can be on our way.”

She tossed a dress and enough jeans and T-shirts, undies and toiletries for a day or two into her scuffed-up duffel bag. As she slid the wide strap to her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of her reflection and grimaced. The thing looked as if it had gone through a war. Just like most of her personal possessions. She might live in a beautiful home in a great part of the city, but only because her condo had been an investment. When she returned to Pennsylvania, she would live in a small house in a small town. Most of her money would go toward her practice.

She’d always have enough to take good care of her child but he or she certainly wouldn’t live in the lap of luxury. Her condo and nice work clothes might have fooled Jake into thinking she had more than she did, but she wouldn’t be able to hide the truth forever. She was squarely in the middle class.

Her relief at her deal with Jake faded into nothing. Getting him to agree not to use her dad was a victory, but there were so many other things he could use. So many other ways he could keep her in New York, destroying the goal she’d been working toward since she was a teenager. Especially since she’d planned on her child going to public school, taking a bag lunch and riding the bus. None of this would sit well with the clan McCallan.

Jake had tons of things he could use about her life, about what she wanted to do with her life, to give him leverage.

She and Jake took the elevator to the lobby and walked onto the street. At six thirty, the city was beginning to show signs of life. Car tires made soft swishing noises as they drove through puddles left behind by the storm the night before. Streetlights flickered as the sky shifted to whitish gray.

Jake directed her to a black limo. The driver opened the door and she slid inside onto white leather seats. Jake slid in behind her.

The driver closed the door and Avery heard another door open and shut. The engine started. The limo began to move.

Jake smiled ruefully. “I rushed you so much. I’m not even sure you’ve had coffee yet.”

“Can’t have coffee, remember?” She glanced around, her tension mounting. A family accustomed to limos would not let their first grandchild ride a big yellow school bus.

He winced. “Sorry. I’ve got some juice stocked if you’d like that.”

She nodded. “Yes. Apple if you have it.”

He opened the door of what looked like a console table exposing three bottles of juice. All of them orange.

“You sure you don’t want orange juice?”

“It gives me heartburn.”

“Sorry. We can stop somewhere.”

“No. I’m fine. Let’s just get to the airport.”

Pulling his phone from his pants pocket, he said, “We’re not going to the airport. We use a private airstrip.” He hit a speed dial number. “And everything you need will be on the plane.”

The person he’d called must have answered because he said, “Andre? I need you to make sure there’s apple juice on the plane. And...” He caught her gaze. “Eggs for breakfast? Oatmeal? Box cereal? Bacon?”

Bacon? Her stomach growled. There was no sense in pretending she wasn’t hungry. “Bacon and eggs and rye toast would be great.”

“With apple juice?”

“With apple juice.”

They reached the airstrip in just a bit over an hour, and climbed onto the McCallan family’s private jet. She’d expected something compact and simple. Instead, she entered luxury so intense it magnified all her fears. The setup of the front space was more like a den than an airplane cabin.

Jake pointed to a door in the back of that section. “The kitchen is behind the first door and behind that are two small bedrooms.” He pressed a button and the cabinet doors eased apart to reveal a large-screen TV. “And that’s the TV.”

She swallowed. They hadn’t dated long enough for her to meet his mother or fly in his jet. His apartment and assortment of limos and drivers had been enough to scare her. Seeing the rest of his lifestyle sent another shock wave of reality through her.