Chapter Nine
Ethan
I had been awake for almost twenty minutes by the time I actually decided to get out of bed. I had been staring at my ceiling the whole time thinking about the baby. My baby. I was going to be a father. The notion was thrilling and terrifying all at once. I wasn’t going to be alone anymore. There was going to be someone who needed me, someone I could share everything with, including my billions.
But I was nervous because I already knew people would have their thoughts and opinions on the matter. In eight months, a random baby was going to pop up with no explanations. I was all of a sudden going to be a daddy to a most likely dark-haired bright-eyed wonder of a child. No one would know who the mother was.
People would talk. They would probably assume I had knocked some girl up, and she had been incapable of raising the child. It wouldn’t be that farfetched of a theory. Some of the women, a lot of the women, I had slept with weren’t necessarily the responsible or motherly sort. In fact, they usually weren’t. I gravitated to the women who exuded issues with authority. Like Keddy, the blond bartender.
It didn’t matter what people thought. I was doing what was best for me and my business, and I was helping Devon out too. We both needed this solution.
I went about my morning routine as my thoughts ran rampant with naked images of Devon. The way she had ridden me last night had blown my mind. Her tight little pussy had looked so good when she rode me backward.
I exercised, showered, ate breakfast, and proceeded to get ready for work by throwing on my best black suit and my watch.
I took the Maserati to work where I went through the mundane routine of my weekly meetings with investors, private companies, and clients located all over the world. Half of my meetings were in person while others were virtual.
Halfway through the day, my phone buzzed. I was struck with an odd expectation that it was Devon. When I looked down at the name on the screen and saw Heather’s, I felt a little disappointed.
“Hey, sis,” I said, sitting at my desk and twirling a pen over my knuckles. “What’s up?”
“Hey,” Heather said. I could hear traffic in the background. “I was in the area and wanted to know if you had any spare time to grab lunch together? I was thinking The Montego on Fourth?”
I glanced at my watch. I had two hours before my next meeting. “Yeah, you close?”
“I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“See you then,” I said, hanging up the phone as I made my way out of the office.
Heather was already at the restaurant when I arrived. She was sipping on a martini that was olive-free—she hated olives and referred to them as green pits of shit—when I tapped her elbow. She stood, gave me a hug, and then we both took our seats and ordered our meals.
“How are things?” Heather asked once the waiter left the table.
“Good,” I said, my brain going into overdrive as I consciously made sure not to say anything about Devon. She had been the most prominent thing on my mind for nearly three weeks now, and I was used to telling my sister all the goings-on in my life. To keep this one under wraps was going to be tricky, especially since Devon was her best friend. A little flicker of guilt lit inside my belly.
“Just good?” Heather said skeptically as she sipped her martini.
“You know how it is. Just busy with work. Haven’t really had any spare time to do anything interesting. What about you?”
“I’m good,” she nodded. “Keeping busy too. I talked to Mom on the phone last night. She wants to try to have us both over for dinner sometime soon. If your schedule clears up, you should give her a call so she can make plans. You know how much she loves to plan.”
“Oh, I know,” I chuckled, resting my napkin across my knee. “Obsessive compulsiveness will do that to a person.”
“That’s why she’s so good at it,” Heather said.
“Yep, think of how beautiful your wedding will be when the time comes. You won’t even need to hire anyone. Mom will handle the whole thing for you.”
“I don’t know if I should be looking forward to that or dreading it.”
“Probably a little bit of both.” I laughed.
The rest of lunch was pleasant. I struggled to keep my mouth shut about Devon and was shocked to catch myself nearly talking about her a handful of times. I quite literally could not stop thinking about her. It was a little jarring.
When lunch was over, Heather and I said our goodbyes, and I hopped in my car to head to Devon’s apartment. I wasn’t sure if she would be home, but I knew I needed to see her. I needed to see way more of her. I didn’t like that she was living on the other side of the city in a seedy area with no one around to keep her safe or just keep her company.
The idea of her walking around that dingy little apartment when she was six-months pregnant unsettled me. I wasn’t going to stand for it. At the end of the day, she was the mother of my child, and I was going to treat her as such.
Devon opened the door and blinked at me. “Hi, Ethan,” she said, doing a poor job of hiding her surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too,” I said, nodding past her. “May I come in for a moment?”
“Sorry. Yes, of course.” She stepped aside and waved her arm to invite me in. I kept my shoes on and followed her into the living room. “Do you want something? Tea? Coffee? Water?”
“No, thank you. I’m all right,” I said, casting my gaze around the place. It was tiny. Probably only six hundred and fifty square feet. Maybe seven hundred if I counted the cubicle-sized balcony I hadn’t noticed the night before. Some of the baseboards were cracked and had come apart from the walls in certain areas. The paint on the walls was chipped and in some places cracked. Parts of the ceiling were stained yellow.
Her eye for design had saved it from looking like a dump. She used bright colors to liven the place up, and it definitely held a cozy sort of appeal, but I still wasn’t happy about it. I clasped my hands together and considered the best approach to my proposal.
“Ethan,” she said nervously. “What is this about?” Her big green eyes were flicking back and forth between mine, and her lips were slightly parted. I had an insane urge to push my finger between her lips until she bit down on my knuckles. A rush of excitement shot straight to my crotch.
Now was not the time.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I wanted to discuss a living arrangement with you, actually.”
“A living arrangement?” she asked, crossing her arms and popping one hip out. I forced myself not to trace the dramatic curve of her body with my eyes.
“Yes. This place is nice, Dev, but let’s be realistic here. It’s not going to work in a few more months. You’ll need more space than this. Besides, if I’m being totally honest, I don’t like the idea of you living here. The area isn’t good, and the building is falling apart.”
“Well, I don’t have anywhere to go. Even if I did, I like living here. I’m only a short walk to my classes.”
“Right,” I said, expecting the resistance, “but you can’t tell me this place is safe.”
“It’s not unsafe,” she protested with a scowl.
“Then why do you have three locks on your door?” I asked, matching her stance and crossing my arms over my chest.
She opened her mouth to retort and then promptly closed it.
“Exactly,” I said. “I want you to be safe. I want the baby to be safe. This is important to me. I think it would be best for all of us if you move into my place. There’s plenty of room,” I added when she opened her mouth again, “and you’ll have free reign of the house and plenty of time to yourself. I can arrange for a driver to take you to and pick you up from all your classes.”
“Ethan, I don’t know. This seems like a lot. I don’t think it’s the best idea. Not to mention I just signed my new lease for the year.”
“I had promised to take care of you and the baby, remember? That involves making sure you have everything that you need. I’ll cover the cost to get you out of the contract.”
She shifted her weight to her other foot and looked at the floor. “What about Heather? I don’t want her knowing about our arrangement. Won’t it be hard to keep it a secret if I’m living with you?”
“Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “She never comes by unannounced. It will all work out. Listen, Dev, you’re moving in. This weekend.”
“Now, hang on a second I’m not sure—”
“This weekend,” I said again, this time more firmly. “No more questions. I have to protect you and that child. It’s important. And this,” I gestured at the apartment, “isn’t working for me.”
She stared at me solemnly for a minute. I could tell she wasn’t happy with me. I knew she would get over it. She took a deep breath and blew it out dramatically, her cheeks puffing out like a blowfish. Then she threw her hands in the air. “Fine, whatever. Have it your way.”
“You bet your perfect little ass I’ll have it my way.” I grinned, not caring that my words seemed to ruffle her feathers even more. “Get packing. I’ll be here with a moving company on Sunday morning. Leave all the big stuff for them to pack. Just worry about your clothes and whatnot.”
“Fine,” she said.
“Fine,” I mocked in a more cheerful tone. I didn’t miss the small smile that tugged the corners of her lips.
I made for her door, and she followed me, her slippered feet shuffling across the carpet. I opened her door and paused in the hallway to look back at her. “You know what will be really nice?” I asked.
“What?” She was still doing her best to act like she was mad at me.
“You won’t have to climb the stairs all the time. The elevator in my building actually works. Imagine that?”
She rolled her eyes, and that smile I loved so much finally appeared. “You know, my doctor says exercise is good for me.”
“There’s a pool, too,” I said with a small shrug. I noticed the gleam in her eye. “I know you used to be a swimmer in high school.”
“Yeah,” she said, “a pool would be nice.”
I leaned in without thinking, planted a kiss on her cheek, and then made my way down the hall. I hurried down the staircase and out into the crisp air and blinding sunlight.
I felt better than I had before. Having Devon close by would ease my conscience. I could help her without her having to ask me for it, and I would be able to ensure she and the baby were safe and sound at all times.
And, another added bonus would be having her walking around my place all the time. That ass, those eyes, those tits, her body in general. I couldn’t complain about the view I was about to be privy to.
I caught myself grinning like a fool as I turned onto my street.
Get a grip, man, I thought to myself, this girl is going to ruin you.