“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

Unable to tell Debbie the truth, Samantha nodded. “I’m in shock. I need time to adjust.”

“You’ve always adjusted, no matter what’s thrown at you.”

“I know.”

“All right. Let’s go over a few things you need to know. I’ll be sending you to Dr. Marzikian…” Debbie outlined the first few months of pregnancy, which Samantha listened to with half an ear.

As she walked out of the office with a prescription for prenatal vitamins instead of birth control, Samantha never felt so alone in her life.

By the time she reached her car, the tears were streaming down her face and she was helpless to stop them.

****

Jeff Melina, Blake’s personal lawyer, sat across from him shaking a paper in the air. “Your father was a jackass.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I’ve never seen a more iron-clad will in my life. You’d think there’d be some loophole somewhere to negate what he’s asking you to do.”

Not the words Blake wanted to hear. “There has to be something.”

Jeff tossed the papers on the desk. “I’ve looked. It’s like your dad knew you’d marry long enough to collect, then divorce.”

Confiding in his lawyer couldn’t be avoided from the beginning. “Blows my plan all to hell.”

“If you could find an unscrupulous doctor to jack up Samantha’s medical records, saying she’s unable to get pregnant… oh, forget I said that.”

Blake shook his head. “Samantha is seeing her doctor back in LA this week to get on the pill.”

Jeff tapped his desk. “So you are sleeping with her. I didn’t think you’d hold out.”

“It was easier to give in than pretend we weren’t interested.” Blake could hardly wait for his flight later that night to get home to sleep with her again. He’d missed her. When they spoke on the phone earlier in the day, she didn’t sound right. Like something was bothering her. He’d asked, but she let on like nothing was wrong.

“You know… there is something you haven’t considered.”

Blake thought himself a very thorough man. “What would that be?”

Jeff leveled his gaze to Blake. “Get her pregnant.”

“What about ‘going on the pill’ did you not understand?”

“You need two forms of birth control that first month.”

Blake stood and started to pace. “Jesus, Jeff. You’re kidding me, right?”

“Women have tricked men into unwanted pregnancies for centuries. They always want equal rights.”

Blake shook him off. “Stop. I know you think I’m an ass, but I’m not that far gone.” Obviously his lawyer was, which might be a good thing in a courtroom, but not in this situation.

“It’s my job to find a way to legally get you what you want. It’s just a suggestion. You might try asking her.”

“Ask her to get pregnant?”

“Why not? She obviously had a price the first time.”

Blake’s jaw started to ache. Jeff was treading a thin line, even if it held some truth. “She’s not a hooker, Jeff.”

“You’re paying her ten million dollars to be your wife for a year and you’re sleeping with her.”

Blake was on the desk in a heartbeat. Gripping the edge, he shoved his face next to Jeff’s. “Don’t go there.”

“Whoa, boy, back off. I didn’t realize you actually cared about her. I’m sorry.” Jeff’s face had gone ashen.

As Blake stepped away, he wondered if he’d have to find a new lawyer. Something in the way Jeff spoke about Samantha as if she were no more than a piece of furniture, made him see red.

“I think we’re done here.” Blake needed to get out of the office before he started throwing punches.

Jeff smoothed his tie as he stood. “If she cares about you half as much as you seem to care for her, she might say yes to having your baby. Women are emotional that way.”

Where had Blake heard that before?

Maybe.

Chapter Eleven

Blake was going to talk to Samantha tonight. Because keeping his father’s shitty will to himself wasn’t something he could do any longer. ‘Honesty is our code word.’ Samantha’s absolute trust in him would make him a better man. It scared him that Jeff thought he could force Samantha into a pregnancy… that Blake would use her that way. Had he deserved that reputation? Maybe he did. There weren’t a lot of people who thought better of him, except maybe her.

Keeping her trust suddenly became paramount.

It was just past six when he walked into his Malibu home. The sound of Mary in the kitchen drew him there first.

“I hope you’ve made enough for two,” he said, catching the woman’s attention.

“Oh, you’re home. Thank goodness. I thought I’d have to call you.”

“Call me? Why? Is everything okay?” Blake glanced around the kitchen expecting Samantha to walk into the room. She wasn’t as used to Mary’s services and often stood by to lend a hand with the chores.

“It’s Samantha. She’s hardly come out of your room all day.”

Alarm bells went off in his head. “Is she sick?” He was already walking toward the stairs.

Mary followed behind him, dishtowel in hand. “I don’t know. She said she’s fine, but she isn’t eating and I hear her crying.”

Blake took the stairs two at a time and flew into his room. The door opened immediately and he could hear Samantha in the bathroom. Her sobs thrust a knife in his chest. When he heard her swear, he thought it best to avoid an audience.