Christmas Baby For The Billionaire

He meant every word. He also knew that what he’d just said had essentially tied him to her for the rest of his life.

What had he just done?

CHAPTER FOUR

TORI TRIED TO quell the thrill that slid through her as Jeremy took her hand and promised to be there for her and their child. He was a tough man to resist at any time, but right now, with her hand in his, and the knowledge that he was a freaking billionaire swimming through her brain, she was quite overwhelmed.

She didn’t care that he had bags of money. It wasn’t that. It was just that she’d never met anyone quite this rich before. She certainly hadn’t known last summer. It shouldn’t change him in her eyes, but it did. He was so out of her league.

Not as a person; she knew that money and character were two very different things. But in worldly ways, he was on a whole other plane of existence.

“I don’t know what to say,” she responded, biting down on her lip. “I had no idea that… Well, Jeremy.” She let out a big breath. “I’ll make you a promise in return. I promise that I will never exploit the fact that you have money. I don’t want us to use money against each other, you know? Either how much we have or the lack of it.”

“Me, either. I want us to figure this out in a way that’s best for our baby.”

“You really do believe everything, don’t you? About it being yours and everything?”

He let out a sigh. “I didn’t react so well when I saw you were pregnant. But yes, I believe you.”

“When the baby is born we can do a DNA test. I wasn’t going to do an amnio if I could avoid it. The idea freaks me out.”

“A what?”

“An amniocentesis. It’s a test where they insert this needle and withdraw a bit of the amniotic fluid—”

He shuddered. “Ouch, and gross.”

She laughed. “Yeah. And there are some risks involved. I didn’t want to take any chances.”

“So you really do want the baby.”

She nodded. “I do. It wasn’t planned, but I… I don’t have much family. And I like children, a lot.”

Her clock hadn’t really begun ticking yet, not at twenty-eight, but she couldn’t lie. She’d been starting to think about a family the last few years. This pregnancy was inconvenient and a shock, yes. But also a blessing.

“I’m not close to mine, as you might have gathered.” He took a long pull of his beer and pursed his lips. “I’m closest to my sister, and we both live in New York so we see each other most of anyone. But my brother… He’s on his third marriage already and does his own thing.”

“And your mom?”

“She’s still at the family home in Connecticut. Married to my stepfather. Socializing with the right people, that sort of thing. My dad left and she got the house. Not much else, but we all had our trust funds and she married again within a few years. She made sure she was looked after.”

There was a bitterness in his voice he couldn’t disguise, and Tori wondered about the little boy he must have been. “I take it she wasn’t the nurturing type?”

He laughed—a short, mocking sound. “Not an ounce,” he replied, then drained his beer glass. He got up, went to the minibar, and took out a bottle of Cape Breton whiskey, adding a significant splash to a highball glass. He swirled it for a moment before turning and looking at her. “My mom was a social climber. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now. I see the type. And when Dad left, she lost her ticket. She would have had to sell the house and finish bringing us up on her own. Instead she married Bruce, and since she came with the house, he brought the rest of his money and status was restored. Some investments on her part paid for our college. Bruce, apparently, was more than happy to pay my four years of tuition to boarding school. I wasn’t really home after I finished eighth grade.”

He downed the whiskey in one gulp, and poured another.

She sat quietly. First of all, clearly the topic was painful to him, because he was fortifying himself with alcohol. And secondly, as much as his words were delivered in a factual, who-gives-a-care way, she could tell that the lack of affection had left its mark on him.

Tori couldn’t imagine not loving your own child, or considering them in the way. Or sending them away, at such a difficult age.

“Where did you go?”

“Merrick Hall, an all-boys school in Connecticut. Very Dead Poets Society with old buildings and rituals and dormitories. Top-notch learning, though.” He must have seen her alarmed look because he attempted a smile and went to her. “It was fine, really,” he assured her. “I belonged there. I met my best friends there. And despite my cold family, I do have some really great friends.”

Tori let out a breath. “Oh, of course you do. But now I understand your reluctance. Do you still see your mother? Your stepfather?”

He nodded. “Now and again. Despite everything, she is my mother.”

Tori was glad. Estrangement could be such a horrible thing.

“So now you know what I didn’t want to talk about over lunch.” He sipped at his drink this time, to her relief. “I don’t know what kind of father I’ll make. But I promise to try. Any kid of mine is going to feel wanted and loved. Not in the way.”

He said it with such finality that Tori’s heart broke just a little. She’d been brought up in a home with so much love. It was incomprehensible to think of a parent being so careless and dismissive, but she knew it happened.

She looked up at Jeremy, at his dark hair and stormy eyes and cheeks, slightly flushed from the day’s wind and the warm whiskey. She wanted to reach up and brush the errant curl off his forehead, to smooth the creases on his forehead, to see his lips curve in a smile again. But she kept her hands to herself, knowing that touching him, kissing him, would only make matters more complicated than they already were.

“Then we’re going to be fine,” she whispered, twisting her fingers together to keep from reaching out. “Because that’s what I want, too. And we’ll figure out the rest of the details somehow.”

Their gazes held for a few seconds, and then a few seconds more, long enough for something to stir between them. Her body remembered what his felt like and ached to feel it pressed against her again. She remembered how he tasted, the way he angled his head to kiss her, and how he nibbled at her lower lip before taking a kiss deeper.

She stepped back, unwilling to cross that line again. “I should go. It’s getting late and I’m on shift again tomorrow.”

“When do you get a day off?”

“On Thursday, when Tom is back from his holiday.”

“I’ll have narrowed down some properties by then. Why don’t you come along for some second walk-throughs? Some of these places are really stunning. You can tell me where we should eat lunch and we can make a day of it.”

She frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“How are we going to manage to parent together if we can’t get through a day in each other’s company?”

He made sense, even though Tori knew it was simplifying the matter. “Well, all right. If the weather is good. And as long as nothing comes up here.”

“Of course.”

She began to clear his plate and dinner mess and put it back on the room service cart. “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

She laughed. “Sure I do. I work here, remember? I’ll drop it off at the kitchen and then go home.”

He opened the door for her and she wheeled the cart out into the hall. Then she looked back at him. “Thanks for telling me about your family, Jeremy,” she said. “I know you didn’t want to.”

“It’s out there now,” he replied, leaning on the door. “Just please…don’t judge me on the basis of my relatives. I’ve tried very hard to be…different.”

“I judge a person on what I see them do,” she answered, and gave him a smile. “So far you’re in the clear.”

He smiled back then, a sexy sideways little slice of amusement. “I’ll see you soon.” Then with a little laugh, he backed up and shut the door.

She wheeled the cart down the hallway to the elevator while trying to calm her thrumming pulse. Amity was better than enmity, for sure, but how was she going to deal with a smiling Jeremy? Because she still found him incredibly attractive. Still got that light feeling in her chest when he smiled at her. And with their baby on the way, she couldn’t afford to let her head get into the clouds.

Life wasn’t made of fairy tales. It just had reality, and this was hers. She’d better figure it out.

Thursday dawned bright and clear, and after a brief meeting with Tom to bring him up to speed, Tori bundled up in her warm parka and gloves. Her knee-high boots and leggings were comfortable and warmer than she would have been in a skirt. The jacket was a bit snug around the waist, and she tugged on the zipper to get it over her growing bump. She supposed a new coat would be on the shopping list, but she hated spending the money on something she’d wear for only one winter.

Jeremy was waiting in the lounge sipping on coffee when she emerged from her office. To be honest, she was looking forward to the morning. There were worse things than wandering through luxury homes. She loved flipping through magazines and seeing the fancy decor. Now she could see some in person. Maybe even get some ideas for the hotel.

“Hi there.”

Jeremy turned around and she tried not to stare. He was in suit pants and shoes, with a soft wool coat and plaid scarf around his neck. His hair was finger-combed back from his face, making it seem groomed but carelessly so.

“Hi, yourself. Do you want a tea for the road? Something hot?”

“No, I’m fine. I had a decaf in the office with Tom this morning. You’re ready?”

“Just let me get this in a travel cup and I will be.” He flashed her a smile—another jolt to her heart—and beckoned for the waitress to grab him a cup. Within seconds he had his hand at the base of Tori’s spine, solicitously leading her out to his rental.

It was a freaking Jaguar.

He held the door and she slid into the sleek interior, the soft leather cradling her like it was shaped to her bottom. It was cold, but in moments he had the heater turned up and her heated seat on. A map on the console flashed and he hit a preset for one of the properties, and then they were on the road, heading toward Bridgewater.

“Where are we going first?”

He tapped the wheel along with the satellite radio station that was playing. “A house in the Pleasantville area. On the LaHave River.”

“I know the area.”

“Branson’s looking for a place to…well, regroup, I guess. He’s had a rough year.”

“Branson?”

“My client. And my friend.”

“How has his year been rough?”

Jeremy frowned. “It’s not really my place to say, you know? He’s a private guy, and I respect that. But if he wants to be invisible, I’m going to help him get what he needs and make sure it’s a good investment. I don’t think he’ll live here full-time, at least not after a while.” He looked over at Tori. “As his friend, my hope is he’ll put himself back together, and use this place as a summer home. Get back to throwing parties and having fun. He needs to smile again.”

Tori wondered what could be so awful that Jeremy couldn’t talk about it, but she respected his desire to protect his friend’s privacy. “He’s one of your Merrick friends?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yep.”

The drive to Pleasantville wasn’t long, and Jeremy had just finished his coffee when they pulled through iron gates into a long drive.

At the top was a gorgeous gray-shingled house with a three-car garage attached. Tori’s breath caught—it was so cozy looking despite its size. “How much did you say this was?” she asked, scanning the yard, which was covered with a thin layer of snow.

“One point four.”

“It doesn’t seem quite that grand.”

He chuckled. “You wait. It’s three acres on the water, and the bottom floor is a walkout. It looks much bigger from the back than the front.”

He led her to the front door and then opened the lockbox, giving them entry. She stepped inside and gasped. It was so airy and light and beautiful!

She took off her boots and left them on the rug at the door, then stepped onto the silky hardwood. “Okay, so you’re right. It’s bigger inside than it looks from the outside.”

He took her on a walk-through. The kitchen walls were a pale yellow, with white cupboards and woodwork, and granite countertop along the counters and the center island. Stainless steel appliances gleamed in the morning sun, and Tori couldn’t stop herself from oohing over the double wall ovens. Their footsteps echoed through the rest of the downstairs rooms, and then they went up the curved staircase to the next level, where several of the rooms had windows overlooking the water. Even the en suite bathroom was perfectly situated so that one could soak in the oversize tub and look out at the river and a huge tree standing sentinel by a small dock.

“A dock for a boat.”

“Yes. And a short sail down the river to the ocean. What do you think?”

She laughed. “It’s beautiful and ginormous. You’ve seen my cottage. What would I ever do with this much room?”

She could feel his gaze on her as she wandered to the windows of the master bedroom again. “But it is lovely. Truly. And despite the size, it feels like a home. That’s nice.”

They put their shoes back on and wandered around the outside for a bit, and Tori discovered he was right. The house’s most impressive aspect was from the river, looking in. Three stories of large windows shone in the sunlight.

“Kids could play here,” she mused. “It’s just a gentle slope to the water. And gardens. Are there gardens in the summer?”

“Yes, though, of course, we can’t see them now.”

“Wow. Is this the kind of place you always show, Jeremy?”

He laughed. “Yes and no. This type of property would cost a lot more in other areas. And some of the properties in Manhattan would stop your heart.”

“Like yours?”

He shrugged. “I live on the Upper East Side. It’s not known for being cheap.”

She put her hands in her pockets and squinted up at him. “How much was your place?”

He met her gaze. “Just over four.”

“Million?”

He nodded. “It’s pretty modest. I didn’t need someplace huge and empty, you know?”

“Oh, my—”

He burst out laughing then and she joined in, just because it all seemed so incredulous and the sound of his laughter filled her with some sort of strange joy.

“Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let’s go see the next one.”

They left the house behind and journeyed a short way to a property that was more isolated and right on the ocean. A small cliff separated the property from the sea, and at once Tori was taken with it.

“If the last one was homey, this one is wild,” she said, stepping out of the car. The wind off the water whipped her hair off her face and she turned into it, loving the feel even though it wrapped around her with icy-cold fingers. “It’s incredible here!”

She had to shout to be heard, but she could see the look of admiration on Jeremy’s face and knew this was a favorite of his, too. She rounded the hood of the car and met him on the crushed walkway to the house. “You love it, don’t you?” she asked, tucking a swath of hair behind her ear.

“I do. And you’ll see why in a minute.”

When they got inside, he swept out an arm. “Now do you see?”

Past the foyer was a center area with a small table in the middle, holding a bouquet of flowers. And to the left was the beginning of a circular staircase that climbed up…and up…and up. Tori went to the middle and looked up. There was a skylight at the top, so that a perfect column of light fell from the roof right to the spot where the table sat, and the column was framed by the dark wood of the railings and the creamy white of the steps’ risers.

“That,” she said definitively, “is a conversation piece. Amazing.”

“Isn’t it? And there’s a sauna downstairs, and an exercise room…”

“No private beach?”

“There is, but it’s not direct access because of the cliffs. I’d show you, but I’m afraid it’s a bit icy and I don’t want you to fall.”

There was a room on the side that was rounded, like a hexagon, windows all around to provide a 270-degree view. A stone fireplace was in one “corner,” with granite along the bottom of the wall, giving it a rustic feel.

“Can you imagine,” she said, unable to keep the awe out of her voice, “sitting here with the fire blazing and a storm outside, with a glass of wine and a book?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I can.”

Their eyes met. This house was not for them. They weren’t even a thing. But walking through it together was…intimate in a way she hadn’t expected. She cleared her throat. “Come on, show me the rest, then.”

On top of the porch was a railed deck, with French doors leading from the master bedroom. Tori had never seen such luxury in her life. Even with the furniture moved out, the rooms were commanding in their size and the views were incomparable. Two more huge bedrooms, each with their own bath, finished the upstairs.

“You want to recommend this one, don’t you?” she asked. “You like it a lot.”

He nodded. “I think it suits Branson, but it’s pretty isolated. And did I mention the best part? It has its own lighthouse at the edge of the property. Look.”

He pointed southeast, where the land jutted out into the ocean. It wasn’t huge, but sure enough, a red-and-white lighthouse stood sentinel, looking a little worse for wear. “Is it still active?”

“No,” he replied, sounding disappointed. “But the owner assures me it’s still in working order. Solid as the cliff it’s built on.”

It was undeniably romantic. Who wouldn’t want to have their own lighthouse?

“Can we see it?”

He shook his head. “It’s a different key, and I don’t have access to it.”

“Oh.”

They wandered through some more, and Tori was quite taken with it all. When he told her the price tag, she laughed and said a girl could dream, but then laughed again and asked what she’d ever do with all that space. It needed people to fill it up. It needed not only priceless views but life and laughter.

They headed back toward Liverpool, went past the exit and on to a third house that was on Jeremy’s short list. She didn’t like it nearly as well, though. It was in the same price range as the others, but was a little too avant-garde for her in its design. The house itself looked like a giant block dropped on the sand, and inside it was nearly as austere.

“You don’t like it,” he said as they walked through.

“It has every amenity a person could want,” she remarked, “but I feel off balance. I don’t feel at home here. And I know it sounds weird, but I feel like it could just tip over into the Atlantic.”

He laughed. “Fair enough.”

She put her hands on the cold railing of the stairs and said, “It’s the kind of place that people call ‘innovative’ and ‘remarkable’ but there’s not a lot of comfort here.”

“So let’s take it off the list.”

She looked at him with some alarm. “Oh, gosh, don’t take anything I say into account! I have no idea about real estate.”

He came over and stood next to her, his hand on the railing close to hers. “But you do know what goes into making people feel comfortable and at home. It’s part of why the Sandpiper is such a success. That’s what my friend needs right now.”

Her heart stuttered a bit. He was a surprise for sure. “Which one gets you the biggest commission?”

He laughed. “This one, actually. But it’s never about that.”

“It’s not?”

“I don’t need the money. But I like finding people places to live. I like to imagine them happy there.”

“You surprise me, Jeremy.”

“Why?”

She put her hand on his chest. “Because in there is the heart of a man who is looking for a home.”

His face closed off immediately and he stood back. “That’s just you being sentimental.”

She’d touched a nerve; it didn’t take a genius to figure that out. She dropped her hand. “Oh, maybe. I still think it’s nice that you think about what suits the person and not just the biggest payoff.”

He lifted his chin, gesturing toward the front door. “Should we find some lunch?”

Her stomach had been growling for an hour, so she readily agreed. “I know just the place.”

He followed her outside, and she waited while he locked up. All the while Tori realized she was getting a better glimpse of what made Jeremy Fisher tick. And so far, what she saw made her heart soften. He could deny it all he wanted, but she’d been right. He was looking for home.

She’d always known what home meant. She’d always been wanted and nurtured and valued. What must it be like to have to search for those things?