Her Boss's One-Night Baby. Jennie Lucas

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      Her beauty was elusive and indefinable. All the attributes of her melting-pot American heritage combined into exquisite grace. He’d asked her once about her ancestry, and she’d shrugged. “I’m American. My family came from everywhere. England, Ireland, Brazil, Japan. Other places. And you, Mr. Delacruz?”

      “Spain,” he’d said shortly. It was probably true, but he’d never know for sure.

      Now, Hana looked at him, her brown eyes huge in her oval face, her lips pink and full, her dark hair pulled back into a long ponytail. Always the consummate professional, she wore an elegant, feminine white skirt suit that was simple and sleek as required for the executive assistant to a billionaire, without drawing undue attention.

      And yet Hana always drew attention, whether she wished it or not. Even here on the Tokyo sidewalk, as men passed by, their eyes lingered on her. She looked untouchable as a star.

      But Antonio had touched her. He was the only man who ever had.

      At least so he’d believed—

      “Is that all you have to say to me?” Hana said in a low, harsh voice, her lovely face caught between anger and pain. “You thought I had more sense?”

      “I’m disappointed,” he said tightly.

      “Disappointed,” she repeated.

      He’d relied on her. Believed in her. Now she was pregnant by another man. She was going to quit her job to be with him and raise their child. That had to be the reason he felt this crushing sense of emotion, like he couldn’t breathe. Hana was the best damn secretary he’d ever had, and he was going to lose her.

      How had she hidden her love affair from him? He and Hana had been working together day and night in Madrid and around the world, preparing to negotiate this deal. How had he not known she’d taken a lover?

      Antonio had known Hana’s value as his assistant. So in spite of his attraction to her, he’d never crossed the line of professionalism, not once. Not until that night in Madrid, when he’d found her crying for reasons she wouldn’t explain. He’d been trying to comfort her—that was all, truly—when, like a miracle, she’d suddenly lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips.

      That kiss...

      Antonio pushed away the memory, closing down his feelings, burying them along with the other things he didn’t want to remember.

      All right, fine. She was leaving. He wouldn’t be a jerk about it. Hana had been a good assistant. He’d try to be happy for her. After all, she’d made it all too clear she wanted the whole domestic fairy tale someday—husband, kids, house. Damn it, he’d send her off with a wedding check big enough to pay for the kid’s college tuition. She’d been worth it.

      He’d pay her off. He’d move on. And above all, he’d make damn sure he never let himself ask...

      “Who’s the father?” he heard himself say, as if his mouth was no longer controlled by his brain.

      She drew back, her lovely face incredulous. “Are you kidding? You know who the father is!”

      “Do I?” He frowned, searching his memory. “I’m amazed, actually. How did you manage to sneak away for an affair, in the midst of our working twenty-hour days? Does the man work for me? A gardener? A driver?”

      Hana’s face blazed with sudden fire. “Stop it, Antonio. Just stop.”

      He stared, astonished to see her so angry. Hana never showed anger. She was always patient, kind, understanding. She was the kindest person he knew. “Why are you upset?”

      “Because it’s you, you idiot! You’re the father!”

      Antonio’s body felt the impact of the words before his mind comprehended them. He felt them like a blow. “What?”

      “Of course it’s you!”

      Stumbling a step, he instinctively reached a hand out against the column of the building. He had to. His legs were shaking.

      “Do you really think I would sleep with someone else, after we were together?” she demanded. “I can’t jump in and out of affairs so quickly. Even if you can!”

      If only. If only he’d been able to forget her. If only she meant nothing to him now. As the first raindrops fell from the gray sky, one fell against his cheek. Antonio stared at her, feeling sick and betrayed.

      “I’ve been feeling out of sorts for the last month. I thought my cycle was messed up by too much work and stress and not enough sleep but...” She hesitated. “I bought a pregnancy test in Madrid. I took it on the plane, right before we landed. I’m pregnant.”

      When Antonio still didn’t respond, Hana’s forehead furrowed. Her expression became almost bewildered.

      “Look,” she said finally, “I know you’ve never been interested in anything like marriage or children. This was a surprise for me, too. We used a condom. It shouldn’t have been possible. But I thought you at least had the right to—”

      “Enough,” he ground out. “Not another word.”

      “Was I wrong to tell you?” Her eyes were luminous with unshed tears that seemed utterly genuine. He despised them. And her. Most of all, he despised himself for ever letting his guard down. For thinking she was different. For believing he could trust her, as he’d trusted no one else on earth. For resisting his desire for her, day after day, so they could maintain that precious working relationship, the closest relationship of his life.

      And all along, she’d been sleeping with another man. And now lying about it.

      Assuming she was even pregnant at all. It was possible that, too, was a bald-faced lie.

      But either way, she must have planned this all along, from the moment she’d started working for him. She’d set him up, hoping to take a nice juicy portion of his fortune. And Hana likely would have succeeded in her goal, except for a vital fact that she didn’t know.

      He couldn’t have gotten her pregnant. It was physically impossible.

      Antonio’s body shook as he reached out to take the briefcase and files from her hands. He said abruptly, “Your services are no longer required, Miss Everly.”

      Her luscious pink lips fell open. “You’re—you’re firing me?”

      “You’ll get severance pay as your contract dictates. But I want you gone.”

      “But—but why?”

      “You know why.”

      “Because I’m pregnant with your baby?” she cried.

      “Because you lied to me,” he said harshly. “You tried to trap me. Tried, and failed.” He narrowed his eyes. “Goodbye, Miss Everly.”

      Turning on his heel, Antonio went into the building, followed by his glowering bodyguard. He went through the swiveling door into the lobby where his team waited to help negotiate the Iyokan СКАЧАТЬ