Marriage of Convenience

I was loving life on the island. I wished we could stay there forever, but as much as Chase seemed to enjoy it too, I knew deep down he was a man who enjoyed the wheeling and dealing of business. His life revolved around Raven Industries. In many ways, it was too bad his father wasn’t able to reward Chase for the hard work and sacrifices he’d made by letting him take over the company when he retired.

The only downer on this trip was that I felt so tired all the time. In trying to keep up with Chase and all the wonderful activities, I was often exhausted to the point that sometimes I felt sick. Or maybe it was all the new foods that had me feeling nauseous in the mornings. Once I emptied my stomach, I was fine. I figured I could wait until we went home to go to a doctor if it continued. I didn’t want to ruin our trip. Chase looked so relaxed, and I didn’t want to take that from him.

But he was looking agitated now and so I knew it was better to let him do what he thought best. I dressed in a loose summer dress and walked out onto the veranda where fresh fruit and toast had been set out. I had some toast and sat in the lounge chair to admire the view until the doctor arrived.

“It will be a couple of hours. How do you feel?” Chase asked as he joined me.

“Good now.” I thought about asking for a boat ride, but when we went yesterday, I felt sea sick.

He sat sideways on the chaise chair next to me and took my hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t well?”

“I am well. It’s just so much excitement.”

He kissed my hand. “You need to tell me about these things.”

I flinched, feeling controlled. “I’m fine.”

He got that look on his face that told me he didn’t buy what I was saying. “I’m not saying you have to tell me because I’m being bossy. I’m saying I need to know because I want to take care of you.”

“I don’t need—”

He interrupted me. “I’m not saying that you can’t take care of yourself. I’m saying I care about you. I don’t like seeing you feeling unwell.”

I went a little mushy inside and felt bad for thinking he was trying to boss me around. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, Chase. Really.”

We took a short walk along the beach, then sat by the pool until the doctor arrived.

“Is there a place where I can examine her in private?” The doctor asked. Apparently he had been there before and he seemed comfortable around a powerful rich man like Chase. Perhaps he was one of those on-call doctors for the rich and famous.

“You can use the master bedroom,” Chase said.

“I’d like to see her alone first,” the doctor said when Chase tried to linger.

He nodded and left me with the doctor.

He had me sit on the edge of the bed as he pulled up a chair from a desk. “You said you’re feeling tired and nauseous?” he asked.

“Tired a lot. Nauseous just in the morning, or in the water. I’m not used to all this sun and the different types of food.”

He nodded, making me think my theory was a viable one. He held my wrist and took my pulse. “What birth control do you use?”

My brows shot up. “Ah, none.” God, could I be pregnant? Of course I could. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?

“Well, then. Let’s start with a pregnancy test, shall we?” He pulled out a box from his bag, opening it and taking out a stick. “This is the quick one. If needed I can get some urine and blood, but this easier and faster. Just put it under your urine stream.”

I took the stick and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later I exited, with the stick wrapped in toilet paper.

The doctor took it and set it on the box. “While we wait, let me get some vitals and your medical history.” He took my temperature and blood pressure, both of which he said were normal. He asked about ailments in my and my family’s history. As far as I knew there wasn’t anything significant.

“So far everything looks fine.” He sat back in the chair. “Let’s see what this test says.” He picked up the stick, studying the results. Then he looked at me. “Mrs. Raven, you’re pregnant.”

I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading. I should have known.

But right after, I felt a little worried. Having a baby was part of the deal, so Chase would have to be happy. But was a business deal all this baby would be? Would Chase continue to be as attentive to me now that I was pregnant? Or would he stop touching me now that I fulfilled my side of the deal? Would he relegate me back to my own room? Would he do it now? There were tons of rooms in this house, so it would be easy to do.

“You okay? Is this unexpected?” the doctor asked me.

I shook my head. “No. We’ve been trying. I just didn’t think my symptoms would be that. I mean, now that I think about it, it makes sense.” I was rambling.

“Do you want me to stay when you tell him?” he asked, his expression showing concern.

“It’s not necessary, although Chase will probably want to know what needs to happen next. Any procedures or special diet, stuff like that.”

“At this point, just take prenatal vitamins and make an appointment to see your regular OB-GYN when you return home. You can live normally, although avoid anything too strenuous. Regular exercise or swimming, things like that are okay. You can continue to have sex if you’re comfortable.”

When I opened the door, Chase rushed to me from where he’d been pacing. “Everything okay?” He slipped his arm around my waist, first looking at me and then the doctor.

“It’s all your fault I’m tired and puking in the morning.”

Chase’s expression turned worried, so I quickly said, “You knocked me up.”

He stared at me and for a moment I wasn’t sure he heard what I said or maybe he didn’t like what I said.

But then a smile spread across his face and he lifted me up and spun me around. “You’re pregnant.” Then as if he realized what he was doing, he set me down. “Sorry.” He pressed his palms to my cheeks and kissed me. “You’re so beautiful.” He turned to the doctor. “What do we do now? Should we go home?”

The doctor laughed, and I imagined he’d seen many men get a little giddy at the news they made a baby. “No, you can finish your trip. Just eat healthy. I’ve left some prenatal vitamins. Non-strenuous exercise is fine, including sex.”

Chase’s eyes widened. “Sex?”

The doctor nodded. “In a few weeks, she’ll want a lot of it. You might need to take vitamins to keep up.

“Really?” Chase looked more shocked than intrigued by the doctor’s statement.

“Hormones are truly interesting things. They’ll increase her libido. Right now though, you’ll feel tired. The nausea can last through the first trimester. Crackers and ginger ale often help.”

“It’s not bad for the baby?” Chase asked.

“If it’s just in the morning and you’re able to keep food down through the rest of the day, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you can’t keep anything down, then you’ll want to see your regular doctor.”

“Thank you,” Chase said shaking the doctor’s hand and then walking the doctor out to the car that would take him back to the airstrip. He hammered the doctor with question after question, making me laugh. It also made me smile. Chase was already thinking like a daddy. This baby wasn’t just a pawn to get control of Raven Industries. Whatever Chase felt about me didn’t matter as much as him loving his child.

I sank into the couch and rubbed my belly. A few months ago, I’d have never guessed I’d be married to a billionaire, much less pregnant. Yet here I was. It wasn’t the perfect situation, but it was better than what I came from. Our relationship wasn’t built on love, but he cared for and respected me. That was more than what I’d gotten from my parents or Glen.

Chase strode in, making a beeline to me. He slid an arm under my back and the other under my knees, and swept me up. “How do you feel?”

“Pregnant, I guess.”

He laughed. “But are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m Happy. You?”

He walked to the bedroom. “Fucking elated.” He grinned at me “I’ll probably have to stop saying fuck.”

“Probably,” I said laughing. I loved that he was so happy about the baby. I’d never seen him so open and free in expressing his emotions. It made me love him more. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but was afraid to ruin the moment if his feelings didn’t run so deep for me. At least I knew he was happy about the baby and would love it. “Where are we going?”

“To bed.”

I laughed even harder. “The doctor said we could have sex, not that we had to have sex.”

“We don’t have to have sex if you don’t want, but I do need to hold you and talk to my—our—child.”

Who knew he could be so sweet and sentimental? He lay me on the bed, pushing my dress up. I sat up and took it off until I only had on my panties.

He took his shirt off and lay next to me. First, he kissed me hard on the mouth, and then he ran his hand over my body, stopping over my belly. He leaned over my belly button.

“Hey, this is your dad.”

Golly. If I wasn’t already in love with him, I’d have fallen right then and there.

I ran my fingers through his hair. “Do you want a boy or girl?”

“I want healthy, although a girl would be nice.”

“Really?” I’d have thought someone like Chase would want a male heir.

“Boys are difficult. My mom would have attested to that. I mean, you’ve met my brothers.”

“They are difficult,” I agreed.

“Besides, it would shake things up to have a woman running Raven Industries. She’d be strong like you and tell Kade to go fuck himself.”

I lifted a brow.

He grinned. “Maybe not that. You get what I mean.”

I laughed again. “I do.”

He scooted up my body, pulling me to him, and kissing me. “Tell me to stop if you want me to.” He said as his hand slid down my back and over my butt. He squeezed it as he pulled me against his erection.

“I don’t want you to stop. But you do need to take your shorts off.”

“I didn’t get to taste every inch of you like I said I would on the plane,” he said.

“Thank goodness you get another chance.” I loved his mouth on me.

He flashed a sexy, wicked smile. “Thank goodness indeed.”

As promised, he kissed every inch of my body, starting from my temple working down over my jaw, my neck and to my breasts.

He moved lower, kissing my belly, laving my belly button with his tongue, and then continued his journey. His mouth kissed and suckled my skin down my legs to my ankles and back up again. He sucked the skin of my inner thigh, and then kissed my clit. He didn’t linger there, instead, moving up my body and positioning his dick at my entrance.

“Is it weird?” he whispered.

“What?”

“To do this with a baby up there?” he kissed my jaw.

“The doctor says it’s okay,” I said.

“But is it weird?” He lifted his head to look at me.

“Chances are the baby has been in there a long time and we’ve had sex.”

“You’re right. And so smart.” He thrust in, and I marveled at the feel of him filling me. “So fucking perfect,” he groaned. He took my hands, linking his fingers with mine and lifting them over my head.

His gray gaze, cloudy with desire, looked down on me. “You’re amazing, Sara. So sweet and generous. I don’t deserve you.”

I squeezed his hands. “Yes, you do.” I was the one that didn’t feel worthy of all this. As much as I wanted to enjoy and savor all this good fortune, I couldn’t help but feel like the shoe would drop and it would all be gone. I didn’t know what would ruin it, but there were several possibilities, from my professor to Glen. Even my parents could do something to mess this up for me. I worked to push all that away and focus on the here and now. My husband was touching me because he was happy that we made a baby.

“I promise to take care of you and the baby. Do you believe me?” he said, holding my gaze to his.

“Yes.”

He smiled sweetly. “Good.” Then he kissed me and started to move in and out in slow, deliberate strokes. He often talked about wanting to go slower when he had sex with me, and this time he succeeded, building the heat by degrees until I was floating on air and teetering on the edge of bliss.

“Come for me baby.” He thrust in, ground his hips against me and sent me soaring through the clouds.

He groaned. “Sara.” He let himself go, and I felt like he was really mine for the first time.