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Pregnant By The Ceo
Pregnant By The Ceo
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Pregnant By The Ceo

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She had no idea what to think about that nonchalant response. “We don’t even know each other. Why would you think that’s okay?”

“My business is the most important thing to me.”

She didn’t try to hide her wince at his sudden stern tone. “My brother is the most important thing to me.”

“Wrong answer, Ellie.”

Was he really making a tsking sound? “What is wrong with you?”

“I have two brothers, both adults,” Derrick explained with all the emotion of someone reading a recipe. “They take care of themselves. I take care of me and the business.”

“That’s cold...bloodless.”

He actually smiled. “Is it possible you’re the one with the confused priorities?”

She swallowed a gasp, along with a bit of her anger and possibly some of her dignity. The whole conversation was ridiculous but she could not tear herself away from him...not yet.

“Let me get this straight. A perpetual bachelor and notorious ladies’ man who is being trolled on the internet by my little brother in his antibusiness videos is giving me advice on interpersonal relationships?” She wanted to sigh, throw things. “Listen, Mr. Jameson.”

“It’s still Derrick.”

The way he stayed calm made her temper spike even more. The heat rose inside her and flooded her cheeks with every controlled word he uttered. She refused to believe the sudden need for a fan had anything to do with his perfect face or that sexy smile. Not that she found either all that appealing. “Do not mention my name to anyone ever again.”

“Now, Ellie.” His eyes narrowed. “You don’t think that’s maybe—just a little—extreme.”

Apparently she was not the only one familiar with the teacher tone. He threw it out there and nailed her with it. As if she needed another reason to dislike him. “Leave my brother alone.”

“When your brother comes clean and then backs off those videos, I will.”

“You’re a grown-up.”

“So is he.” Derrick leaned in close enough for his warm breath to brush her cheek. “My suggestion to you is that you start treating him like one.”

“I’m not kidding around.”

His eyes traveled over her face, lingering on her mouth. “I can see that.”

She fought off the tremor moving through her. “Leave me out of your games.”

Before he could say anything else or touch her again, she slipped around him and through the crowd of people heading toward them. Kept going until she got on the elevator and watched the doors close on his smiling face. Getting her breathing to return to normal and the image of his face to disappear from her mind took longer.

* * *

An hour later Ellie poured a glass of red wine as she kicked off her stupid heels. Thanks to a bout of storming and muttering, she’d wasted most of her energy and hadn’t made it to her apartment. She needed to vent and that meant taking the Metro to her best friend’s condo instead.

Vanessa McAllister’s one-bedroom place was small but cozy. Light bounced off the bright yellow walls. During the day, the sun beamed in from the large window at the far end of the living room.

A steady beat of background conversation came from the television. Ellie had no idea what show was on and didn’t care. Vanessa didn’t appear to, either.

Of course, very little ruffled her. Between her navy career father and her French mother, Vanessa had been all over the world. She spoke a ridiculous number of languages that served her well in her job at the museum.

Ellie trusted Vanessa with any secret. They’d met in college and had been best friends ever since. They supported and cheered for each other. And right now, Vanessa was frowning.

She sat on the stool at her kitchen’s breakfast bar. She sipped from her almost-empty glass of red wine as she scowled at the laptop screen in front of her. “Tell me again what happened at that fancy cocktail party.”

The somewhat distant tone. That wasn’t good.

Ellie was almost afraid to answer. She did, anyway. “I met Derrick Jameson and told him to back off.”

The explanation sounded good. So strong. Just what Ellie wanted to be. After years of racing around, trying to keep every ball in the air and failing most of the time, Ellie wanted to be in control of her life and not running behind it, trying to catch up.

Vanessa tapped on the keyboard. “Uh-huh.”

Yeah, not good. “What does that response mean?”

“Did you happen to see a photographer while you were there?” Vanessa sat straighter and waved her hand in the air. “Forget it. I’ll just go ahead and read it to you before you explode.”

Ellie dropped the paper napkin she was twisting in her fingers. “Wait, read what?”

“The latest from that Insider site.”

“No.” Ellie’s stomach fell. She could have sworn it hit the floor.

“‘Derrick Jameson and Ellie Gold made an official appearance together at the swanky Hay-Adams Hotel tonight. No word on whether they got a room, but they did leave the business party one right after the other, making more than one partygoer wonder if Derrick sprang for the presidential suite...’”

Silence screamed through the room. Ellie could feel it hammering in her head as it rumbled through her.

“Okay.” Vanessa cleared her throat. “So, that happened.”

“It did not happen.” Ellie reached over and turned the laptop to face her. “We argued. We fought.”

She started tapping random keys. Anything to make that now familiar Insider website disappear.

“Wait, go back. There’s a photo.” Vanessa swatted Ellie’s hand away then leaned in and pointed at the screen. “Why does it look like you’re hanging on his arm?”

As if Ellie could deny it. The evidence, even though it didn’t show the whole story, was right there. Her pressing against him, looking up at him. Anyone seeing this would believe they were having an intimate chat.

“That’s not... I was just...” The words clogged her throat in the rush to get them out. “I’m going to kill him.”

Vanessa winced. “You can’t think that he—”

“Of course he planted this. I’m his PR plan.” And he wasn’t even trying to hide it. He’d been very clear. She just hadn’t realized he’d turned it on full-time.

Vanessa made a humming sound. “He really is cute.”

“Don’t.”

“But clearly a gigantic ass.” Vanessa’s voice sounded harsher that time.

“Better.” But still not good enough. Ellie wanted to forget all about his smug face.

“Hating him doesn’t fix the Noah situation,” Vanessa said, being far too reasonable for the moment.

“Or help with my income issue or get my life under control. Yeah, I know.”

Vanessa’s shoulders fell as she sighed. “I can give you money, or move in here with me and don’t pay rent for a few months. Give yourself a financial break.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.” Vanessa made a grumbling sound as she said something under her breath that wasn’t quite clear. “I’m thinking about stuffing twenties into your purse while you’re not looking.”

With that, Ellie felt some of the Derrick-related anger drain away. She reached over and gave her friend’s arm a quick squeeze. “You’re awesome and I love you, but this is bigger than a short-term money problem. It’s like everything is spinning and I can’t make it stop.” Even now her life choices ran through her head as she questioned each one. “I still can’t believe I got fired for something that wasn’t my fault.”

“So, take it back.” Vanessa grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass. “Control, I mean. Start with one thing. You take a small piece, conquer that and then move on.”

The advice rolled around in Ellie’s head until it took hold. She knew exactly which battle to wage first. “Right. Derrick Jameson.”

“Um, no. I was thinking more like you could get a temp job and rebuild.” Vanessa topped off Ellie’s glass. “A guy like Jameson is not easily managed. Forget him. Handle what you need first.”

The suggestion made sense but Ellie couldn’t survive that way. She’d spent so much of her life fixing things. First, for her father, who had one pipe dream after another, and her mother, who had fought to keep them together as a family. Then for her brother. She didn’t have the energy left to tackle straightening out her life, but she would. Later. Once she’d dealt with Derrick and Noah was back on track. “I have to handle these other pieces first.”

Vanessa shook her head. “Ellie, you can’t fix everything.”

“I can fix this. If Derrick Jameson wants a battle, he’s going to get one.”

Two (#ub83309bd-9fdb-52af-9afa-7d1ad442fa6e)

The DC Insider: The hottest romance in town just got more interesting. Ever wonder what happens when the lady in question calls our office to insist there is no romance? Well, we call the gentlemen for his comment. And Derrick Jameson did not disappoint. The usually demanding businessman chuckled and said, “You should listen to Ellie. I enjoy acquiescing to her.” These two are never dull.

She’d been summoned.

The call came at a little after nine the next morning. Ellie debated ignoring it. She wasn’t exactly the type to jump when a man ordered, but then Derrick was no ordinary man. He seemed to enjoy ticking her off.

Yet there she was, two hours later, walking along a long hallway on the fifteenth floor of the Jameson Industries’ office building. Pristine white walls surrounded her as her heels clicked against the polished hardwood floors. People moved in and out and around cubicle walls. They carried stacks of papers and shuffled with a sense of urgency.

She missed the energy of a busy office. Insurance underwriting wasn’t the most exciting topic but she’d worked in human resources, slowly taking on more responsibility. She loved coming into a pile of files waiting on her desk each morning and solving problems.

Everything went fine until the big boss took an overactive interest in her. She’d done everything she’d been trained to do. Documented his behavior. She’d known how hard it was to report that sort of thing up the chain of command without becoming the subject of gossip. Before her boss made his move she’d set up a system to handle the concerns. Then she got fired before she could implement it.

The attorney she contacted about the firing but could barely afford said she had a good case. But her former boss had the resources to drag the thing out and exhaust her.

She tried not to think about that as two men headed straight for her. She slipped to the side, banging into the wall and knocking the corner of a painting. One that likely cost more than her car. After that, one more turn and she moved into a quieter part of the floor. No one scurried here.

Sleek furniture made of unblemished leather with shiny chrome accents filled the open reception area. That, and a desk covered with piles of files, was all that stood between her and a set of closed double doors. Those and the guy next to her. She couldn’t remember her escort’s name, wasn’t even sure he’d offered it.

Before she could ask, he reached out and knocked on the door to the right in front of them. One brisk thwack then he opened it. Even gestured for her to step inside in front of him.

No, thank you.

Her legs refused to move, anyway. The threshold seemed innocent enough, but the man on the other side was not. Every inch of this place screamed money. Something she’d never had enough of and worked liked crazy to stockpile in case her life hit a bump...just as it had. More like a Himalayan mountain, but still.

She couldn’t see Derrick at the moment, but she did have an unrestricted view of his desk. The thing had to be eight feet long. Formidable, like the man who sat at it.

She refused to go one step further. Decided to call out instead. “What do you want?”

“Come inside,” the faceless voice said from some hidden corner of the office.

She noted the deep and commanding tone. Yeah, this was going to be a quick meeting.

“I’m fine here,” she said.

The security guy put his hand over his mouth to cover what sounded like a fake cough. He hesitated a second before saying anything. “You really should obey him.”

Apparently she’d gotten off the elevator and stepped back a century. “Did you use the word obey?”

“Don’t fight with Jackson. It’s me you want,” Derrick said, still without making an appearance.

She glanced at the man looming next to her. He stood well over six feet with brown hair and a lean athletic build. Attractive in a liked-to-run-along-the-Potomac sort of way, he looked far too amused by what was happening. “Is Jackson your first name or last?”

Before he could answer, Derrick stepped out of the room off to the side of his office and into the doorway. Hovered right in front of her. He nodded as a small smile played on the corner of his mouth. “Ellie, it’s good to see you again.”

The warmth in his eyes. That tone. A strange dizziness slammed into her when he got close. No way was she being reeled in by that charm thing he seemed to have flicked on. Nope, she knew better.

She managed a nod. “Mr. Jameson.”

“Come inside. Despite our argument last night, we have a lot to discuss.” He swept a hand toward the inside of his oversize corner office.

The very real sense she was out of her league slammed into her. “What would you do if I said no?”

He frowned. “Why would you?”

“You have this guy following me around the hallways...no offense.” She winced as she glanced at Jackson before looking at Derrick again. “Then there’s the part where you ordered me to come here. Today. Right now.”

“Ten minutes ago.”

“What?”

“I asked you to meet with me ten minutes ago. I assumed you being late was some sort of power play. Unless you have a problem with tardiness. If so, we’ll need to work on that.”

She glanced at Jackson again. “Is he serious?”

Jackson nodded. “Almost always.”

“Ellie.” That’s it. Derrick just said her name then turned and walked across the room, stopping next to his desk.

“Your manners need some work.” She didn’t bother mumbling as she followed him. If he wasn’t going to be subtle, neither was she.

“So I’ve been told.”