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“And we have no other close family,” she tacked on.
“What about the biological father’s family?”
An image of Yevgeny hovering over the bed last night like some angel of vengeance flashed into Ella’s mind. His pale, wolflike eyes filled with determination. His expression downright dangerous as she resisted what he wanted.
She dismissed the image immediately and said, “There’s no one to my knowledge—his parents are dead.” A pang of guilt seared her. Reluctantly she found herself correcting herself. “He does have an older brother. Yevgeny. But he’s far from suitable.”
Jo tilted her head to one side. “In what way is Yevgeny not suitable?”
“He’s single—for one thing. The adoption laws don’t allow single men to adopt female babies.” Ella didn’t mention Yevgeny’s rash vow to marry to flout her plans.
“Except in exceptional circumstances…” Jo’s voice trailed away as she bent her head and made a note on the cover of the manila file resting in her lap. “The court may consider his relationship to the baby sufficient.”
“It’s unlikely.” Ella didn’t want Jo even considering Yevgeny as a candidate—or learning that he intended to get married for the baby’s sake.
But Jo wasn’t ready to be deflected. “Hmm. We could certainly consider interviewing him.”
Jo would discover that Yevgeny was determined to adopt the baby.
Ella’s heart started to knock against her ribs. No. This wasn’t what she wanted for the baby. Even if he did marry, Yevgeny would farm the baby out to a series of stunning Russian nannies and continue with his high-flying, jet-set lifestyle. Growing up with Yevgeny would be a far worse experience than the distracted neglect she and Keira had suffered.
“He’s a playboy—he has a different woman every week.”
That assessment was probably a little harsh, Ella conceded silently. He’d been linked to Nadiya for several months and before that he’d been single for a while—according to Keira. Although that hadn’t stopped him from dating a string of high-profile women.
“And he’s a workaholic,” she added for good measure just in case Jo was still considering Yevgeny. Then she played her trump card. “He certainly won’t provide the kind of stable home that I always intended for the child. I don’t want the baby going to him.”
“Being the legal mother, your wishes will take precedence.” Jo tapped her pen against her knee. “This is still going to be an open adoption, right?”
An open adoption meant keeping in touch with the new adoptive parents, watching the baby grow up, being part of her life, yet not a parent.
Ella swallowed.
This was the hard part.
“Ella?” Concern darkened Jo’s eyes as she failed to respond. “Research has shown open adoptions are far more beneficial because—”
“They give the child a sense of history and belonging, and help prevent the child having identity crises as a teen and in later life,” Ella finished. She knew all the benefits. She’d had a long time to ponder over all the arguments. “We’d planned an open adoption with Keira and Dmitri. The baby would always know I was her tummy mummy—” now the affectionate term for a surrogate rang false in her ears “—her birth mother… even though Keira would be her real mother.”
“So it will still be an open adoption?”
Ella nodded slowly. “It’s in the baby’s best interests.”
But dear God, it was going to kill her.
Ella was relieved that Jo hadn’t asked whether she would consider keeping the baby. She’d already emphatically told both Keira and Yevgeny she couldn’t do it. A third denial would’ve been more than she could handle at this stage.
Jo’s head was bent, eyes scanning the wish list Ella had given her.
Finally she looked up. “I have several sets of IPs—intending parents—” Jo elaborated, “who might fit your requirements. I’ll pull their profiles out and bring them back for you to look through.”
“Thank you.” Gratitude flooded Ella. “You have no idea how much of a help it is knowing you are here for support.”
“It’s my job.” But Jo’s warm eyes belied the words. “When will you be going home?”
“Probably tomorrow.”
“And the baby?”
“The baby will go to a foster carer.” Ella was determined not allow any opportunity for a maternal bond to form.
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but you should reconsider your decision not to have counseling after you sign the final consent to give the baby up.” Without looking at her, Jo shuffled the wish list into the manila file. Getting to her feet she pushed the visitor chair back against the wall before turning to face Ella. “I know you said previously that you didn’t feel you’d need counseling because she was never intended to be your baby—that it was your gift to Keira and Dmitri. But given that circumstances have changed, I think it would be a serious mistake. You’ll be experiencing a lot of emotions, which you never expected.”
Ella resisted the urge to close her eyes and shut out the world. Signing the consent could only be done on the twelfth day. She didn’t want to even think about the approaching emotional maelstrom.
So she gave Jo a small smile. “I’ll think about it,” she conceded. “But I don’t think it will be necessary. I’m tougher than I look.”
Before Jo could reply, footsteps echoed outside the ward.
A moment later, Yevgeny appeared in the doorway.
Ella’s heart sank.
“This is Dmitri’s brother, Yevgeny.” She made the introduction reluctantly, and hoped that Jo would depart quickly.
To her dismay Jo and Yevgeny took their time sizing each other up. Only once they’d taken each other’s measure, shaken hands and exchanged business cards, did Jo finally walk to the door. Ella let out the breath she’d been holding. Neither had even mentioned the baby’s adoption.
Disaster averted.
For now.
“We’ll talk again,” the social worker said from her position in the doorway, giving Ella a loaded look over her shoulder. “I’ll be back.”
This morning Yevgeny was wearing a dark gray suit that fitted beautifully.
Towering over the chair she sat on, with the light behind him, Ella could see that his dark hair was still a touch damp—evidence of a recent shower, perhaps.
It was only as he tilted his head to look down at her that she noticed the stubble shadowing his jawline. A dazzling white shirt with the top button undone stood in stark contrast to his dark face.
Ella was suddenly desperately glad that she was not in bed.
Yesterday she’d felt at a terrible disadvantage as he’d towered over her while she’d been clad in a nightdress. She’d felt exposed… vulnerable. Even now, seated, his height was intimidating. But at least she could rectify that…
She rose to her feet. “The baby is in the nursery.”
“I know—I have already been to visit her.”
Annoyance flared. She had not been consulted. “They let you in?”
The staff would have to be told he was not welcome in the future—she wouldn’t put it past him to try and take the baby. This was a man accustomed to getting his own way. But not this time.
Some indefinable emotion glimmered deep in the deceptively clear depths of his eyes. “Keira and Dmitri were with me—they vouched for me.”
“Keira’s here?”
Had her sister had second thoughts since Jo had spoken to her?
Yevgeny was shaking his head. “They’ve gone. Dmitri has quite a bit to finalize before I can release him to fly across the world.”
All Ella could think of was that Keira hadn’t even bothered to come past and say good morning. Hurt stabbed her. Then she set it aside. No doubt Keira was avoiding her because deep down her sister must be experiencing some guilt for the decision she and Dmitri had made.
Ella decided she wasn’t going to let herself dwell on the turmoil that Keira’s choice had created.
It was done.
Now there was the baby to think about….
But Yevgeny’s response caused her to realize that she hadn’t even asked her sister when they planned to leave for Africa. She’d been too busy trying to cope with the magnitude of the shock. Keira had said she and Dmitri had already booked the tickets but that’s all she knew.
“Do you have any idea when they plan to leave?” It rankled to have to depend on Yevgeny for information but she needed to know.
“I believe they leave the day after tomorrow.”
“That soon?”
Ella was still absorbing this new upset when he asked, “What will you be thinking about?”
“Pardon?” For a moment Ella thought Yevgeny had picked up on her earlier hurt at Keira’s failure to come say good morning and was asking about her thoughts.
“You told the social worker you’d think about it.” Yevgeny had moved up beside her, causing the space in the ward to shrink. “What will you be thinking about?”
Ella frowned as she realized he’d overheard the last part of her discussion with Jo. She had no intention of revealing that Jo thought she needed counseling. The good thing was at least he hadn’t detected her hurt over Keira. “It’s nothing important,” she said dismissively. “It wasn’t about the baby.”
“Did you tell her I am going to adopt the baby?”
“But you’re not.” Inside, her stomach started to twist into a pretzel. Ella pursed her lips. “I told her you weren’t suitable.”
“You did not!”
“Yes, I did.”
His gaze blitzed into her. “Because I’m single?”
Ella didn’t glance away from his hard stare. “Among other things.”
“But once I’m married that will change,” he said softly and came another step closer. “You know that.”
Ella blinked. And found herself inhaling the warm scent of freshly showered male. This close she could see the crisp whiteness of his ironed shirt.
What was he up to now?
“You should’ve seen her.” His voice took on a husky, intimate tone. “She’s so beautiful—”
Ella recoiled. “I don’t care what your wife-to-be looks like!”
At her interruption, he looked puzzled, then he smiled. A smile filled with a burst of charm and humor that Ella hadn’t wanted to recognize in Yevgeny Volkovoy. It made him all too human. And irresistibly appealing. This wouldn’t do at all. She wanted—no, needed—to keep thinking of him as Keira’s overbearing, bullying brother-in-law.
“No, not my wife-to-be. The baby.” He chuckled. “She was awake… waving her hands and watching them. Smart and beautiful. You’ve seen her this morning.”
It was a statement—rather than a question.
Ella squirmed, reluctant to admit that she’d barely glanced at the baby while she was in the ward during the pediatrician’s consultation. Then she told herself she had no reason to feel guilty. Keira and Dmitri’s actions were not her fault.
Rather than answering his question, she changed the subject. “So you’re going through with it? You’re really going to get married?”
He nodded. “I want that baby.”
God, the man was stubborn. Didn’t he ever accept no for an answer? Time for him to learn he couldn’t always get what he wanted in life. Sometimes someone else’s needs came first.
This time, the baby’s best interests were paramount. Not his.
Letting out the breath she’d been unconsciously holding since that first whiff of his male essence, Ella said, “Well, you need to know that you’re sacrificing yourself for nothing. I’m not going to change my mind. And it’s still my decision. As the legal mother, I get to choose the parents the baby will go to.”
He went deadly still. “You will choose me—and my wife.”
Was that a threat?
Ella carefully assessed his motionless body, the face with the high Slavic cheekbones, skin stretched taut across them. Yevgeny needed to know she wasn’t going to let him bully her.
“Unlikely. This morning I gave Jo a list of the qualities I’m seeking in the prospective parents. Nothing you can offer meets the criteria. She’s going to bring me portfolios of prospective parents to look at—and I’ll choose a couple from there.”
The tension in the air became electric. “When?”
“Shouldn’t you be at work doing whatever it is that high-powered billionaires do?” Ella knew she was being deliberately provocative, but she’d never expected him to be this concerned about the baby.
“When?” he repeated, his face tight.
He wasn’t going to relent, she realized. “As soon as I’m back home—tomorrow probably.”
“And then what happens?”
“The couples have already been interviewed and screened. Police checks have been done. Once I choose a couple and the consent is signed, then the paperwork for the adoption can be filled in and submitted.”
“The consent?”
“Yes.” Ella explained further, “The legal mother can only sign the consent—that’s the formal document where she agrees to give up the baby—on the twelfth day. And yesterday, the day the baby was born, counts as the first day.”
From where she stood Ella could sense the intensity of his gaze. He wasn’t smiling anymore. He was watching her, his head tipped slightly to one side, his brain working overtime. Yevgeny was busy hatching a fiendish plot. She was certain of it.
