Baby for Sugar Daddy: A Secret Baby Romance (Heartstring Dating Agency Book 6) Lauren Wood (readict .TXT) 📖

“I don’t want to spoil the day for you,” he said softly.

“Well, don’t worry about that,” I said, standing up and grabbing my purse from the back of the chair. “Nothing, not even you, could ruin this day for me. Especially not you. I’m going out to celebrate, and if you don’t want to join me…well, then I guess some other rich, powerful man at the bar will just have to use this as his golden opportunity to take me home for a good time.”

“Goddammit, Cat,” his fists pounded lightly on the table, just enough to keep from causing a scene and drawing too much attention to himself.

But I was already halfway out the door. Of course I wasn’t really in the mood to go to the bar and pick up some random guy. What I really wanted to do was go home and cry.

I did just that, even though I hated to succumb to the dark cloud that had settled over what was supposed to be such a monumentally glorious day. A day I had been dreaming of ever since I knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. It was the first leap towards the rest of my long and lustrous career. And yet here I was sulking off back to my apartment…weeping over some stupid man.

The hardest part to swallow was that he wasn’t just any man, he was the man. The one I had been enjoying calling my own…and dare I say—maybe he was even The One.

I was trying to hold everything together as I walked down the sidewalks, rushing as fast as I could to finally be alone and out of view from anyone so I could just break down. But as I rounded one corner, I felt a rush of nausea. It came on so fast, I barely had time to realize it was more than just a passing feeling and grab a trash can from behind the closest bodega. The poor cashier watched in horror as I puked right into their bucket!

“I’m so sorry,” I sniffled, my cheeks turning bright red. That guy and everyone for a whole block had just seen and heard me puke my guts out.

As I hurried off to avoid the embarrassment, a terrible thought crept into my head.

Oh no. The nausea, the sudden random puking, my emotions running on all high…My period was late, wasn’t it? I had been vaguely aware that it was, but I just kept pushing it off to the back of my mind to deal with later. I thought maybe after the deal I’d go see a doctor to find out what was up.

But now I was afraid I was figuring out exactly what was up.

I took off into the closest drug store and kept my sunglasses on, doing my best to hide my face from anyone who might recognize me. My hands were shaking as I paid for the pregnancy test and hurried home.

My nerves only got worse as I locked myself in my apartment bathroom and followed the instructions on the box. While waiting for the results, I tried to close my eyes and take deep breaths. But I wouldn’t really be able to breathe at all until I knew the answer to my dreaded question…Was I pregnant!?

I was scared to look when the timer on my phone went off, but I sucked it up and forced myself to anyway. This wasn’t going anywhere, and I had no choice but to face it. But even as I peered over the bathroom counter, I was still mostly convinced this was nothing more than paranoia. We took precautions…most of the time, anyways. And there was no way I could be pregnant! Not me! Not now!

But all of that proved to be false when I let the two little pink lines on the stick sink in. There was the answer…staring me right back in the face. I’m pregnant.

Several short, panicked breaths came out in bursts, followed by streams of tears down my cheeks. It was the worst possible time for a knock to come to my door, but I rushed to open it anyway. I wanted to believe it was Jordan. He had realized what an idiot he was being and was coming over to apologize. I could tell him what I just discovered so we could figure out what to do, and so I wouldn’t have to process it alone.

But my heart sank when I flung the door open. It wasn’t Jordan. It was my father.

“Daddy,” my voice cracked.

“Honey?” he instantly perked up with alarm. “What’s wrong?”

He rushed in, taking me into his arms as he kicked the door shut behind us. I collapsed against him, crying onto his shoulder.

“The worst thing happened…with the worst possible timing,” I sobbed into his jacket.

“What is it sweetie?” he whispered, rubbing my back. “You know you can tell me anything.” He got the bright idea to try and lighten the mood with a joke. He always did hate to see me cry, but he had always been terrible at knowing how to stop it. That was Mom’s job. But this time his attempt really took the cake.

“Come on…What could be so bad after what you just accomplished? You’re not pregnant, are you?” he scoffed with a laugh.

I lifted my head and looked back at him with two big round watery eyes that told him everything he needed to know.

His face melted in disappointment and worry. “Oh, no. Kitty-Cat. Who’s the father?”

“You know him. Pretty well, in fact,” I croaked.

He flashed an angry smile. “Of course. I should have known.”

19

Jordan

I was pacing my apartment, reminding myself over and over that it would only make things worse if I went and tried to talk to Cat again. She hated me now, and she had every right to. But I trusted her to pull it together when it was time for work to resume. She would put on a smiling face