The Billionaire Op - Lori Ryan Page 0,40

she was so exhausted she could barely function and she’d begun to cry at the drop of a hat, and Jennie was officially an absolute basket case. A basket case with a baby she wanted, yet didn’t want.

With a friend who would be a wonderful father to her baby. If only she wanted him to be. Which she didn’t. It was horrible to think that, but the truth was, she didn’t want Chad to be the baby’s father.

Jennie lost the fight with the tears in that moment and had to make a dash for the bathroom. How could she hurt Chad this way? What would she tell her parents? Kyle’s parents? How would she take care of a baby on her own when she was an emotional disaster?

This can’t be happening.

But Jennie knew it was happening. She just didn’t know what to do about it.

She splashed water on her face and took a few deep breaths. She should have called in today. Just like she should have called in sick yesterday and the day before. But, if she was home, she’d just cry again for hours on end. She needed to stop that.

She needed to find a way to just push through. To just keep going. She went back to her desk and tried to focus as if her world wasn’t falling down around her. Again.

Chad sat at his desk and looked out the window but his eyes weren’t seeing anything. As he had so many times in the past two months, he let his mind travel back to Florida, reliving every minute of his time with Jennie.

He tortured himself again and again, recalling the way she’d felt in his arms. How it felt to be able to reach over and hold her hand or pull her into his arms as they pretended to be newlyweds. How it felt to make her fall apart in his hands, with his mouth. And how it felt when he’d finally fulfilled a year of fantasies, sinking deep into Jennie’s sweet depths and making love to her.

He even relived the moment on the plane ride home when she’d looked at him with those beautiful, guileless eyes and told him she was sorry she couldn’t give him what he wanted.

He’d seen the regret in her eyes, had heard it in her voice. He knew she’d love him if she could. Or, at least, she’d try. She simply didn’t have her heart to give. It still belonged to Kyle.

He’d told her it was okay. That he'd always be there for her and love her as a friend, no matter what. And, he’d meant it. He would always be there for Jennie. But, he knew the price he was going to pay for that.

It was tearing him to pieces, seeing her day in and day out at work. Seeing her on the weekends when they got together with friends. Watching her hold Jack and Kelly’s baby girl. Fantasizing about a future they’d never have. About building a family with her. About things that would never come to be.

Chad spun in his chair and let his gaze fall on Jennie where she sat at her desk. She looked exhausted as he watched her in front of her computer and he wondered again if maybe she was sick. She hadn’t looked good the last few days, but she showed up at work every day anyway.

Chad had the strongest urge to walk over and pull her into his arms. To carry her home and tuck her into bed. To care for her.

Those thoughts were interrupted by his phone.

“Yeah,” Chad answered, pulling his eyes off Jennie.

“Chad, it’s Jack.”

He laughed. “You couldn’t walk down the hall to talk to me? You had to call me?”

“Wise ass. I’m not in the building. I’m on my way to meet with the investors for the Paulsen project again. They need a little hand holding.”

Chad grunted. He was glad Jack got to deal with the investors, not him. He didn’t have it in him to handle people the way Jack did.

“I’m just calling to let you know I heard from Jonathan Masters. The FBI did exactly what you predicted. They sent the Masters brothers back in to gather info. They said they’d only cut them a deal if they collected enough information to indict the rest of the officials in the money laundering scheme,” Jack said.

“Okay. Let’s hope that means Jennie doesn’t need to testify at all, or at least not for a long time,” Chad