She's Having the Boss's Baby - By Kate Carlisle Page 0,38

talk about you while you were gone?”

Grace laughed. “I certainly hope you did. And you know, I don’t mind at all. As long as nothing too vicious was said.”

Ellie patted Grace’s arm. “No one could ever say a vicious word about you.”

“Same goes for you. I got your back, girlfriend.”

They smiled in complete harmony.

“So that’s cleared up,” Grace said. “Now let’s hear all about Aidan. What happened when. And how and why and where. Start at the beginning and don’t stop until I’ve heard all the pertinent details.”

Ellie laughed. She was so lucky to have girlfriends after so many years of hiding from people, that now she had no qualms at all about telling Grace everything. She told her about her spur-of-the-moment decision to start a family and the sperm bank and Aidan’s offer and how she’d decided to take him up on it.

“I must say I agree with you on that point,” Grace said. “A big, handsome man in the flesh beats the heck out of an anonymous turkey baster any day of the week.”

“And Aidan is so wonderful,” Ellie confided. “I’m seeing a side of him I never knew existed. He’s funny and caring and kind and…well, I guess I knew he was all that, but it just seems that the more time I spend with him, the more I care about him.”

She didn’t add that it worried her, but it did. Her feelings seemed to grow stronger every day and if she wasn’t careful, the little crush she’d always had on him could develop into a full-on love that she would never recover from. Just like her mother. It was the stupidest thing Ellie could possibly allow to happen.

And in case she’d forgotten, as soon as she became pregnant, their temporary situation would be over. Aidan wouldn’t need to be with her anymore. There would be no reason to see him except during regular business hours. And though she knew it was for the best, that brought a little ache to Ellie’s heart.

She’d known going into the deal that Aidan had no intention of going beyond what they’d agreed to do. Once she was pregnant, he would go back to dating the bikini babes who came to the island looking for some short-term action. Aidan didn’t believe in long-term relationships. He’d made that clear from the very beginning.

So right then and there, she renewed her vow to stay strong in the face of those feelings that could destroy her. Still, a tiny wishful part of her was just as determined to keep the dream going for as long as possible and pretend that she and Aidan were more than just temporary lovers.

She suddenly remembered it was Grace she was talking to and quickly added, “Oh, but Logan is wonderful, too, Grace. I just never had as much of a connection with him as I do with Aidan.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Grace said with a light laugh. “Otherwise, I would’ve had to kill you.”

*

At noon a few days later, Ellie walked down the hall to Logan’s office, where she would join the brothers for their first private partners’ lunch. Ellie was relieved that ever since Logan had returned from his honeymoon, he had welcomed her into the partnership with open arms.

Once they were seated and the catering crew had served their crab salads, Logan held up his glass of sparkling water and toasted her. “Welcome to the penthouse suite, Ellie.”

“Yes, welcome,” Aidan said. “Of course, since we’re on the first floor you can’t take that too literally.”

It didn’t really matter, Ellie thought, glancing around. Logan’s office was the mirror image of Aidan’s and was essentially a large hotel suite. It was furnished in a casually elegant style with modern furniture arranged to form a comfortable conversation area at one end of the room with a fully functioning office at the other. In between was a conference table and chairs where they were seated for their lunch.

The best part of the room was the view. One entire wall of sliding glass doors opened onto a private terrace. The view beyond the terrace was of the white sand beach and blue water of the bay. Graceful coco palm trees swayed in the breeze.

As the three of them began to eat, Logan led the conversation. “I don’t know if Aidan told you, but we’ve been thinking of making you a partner for months now. Right before I left for my honeymoon, we decided to take care of it as soon