Page 29 of Royal Surrogate 1
I make my way into my sitting room, allowing Renae to get the boy dressed.
My brother and his wife arrive only a moment later, not even bothering to knock before they enter.
“Noah!” Lauren holds her arms out, and her son races to her.
“Mama! I play with Nay-nay and Caca!” Noah jumps pointing between us.
“You did?” He takes her hand and pulls his mother into the bedroom to show her something before I can add anything.
Renae smiles at Xavier, giving him a small curtsy. “My lord.”
Xavier rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to do that, you know. Not for me.” My brother turns his gaze to mine. “We didn’t get any calls begging us to come back.”
“I think we did okay.” I look over at Renae. “Better than okay. Renae is going to make a fine mother.”
Her cheeks stain a deep shade of crimson. “I don’t know about that.”
Xavier shrugs, taking the seat across from me. “No broken bones. No visible scarring. Much better than I expected. Last time Caspar took care of the boy?—”
I hold up my hand to interrupt. Renae doesn’t need to hear about that particular tale. “Let’s just leave that story for later, shall we?” I grin. “How was your weekend?”
Xavier’s lips tilt into what could be described as a smile—for him, at any rate.
“So it was good, I take it? I’m glad to hear it.”
Xavier grunts his agreement.
“Thank you again for allowing us the honor of caring for your son.” I look over at my betrothed, and something stirs inside me again. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I know she’s the one I want to be the mother of my child. After everything I’ve seen this weekend, I’m certain of it.
I just need to find a way to convince her that she needs to be more than just an egg donor and surrogate. I want her to be part of our child’s life.
CHAPTER 22
Renae
Predictably, at the sight of his parents, Noah decides he’d rather sleep with them tonight. Part of me is relieved—I woke up three times last night when a tiny toddler elbow jabbed into my side—but another part of me is secretly sad to see him go. It may have only been a weekend, but by the end of it I was starting to feel like we were a little family.
Don’t let yourself get carried away. The voice in my head is strict, but she has to be. Don’t let emotions into this or you’ll be crushed in the end. I’m a surrogate, nothing more. I can’t let myself get emotionally attached to Caspar or the baby we create.
But the emotions of it all aren’t the only reason I’m sorry that Noah is no longer sleeping with us. Now that Noah is gone, I have to face the prospect of sharing a bed with Caspar alone.
I suppress an involuntary shiver as I change into to my pajamas. There’s no point in pretending I’m not attracted to the man—that ship has sailed. Every time he touches me, my entire body comes alive—it feels like fire is dancing across my skin, like my heart is going to beat itself right out of my chest.
And the worst part is, Caspar knows it. He knows exactly what he does to me. I can see it, feel it, every time he touches me—the darkening in his eyes, the heat in his expression, the confidence in his touch. Obviously, there can be little doubt after what happened between us a couple of days ago, but I hate that I’m so transparent. Especially when everything depends on keeping my distance.
When I step out of the closet, Caspar is already lounging on the bed. His eyes flick toward me, and I feel his gaze travel over my pajamas. They’re the same ones I’ve worn every night, soft and blue and cotton, hardly anything revealing or sexy. But I can still see the appreciation in his eyes.
“Um.” I wish I’d planned this out, prepped something to say so I didn’t sound like a complete idiot. “We never officially decided on sleeping arrangements.”
He frowns. “What do you mean? We’ve been sleeping in this bed together every night.”
“With Noah. That makes a big difference.” My cheeks are warm, and I hate that this conversation is making me blush. “I don’t want you to think—” I cut myself off, clear my throat, and continue with what I feel is more confidence. “I don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t mind taking the couch, if you want the bed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Caspar is off the bed now, coming around it toward me. “There’s no reason for you to sleep on the sofa. Or either of us, really.” He stops just shy of me, but not touching, and his blue eyes search my face.
My cheeks get even hotter, but I make myself meet his gaze, projecting all the stubbornness and determination I can muster.
“Our relationship must remain completely professional,” I tell him. “We agreed from the start that this was a business arrangement, nothing more, and legally, I don’t think we should blur those lines any more than we already have. I’m going to be your surrogate, and I’ve agreed to marry you for the sake of appearances, but that’s as far as it goes. Behind closed doors, we’re simply business partners.”