The Baby Contract by Olivia
Starke
Genre(s): Erotic Contemporary Romance
Digital ISBN: 9781940744339
Length: Novel
Price: $4.99
Genre(s): Erotic Contemporary Romance
Digital ISBN: 9781940744339
Length: Novel
Price: $4.99
Having a baby is Abby's dream. Will
Liam's enemies stop her happily ever after?
Liam Whitmore III is floored by the
surprise stipulation in his father's will—provide an heir within one year or
he'll lose the controlling portion of Whitmore Incorporated to his cousin
Spencer. The corporation is Liam's life. He'll do anything to keep his cousin's
hands off of it, including finding a woman who'll bear his child. Though
finding the right woman seems an impossible task since he doesn't have room in
his life for anything except running the company. He doesn't want a wife, just
an heir.
Abby Haden's family is about to
lose their ranch, the only life her ailing father and brother have ever known.
She feels helpless and is desperate to help. When the most coveted bachelor in
Austin, Liam Whitmore III, also known as the Takeover Tyrant, offers to pay her
to have his child it seems too incredible to be true. She's all but given up
hope of ever having a baby. Not only will her dream of being a mother come
true, but she can also save the family ranch.
It was just supposed to be a
business deal, but Abby and Liam find it hard to keep their hearts out of what
it takes to make a baby. Even as they sort out their feelings, others have
their eye on Whitmore Incorporated. Liam and Abby will soon discover how far
they'll go to make sure Abby never produces that heir.
Content Warning: contains graphic
sex, explicit language, mild violence, and a heroine with a history of domestic
abuse
The Baby Contract – Excerpt
Abby closed her eyes tight and pressed send
on her phone. Liam's phone rang once, twice, three times. A bit relieved, she
waited to be routed to his voicemail.
"Liam Whitmore's office."
She sucked in a hard breath and nearly
dropped the phone. "Uh…hi…this is Abby Haden, Abigail Haden that is."
"Yes, Miss Haden," the
receptionist said quickly. "Please hold."
Several seconds passed.
"This is Liam."
"I…" Abby paused, searching
her heart one last time. Her grip on her cellphone tightened, and her courage
failed. "I…I…"
"What's the holdup?" Liam
asked, his voice gruff.
She flinched. "H-holdup?" she
stammered.
"Seven hundred fifty thousand
dollars, and that's the final offer, Miss Haden. Take it or leave it."
Abby blinked. "That's not—"
"Take it or leave it," Liam
interrupted. "I want an answer now."
His brisk tone set her on edge and
raised her ire.
Her courage returned. "Fine, but I
have a requirement."
His pause felt tangible through the
phone, and she feared he'd had second thoughts. Not that she'd back down from
her decision.
"What is it?" He nearly
growled the question.
She filled her lungs with air. "I
want two hundred fifty thousand upon conception, the rest after the baby is
born."
Another pause. "We have a
deal." His anger had disappeared, his voice holding no hint of emotion.
Abby blew out her pent-up breath.
"Okay, good. I've been unable to find a clinic for the…the artificial, um,
you know." She placed a cool palm on her flaming hot cheek. If it was
possible to die from embarrassment, she'd be a goner for sure.
"I'm not following you, Miss
Haden," Liam said. She heard papers shuffling in the background.
"I'll have the contract drawn up."
"Artificial insemination,"
Abby blurted out.
"Artificial insemination?" He
sounded taken aback. "I hadn't considered any such thing."
Abby frowned in confusion. "How
else are we going to get me pregnant?"
Liam's laughter echoed through the
phone. Rich and throaty, it sent a hot tingle down Abby's spine. Goose bumps
broke out over her skin.
"Miss Haden, there are such
pleasurable ways of making a baby that are quite successful," he said, his
voice dropping to a deep rumble over the phone. Abby took a shuddering breath
as it did obscene things to her insides. His tone returned to its more
business-like manner. "I have a cabin in Aspen. As soon as your cycle is
at the most likely time for you to conceive we'll fly up there for a
week," he said. "AI would take too much time," he added.
"I-I didn't plan on that,"
Abby stuttered, her mind reeling. Sex hadn't been in the equation when she'd
made her decision. Sex? With Liam? Oh my God. Her heart kicked into
overdrive. "Look, Mr. Whitmore—"
"I'll set up an appointment with my
physician for STD tests. Can you be there tomorrow afternoon by, say…" He
paused briefly. "Three-thirty?"
"Mr. Whitmore, I—"
"Do you know when you'll most
likely ovulate again?"
Abby blinked, she was being steamrolled.
"Miss Haden, it's a simple
question. I need to know."
She looked at her calendar, she'd
already figured up the days in case she'd gotten an appointment at one of the
clinics she called. "Um, next week, but listen—"
Liam pushed on. "I'll have
everything set up. We can leave for Aspen late Sunday evening. My personal
assistant will be in touch tomorrow morning to give you directions to my
physician's office."
"Mr. Whitmore, there's no way I can
get off work for a week on such short notice. It's Tuesday," she insisted,
trying to backpedal.
"It's taken care of. Don't worry,
Abigail," he said.
The sound of her given name rolling off
his tongue caught her off guard. It stopped her next objection dead in its
tracks.
"What's your contact number?"
he asked.
Abby gave him her cellphone number.
After a quick 'thank you' Liam hung up,
leaving Abby in a bit of a stupor. His driven personality explained his
business success, as well as the rumored success he had with women. He was a
raging river and she had been helplessly swept along in its current.
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