The CEO's Secret Baby

#5 - All I See Is You And Me

Elaine

Get in, get out, pay your debt and everything will be just fine. I had told myself that on my way here. That was before I saw Grayson—before I realised just how closely I'd be working with him. Before he looked at me the way he was right now... disintegrating the fragile strands holding my heart together, leaving the gaping wound of heartbreak wide open.

For Jade. I repeated my two-word mantra for this trip again.

I was doing this for Jade.

Because she was my best friend. I loved her and she loved me, and this was the best opportunity for Frame & Flame, her small Visual Branding Studio company that had given me the best start in my photography career.

And because how could I say no when this was the only thing she had ever asked of me?

This was my opportunity to repay her for how amazing she had been to me after my world fell apart. How sane she kept me when everything crumbled, time and time again.

And for being the best godmother and second mum to my six year old daughter Claire.

My stomach flipped at the thought of my daughter, and I rushed to shut down every thought about her, as if that would somehow keep Grayson from finding out. I swear it felt like the truth was written right there on my forehead.

Just a few more minutes and I would be out of here.

"Tea or Coffee, Miss Murdoch?" Grayson's P.A. peeked through the door, and I had never been grateful for a distraction. Spinning around to face her, I smiled—letting it sweep away some of the tension coiled tight in my chest.

But before I could answer, Grayson spoke.

"Tea. Black. No sweeteners. Make it hot."

I turned to stare at him. I'd had no intention of letting him see through me... but—

He remembered that?

I blinked at him, the words 'you remembered' poised on my tongue. But bringing up the very first time we met—when Disappointed Me bumped into him at a coffeehouse that didn't even serve tea—would be a one way street into a territory I had no intentions of visiting with him.

I turned to his P.A. instead.

Her eyes were wide. "Is that right?"

I was this close to saying no, just to prove him wrong. But then he'd know he still affected me. Then he'd know I'd lied about our night being meaningless.

He'd know he broke me.

I couldn't let that happen.

So I smiled sweetly at her and nodded.

"Okay," she said, shooting us both a look—part-confusion, part-surprise—before closing the door behind her.

I wished I could follow right after her, maybe even convince Jade to hire someone else. But just then, my best friend's squealing voice rang in my head:

"This is it, Elaine! Frame & Flame's opportunity to finally showcase her prowess!"

Yeah, she did refer to her business as a she. And I had been the very first person she'd called the moment she hung up with her newest dream client, Frost Renew. She'd made it clear she wanted me—no one else.

I straightened in my seat, deciding today was not the day I let her down or backed away from a challenge. Even if that challenge involved the last person on this earth I wanted to be near.

Even if the ache in my chest was eating at the woman I thought I'd grown into the past six years—stripping her armour inch by inch, letting the hurt of that morning bleed through.

"Why don't you run me through what Frost Renew's expectation is of Frame & Flame." I began, shifting my mind back to business. It was safer territory.

"You," Grayson said, leaning forward, making me frown. "I mean what my expectations are of you," he clarified.

I blinked at him.

Me? Him? Why was this about me and him? I arched a brow at Grayson, hoping my anxiety wasn't showing. "I thought this was about Frost Renew and Frame and Flame—"

"And yet all I see is you and me." He cut me off, folding his arms and leaning back in his seat.

And all I could see in the moment was how much Claire took after him.

It wasn't so much in the physical appearance, probably the reason no one had recognised her as his daughter yet. Besides living in Kenswell, my small home city that was not obsessed with billionaires and Jade posing as her mother, a little game we played each time we went out.

But what Claire lacked in resemblance, she made up for in her gestures—her scowl, her glare, the way she folded her arms and pursed her lips during those early morning stand offs when she didn't want to go to school. Looking at Grayson now, she was her father's daughter, and I was sure if he ever spent enough time with her—without introductions—he'd know.

The Frost twins, however, where a different story. I didn't know how genetics worked, but Claire could easily pass for their triplet. It had taken everything in me not to stare when I first saw them—especially Scarlett. She looked like the future version of my daughter, and I knew they would hit it off.

Something tightened in my chest at the thought—something I hadn't let myself consider until right now. Was I being selfish? Was I punishing Claire for her father's sins?

Was I stealing her chance at family?

The ache only deepened when I pictured Asher with Claire. He might have talked my ear off, but I knew he'd definitely make an awesome uncle.

God, was I any different from my mother?

"Lunch," Grayson said, snapping me out of the guilt train I'd been riding.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"We can get into all the details over lunch," he said, his gaze thoughtful, making me realise I may have completely dropped my guard while I thought about my daughter.

Composing myself, I sat back and folded my arms. "I don't think a lunch date with you is necessary, Mr. Frost."

"Not yet, but I meant lunch with the whole Frost Renew team involved in this."

Oh.

I fought the burn of embarrassment as I caught myself. "Sounds good to me then."

But wait, what did he mean by 'not yet?'.

"Great." He smiled, the damned smile burning bright through my confusion. "I'll just have my P.A., Melanie fill you in on your living arrangements."

He reached for his phone, but I stopped him. "I already took care of my living arrangements." Besides wanting to experience what Frost Renew had to offer, I didn't want to risk a chance of being at Grayson's mercy where my living arrangements were concerned, however small. So l had booked myself into their remotest cabin. Away from everybody else. Away from him.

"I'm not going to let you spend your money on this," he bit out, as though the idea itself offended him.

"I'm not going to let you spend your money on this." A six year old argument echoed in my head.

Bloody hell.

Why were all these surfacing now?

I didn't want to think about him, or anything about us.

I swallowed down the annoyance that came with remembering our past and arched a brow at him instead. "Let me? I'm pretty sure I can do whatever the hell I want with my money."

"I know that," he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it a bit. I kept myself from thinking about how that made him look. "What I meant was, your stay is taken care of in the project budget—"

"And I appreciate it, however, I prefer this arrangement," I stated, to which he mumbled something inaudible, but pissed off. Whatever it was, I refused to acknowledge it.

"Where exactly will you be staying?" He huffed, that familiar edge to his tone he'd always had when he wanted to do something for me shining through. I ignored it too.

"Close to work." I stood, pasting on what I hoped passed for a professional smile.

He shot up from his seat too. "El..."

I froze, heart stumbling.

What the hell was he doing calling me that?

I shot him a glare, not caring that I'd give away the fact that he affected me."If there is nothing more, I'll leave my details with your P.A. See you at this lunch." I walked away without waiting for his reply.

I was running, but I didn't care. I wished I could say that more than six years of not seeing Grayson was enough. But it hadn't been—not when I saw him everyday in our daughter. And now, standing in front of him again, it felt like the two worlds I'd fought so hard to keep apart were colliding, cracking open everything I'd buried.

Stepping out, I leaned back on the adjacent wall and let out a bitter laugh.

He wasn't memorable?

If only he knew how memorable he was. I had a six year old proof back home who was my world.

A world I needed to keep his claws the hell away.

"Your tea?"

I startled at the sound of Grayson's P.A. "Thanks," I said, reaching for the cup. A to go cup. I stared at it before frowning at her.

She shrugged. "I had a feeling we'd meet on the way out or something."

"Oh?" My brow lifted.

She smiled shyly. "I'm not good at reading people, but you looked about ready to run out of there."

Well, she was pretty accurate if you asked me, but I didn't tell that. Instead, I thanked her for my beverage and said my good byes.

"He's never remembered a single client's preferred refreshment," the P.A. called after me, halting my steps.

"I'm sure it means nothing," I mumbled over my shoulder. I didn't know her, but I recognised the hopeless romantic in her. I had been one once upon a time after all.

"I'm sure it means something," she disagreed. "I've never seen him look at someone the way he does you." She winced, giving me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for overstepping."

"It's fine," I smiled too. "And I might have to agree with you."

"Agree with me?" Hope filled her voice. She was so gullible—just as I had been about Grayson.

"Yeah, about not being good at reading people."