The Billionaire's Baby

The Billionaire's Baby- Chapter 1

Sophie sat opposite Julian in the 5-star hotel, her heart thrumming loudly in her ears. Slowly, awkwardly, she played with her food in front of her- salmon with coriander Dahl and rice.

Julian's choice.

"You need to eat, Sophie. It will be a tiring day tomorrow." Julian's voice cut across her mulling.

Looking up from her plate, she whispered, "Sorry."

Julian blew out a frustrated breath, took a sip of his wine and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sophie answered, her voice tired.

"There's obviously something wrong, Sophie. You've been throwing that fish around your plate for the last ten minutes." Julian pointed out, thoroughly annoyed.

Sophie didn't look up at him, nor did she even act as though she had heard him. To other people, they wouldn't look like they were a couple trying to create a child.

In fact, tomorrow, Sophie was to undertake the procedure of artificial insemination as she was very strongly against allowing Julian to have s*x with her. And she looked anything but happy about that fact.

Julian didn't mind either way. He'd happily have s*x with Sophie if she offered it on a plate. What red-blooded man on the planet wouldn't?

Instead, he conformed to being happy in the doctor's rest room to produce the golden ticket to the operation.

Sophie had been undergoing many different drugs to stimulate her into releasing the egg that would change and shape its way into their baby.

Tomorrow was a big day for both of them - after the initial scan to make sure the egg was definitely released and ready for fertilization.

Julian was impatient for Sophie to get pregnant. If this didn't work, he'd move straight on to IVF and have the fertilized baby implanted in her.

Which meant Sophie had to jab herself all over again with needles while taking drugs all over again.

With a pang of guilt, Julian leaned over and gently took her small hand in his larger one, "Are you okay, Sophie? You can talk to me."

This caught Sophie's attention. With a flash, her sparkling green eyes met his steel brown ones. "I'm sorry,"

Julian encouragingly rubbed his thumb across her hand as he held it, reveling in the way her soft skin felt under his own rough ones. "Talk to me, Sophie."

"I'm okay, Julian." She replied, more automatic, knowing it was what he wanted to hear. But those eyes couldn't lie to him. Something was bothering her and, as the mother of his future child, Julian took it upon himself to care for her.

"Sophie, please," Julian pleaded softly, "I know there's something wrong. Talk to me and tell me. Are you having second thoughts? Scared? Please tell me."

Sophie stuttered, shocked by his niceness towards her. Most of the time, he was mean, silent, and distant towards her. On rare occasions, he was civil, if you could call this brute of a male civil. Never, never was he nice to her.

Not anymore, anyway.

When they first started dating, three years ago, he charmed her knickers right down her ankles. It was one of those situations that was so wrong it was right.

At the time.

Nobody would think that this raging male could have cupped her face tenderly as they made love. Impossible to believe that he held her to his broad chest every night, making her feel safe and secure and.... loved.

Sophie still remembered the way he would throw his head back and laugh good-naturedly at something she'd once said. Now he'd laugh with menace. Now he'd laugh with spite and sarcasm.

What had happened to him in the last 3 years?

"Sophie," he prompted, pulling her from her thoughts again.

I'm just tired Julian. All these different hormones that I've been taking and all these procedures, they're playing hell with my body." Sophie answered honestly, lifting her glass of apple juice to her lips and taking a sip.

"I understand it's hard, Sophie. But I'm here to support you throughout the pregnancy. We need to communicate." Julian murmured, hoping to sound confident. In truth, Sophie had a power over him that no other woman ever had. An undescribable power that constantly shifted and changed every time he looked at her. One minute he would be angry, the nect soft, and now... nice.

Julian didn't do nice. He didn't do the whole hearts and flowers romance. And he most certainly never let anyone get close to his money or his heart.

Until Sophie Blake.