Billionaire Love

Chapter - 4

It was official, I had finally gotten in touch with my inner slut. At least that was how I felt as I ran out of Nicolas and Aurora's house.

Kelly, my best friend, would have been so proud if I'd told her about it. Kelly and I are so different that it's amazing we're friends at all. Kelly is a flight attendant who looks like a lingerie model. All those clichés about models? That's Kelly in a nutshell. I, on the other hand-after that debacle with my college boyfriend, Travis decided I was done with relationships. Besides, there was my mom. But when Nicolas touched me, everything I thought I was just flew out the window. I do not do casual s*x. Ever. I'm just not like that. Oh, and my mom was a strict Catholic, which only made things worse. I have only ever had s*x with two men in my entire life. Kelly insists that I'm basically a virgin since one of those times was a brief, in-the-backseat-of-his-dad's-car encounter that lasted all of three minutes. Yet, Nicolas made me feel like everything I've experienced before was nothing

compared to the magic he could bring into my life.

And having him here, in my tiny apartment, made all those feelings come back.

"I think about that night a lot," he said quietly, leaning forward as he cupped his coffee cup in both hands. "I meant to apologize to you, but the next day... it just seemed inappropriate to do it as the doctor was inserting the embryos into..." He gestured toward me, a little color making his naturally dark skin look even darker. "And then you disappeared."

"Aurora died."

He nodded, his eyes dropping to his mug "Yeah. That was a shock to a lot of people."

"But not you?"

Something about the way he said it made me wonder about the rumors that floated around in

the weeks after her death that Nicolas had something to do with it. A lot of Aurora's fans suggested that Nicolas had someone slip drugs into her food that night as it clearly and unequivocally was proven by the autopsy that Aurora died of a cocaine overdose. But then a slice of pain rushed across his face, and I knew instinctively that he would never do such a thing

"I knew my wife better than almost anyone. And I knew that she was a brilliant actress who

showed the world a façade that covered secrets no one could ever imagine."

"Like drug use."

"Like the fact that the night she died was not the first time she overdosed on some sort of

That surprised me. I hadn't known Aurora long or very well, but she always seemed like a

drug"

strong, confident woman. I curled up against the arm of the couch and tried to remember something,

anything, in my encounters with her that would suggest she was a woman in the throes of a bad drug

habit. But I couldn't think of a single one.

Nicolas stood, setting his coffee-which was empty once more on a low table and crossed

to the windows. He turned away from me and stared outside. I had a sudden hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I thought for a moment I might be sick. He must have glanced at me... I don't know I was clutching my middle, trying to fight the unpleasant waves rushing through my stomac 26 he was beside me, his hand between my shoulder blades. I looked at him and felt my heart skip a beat

"The last time I touched Aurora was more than a year ago."

I stared at him, not sure what it was he was trying to tell me

"But you were trying to have a baby. She told me. She said you wanted a child, that you

thought it would complete your family. But she couldn't carry one because of a heart defect or

something."

"There was no heart defect. She just didn't want to ruin her perfect figure."

Again, I tried to reconcile what he'd just said words that were wrapped in so much bitterness that my tongue stung from the taste-with the woman I'd met But I couldn't Aurora was so

gentle and kind. I'd wanted to hug her every time I saw her because of the sadness that seemed to linger in her eyes

"What happened? I mean, between the two of you. You were only married for five years when she died."

He sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Aurora was the biggest mistake of my life." He shook his head, as his eyes landed on my face again, practically begging me to believe him. "She changed almost as soon as we got home from our honeymoon She wasn't the sweet ingénue I met on the set of Paper Men. She was controlling, demanding She used everything from s*x to threats to attempts on her own life to get me to do what she wanted."

"Why didn't you divorce her?"

"I had no idea what she might do if I did. She was unstable." He shifted, clearly agitated. "And it would have ruined her career. I couldn't take responsibility for that."

There was something that felt hollow about his last words. A memory of Aurora laughing as we talked about my students filled my thoughts for a moment. How could a woman who could appreciate the unpredictability of children be the same woman he was describing? It just didn't make sense.

He raked his fingers through his hair again, his next words coming out on a deep sigh. "I asked her for a divorce, three years ago, and she tried to commit suicide."

"But... what happened between you two? You were Hollywood's most romantic couple."

There'd been dozens of magazine articles on them from the time they were dating until a few weeks

before her death, and a piece the El channel did that my mom and I stayed up late one night to watch

They seemed so perfect together, as though they were one of those rare Hollywood couples that

actually functioned well together.

He laughed bitterly. "She began cheating on me right from the start. I caught her bed with the

chauffer once. And then I came home early from a trip to Hawaii to scout locations and found her

snorting cocaine off of a glass hors d'oeuvre plate we'd gotten as a gift for our wedding. I tried to get her into rehab. I even called her mother. I watched as she begged Aurora to do something about her addiction, but even she couldn't get through to her. Aurora wasn't interested in being clean. She only wanted what she wanted."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing "But, I don't get it. How come the media never got wind of this?"

He shot me a look filled with indignation. "I'm Nicolas Costa."

"Yeah, sure, that explains everything"

"Sarcasm does not become you, and yeah, it should explain everything. The paparazzi knows better than to trifle with me."

I raised my eyebrows to show him just what I thought of his arrogance but, inside, I was shaking Nicolas had a reputation for being a ruthless man. And I wasn't sure where I stood with this man. Why was he here? What did he want from me? I wrapped my arms around my chest, resting them on the top of my bulging belly. It was almost big enough to serve as a perfect shelf for arms, glasses, almost anything I wanted to sit on it. And the peanut inside... she'd be here in less than five months. What would happen then?

"Why are you here, Nicolas," I asked, my voice not betraying the roiling emotions inside of me this time.

He studied my face for a long moment, then his eyes fell again to my belly.

"It wasn't Aurora who wanted the baby," he said softly. "I don't know how much you know about me, but I came from a large Greek family. My father was a garbage truck driver, my mother a

nurse. They worked themselves to death trying to provide for me and my seven brothers and sisters. I

always imagined I would have a large family, too."

He tilted his head, something like clouds moving across his eyes as a soft smile lifted the corners of his full mouth "All my brothers and sisters have children now. I love being an uncle. Yet, the idea of holding a baby that's mine, that's part of my body, my soul, is the ultimate goal. Everything I've achieved in my career, in my life, pales in comparison. I almost couldn't believe it when Aurora

finally agreed to the idea. I think it was because all her friends were having kids and she felt left out

or something... I don't know. I never understood what motivated Aurora. But whatever it was..." He

looked at me, his hand coming close-but not touching-my belly. "I finally have that one thing that I

couldn't achieve on my own. And I'm not giving it up."

"But this is Aurora's baby," I said, grasping at the only straw I could see. "Do you really want

a piece of her in your life for the rest of your life?"

I thought he might get angry, but he only looked pensive for a moment. "That crossed my

mind," he finally said. "But Aurora was a kind, gentle person before the drugs changed her. I think her

child will be just as kind and gentle. Especially with the right guidance."

"Your guidance?"

He nodded. "Believe me, Ana, I'm well-prepared to be a father to this child."

"But what if I can't give her up?"

He simply shook his head. "You have no choice. You signed a contract."