Gerald, page 1
Gerald
He wants her to carry his baby…
A sexy surrogate romance by Katie Dowe of BWWM Club.
Beautiful and vivacious African-American businesswoman Gabriella Myers runs Surrogacy Inc, an up-and-coming elite surrogacy agency.
So, of course when recluse and embittered multi-billionaire investor Gerald Vincent Murphy calls her for a meeting, she quickly accepts!
But his request leaves her reeling…
He specifically wants Gabby to carry his heir and is willing to pay four times the amount to make it happen!
Gabby agrees, only because she feels something for the man that she has never felt before in her life…
And now that she’s pregnant with his child, she has fallen head over heels in love with him!
But first she must learn his true reasons for wanting a child…
Reasons that may very well break Gabby’s heart!
Can Gerald move on from his past and allow himself to fall in love with Gabby?
Or does he only care about the child she carries?
Find out in this emotional yet sexy romance by Katie Dowe of BWWM Club.
Suitable for over 18s only due to sizzling hot sex scenes with a multi-billionaire!
Tip: Search BWWM Club on Amazon to see more of our great books.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
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Chapter 1
“Children are the future.” That was the quote she had made to the reporter in last month’s issue of Motherhood! The Joy of it!’ The editor of the widely read and subscribed magazine had written an entire page about the agency, boosting the ratings and bringing attention to what they were involved in.
And she had meant every word of it. The interview had been exhaustive and detailed if somewhat a little on the personal side.
“What about you, Gabriella? Any plans on becoming a mother very soon?”
She had laughed and dismissed the question by asking one of her own. She was good at the art of evasion, especially regarding her personal life.
It was Sunday, the first one in December. She was shaking her head in wonder. She could not believe it was the last day of the year. It had been a very good one, could have been better, at least from her perspective.
But her accountant, who also happens to be her sister, had scolded her for being less than grateful. “The company is in the black. You are doing something good here; allow yourself to bask in the success.”
She had murmured something appropriate. She supposed she should be grateful. Three years ago, when she had decided to hang up her nurse’s uniform and go into surrogacy, people looked at her as if she was crazy.
She had convinced herself that nursing was her passion, and for many years, it had been. She loves people and enjoys taking care of them. So going into nursing had been the natural career path for her. And she had dedicated herself to working in the big and noisy hospital two miles away from her home.
But it had become tedious. Seeing tragedies unfolding with people losing loved ones and the hardened cynicism of some of the nurses she worked with had left her bleeding inside and depressed most of the time.
The last straw had been the betrayal from the intern she had been seeing for over a year. Plans had been in place for them to marry, and she had allowed him to move in with her. Something she had been reluctant to do.
“It makes sense, darling. I spend most of my time here anyway. And your apartment is way nicer than mine. I also need to save money to repay my monstrous student loan.”
It had started small. A poke here and there. A comment that he would laugh off as a joke.
“You nurses have no idea what doctors go through. We study our asses off, and the training does not stop when we happen to leave medical school.” And: “Darling, you should stay in your lane. You are not a doctor.”
And the classic one that opened her eyes to the person he was: “When was the last time you have been to the salon? You have a flawless complexion, darling, but how about wearing a little makeup?”
That had done it for her. She had told him to get the hell out of her apartment and out of her life. He had tried to pretend that he was looking out for her.
But Gabriella was confident, a condition instilled in her from birth. She and her sister were from a single-parent household with a mother who had not been afraid to take on two or sometimes three jobs to care for them.
Their dad died when Juliet was five, and she was three years old. Gabriella had vague recollections of a cheerful man hoisting her high into the air and making her scream in delight.
He had been twenty years older than his wife and had succumbed to a brain aneurysm. Carla Myers had been left saddled with medical bills and the daunting task of caring for two little girls.
She had sold the house and moved into a rent-controlled apartment. The death insurance that had been taken out on him had barely been enough to care for them for several years.
Their mother had died five years ago, and the pain of the loss was still with her two daughters. But she had done a great job bringing them up, something for which Gabriella was immensely grateful.
Shoving the covers off, she padded over to the sturdy mahogany bedpost to pick up her ratty old robe and shrugged into it. It was time to adjust the thermostat, she thought with a shiver. And she had some shopping to do.
She had staff members to think of, her sister and brother-in-law, and her three-year-old niece. So she had her list handy and was going to head to the mall to do some purchasing.
She could order some things online but preferred the whole mall experience.
Stepping into the cool green and blue bathroom, she stripped off her clothes and stood there looking at herself in the mirror.
She was too thin, she thought, grimacing at the ribs sticking out. She had complained to her sister several times that she wished she could put on some pounds.
Juliet stared at her and snorted. “Be careful what you wish for. I got pregnant and cannot lose the damn thirty pounds I gained. You have the figure of a damn model, be grateful.”
Lifting her thick rope braids, she twisted them into a knot at the nape of her neck. She looked tired, she thought, peering into the mirror. The week had been hectic, and she had been staying late at the agency trying to get through the paperwork that had piled up.
She had taken a month-long vacation after her sister had insisted on it and had visited several European places. She had hoped to indulge in a holiday romance but had decided against it at the last minute. After the disaster with Lenny, she had been avoiding getting involved. And she was never one for a casual fling anyway.
Taking one last look at her reflection, she turned to prepare her bath.
*****
The apartment was sterile – the wide-open concept had been specifically ordered when it was being renovated. There were levels; the upper level contained three bedrooms – suites, actually, with the master taking up most of the upper level. The kitchen was stark, black and white, and sparklingly clean.
Then there was the dining area, the den with the books tucked into revolving shelves. The gym was well-equipped and often used. Gleaming board floors had taken precedence over lush carpeting.
A housekeeper comes in three times a week to do the necessary. Whenever she was at the apartment, she would prepare something and place it inside the warmer.
Mrs. Morgan was very well compensated and had been told initially that the man paying her would never require conversation or mothering. As long as she did her job and did it well, there would not be a problem.
Gerald putting away his device, turned his attention to the contract he was perusing, a frown on his brow. The document still needs some tweaking. He was taking over the entire Marina Mall downtown area and planning on revamping the whole thing.
The negotiation was moving slowly, and the process was frustrating. In addition, the Marina family had just declared bankruptcy and complained about being cheated out of their inheritance.
Nepotism was rampant in the corporate office, with those in management only there because of their name. The place was top-heavy, and the lavish lifestyle previously exercised by those in charge had caused the downfall of a mall that had been there for centuries.
The once elegant building was now showing signs of neglect. The building itself was solid and had been made of sturdy material. But it was going to take a lot of work and money.
That was not the only thing on his mind. He needed an heir and could no longer put it off. His mouth tightened as his mind drifted back to the painful memories of a year ago. Rearing in his thoughts, he reached for his glass of scotch and pushed back his chair.
He had been mulling over the idea for months, examining the pros and cons. But, unfortunately, he was no longer conducive to the usual route to sire an heir. That ship sailed a year ago when the blinders he had been wearing were painfully torn away.
He had read the positive reviews about the agency, but that was not what had struck him. He had done his research on the woman running it and realized that she was the one he wanted to carry his heir.
A grim smile touched his lips. It would bite her hard and was the perfect way to get back at her. Jocelyn Rivers had been trying to get him to put the past behind them and start fresh – after what she had done. The woman has some nerves on her!
Shaking away the troubling memories, he picked up the folder and stared at the smiling woman. She was slender, almost ethereal in her beauty. But that did not concern him. He would not be having any physical contact with her.
She will be taken aback when she hears his offer, for lack of a better term. Would she accept? He wondered. Of course, she would.
He would be offering her a ton of money to carry his heir. Her agency was doing surprisingly well but could certainly do with an injection of capital.
The building – a charming rose-pink stucco cottage-like one was leased. However, she could buy the place outright with the money he would offer her. Who would be able to resist that?
It would be a business deal, of course. But, if and when she agrees, he will start the process immediately.
He continued to study the glossy photo. She was smiling, a dimple creasing her left cheek. Her smile was white, turning the dark chocolate of her eyes into shimmering liquid. He would place the call himself. But unfortunately, he did not have her cell number, or he would be making the call now.
He wanted to get it out of the way to put it from his mind. She would go through the usual medical examination, of course. He had already done his research on her. She would do. Tossing back the rest of the drink, he returned to the contract he had been perusing.
*****
Christmas was and continues to be Gabby’s favorite holiday. Yet, she could not focus on just one thing. There was the scent of pine cones, the lights, or the general air of excitement that the season brings. The mall was teeming with shoppers, the noise at an all-time high.
She had been into two stores and could not resist purchasing more than planned. The flashing ‘On Sale’ signs were everywhere, with the merchants taking advantage of the season of goodwill. She had already bought her tree and was in the process of decorating it.
“Gabby?”
The sound of her name had her turning towards the source as people eddied around her.
“Celina?”
“The same.” The woman gave a quick self-conscious laugh. “You look great. I cannot say the same about myself.”
“It’s been ages.”
“Since nursing school.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“Would you mind if we have a cup of coffee?” She nodded to a café tucked between a perfume and lingerie collection.
“Not at all.” Mentally dismissing the shopping, she had left to do, she followed the woman and slid into the small booth. They were doing a hopping business, the lines already curving along the corridor.
“What will you have?”
“A caramel latte. Would you like me to go and place the order?”
“No.” Celina shook her head and dumped her packages on the chair she would be occupying. “I will be right back.”
Gabrielle watched her wend her way to the back of the line, a thoughtful expression on her face. Celina had been in the same batch of students during her first year, but after the second year, the girl had disappeared.
Rumors had floated around for weeks, with some saying that she had dropped out because she could not hack it, while some said that she had been knocked up by an older man who was also married.
Gabriella tried calling her, but the number had gone to voicemail. She had left several messages, which had not been returned.
“I was also persuaded to try the banana crème pie.” Celina juggled the two coffee cups and slices of pie, putting one in front of Gabrielle.
“Thanks.” Taking off the cover, she blew on it before taking a sip. “Ah, just the way I like it.”
“You look great.” The woman said again, a wistful note in her voice. “You have not changed a bit since nursing school.”
“Oh, I am not certain I agree with you there.”
“I would,” Celina said soberly, stirring the coffee inside her cup. “But you have always been striking. I remembered how popular you were and how people gravitated to you.” She took a tentative sip before putting the cup down. “I suppose you know I dropped out in my second year.”
Gabriella believed in shooting straight and not beating around the bush. “I did, and I tried calling you several times.”
“I was not in the frame of mind to talk to anyone. I was pregnant.”
“I see. How is the child? They should be quite grown up by now.”
Celina shook her head. “I miscarried in my eight month.”
Gabriella felt a dart of sympathy for her. She dealt with this in her work but still could not find the appropriate words. “I am so sorry to hear that.”
“It almost caused my life, and because it was so life-threatening, it also managed to cause extensive damage to my ovaries.” Her hands trembled as she took a quick sip of her coffee, hands shaking. “I am unable to conceive.”
