Alpha Billionaire Series

BROOKE

I stared at my babies. Two of them. Perfect and precious. This breastfeeding thing was tricky. I didn't know if I was doing it right.

Angela sat with me. “Are you seriously thinking of Strawberry?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean I thought one name was hard enough to come up with, but two. Names are so important; they are going to help define who they are. Will they be strong and admired, or will they be targeted and bullied?”

“Oh, no one is going to bully our babies. Auntie Angela will make sure of that”

I laughed. I loved her protective fierceness.

“How soon before you have to decide on the names?”

Baby A fell off my nipple, completely asleep.

“Help,” I said.

Angela stood and took the sleeping baby from me. Baby B was also asleep. I readjusted my gown while holding on to my sleeping baby.

“'m supposed to fill out birth certificate information in a day or two. I keep trying different names out, to see what fits” I hefted up the baby in my arms. I've been calling her Summer, pretty much since she was born. It fits."

“Wait, is that baby one or two?"

I gazed down at my little Summer. “She was born second.”

“So, we need a name that fits with Summer, and isn't necessarily Strawberry.”

I looked up when I heard a knock on the door.

“Can I come in?"

Mark. I think I held my breath and only let it out once Strawberry started fussing- I couldn't help it, that was the name that was stuck in my head.NôvelDrama.Org content rights.

“Um, yeah, come on in. Mark, you remember my friend Angela.”

He nodded at her. “So, you're the friend Brooke moved to Chicago with?”

She looked perplexed. I was too, how did he know that? She handed me the baby back, and I cradled both sleeping infants. “Your parents told me you had moved up here to do a graduate program with a friend. Are you in the hotel too?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “Business administration. How do you know about the hotel program?”

They looked at each other for a long moment.

“Oh right, you were there. You delivered the babies. Duh, sorry I had a moment. I have to get going. I'll leave you two to catc} up”

Angela gave my foot a squeeze as she left. “You'll be okay?”

I nodded. I could handle this.

Mark watched her leave and then he sat in the chair

“How are you doing? What did the doctor say?”

“You didn't read my chart before coming in here?”

He shook his head. “I'm not your doctor. They might extend the courtesy to me since I delivered them, but I doubt it”

I sighed. “I had to have stitches, and they put me on some good painkillers. Last night was hard and uncomfortable. But all i all, I'm told that's normal. My doctor did give me a hard time about having the babies a week earlier than expected. She pointed out that delivering while at work had not been in my birth plan.”

“What was your birth plan?”

“Come to the hospital, get shot up with an epidural. Angela was supposed to be my birth coach, not Jason. That poor kid. I must have traumatized him with something horrible,” I managed to laugh. Mark was sitting right there, and I wasn't seething with rage. Maybe the painkillers they had me on were taking care of my temper as well.

“Have you named them yet?”

I'shook my head. “'m stuck on names. The ones I like aren't real names.”

“May I?” He reached out to me. He wanted to see them.

I hesitated for only a second. He didn’t need to know they were his children to express an interest. He had delivered them. I nodded. He stood and lifted Summer from my arms.

“The nurse said they are a good weight, and they are a perfect match.”

“Identical?” He looked down at his daughter, gently moving the blanket away from her face.

“I have to ask you something, Brooke.”

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. I knew this was coming. I swallowed down my panic. I had to decide now what I was going to do. I could lie, he never needed to know. And he would hate me forever.

It hurt seeing him look down at our baby with that expression on his face. He wanted to be in love with her, but he was holding back. I knew because that was the same expression, I was looking at him with. I still loved him, I wanted...

“I did some thinking last night,” he started. “I've been pretty angry the past several months. Angry with you, angry with myself. Just to be clear, I think I may have figured out why you were so angry with me.”

“You did?" I hadn't expected that.

“I wasn't seeing anyone else when we were together.”

“But I saw the way you were with Mom's friend. You went out on a date after the lake. She told me."

“I don’t know what Mimi told you. But I had zero interest in her. The entire time at the lake I kept talking Howard up. She was like a tick that would not let go.”

“You weren't dating her?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes. “Why would I date anyone else when I had you?"

“But you insisted we keep it a secret. I thought you were playing me.” I wiped at my eyes as tears started to form. The baby hormones that were still taking over my body had me crying at the drop of a hat.

“Have you told your parents about this?” He lifted the baby slightly, emphasizing what he meant by "this!

I snorted. “Are you serious? They would disown me. The disappointment alone would be the end of me.”

“How do you think they would take you dating an older man?”

“So much disappointment,” I chuckled derisively.

“And how do you think your father would take knowing I was that older man?”

“He'd have your balls."

Mark raised his brows at me. Right, we had been sneaking around because my parents would somehow find a way to make our lives completely miserable for simply looking at each other inappropriately.

“And how are they going to take it when they find out we've had children together?”

He had figured it out. I could tell by his expression he wasn't one hundred percent certain. This was my chance. I could possibly fix what was going on between us and have a shot at a life with him, or I could tell him I didn't know who the father was and it wasn't him, and be complicit in dooming myself to the life of a single mother.

I closed my eyes and let out a big breath. “Mom is going to be torn. I mean she’s going to be so mad at me for having hidden this. But grand babies. When did you figure it out?”

He looked more shocked than I had expected. He sat heavily and cradled Summer a little tighter.

“Last night. I did the math. I figured you got mad because that's about when you found out you were pregnant, and you thought I was seeing other women. Yeah, I'd be mad too. I'm sorry about whatever went wrong between us. I'm sorry you fel you needed to run away and hide this from me..."

He looked up at me. I saw the red rim of his lids.

“I don't think I ever stopped loving you, and now, twins.”

“You love me?” I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

“I love you,” he said. “I was in love with you so much. I wanted us to find a way to tell your parents, but, well, things changed didn't they?”

“Mark” I could barely talk around the lump in my throat. “I want you to meet your daughters. That one is Summer. I think. I mean I know she’s the one I want to name Summer. Baby B."

“Summer is a good name. Hello little Summer”

His gaze was so soft as he took her in. When he looked up at me, he had the same expression. It made my heart skip. Could I remember the last time he looked at me like that? Did I even realize that look was love?

“And Baby A, what's her name?”

I bit my lip. “I call her Strawberry. But that's not a name” I shrugged.

“Strawberry is a delightful name.”

“What? You're messing with me.”

He shook his head. “How is Strawberry any different than Lily, or Zinnia, or Peach? It's not common, but it is a name.”

I swallowed. “Okay, what would you like to name her?”

“I'd like to keep Strawberry. Strawberry and Summer sound like happy free spirits. I want our girls to be happy. I think those are perfect names.”

Our girls. I had to blink hard to stop more tears.

“Come here” Mark sat on the edge of the bed, one arm holding Summer, the other he wrapped around me, and pulled me against his chest.

“Ym sorry I didn't tell you,” I sniffed. “I was scared and angry.”

His hand stroked along my back. “I know you were. But 'm here now. We can figure the rest of this out together”

I eased out of his embrace. “You mean that? Together?”

I tipped my face up to his.

“I mean that” His lips were soft as they pressed against mine. I had missed his kisses with my very soul.

“I love you, Mark”