The Billionaire's Desire: His Baby

Luke's POV

"This is the life!" As I swept my gaze across the dazzling blue ocean, I yelled in a sing-song voice. "Don't we really have it made?

"Yes, boss, you do."

I turned to face James, my friend and bouncer, who grinned broadly at me. I understood what that meant. He believed that I was the only one with the world at my feet. He didn't seem to understand that he had the entire world at his disposal by working for me. He was one of the best, and I gave what I had to guys who deserved it.

"James." He was big like a brick shit house and weighed at least 300 pounds, so it was difficult for me to throw my arm over his shoulder. "Look at this: we're on a yacht, enjoying drinks while sailing the ocean in the blazing sun, surrounded by as many women as your eye could possibly see. How many jobs would let you enjoy yourself this much?"

"Luke, you're right. I don't mean to seem ungrateful. It's simply..." His eyes dropped to the floor, and I took a step back to look at him. I needed to find out what was going on in that large, lovely mind of his. "You have it all: you're a handsome man with stunning green eyes and the height that any man would desire. Every woman is flinging herself at you."

"Mostly for my money." I shrugged wryly in an attempt to appear at least modest. "These broads wouldn't even look at me twice if I were skint."

"Oh, I seriously doubt it. No one pays attention to me because-well, take a look at me."

"Dude, that ass of yours is enormous. It's your lack of confidence." As I talked, I raised my arms in front of me. "All you have to do is know what to say!"

James fell silent. He was clearly taking it all in, so I swallowed back the beer I was holding and looked around at the group of beauties to give him some space to think. Although I didn't actually know any of them-I had a guy who would bring attractive women to my events when I needed company-I already knew that each and every one of them would be delighted to spend some time with me alone.

It was the authority that accompanied the DeVille name. Every single one of them was giving me a seductive look. I was well-known for my wealth and, if I was being completely honest with myself, my attractive appearance, so it was understandable.

They all wanted me, and it was up to me to take my pick of the lot.

"I suppose," James began to say once more, drawing my focus back to him, "I want more than just a hookup. I truly want to spend the rest of my life with someone." His dark brown eyes gleamed with curiosity as he fixed me with an intent gaze. "Do you never get that feeling? Do you never want a bit more?"

"You mean, like want a wife?" I sneered as if the concept were completely absurd, which is just how I felt about it. "You know me, come on. I'd rather not be bound to anyone. I'm only thirty-three. Why would I want to settle for just one when all these women are vying for my attention?"

"But... No, it's not important." James's gaze shifted away from me. It appeared he had something more to say, but I'd have to force it out of him first.

"No, go ahead and share your thoughts with me. You are aware of how much I respect your opinions. I hope you understand that you are my best pal."

Was being so close to one of my colleagues sad? But, did I really give a damn? James was an amazing guy, and that was all I cared about.

"Well, it seems to me that there is more to it than that. I believe there are other factors besides women that are preventing you from getting married."

I took a big breath and looked up at the clear sky, wanting a moment to gather my thoughts. It was fortunate that James was my buddy, but at times it was really difficult to maintain the cheerful, optimistic self-image when he could see right through to the depths of my soul. "Well, I guess you're right."

"I believed so. Has this something to do with Jason?"

Jason, ugh. My amazing brother. Alright, he did not deserve what happened to him, even though he occasionally acted a little crazy and didn't always behave the way I wanted him to. It kept messing me up to just think about it.

"Well, I suppose so. The fact that the murder is still unsolved really fucks me up. Despite sinking a whole lot of money into my own investigations, nothing has surfaced. As if it had happened yesterday instead of three years ago, I could plainly see the image of his icy, dead, battered, and bruised body when I briefly closed my eyes. I didn't think I would ever get over that.

"I apologize, boss. I have no doubt that you will eventually get your answers..."

Unintentionally, I interrupted, "And then there's losing my father, that still hurts. Even though it happened five years ago, I'm still really damaged by that unexpected heart attack."

I felt a little lighter on my chest, but I hadn't anticipated getting so deep on this beautiful day. It felt great and terrible all at once to talk about my problems. "I don't want to get married and then sentence a child to life in this broken world. It's simply not right or fair."

The air was dense with pregnant pause. I had nothing left to say, and James was at a loss for words too. I had to keep in mind that I was still alive even though everything had happened, and it was terrible. I occasionally lost myself in my thoughts to the point that I forgot all about that. Since they were not chanced to survive, it was my responsibility to live while I was here.

It was time to talk about something else.

"All right, James, you'd like some advice on how to approach women, wouldn't you? Here you go then."

Beside me, I could hear him protesting, but I didn't listen at all. Leaning forward onto my knees, I motioned for the two closest women to approach. One of them had a very cute Mediterranean appearance, with long blond hair flowing down her back and a little red bikini that left no room for interpretation. The other one wore a black flowing top over her swimsuit, which further accentuated her incredibly long legs. "All right, take notes James."

"Hey Blondie," I purred.

"Luke, how are you today?"

Naturally, I was under no need to identify myself-in fact, I never really did. My photos would have been on every society page for any self-respecting gold digger. "I'm doing well. How are you two?" I winked and grinned. They laughed and looked at one another, taking pleasure in my concentration.

"Yes, we're alright. By the way, my name is Amelia, and this is Sarah, my friend."

I made intense eye contact with each woman as I shook their hands, taking far too long. As long as they could get part of my attention, none of them objected to me spending time with the other female.

"Are you having fun at the party, then? Really, isn't it enjoyable?"

"Oh, it's fantastic. We really appreciate you inviting us."

"It's even more amazing to have you two to gaze at." I looked at James in an attempt to make him say something. He could at the very least attempt to imitate my compliments and flirting body language. Since they were practice women, there was no need to be anxious.

"So, what are your occupations, girls?" I had to use all of my strength to keep my head from falling into my palms. In a really dull manner, Blondie started talking eagerly about hair and makeup items while droning on about her beauty salon. This was a huge mistake. The women were more likely to make inquiries after learning more about me, and I wanted to be mysterious. I didn't want any information about myself to be known. It was all intended to be a moment of sensual pleasure.

"All right, girls," I felt obliged to say at last. "Would you mind returning to the bar for a few drinks? We need to talk. In a little while, I will come over and take you." Although Blondie appeared upset, her pal didn't appear to mind. That attitude was pleasant, and I enjoyed it.

"What did you just do?" As the females walked away, James yelled. "It was going really well... she was speaking to me."

"You asked her too many questions, and she was talking at you."

"I only asked her one." His look of complete confusion made me laugh. Did he truly fail to grasp it?

"One is too many. Before you hook up, you don't want to learn too much about her."

"Why not?"

I grinned at my companion as I leaned back. "I can only teach you so much. On the weekend, you should visit the Lights Out Club. Then, I can show you more. There are plenty of women in the VIP area that are itching for some fun. His brows knitted and his lips lifted.

"This weekend? Actually, I wanted to inquire whether it would be okay if I took this weekend off. I promised to attend my sister's children's christening. I did ask you some time ago."

"Don't worry about it, you did, of course. You do deserve some time off, and I dimly recall you asking me today. You go enjoy yourself. The following weekend, I'll teach you how to get with the women.

Sarah continued to stare at me, her eyes gnawing at my chest. She was really attractive and seemed to share my reluctance to divulge personal information. She was also open to having a good time. In order to take her below deck, I needed to finish this up.

"Thank you so much, boss. I truly appreciate it." James smiled at me appreciatively. "And I'll do whatever the hell you want me to do the following weekend."

I got to my feet, gave him a joyful pat on the back, and then raised my arms to let my t-shirt rise. I enjoyed flaunting my body whenever I could because I had worked hard to earn it. I would have taken it off sooner if the wind hadn't been so strong. "All right, buddy, if you understand, I'm going to go show Sarah around the boat."

He laughed as I gave him a wink. "All right, see you in a bit."

Sarah came to my side in an instant after I simply lifted my eyebrows at her without even speaking to her. For a brief time, I threw my arm over her shoulder and claimed her as my own. As she moved, she swung her hips, but she kept her mouth tightly closed. She was a calm, seductive, and fun-loving woman, just like myself. I gestured to the stairs as I watched her pass in front of me, causing my pants to stir.

I had it completely made-this was the life. What on earth would make me want to be married? Since my life was so ideal, why would I want to alter a thing about it? It was utter madness. Why would I want to consider anything else when I had a life that made people jealous?

Izzy's POV

I virtually stumbled into the break room for a much-needed cup of coffee, my eyes glazed with exhaustion.

I had no idea how dependent on coffee I would become when I enrolled in medical school to become a nurse. It was not because I wanted to live my life rubbing my eyes and yawning, but because I wanted to help people.

"Hey, Izzy, how are things going?" My best friend Tara was sprawled across the chairs, looking as though she was at her own house, and I blanched.

She always looked like she had walked off a runway, or at least from a magazine, but we did the exact same job. How was that fair? Her brown eyes gleamed as though she had just slept through the night, her blonde hair was plaited in a very tidy fashion, and her pale skin was completely flawless by day. However, my dark hair was secured in a bun, my dark blue eyes lacked any glimmer, and I was certain that a pimple was developing beneath the surface.

"Wonderful, indeed," I mumbled, my rage evident.

"What are you reading?"

A good book was one of my favorite things. I was always lost in one, losing myself in fantastical other realms. I put my fists on my hips, turned on the coffee maker, and then grinned at my companion. The fact that I was such a mess, and she wasn't, was not her fault.

"The book you taught me about the unfortunate wealthy man who falls for the alluring vixen before discovering that his best friend was his true love."

"What? About halfway through? You only glanced. How are you aware of that?"

"Come on, it's clear. However, I continue to adore it."

She rotated her legs until they touched the ground. "Are you okay? You appear somewhat worn out." That's an understatement! I pondered. "Are you looking forward to the weekend?"

"So much!" I picked up my paper cup and took a seat beside her. "From Friday night till Monday morning, I'll be asleep. Maybe I can make it to Thursday next week without looking like a corpse."

Tara gave me a fierce look as though I had said something extremely offensive. "Are you serious? You said you would accompany me out though. Lights Out seems great, so that's where I want to go.

"Oh, my goodness, did I really?" In desperation, I threw back my head. "Do I have to? You have no idea how much sleep I need."

I had a terrible feeling that I wouldn't be able to escape it as Tara looked at me. She always had a way of getting me to do what she wanted; ever since we first met in medical school, she had forced me to go out on a lot of nights, and I had a sense that tonight would be no different.

I nodded at her at last, thinking that this would deter her from bothering me for the time being. "I'll think about it and decide after observing how tomorrow unfolds."

"All well, of course, but won't you join me for supper after work? I'm not going to bother cooking tonight."

"No, neither am I."

My one guilty pleasure was eating out. To be fair, I worked long hours, but I did it far too frequently. Cooking and baking were the only hobbies I truly loved, so it was a terrible shame that I didn't have time to sweat over the oven every night.

"Yes, let's do it."

I looked at my watch and stood up. "All right, I had better return."

"Alright, I'll see you at the end of the day. I adore you, Izzy!" Tara gave a beautiful call.

"See you soon!" With a wave of relief, I grabbed my backpack and threw on a sweater over my scrubs.

A number of horrible things had happened in the hospital during the lengthy day. All I had to do was leave before my job ate me alive.

"Let's go, Izzy, hurry up!" With excitement, Tara pulled on my arm. "I really want some chicken right now."

"Yes, please, do anything you want." I just let her drag me with her to wherever the devil she was heading. Sincerely, I didn't give a damn. All I wanted was something to satisfy my raging hunger.

When we finally arrived at the diner at the end of the drive, I wasn't overly shocked. To be honest, most of the medical personnel ended up heading there after a long day because it was simple, convenient, and affordable.

I knew the majority of the people in the room when I looked around. I knew the floor and department they worked on, but I couldn't remember many of their names.

Tara cocked her head at me and looked at me curiously after we placed our order. "Is there a reason you're not answering your phone?"

"Oh shit! It's ringing." I fumbled in my bag till I found it, but I sneered and pressed the decline button as soon as I saw the name on the screen. "Oh, it's irrelevant."

"Your mother?" Tara was too familiar with me.

"Yes, and she's going through another phase where she says, 'I need a grandchild,' and I don't want to deal with that at the moment."

In an attempt to make light of a situation that actually felt really embarrassing, I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly.

"You're only twenty-six, and you don't even have a serious boyfriend-or any boyfriend, really. Does she not get that?" asked Tara.

"I appreciate the sobering reminder."