It seemed to me he’d assumed my being here had to do with wanting to have sex with him again. I couldn’t blame him—it was the only thing we’d actually done together. But, I didn’t want him to continue on that train of thought, since hooking up with him was the furthest thing from my mind.
Not that I would be entirely opposed to the idea.
The memory of his hands all over my body made me clamp my thighs together. I’d never met a man who’d learned my body so quickly or thoroughly. By the end of our night together, he knew exactly what to do to bring me to a quivering mess. Even after all the time we’d spent apart, my memories of his touch were as vivid as ever.
“Maybe I like your personality more than your body.” I rose a brow in a teasing gesture.
“Or you can’t get enough of both.”
I laughed, and Marcus leaned back. “All right, enough pleasantries. Why did you call me?”
“As I said before, I wanted to catch up and see how you’re doing.”
Marcus didn’t seem convinced. His smile faded slightly, and he studied me for an intense moment. “What’s the real reason?”
I instinctively wanted to deny his accusations, but it would be counterproductive.
“Am I that transparent?”
“Yes.”
It’s now or never, I thought.
But, now that I was face-to-face with the enormous reality of the situation, the words I’d prepared died in my throat. All the rehearsing and planning I’d done had flown out of the window, and I found myself falling into his startling blue eyes.
“Look, the reason why I wanted to meet is …” I didn’t know how to finish the sentence. It took me numerous failed attempts to continue. “…I wanted to tell you that … after our night …”
He leaned in. “Yes?”
“I … had a child.”
There was a beat of silence before Marcus raised his brows at me. “Congratulations.” He didn’t sound particularly enthused or caring. In fact, he sounded irritated, as if he felt the conversation was a waste of time.
I hurried to get to my point, realizing I’d been too subtle in my delivery. “A girl, Nylah,” I continued, feeling my stomach churn. “She’s nineteen months old—almost two.” I was so nervous…
I paused, waiting to gauge his reaction, to see if he’d do the math. Marcus squinted at me, and he clenched his jaw, and I could tell he’d caught on to what I was trying to say. But, when it was clear he didn’t intend to respond, I knew I had to say the words out loud.
“You’re her father.”
Silence.
The statement hung in the air between us, and I bit my lip, waiting for a response. Tension fell over the table as his eyes bore into mine. My heart beat rapidly in my chest, so hard I could feel every pulse.
More silence.
His blank stare and lack of immediate response scared me. I was ready for denial, for laughter, even a scoff. I hadn’t prepared for him not to say a word.
“That’s part of the reason I wanted to see you.” I tried to push through the awkwardness. “I thought you had a right to know. She’s getting older and, eventually, she’ll be old enough to ask about you. I want her to know her father.”
Marcus blinked and shifted in his seat. His hands came to rest on the table. “You told me you were taking birth control.”
“I was. It was a new kind. I guess my body hadn’t adjusted.”
Marcus gave a short nod. “If the child is mine, then why did you wait so long to tell me?”
The question was calculative and carefully chosen. At least, it seemed to be. Marcus was just as difficult to read as he had been two years earlier. I took solace in the fact he hadn’t tossed me out of his restaurant yet, although there was probably still time.
I let out a shaky breath, pushing through my anxiety and nausea. “I tried. As I said, you never returned my call.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Well, you should’ve tried harder.”
“I thought you weren’t calling me back on purpose, that you didn’t want to see me.” I leaned forward when I realized I’d started to raise my voice. “What was I supposed to do? You’re part of one of the richest families in the city, and I’m nobody. Someone you just used to pass the time. We were together only one night. My life was about to change, and I knew you already had so much on your plate. I didn’t want to add to it.”
“So why add to it now?”
“Because I remembered what it felt like when I was growing up and didn’t know my biological parents,” I confessed as I tucked a lose strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t want Nylah to feel the same way.”
Marcus gave another small nod, but otherwise, he didn’t speak. I watched him pick up his knife, twirl it, as I tried my best not to fidget. A moment later, he stared into my eyes like he could see inside me. My gaze snapped to his, and he sat up in his chair, placing his folded hands on the table.
“Something isn’t adding up here.”
“What do you mean?”
“You come here out of nowhere, telling me I have a child.” His voice shook with emotion. “One you’ve supposedly kept to yourself for almost two years. What do you expect me to say?”
“I don’t expect anything. I know this is a lot to take in, and I know you have no real reason to believe me.”
“You’re right. I don’t,” came his calm voice again.
My palms began to sweat, and I carefully wiped them on my pants. “We can do a DNA test. I’m not naïve. It’s a lot to ask for you to accept my word on this.”
“It is.”
Marcus had yet to change his facial expression, and aside from tiny hints, he hadn’t shown any emotion since I told him about Nylah.
“I have to ask”—He lifted his head—“do you want money?”
I met his gaze. “No. I don’t want money. I certainly don’t want your money. I don’t need it. All I want is for you to know that you have a daughter.”
I’d established a baking business not long after Nylah was born, which allowed me to pay the bills. Of course, money was a little tighter now that I had to pay for my own place to live, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Working from home saved on childcare, and I’d been able to put together a reasonable budget that allowed Nylah and I to survive.
Marcus gave a curt nod, his mouth set in a firm line. “Well”—He rose to his feet—“Thanks for letting me know.”
My heart sank.
“You’re leaving?” I almost reached out to him. “Don’t you think we should talk about this a bit more?”
As if he had felt my intention, Marcus shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders rising and falling in a small shrug. “I don’t think so. I took this meeting because I was curious, and now my curiosity is sated. I’m a busy man, Ella. I have places to be and a hotel to manage.”
A spark of anger flared within me, and I glared at him. “That’s it? I just told you that you have a daughter, and you’re just walking away?”
“If the child is my daughter, you made it clear you didn’t want me involved.” Marcus straightened his tie. “And if you really don’t want money, I don’t know what else you expect from me.”