Dazzle: The Billionaire's Secret Surrogate (Contemporary BWWM Romance) (17 page)

Archer had given Kady the name of the company where Mia might be able to acquire his sperm, and she had given them a call, but of course they wouldn’t tell her anything useful due to patient confidentiality. What they did say was that regardless of who the donor had been, a woman impregnated by it had no legal right to demand money or support since all of the fathers would have signed away their rights to the children at the time they’d given the samples.

“Well, at least she can’t force him to give her child support either way,” Kady mumbled, her hand absently tracing the contour of her own baby bump.

Athena nodded. “I had no idea Archer had done something like that, but at least he’s safe from her on a legal standpoint.”

“Unless Mia continues to insist they had sex while I was not home,” Kady pointed out. You don’t suppose she went and got his samples on purpose and now she is making up the whole thing because she’s certain of whose baby she was carrying?”

“Wait,” Archer said. “You mean she intends to make it look like we did it by using the sperm bank, and then go after me to help her support the kid? How crazy could a person be?”

“Haven’t we already had that discussion?” Kady reminded him. She had no doubts at all now about just how far Mia would go to get what she wanted, whatever that really was.

“Well, sweetheart, this isn’t even the discussion I wanted to have when I called you,” said Archer then.

“Really? What was?”

“I know this is a really stupid way to bring it up, circumstances being what they are, but there’s something I have desperately wanted to ask you for a while now,” he admitted. “See, you’re having my baby and we love each other very much, so if this was a normal situation we probably would have already resolved this, but Kady, I want you to be my wife. As soon as I get out of this hell hole. We could have a huge wedding with plenty of media attention, and there’d be absolutely no more doubt who my girl was.”

“I don’t want to marry you just to get Mia off our backs,” Kady said sternly.

“While I admit that might help in that regard, I can assure you it’s not the reason I’m asking,” he chuckled. “I just can’t see the rest of my life without you in it. When I think about our son, I find myself hoping we end up with a daughter, too. Aren’t those the kind of thoughts a man has when he’s considering the thing to be official?”

“Yeah, they sure sound like some pretty official thoughts,” she agreed. “But weddings take some planning, Archer, especially ones that will become a media circus. And if they let you out soon, I don’t want to get married while I am as huge as a house, either.”

“No, sweetie, we’ll make sure the little guy’s out of there before the main event,” he agreed. “I know you’ve probably been designing your dress since you were twelve years old or something, but how about if we officially let you do it now? No holds barred, the sky is the limit, I want you to design the wedding dress of your dreams, okay?”

“And we could put our son in a little baby tuxedo,” Kady added with a grin.

“Perfect!” Archer agreed.

“It’d be winter if we wait on him,” she said. “Do we want to do green and red?

“I’ll leave all that up to you and my mother,” he said. “I know you two live for that sort of thing. Whatever you do, though, my tux is going to be black, and if you go with that theme the tie can be red. Green should be the accent color, not the main color. And maybe use darker tones, not too bright. And we could get a banquet hall for the reception, with the tables alternately dressed in red, green, and white cloths. All the glasses are tall flutes, decorated with holly, and every table could have wreaths wrapped around pillar candles—“

“Wow, Archer, way to leave the details to us,” Kady chuckled.

“What can I say?” he replied. “You two have really rubbed off on me. So, since we’ve already got the table settings in order, I take it that’s an official yes?”

“Of course it is, you silly man,” she grumbled. “You already knew my answer before you even asked.”

“I love you so much, Kady,” he told her then, his voice soft and sweet as it reached her ear.

“I love you too, Archer,” she said. “Thanks for being my one and only.”

“Always,” he said.

They went on like that for a while, wrapped up in their future plans, until Archer had to go back to his cell for the night. Kady was so happy she slept like a log. Dreams of wedding bells and white dresses tumbled through her head, making her smile in her sleep.

The next morning, Miss Cooper called, bright and early, waking Kady from her blissful reverie. Sleepily, Kady answered the phone.

“What did Archer have to say about everything?” she wanted to know. Kady could hear the scratch of pen on paper from the other end of the line.

“Well, apparently the escort thing was a total lie,” she said. “Archer said that since he was at school with Parker, he was aware that he lived in an apartment with the three women, but that he never actually met Mia until three weeks before Parker got arrested, and she had immediately become a clingy nuisance that time as well.”

“Yeah, that makes a lot more sense,” the reporter agreed. “I can’t find any evidence to support the two of them knowing each other until Mia made that scene in the restaurant and then started blasting the newspapers. I think she told me all those things hoping that I’d write some weird, sensational piece like the others have been doing for her so far.”

“Tell you what, how would you like to write the real scoop instead?” Kady offered.

“I’d absolutely love to,” she replied, and so Kady spent the next half hour talking about her childhood, being raised in the slums and clawing her way out, the string of events that led her to Archer’s door, and eventually, his heart. Kady told her their whole story, and Miss Cooper wrote that one instead.

The train of Kady’s gown required two women to hold it off the ground for her as she walked from the car to the chapel. She kept them on hand to help her until she was done with the vows and removed it, and then one of them set it inside a bag to store for nostalgia’s sake and put it inside the car so it would not be forgotten.

Baby Eros was cooing in his mother’s arms now that they were in Archer’s visionary banquet hall, and proud papa, in his tux and tails, paused to snap their picture.

“Archer, you’re meant to be in the picture along with your bride,” said Athena with a chuckle from somewhere behind him. She was walking towards them with a beaming smile, and the glisten of tears still shining in her eyes as she took them all in with love in her heart. “Get over there and I’ll get the three of you, shall I?”

While she was busy snapping, one of the ushers stepped up to Athena’s side. “Pardon me, ma’am, but I believe the undesirable person that you mentioned has arrived and she’s refusing to leave until Archer acknowledges his child.”

“Of course,” said Kady with a sigh. She knew this would happen. Archer had spent weeks trying to convince her that she wouldn’t be a problem now that Archer was back, and they had proven without a doubt that Mia had been lying and scheming against them the whole time. But Kady knew what type of person Mia really was, and she also knew she wasn’t going to just give up her crazy quest to ruin them, to get Kady out of Archer’s life and steal him for herself. Kady sent a look at Archer from under her lashes, watching as he smiled down at their precious baby boy. The only thing Mia could never understand was that their love for each other was stronger than any insane scheme. She gave another annoyed sigh before continuing. “Bring her here, and instruct her to behave herself along the way or you have my permission to throw her right out again. This is one day I refuse to let her ruin for us.”

“As you wish, Mrs. Devonshire.”

Kady sighed with contentment, hearing him call her that. She and Archer shared a pleased glance before they were forced to bring their attention to Mia Chong. She was dressed in a wedding gown as well, and she kept waving at everyone as if she’s the one who had just gotten married.

“What are you even doing here? This is mine and Kady’s wedding day.” asked Archer irritably as he took her appearance in.

“I’ve brought our baby along to the wedding, my love,” she said, moving as though she intended to kiss him. The tone of her voice gave Kady the chills, and it was like she was completely disconnected from reality,.  She could only believe all the lies she had been spreading over the past year until all that was left for her was her lunatic fantasies all revolving around her husband. She felt a secret thrill at the thought of Archer Devonshire as her husband, but this woman’s presence dampened her present happiness. Kady insinuated herself in front of the woman and placed herself right on Archer’s lap.

“What do you think you are doing?” Mia hissed, her eyes widening in outrage and hatred.

“Sitting on my husband’s lap,” Kady replied calmly. “Look, Mia, I don’t know what your problem is, but you really need to get some serious help. It’s time to come back down to reality land now. Didn’t you come in here to show off your baby, by the way? I don’t see one with you.”

“She is waiting in the car,” Mia explained.

“I’m rather surprised they let you have a baby in your possession at all,” Archer pointed out. “And Mia, I did get back the results of that paternity test with its negative results. You know very well that the child doesn’t belong to me. Don’t you think you should be going after the real father instead?”

“That test was wrong!’ she shouted desperately. “It had to be.”

“Mia, not for lack of you trying, but we’ve never had sex,” Archer pointed out. “The only possible outcome had to be negative where I’m concerned. I don’t know who got you knocked up instead, but that doesn’t especially concern me. But I’m with Kady, and that’s how it’s going to stay. So if you’re not here to celebrate that fact, you have no place being at our wedding.”

“You’ll regret this, Archer!” she shouted angrily. “You and your little wifey are gonna pay someday. You just wait!”

“If you will kindly remove this woman from the party, Reed, it would be much appreciated,” said Archer as he stood and took one of Kady’s hands. Athena took her grandson while Reed dragged Mia away, and the newlyweds cast each other a smile, already lost in each other’s eyes, both shining with love and happiness. “Well then, everyone, isn’t it about time for that first dance?”

A general cheer went up among the six hundred people in attendance, and then Archer led Kady out into the center of the floor. Someone turned on the strobe lights and lowered a huge globe that slowly revolved, casting little bits and flashes of soft light that swirled around them, and then a slow song began to play. Archer took Kady into his arms, and they began to dance the night away.

“Now I’m glad we chose the buffet style,” said Kady with a grin. “Isn’t it much better with everyone eating whenever they like?”

“It is, my dear, but I do believe this crowd is still waiting for you to toss your bouquet.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kady chuckled. “I’ll get up on the stage and you can have them announce it.”

“No, I’m going on the stage as well,” Archer said. “I want to throw your garter.”

Giggling, Kady agreed, and they danced, holding each other impossibly, somehow closer as the last few chords of the soft, romantic song played to their end. Archer leaned down and placed the sweetest kiss on her waiting lips, and she sighed in complete bliss. Kady couldn’t believe that she would get to do that forever. 

Archer held up his hands to get everyone’s attention, announcing that they were going to be tossing the bouquet and the garter belt, and the crowd started clapping and whistling as the men and the women separated into two different groups. Soon the two of them were side by side looking out on the sea of faces. Archer twirled Kady around a few times, then faced her away from everyone, and she threw the flowers behind her head. Athena caught them with a surprised look on her face.

“Oh, my, looks like I’m getting a new daddy,” Archer cooed, and everyone laughed.

Then Kady turned her leg so Archer could remove her garter. She giggled as his questing fingers lingered beneath her dress a bit longer than necessary, and then finally the little fabric ring was in his hand.

“Okay, so who’s the lucky guy?” he grinned, throwing it out into the crowd. A man who looked to be about sixty caught it in his hand, and grinned hopefully in Athena’s direction. She blushed furiously at his regard and began to fan her face.

He sauntered over to her. “May I join you?” he asked, offering Athena his arm.

“Um, sure,” she said as she took it.

The crowd went wild, laughing and teasing the pair of them mercilessly. Dee returned to Athena’s side with little Eros and asked, “Did you want him back yet, miss?”

“Oh, not quite,” she said with a chuckle. “I do believe someone was about to ask me to dance.”

Bowing slightly, the man at her side replied, “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

“Wow, those garters sure do know how to pick ‘em,” she said with a smile as the man led her away. “Archer? Do remind me to thank your bride!”

It was supposed to be a routine divorce case... until she allows her professionalism to slip.

The Billionaire's Secret Mistress