CEO'S Secret Baby: A Standalone Surprise Pregnancy Romance by Iona Rose (books for 5 year olds to read themselves .TXT) 📕

My heart screeched to a halt. For a moment, I just stared at him, and then I looked around me, not exactly sure what I was checking for. “Uh...” I didn’t know how to respond to that.

From my bafflement, he nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He then held out his hand. “I'm Mark Garrity. Chief Financial Officer of Suibian Group.”

This was too much information all at once, none of which I could process, so I just accepted his handshake. “I’m Leah Peters. H-how did you know that I was in Turkey?” I asked.

“You delayed the boss’s return back to work,” he said lightly.

I didn’t take any of his words lightly. The elevator car announced its arrival with a ding, and he got on but I didn’t. “What do you mean?”

“I have to go Miss Peters, but I have to say after seeing you I don’t blame him for um… losing his mind. Have a great day.”

The car closed shut and I was left staring at my fuzzy reflection on the steel doors.

It was then when I heard the secretary’s voice. I turned around.

Carter was addressing him, his jacket slung across his hand. When he was done, he headed towards me, his gaze unapologetically holding mine.

I didn’t know what to do. My whole body was screaming for me to run, but where to and in what way that wouldn’t drive me to literally bury my head in the sand afterwards. So I stood my ground, and turned just as he arrived by my side to wait for the elevator.

Neither of us said a word to the other.

I opened my mouth to speak, but it seemed as though the words were stuck in my throat. I looked up at the display above the steel doors, and at the approaching car, then turned to him. “I-I came here to speak to you.”

He didn’t even bother looking at me. “Go ahead.” The elevator door dinged open, and he got in.

I didn’t move.

“Aren’t you getting in?” He asked.

I released a heavy breath. “Carter,” I called, and the elevator doors began to close.

His gaze was on me, and I thought that he would reach out to stop it, but instead he remained in the same position, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pocket.

The elevator closed, and I blinked.

It took me a few seconds to process what had just happened, and then I realized he was leaving. I couldn’t believe it.

“Dick!” I swore, as a surge of anger shot through me. I pounded on the downward button, intending to go after him. Finally, it arrived.

I hopped on, but as I arrived on my floor, I stopped it and got off. “Fuck him,” I said, as my eyes misted at his cool dismissal. I returned to my desk, and took my seat to calm down but it was as though my entire body had boiled over… now steam was being emitted from every pore.

“Leah, do you have any lunch plans?” Jeremy asked.

I lifted my gaze to his approaching figure, but stared right past him. I could see nothing beyond the man who’d just walked out on me. This was going to end, today. So I grabbed my purse and rose from my chair. “Sorry, Jeremy,” I called as I hurried away. “I do have plans.”

I pounded on the descending call button for the elevator, and could barely stand still as I waited for it to arrive. The moment it did, I jumped in, and along with the few people in it, tried to calm my nerves as we rode down to the ground floor.

I was so worried that I wouldn’t catch him and that I'd have to wait for him to return before I could speak to him. I couldn’t allow or even permit the very loose strings between us for even a second longer. It was either we mended it, or completely yanked it out.

The elevator arrived, and I hurried out onto the massive, marble lobby. I paused for a moment to catch my breath, my hand on my chest to keep my heart from flying out.

Then I spotted him. He had just exited the building, but then he’d been stopped by two men in front of the revolving doors. I also exited the building, making sure he saw me as I came through the doors. He did, so I waited by the corner for him to finish his conversation.

When he did, the people went on their way and he started to head towards the waiting, open door of his SUV by the curb.

“Carter!” I called out.

He stopped. Then he turned around, his hands sliding into his pockets to finally give me the time of day.

I couldn’t believe how cold he acted. I stormed towards him, not even the least bit caring that he was my boss, or that he owned the company I worked for.

I took a deep breath to calm myself when I reached him, aware that if I spoke now, that my voice would be shaky and full of hurt.

“Aren’t you tired of playing this game?” He asked.

I was astonished. “What game?”

“You run away, and then I come after you, but you push me away. What’s the real deal here, Leah? You don’t like me coming after you? You prefer it when I’m dismissive and act like I don’t give a fuck about you?” He briefly glanced away.

I could feel his barely restrained annoyance in waves. He was incredibly angry with me.

“Leah,” he said. “I do admit that I feel a connection to you, and somehow I've allowed it to send me on this wild goose chase after you. But I also have an understanding with myself about the kind of treatment that I will or will not accept from anyone.”

I felt incredible remorse at his words, but I tried my best to keep my face clear of emotion, and my voice stable. “Let’s have lunch together so we can talk. Can