Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
A one-night stand with a billionaire.
A surprise pregnancy.
Can she trust his love?
Or is it the baby tying them together?
Charlotte Kendall never expected history to repeat itself after a one-night stand at a wedding. Especially since a past encounter left her co-parenting twin daughters she adores. Except this time, her baby daddy is a man she can’t resist.
Billionaire Jared Sterling always gets what he wants—and he wants Charlotte Kendall. When he learns she’s pregnant, he’s all in. But Charlotte’s past has taught this independent, single mom to guard her heart. She doubts Jared’s motives and believes he’s only invested for the baby.
Their chemistry is undeniable and Jared will do anything to convince Charlotte she’s his endgame. But her life is complicated and when her brother’s recklessness puts Charlotte in danger, Jared takes over, proving he’s offering the love and stability she has always craved.
Now Charlotte must decide—will she keep running from the man who’s offering her everything, or take a chance on love?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Even a small Sterling family wedding was a lavish affair, Charlotte Kendall thought, looking around at the hotel ballroom where the reception was taking place.
Pink and white flowers twined around the ceiling with lilies dangling for effect. Each table had a luxurious burst of the same blush-colored flowers, a mix of roses, and other blooms surrounded by tea candles. The damask tablecloths were elegant. And the cocktail hour had four stations of different hot food choices along with servers walking around with various hors d’oeuvres.
The bride, Fallon Sterling, was Charlotte’s daughters’ new stepmother. Fallon had just married Noah Powers, the girls’ dad. A man Charlotte had had a one-night stand with that resulted in a surprise pregnancy and a healthy co-parenting situation with their ten-year-old twins. She’d truly gotten lucky with Noah. They’d enjoyed one another once, but there had never been feelings between them and she was thrilled he’d found his soulmate in his younger wife.
As if he knew she’d been thinking of him, Noah strode over and kissed her cheek. “Charlie, I can’t tell you how much it means to Fallon and me that you came home for the wedding,” he said, calling her by her nickname most people used.
“I wouldn’t have missed it.” But she appreciated him saying so. “Thank you for inviting me. Not everyone would understand our relationship.”
“Fallon does, and that’s what matters. We do a good job together with the girls.”
She nodded. “And you’ve had the patience of a saint putting up with me following my dreams.”
“I understand and if this is something you want to continue to do, I want you to know I’m okay with it.”
She wrinkled her nose, having given her situation a lot of thought as the current dig was coming to an end. “As much as I loved the experience, I’m glad it’s almost over. I miss the girls and having them full-time this week shows me how much I don’t see on a day-to-day basis. They’re changing and growing up and I want to be there.”
He nodded. “Well, we’ll work out a new arrangement and schedule when you’re home for good.”
“Hello, you two!” Fallon, who appeared to be floating with happiness, joined them and hooked her arm into Noah’s. “Hi, Charlie. Thank you for flying in.”
“Of course. And I need to thank you for all you do for the girls.”
Early on, Charlie had been worried about all the time Fallon had with the kids while she was away, but Fallon had proven herself wise for her years. She knew how to handle the twins and their precocious personalities, never tried to play mother, and deferred important decisions to Noah and Charlie. When Charlie moved back, she could see herself being Fallon’s friend.
“I adore them and I’m glad we’re making things work between us,” Fallon said.
Charlie smiled. “Me too.”
“Oh, this song!” Fallon exclaimed.
Charlie hadn’t been paying attention to the music but when she focused, she heard the band had shifted to a slow song.
“I want to dance,” Fallon said.
Noah laughed. “Guess that’s my cue. Talk to you later, Charlie.”
With a wave goodbye, Fallon led her new husband to the dance floor.
Given the choice between going to get a drink at the bar and watching the newlyweds dance, Charlie chose the former. She walked over to the luckily empty bar and picked up a glass of Champagne from several pre-poured flutes waiting on a tray.
She glanced around the room, her gaze falling on Fallon’s best friend, Brooke, who she’d met during one of her trips home. She was talking to her mother but she kept looking at Aiden Sterling, the journalist who wandered the world for stories. Charlie had often caught Aiden staring at Brooke, their gazes never meeting, and Charlie wondered what their story was.
“You look lost in thought. Is everything all right?” another of Fallon’s brothers asked as he joined her.