Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
I stare at the grieving man, unable to speak.
“Harry died?” I whisper, hot tears filling my eyes. “No!”
“Yes,” Jordan bites out, a brutal expression on his face. “My beautiful boy. The child I cradled when he was fresh out of the womb. The child I raised for twenty years. Gone, just like that. That fucking dips hit. What was he thinking, drinking and driving? The asshole deserved to die.”
My heart crumples as sobs wrack my frame.
“I’m so sorry!” I cry. “I’m so so so sorry.”
Jordan shakes his dark head, obviously having trouble processing his son’s death.
“This is a fucking nightmare,” he grinds out. “I’m living in a hellhole and I’m going to wake up any second now.” But then the dark man jerks his head sharply. “But it is happening because life is unfair. They took my boy from me,” he says in a raspy whisper. “What the FUCK?!?!”
I know how he feels because while Harry and I weren’t romantically together, the redheaded boy was my best friend. We were going to embark on a lifetime of adventure, whether tethered by marriage or by mere friendship. But the loss to his father is obviously ten times more overwhelming, and I watch with horror as Jordan comes apart before my eyes.
“No,” he rasps again, staring straight ahead as his two hands grip the gleaming bed rail. His knuckles are white, and I can see howf his face is bloodless. He’s living and breathing, and yet dead on the inside now that his son is gone. “NO.”
Fresh tears spill over my cheeks because this is an awful situation to witness. The death of a child is the worst loss that a person can experience, and my heart contracts with pain for what this man must feel. I’m shaken, crying, and filled with despair at once. My small hand goes to rest on one of Jordan’s, trying to project comfort despite the hopeless situation we’re in.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Lewis,” I whisper. “I’ll do anything to help you. We’ll handle this together.”
He doesn’t respond. He merely continues staring straight ahead, his knuckles becoming increasingly white until I swear, the metal bed rail is going to snap. But then Jordan Lewis jerks his head to look at me, those blue eyes blazing.
“You’ll do anything,” he grinds out harshly.
“Yes, anything,” I reiterate, fresh tears creating tracks on my cheeks. “Just let me know how I can help.”
Jordan inhales deeply, still staring straight ahead, but then he begins to speak.
“The Lewises are an established family in the Twin Cities area,” he intones. “Our forebear was Meriwether Lewis, albeit through his sister’s line, as Meriwether himself doesn’t have direct descendants. Still, we consider ourselves carriers of his torch. His flame burns bright within us, and we’ve continued his bloodline for generations unbroken.”
I stare at Jordan Lewis, unsure what’s going on. Why is he speaking about his lineage, and in such a lyrical way too? It’s a little bizarre, and I’m a tiny bit freaked out. But then the billionaire fixes me with a stare, his eyes so blue and piercing that I feel pinned to the hospital bed.
“Harry was my only child,” he rasps. “He was my only son, and the Lewis line was going to continue through him. Now that he’s gone, you must do the work.”
I stare at the huge alpha male.
“What do you mean?” I ask in a slow voice. “Of course, I’m happy to help.”
Jordan gives another jerk of his square jaw, his features harsh.
“You must conceive a Lewis child so that the family doesn’t die out. It’s your duty, Juliette. You were going to become Juliette Lewis, and there’s no need to change course now. There may be many Lewis descendants in this part of the world, but our blood line is the most pure, and it must go on.”
I stare at Jordan, my ears beginning to ring.
“Um, I think I’m missing something here because Harry’s gone,” I say in a slow voice. “I know this has been a shock for you, not to mention an immense tragedy, but there’s no way that I could conceive a child without my fiancé. Plus, as far as I know, Harry didn’t bank his sperm, so I don’t think it’s really possible...”
Jordan stares at me, a harsh flush on those high cheekbones.
“You’ll conceive my child instead,” he bites out. “It’s the same bloodline. Our family will not die out. The Lewises will continue, and our lineage will survive and prosper. It’s my duty, and besides, you wear our ring already. It’s your duty as well, Juliette.”
My jaw drops as I stare at the handsome man. I’m going to conceive Jordan’s child? I guess it makes a weird kind of sense because if they’re really wrapped up in bloodlines and lineage, then conceiving a child with the father of your fiancé could work. But still, this is bizarre and just plain insane! Who cares about lineage and bloodlines anyways? A few hours ago, I was fake-engaged to a cute, redheaded boy. But now, he’s gone and his dad wants to impregnate me? The whole thing is too crazy, and I decide to take a gentle tack.