Billionaire's Virgin Stripper Read online

  No, Cara didn’t enjoy silence or inactivity. She thrived in an active environment and just thinking of being cooped up in here even with every comfort provided, had her feeling wary. But all that money was too good to pass up. She’d have to sell a few cruise ships’ worth of paintings before she could dream of sniffing even a fraction of that kind of dough.

  She’d already done the research needed to understand better, just what surrogacy entailed both legally and subjectively. Looked like celebrities and everyday people used surrogates all the time, but mostly when it had to do with fertility issues. A picture of the very virile looking Logan Shane came to her mind’s eye and somehow, Cara seriously doubted he had issues in that regard. This was possibly just as he’d said and he was doing things this way to avoid the need for a girlfriend or wife to provide him the needed heir.

  She briefly also wondered if he was gay, but then shook that off too. She couldn’t tell just how she could be so sure, but something told her Mr. Shane had very straight tastes. He just had that look in his eyes when his gaze fell on her that turned her to mush inside. Not for a second did she imagine he had any sexual or physical interest in her, but no doubt he was well aware of her charms. Cara was woman enough and vain enough, to know he had no problem at all with what he saw.

  Good thing overall that there was no physical contact of any sort required. Any needed fertilization would be done in a specialist clinic, thank goodness, because Cara fully intended to stay off men for as long as possible. Four years trapped in a stagnant relationship taught her a few things, such as having a man wasn’t the answer to all your problems or even some of them.

  Maybe a pregnancy hiatus was just what she needed, to keep her mind completely off any thoughts of romance or a new relationship. Viewing a pregnancy as a necessary distraction looked somewhat unseemly, but Cara was simply being factual. This surrogacy plan might just be exactly what her life needed at this point in time. So what was it going to be?

  ***

  Cara was shown into the intimate and extremely elegant dining room where Logan was waiting.

  Since she heard he had returned and she would be dining with him tonight, she’d spent the day on pins and needles. She’d been surprised, when the assistant appeared in her room hours earlier, to lay out an outfit for her to wear. Cara could admit she hardly had anything in her scanty collection to wear to a graceful dinner with a billionaire, so she felt touched by how thoughtful Logan could be.

  Not that for a second did she believe he was a saint. He had badness written all over him and Cara knew better than to get any illusions about what kind of man he was. Just because he wanted a baby, didn’t give rise to the assumption that he wasn’t the ruthless business mogul he was known to be.

  Yet when she walked in and saw him, Cara felt her stomach jolt in a strange way. He looked up at her, and his green eyes seemed to narrow and gleam. Something flared in between them, shifting time and space until Cara felt rocked on her foundations … taking her back to ancient times, when men viewed their women as quarry, to be claimed as easily as simply capturing them and throwing them over their shoulder.

  For a split second, Cara pictured what it would mean to be claimed by a man like Logan Shane; to be owned by him. It made her gasp inaudibly. Of all the foolish thoughts she’d harbored about him since they’d met, this had to be the most dangerous, most indecent of them all.

  ***

  Soft, comely oval face, slim curvy body, and dark chestnut hair piled high … Logan's dinner companion appeared in a beautifully feminine beige dress with flared skirts above the knee. Gorgeous.

  Logan hadn’t expected to like it this much on her, and felt pleased with himself for picking it out. Though he couldn’t say he was an expert on women, he did know a few things and for him, Cara indeed did justice to the outfit. Again he was reminded just how beautiful she was even when she wasn’t actually trying hard. Just why was it that he found that to be the most attractive thing about her?

  Whoa, man, hold it right there, thought Logan. He rose as Cara reached the table and he gallantly helped her with her chair. “You look lovely,” he said, and could almost swear she seemed to shiver. Was the dress too light? Did she feel chilly? He’d chosen the small dining room rather than any of the other showpiece rooms in the house, feeling she’d be more comfortable.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked, meeting her gaze as she looked over her shoulder at him. She suddenly smiled widely, and the dazzling white against her tanned complexion, with the way it lit up her stunning hazel eyes, had Logan again having to catch himself from thinking how she struck him as appealing. He’d never met anyone quite like Cara before.

  “I’m just nervous,” she told him, that guileless smile of hers having the unexpected effect of making Logan want to smile back.

  “Don’t be. Gina’s cooking is legendary, and in fact, she’s a renowned personal chef,” said Logan, who surprised himself for making a joke as he made to act like it was the food she was worried about. Of course, he knew it wasn’t, and it had more to do with her decision regarding the surrogacy. Logan was interested in knowing her answer, but he wanted to put her mind at ease beforehand. “Just relax," he added. "We simply have to enjoy the food, nothing more. Discussions and the like can come later.”

  “Sounds good,” Cara said in reply. though it amused her somewhat that Logan would imagine it was the surrogacy topic that had her so twitchy. He couldn’t guess, could he, that he had the most intense effect on women? And in fact, possibly left them breathless and gooey the way Cara was feeling right now.

  It was just the way his lithe, tall, and broad-shouldered frame fit his suit, and how impeccable his shirt and tie seemed. His skin was sun-kissed and that gorgeous beard still dusted his jawline, making Cara long to run her fingers over it and feel its silkiness.

  Cara knew that having any sexual thoughts about Logan was a no-no. There could never be anything of the sort between them, especially if she decided to be his surrogate. So she knew to push any physical awareness of the man to the background where it belonged. Hopefully, it was just a passing phase and if she did go along with his proposition, she’d soon settle into the whole idea of carrying his child and focus only on that.

  Dinner was indeed a delight. Cara enjoyed every bite of the finest cuisine she’d ever tasted. Logan informed her that Gina made herself available to prepare his meals when he was home, but if Cara chose to stay and have the baby, then he would keep Gina on full-time.

  “I’d probably get fat if I get to eat like this every day,” Cara said on a laugh. “It would be impossible to say no to even a bite.”

  “Something tells me that when it comes to your well-being and the baby’s, you’ll keep from any kind of extremes,” said Logan shrewdly.

  “You’re right. I may be scatterbrained when it comes to most things, but I’d never do anything to jeopardize my health or that of an unborn child.”

  They now stood in the living room after concluding dinner. Cara had been walking ahead of Logan and now turned to face him.

  “I’ve made my decision. I’ll do it.”

  He missed a beat, and then bobbed his head. “I’m glad. Once we can get through the legal aspects regarding time frame, stipends, and other terms, we can begin with the medical side of things. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to conceive, and in fact, I’ll see to it that the utmost effort and practices are utilized to see that it happens.”

  “Only the best for the Shane heir, right?” she said with a small smile. “I’ve never been so unsure of anything in my life. Yet, I said yes. I still can’t believe it.”

  “Neither can I,” he said deeply. “I really, really want this. I’ve thought long and hard about the best way to go about things, and now that I’ve found the perfect surrogate I’ve felt some concerns. Such as, if you’ll do it or not, if you could follow rules, if the procedure will be successful … but now I realize, the most important element about this whole process is how you
feel.”

  His penetrating gaze held hers and Cara couldn’t look away. She almost felt like he even seemed to see right through her to her deepest fears and hang-ups.

  “I told myself I could do all my homework and put the pieces together. It can’t be all that hard to navigate, right?” Cara said with a wry smile. “But then there’s still that part of me that knows I’m not that sophisticated, and I can still be exploited and get hurt.”

  “Everything’s on the wire for me too,” Logan said, never taking his eyes from Cara’s unsure gaze. “I’m not even talking about the time and effort put into the initial screening process that got you here in California. It’s a surrogacy-friendly state and that was one of the main reasons I chose a home in this location from early this year. That was more than six months ago, so you see, I’ve been invested in this for a while. I thought of using an agency, which offers a far more regulated experience. But I knew deep inside that once I found the woman I could trust, I could rest easy.”

  It was that moment that Cara knew that indeed, Logan was putting his belief in her too … that she wasn’t a scammer, here to waste time and never planning on delivering a baby. If something did go wrong, what recourse did either of them have legally, anyway? Some states didn’t even recognize surrogacy contracts, or had no stand at all, as Cara found out from her research.

  “Baby steps, Cara,” worded Logan with one of those rare teasing smiles of his. “I’m willing to take things slow for the baby. I’ll make sure we’re on the same wavelength every inch of the way and if at any point you feel wary or uncomfortable, we’ll walk through it, together.”

  He took her hand and Cara was so surprised by the gesture that she stared widely into his face, the stark cheekbones and intense forest green eyes impossible to evade. “I’m working with the best doctor who’s handled tons of surrogacy cycles. I know it’s your first time as a surrogate and even as a mother, but if you knew that absolutely every single detail will be handled with minute care and detail, would that ease your mind a little better?”

  Cara paused a moment to ponder. She’d made so many poor decisions in her life. But seeing how deeply Logan cared about this surrogacy, how much he wanted it, ignited a new spark inside her that maybe once, she could actually make a difference for someone.

  From the start when Logan first told her about the surrogacy, she knew her decision wouldn’t be based on the overly generous compensation in form of the two million dollars. Logan had suddenly given her something to believe in, other than her love for art and creativity. In the process of embarking on this adventure, could Cara have a reason to find her place at last, where for so long she’d wondered just where she fit in in the scheme of existence?

  She wouldn’t know if she didn’t try.

  Chapter Three

  Logan hadn’t been joking when he’d said he would have a team of experts on hand once the process began. Cara was amazed how, the moment they finally drew up the documents and Cara was cleared to be matched with Logan, it was on to the medical phase of screening. If she got through that, then would come the artificial insemination.

  Cara had moments when she questioned her judgment, but most of all she just had an optimistic view that no matter what, this was one thing she was going to see through.

  Cara was almost relieved to discover that it would be some time before the actual insemination procedure took place, as timing was paramount. Even though she’d officially moved into Logan’s home and signed the contract, she liked the idea of easing into the surrogacy procedure itself. Because once it happened and she got pregnant, she knew there was no going back.

  Well, all that time in between meant that Cara and Logan were a bit at a loss regarding what to do with each other. He had this huge ranch-like mansion on acres of land with its own stables, wooded area and even a lake. So there were a lot of outdoor activities such as hiking and riding to keep Cara occupied.

  But first, she wasted no time claiming one of the gazillion rooms in the mansion as a studio. She couldn’t wait to pick up her paints and brushes again. Her hands felt like they had something to say and she needed an outlet for her mind’s hazy thoughts.

  Best of all, now that she was far from the negative influence of her ex, she felt free for the first time in months. Now, I feel like I can breathe, thought Cara with a smile.

  ***

  Logan had been striding the length of his office while giving dictation to his assistant. For the past week he’d chosen to work from home. No problem for him, considering his company practically ran itself and he could handle most things from any location he chose to be.

  As he walked past one of the windows, he suddenly doubled back when a motion caught his eye. The next second, he stood staring, taking in the view of Cara on horseback circling the head groom who stood watching and giving instructions.

  Even from this distance he could catch her pretty laugh, her engaging smile. Logan sighed. So meddlesome. Today she’d gone horseback riding, while yesterday he’d come across her in the kitchen being loud with his chef Gina as she put Cara through some fun new recipe.

  This time he just shook his head, unaware that his internal musings caught the attention of his assistant. She came up behind him and looked beyond his shoulder at Cara on the horse, circling the stable director as she whooped and laughed.

  “I still can’t figure out just why it had to be her,” Meg said lightly.

  Logan huffed and turned from the window, returning to settle behind his desk. “And why not her?”

  Meg resisted the urge to roll her eyes skywards. Logan was so fond of turning the question right back at you. “I’m thinking you’re both so … different. She’s so … so …” Meg’s hands rotated in the air and then, just at that moment a particularly loud whoop echoed through the grounds and through the window, Cara’s laugh unmistakable.

  “Right, that,” Meg said, thumb jerking in direction of the window. “Loud, unrestrained, and just, everything you consider unstable or out of control.”

  “She challenges me,” Logan said, his tone so even that Meg almost didn’t catch it.

  “What?” Meg let out a disbelieving sound. “You consider her a challenge?”

  “The whole experience is a challenge. Yes, Cara Stiles seems undisciplined. She can’t seem to sit still. Just when I thought she’d be busy spending her days shopping, lunching or going to spas and generally staying out of the way, she’s instead being a whirlwind around the house. Suddenly I remind myself that Cara isn’t like most women and that’s one of the reasons I picked her.”

  “Logan, I’m not trying to undermine your choice,” Meg said as mildly as she could. She’d known her boss almost for as long as he’d started his company—eight years since she’d worked for him and she was one of the few people he really let get close. She knew him inside out and yet for the first time, she could honestly say she just couldn’t figure out what was going on in his head.

  He’d decided on the surrogacy and she’d begged him to use an agency or at least, follow some kind of structure, but instead, he’d chosen to send out those ads and just have random women apply for something they didn’t even know the details of until the last minute.

  “So, what is this about? What’s with the second-guessing when you know how much I’ve been planning and wishing this?” Logan asked.

  Meg sighed deeply. “I just need to know that she’s not just some pity case. There were women just as qualified and better suited, but your savior complex had you picking the one you felt more inclined to better her situation.”

  “What if it’s more like, I know she’s in the right place in her life to get some focus? How about that? I don’t know exactly why she happened to be on the move, out of work, and possibly even out of money judging by how little she brought along with her, but yes, maybe I felt if I had to choose someone, it’s someone who could get something out of the experience too—and not just to do with the money.”

  “Why would you even
care either way? It’s just a business agreement. Or isn’t it?”

  Logan didn’t want to think too deeply about that even before he shot back, “Of course, it is. Cara is a very beautiful woman and I won’t pretend to be blind to her attractions, but I plan on keeping this strictly business. I don’t see her as a woman, but as a surrogate.”

  “You’re right of course,” Meg said with a breezy laugh before sobering and leveling her boss with a steady gaze. “What was I thinking?”

  “Whatever it was, get it out of your imagination immediately. Cara has a very important part to play and I’ll give her all the support I can as an intended parent. I just want to have a family, and even though it’s just me taking it on, I feel that it’s something I’m ready for.”

  Meg stopped herself in time from telling Logan that it wasn’t just him. He had her too—if only he’d acknowledge she could mean more than just his personal assistant and friend. For so long, she’d kept her wishful heart in check. Logan had had his lovers and flings, but no one had ever truly claimed his heart. Meg kept waiting for her chance, though she knew it was near to impossible to hope that Logan could ever fall in love with anyone, least of all her. But something about the whole setup with Cara had Meg suspicious. She’d be watching these two like a hawk to make sure that nothing could even begin to start up between them.

  Suddenly, she looked out of the window and saw Cara, who in the process of sliding down the horse, had managed to land on her butt on the grass. Her ungainly antic had her guffawing at herself and even had the stable guy grinning, and Meg smirked while wondering why she’d even consider Cara a threat. Cara was nothing like the kind of woman Logan would be interested in romantically or even sexually.