Free The Billionaire's Accidental Bride by Kimmy Love Page B

and the feeling that they knew each other just a little better now.
    Jack rested his hand on the back of her headrest as she drove and Annaya felt her heart beating faster, once again having his body so close to hers. It felt strange to have him in her car, like a fantasy had come to life and entered the real world.
    Even now, Annaya couldn't help but put Jack on a pedestal. He was just incredible in every way: handsome, intelligent, and wealthy. It made it hard for any hot-blooded woman to keep her cool in his presence, but she and Jack had discussed the fact that they needed to find a way to keep their hands off each other as the pregnancy progressed.
    They were going to be parents soon and had to stop acting like horny teens if there was no chance it would turn into something more serious. That seemed unlikely as long as Jack was putting his father's reputation before any romantic potential between them.
    Annaya pulled up at the hospital and took a moment to breathe before stepping out of the car. She was a mess of nerves, knowing that as soon as she saw the shadow on the ultrasound screen that all of this would become even more real.
    "Are you alright?" Jack asked her.
    "We're about to see our baby."
    Jack smiled. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
    "You think? Are you excited for the baby, Jack?"
    The billionaire paused for a moment to consider her question and then a little smile crept onto his face and he nodded. "You know, I actually am. I didn't expect to be, but now that it's happened, I think I'd enjoy having a son or a daughter. Someone to follow in my footsteps."
    Annaya laughed. "Hopefully our child will have more sense than us."
    "We're not so bad."
    The two smiled at each other and Jack stepped out of the car. He came around to the driver's side, pulled the door open and held out a hand to Annaya to encourage her to step out. "Come on, Annie. It's going to be alright."
    Annaya's heart gave another little flutter when he called her “Annie.”  Nobody had ever shortened her name before or had a nickname for her, but she loved that Jack had said it. It made her feel like they were closer than they realized. It felt special that he called her something that nobody else did, even if it was just ‘”Annie” and not “darling” or “sweetheart” or any other term of endearment that most mothers would expect from the fathers of their children.
    She took his hand. It was amazing how every time she took his hand, she felt like she was taking hold of a lifeline, like he was anchoring her and making her feel safe. She wished that she could hold onto his hand forever. She stepped out of the car and Jack put his arm around her as they headed towards the hospital.
    Once inside, she headed to the maternity ward and to the room where the ultrasound would take place. It was a small, clinical room with a waxy examination table in the middle of the room, a lime green curtain on a rail and the ultrasound machine in the corner. Annaya was instructed to lie on the examination table and lift up the bed. She did as she was told and self-consciously ran her hand over her stomach as the redheaded nurse began to apply a cool gel to the scanner. Annaya wasn't showing yet and her stomach was as smooth and flat as the night she and Jack had first met.
    Annaya gasped when the nurse placed the scanner down on her skin and the cold gel made her tense. Jack immediately took a step closer to the bed and took hold of her hand. She smiled up at him gratefully, as the nurse began to run the scanner over her stomach and a grainy little black and white picture appeared on the tiny ultrasound screen.
    "Oh my God," Annaya whispered. "Is that our baby?"
    The nurse smiled warmly at them both. "That's your baby. The heartbeat is healthy. Everything looks normal. Would you like a picture?"
    "Please."
    The nurse hit a button on the machine and a little photo of their tiny unborn baby was printed. She handed the photo to Annaya and she and Jack leaned