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She turned to the two other women, both nodding vapidly in agreement. “And those ridiculous flyers!” They all gave the same forced laugh, “I mean really, anyone at all could waltz in here, looking for a way to climb the social ladder,” she cast a sideways glance towards Kady, “or a hand out.”
“So, you guys know each other then?” Kady clarified, trying to ignore the last part of that statement. “Have you met Archer himself?”
“No, we have not met him,” said the Asian. “We only know him by reputation. One thing is for sure, a girl could really get her foot in the door by giving him his first son, don’t you think?”
“I think I’d like to know a few things, first,” queried Kady. “Like why he wants to have someone birth him a child, but it isn’t because he has a wife who can’t get pregnant or anything. I mean, I heard from the guy who drove me here that this guy is some kind of a playboy. What would a billionaire playboy need with a child and not somebody to help him raise it anyway?”
“That is a very good question,” a mellow baritone voice commented from somewhere across the room. “I’m really glad you asked that.”
They all gasped, and turned around to see a tall, handsome man with long dark hair drawn back into a ponytail step into the room through an inner door. He walked with the confidence of a man who was used to getting anything he wanted through his own efforts—he had a charisma that held them all spellbound and speechless, but his eyes were now locked only on Kady’s, and they did not waver as he came in and threw himself into his easy chair, casting her his most dazzling smile.
“Mr.—Mr. Devonshire?” she stammered, feeling the heat of a blush spread slowly across her high cheekbones. Still, Kady steeled herself. “I’m so sorry, but you must admit it is a legitimate question.”
“As I believe I just did admit,” he mentioned, his tone slightly condescending. Kady blushed even hotter under his scrutiny, but remembering the butler’s words, she did not allow herself to look away. “And the answer to your question is simple. I am tired of my former reputation and want to begin a better, more responsible life. However, thanks to my previous exploits, it’s difficult to find a woman who isn’t after me just for my money or the prestige of having had me at some point. I guess I’m too popular for my own good, you might say.”
“But isn’t advertising for a woman to bear your child just going to attract people who are only after you for the money?” she pointed out. “I fail to see how that’s a long-term solution.”
“Then you’re saying the money is your reason for being here as well?” he asked, one brow raised in a lazy manner that set her on edge.
“Mr. Devonshire, surely since I have never met you before and you are offering room and board, it isn’t a large stretch of the imagination to assume that to be the case, is it?” Kady replied.
“I suppose not,” he had to agree. He continued in a brisk, business-like tone. “Now, on to the job at hand. I know that some people like to have their child implanted into the mother in some stuffy lab, but I don’t really think that would be necessary in this case. I’m sure that there’s nothing wrong with getting a little job satisfaction if you’re going to have to carry a child in your womb for nine whole months, right?”
“You mean, you want to have sex?” Kady clarified uneasily.
“That is the usual way it’s done,” he answered with a smirk.
“I see,” she said, and that was when she finally looked down.
“I will want to interview each of you ladies briefly in private before I select the candidate of my choice, of course,” said Archer then. “Firstly, I’d like to know all of your names so I don’t have to call you ‘hey, you’ all day. That might be a good place to start.”
Kady looked up again, watching as the others introduced themselves, but she didn’t say another word until he looked at her again. Her heart was racing as their eyes met, the nerves in her gut so jangled she didn’t even know if she could speak, let alone tell him anything he might want to know.
“And what’s your name, sweetheart?”
“I—” she began, then cleared her throat. “I’m Kady Ross.”
Chapter 6
“Very well, ladies,” Archer directed. “If you will follow me, I’d like to show you around the place. That way we can all talk a bit along the way, and maybe I could find out more about you.”
“That’s a great idea, Archer!” said the Asian woman, who had introduced herself as Mia. She practically grabbed his arm and staked her claim as they walked, but Archer did nothing to stop her. Kady wondered if he was being polite, as she suspected, or if he actually liked the attention.
It was a bit odd how annoyed she became by the other woman’s proximity to a man she had only just met and who had no intentions of claiming anything but her body for the duration of a pregnancy, and yet Kady felt decidedly jealous. How was she supposed to get a chance to tell Archer anything significant with her around? And why hadn’t she already bolted for the door, anyway? Did she really want to give up her virginity to some guy she didn’t even know?
Judging by the surge of heat and wetness between her legs, her body seemed to think the idea had merit. Who would have thought it would take a situation like this to catch her interest?
And the worst of it was, it probably wouldn’t matter anyway with the three other women around. He was bound to choose one of them since they all flocked around him like a bunch of brooding hens or something, and they looked like they all already belonged in his world with their designer outfits and obviously wealthy backgrounds. He wasn’t very likely to have a chance to learn much about her, and that would lead to her sleeping on a park bench. She might as well prepare for the backache right now at this rate.
But that wasn’t what she wanted. Maybe part of the reason she kept failing was that she didn’t take the initiative to succeed. Hadn’t she left the interview yesterday just b
ecause there were so many other people in the room? What made any of them more likely to get the job? It wasn’t their superior qualifications or their better looks or talents, but the fact that they hadn’t left before they’d even been interviewed. Was she going to let this opportunity slide from her grasp the same way?
No, she decided. It was time to take some action. She’d been hanging toward the back of the group as Archer had shown them the billiards room, movie room, and wet bar. However, as they entered the gate to the swimming pool, she stepped in front of them all to get a better look at the unusual shape.
“Is this an arrow, Archer?” she chuckled. “You must have had the thing made to order, huh?”
“Yeah, I did,” he smirked. “So, do you like swimming, Kady?”
