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I straighten my back. "A paternity test confirmed it."
We keep staring at each other as she speaks, "What are you going to do? A child in your life is an immense responsibility, Cole. I don’t think—"
"Samantha is already living with me, Mom."
Her lips part. "What? She’s at your house?"
I scratch the back of my neck and continue, "Yes, after the test showed I was her biological father, I signed a couple of documents, and I took her home with me."
My mom’s mouth opens and closes a few times before it produces words. "How did they find you?"
"Samantha remembered her mom telling her once that her father was from Boston and that she said she put his name on her birth certificate."
My mom lets out a deep sigh and sits back in her chair. "You’ve been keeping my granddaughter from me. Why?"
I pinch the bridge of my nose, hearing her complaint and question in one.
"Yes, I did. With excellent reason. We both needed time to adjust to the new situation. Samantha has been through a lot. She lost her mother and had to leave the life she had in Los Angeles behind to come and live with me."
"How on earth are you going to take care of a fifteen-year-old? You’re a busy businessman. You don’t have time to raise a child."
"I have my office at home." I shrug. "So, I can work from there when she’s home. And I use the times she’s at school for appointments and meetings. It’s challenging, but for now, it works."
My mom blinks as she ponders over the information. "When can I meet her?"
I sigh, thinking about it. "What about next Sunday?"
She nods and smiles. "But, you know this means you need a suitable woman at your side as soon as possible? The girl needs female support in her life." Her eyes dart to the list on the table. "What about Amy, the daughter of my friend Tracy? She’s amazing."
"No. I’m already dating someone," I blurt out, not wanting the hassle of another one of her matchmaker sessions.
Her face gets an astonished expression. "W... what? Who are you seeing? What is her name? What does she do?"
I sense a headache emerging as she fires these questions.
"Cole, if this is another one of your games, I—"
"No, Mom, I’m serious. The woman I’m seeing is helping me with Samantha." I run my hand through my hair as she gives me another investigative look.
"So this woman… will she be there this Sunday? I’d love to meet her, too.”
The muscles in my jaw clench, and my hands become fists, knowing my mom won’t rest until she gets what she wants. "I’ll ask if she’s got time."
I swallow the last bit of espresso when my phone beeps. A smirk adorns my lips as I read the text. "Mom, I gotta go. I have a meeting. I’ll see you Sunday afternoon?"
I rise from my chair, and when she stops before me, she looks up and touches my cheek. "I love you."
I wrap my arms around her and hug her. "Yeah, I love you too, Mom."
* * *
The headachethat emerged at my mom’s house subsides the second I step out of the elevator and see Alisha standing in front of my penthouse door. I swallow at the sight of her sexy, bright pink, pointed-toe pumps with four inches of stiletto heels, which give her long legs a never-ending impression. My eyes glide over the form-fitting black dress—accentuating every curve of her well-shaped body—lurking under her black leather jacket. My body buzzes with a cocktail of emotions as I meet her fiery gaze.
"What took you so long, Grumpy? You said twenty minutes." She glances up from her phone. "It’s been twenty-five."
"Sorry, but I’m here now. So, tell me—"
"What the hell is wrong with you, Cole Walker? Have you studied Christian Grey in your free time? Because this fucking contract," she spits out, waving the envelope in the air, "is ridiculous."
