Stranded With The Billionaire by Brynn Paulin

Chapter Twelve

~ Silas ~

It was a feeding frenzy. Cameras and yelled-out questions surrounded us as we disembarked from the helicopter that had carried us to Guam. Security held back the crush while Lily and I were rushed to a waiting Jeep that would take us to the medical center so we could be examined. I was sure we’d check out fine. More than I could believe, I looked forward to getting back to the plantation and sleeping in my own bed.

With Lily.

I gazed down at her as the vehicle sped away, flashes still bursting around us as the paparazzi tried to get shots they could cash in on. I held her close to my side, protecting her as much as I could. She had her hair braided into a long plait down her back, and her skin glowed, bronzed by our days in the sun, making her green eyes all the more brilliant. She was the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. I wanted her to be legally mine before we headed back to the plantation, but I knew our missing IDs and the waiting period for a marriage license were going to be a pain in the ass. I’d even asked on the ship if they could perform a ceremony. That had been met with a resounding no. Apparently, impromptu shipboard weddings were mostly a myth.

“Still coming with me?” I asked her, worried she’d want to bail now that she’d faced this media circus that tended to surround me. I hid out on my island to avoid the horde.

Lily grinned. “Try to stop me.”

“Never. I’m still trying to figure out the fastest way to make our marriage legal.”

She stroked her hand over my thigh. “Calm down. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not. I’ll chase after you wherever you go,” I told her, repeating what I’d told her before. It seemed important to reiterate plenty of the things we’d said to one another on the island. Everything had changed. Well, almost everything. I still loved her and desired her above anything else. The way she looked at me spoke the same. I still couldn’t shake the fear she’d disappear now that she could, now that she wasn’t forced to be with me by proximity.

Ugh! What was wrong with me? I was known for my confidence. Yet, Lily shook up everything. My fingers tightened on hers, never wanting her out of my sight.

All too soon, we arrived at the medical center. A tall man in a dark suit, with equally dark hair rushed toward us when we exited the Jeep.

“David,” I said as he pulled me into an embrace.

“Jesus, Silas,” he rushed out. “I was beginning to think you were dead.”

“Nope. Need more than a boat wreck to do me in.” When he stepped back, I pulled Lilly close to my side, my arm around her waist. “David, this is Lily.”

He reached out his hand to shake, and I bit back a growl, reminding myself he wasn’t after my woman. And even though she smiled at him when they briefly clasped hands, she wasn’t going to run off with him. Besides, he was happily married.

“Lily, I’m so pleased to meet you finally,” he said.

“Likewise. You’re Silas’ assistant, correct?”

“Well…”

“He’s actually my business partner,” I told her, knowing this was something we’d misled her on when I’d coaxed her into coming to work for me. I hadn’t trusted my assistant with luring Lily. Still, I’d thought the employment correspondence would be more believable from an assistant rather than the billionaire himself.

“Much lesser partner,” David laughed. “Silas has majority ownership in our interests. I’m more of a glorified CEO.”

“You’re more than that,” I argued.

David rolled his eyes, something I didn’t think an actual CEO would do to his boss. But my friend most definitely would. He turned to me. “I assume you’ve lost most of your belongings. I brought your replacement ID, cards, phone…”

“Thank you,” I replied, truly grateful to him. “We’ll need to work on the same for Lily.”

“I’ve already got the process started. We should have the replacements in a couple of days.”

“It’s that easy?” she asked.

“Easier than you’d think when you have connections,” I told her. I looked at David. “We’ll need a marriage license, too.”

His face lit up. He’d known my addiction to Lily even before I’d met her in person. He’d known the plans I’d made and hoped to implement.

“Good deal!” he exclaimed. “Congratulations, you two.” He held the door for us to enter the medical center. “I brought clothes for you both, as well. I hope you don’t mind, Lily, but I had one of the maids go through the things you had delivered ahead and pick something out.”

“That’s fine. It’ll be nice to wear something…cleaner and less beat up.”

Two of the staff approached us, RNs by their badges. “Mr. Rutherford, Ms. Slater, welcome,” the one to the right said. “I’m Peggy and this is Eliza. Mr. Rutherford, if you’ll come with me, I’ll get you started. Ms. Slater, if you’ll go with Eliza.”

What? They planned to separate us? My hand tightened on Lily.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered to me. “I’m sure they just want to give us each privacy for our examinations.”

“I don’t need privacy.”

“Well, maybe, I do.”

I scowled; I couldn’t help it. “She doesn’t leave without me.”

“Oh for Pete’s sake,” Lily muttered. She turned to me and cupped my face, her touch a balm to my wild emotions. “I love you, and I’ll see you in just a bit, then you can take me back to your island and show me everything.”

“Our island.”

She nodded. “Our island.”

David cleared his throat. “You should know your rescue was world-wide breaking news from almost the moment you were found.”

“And…” I knew there was an and.

“Her parents have already been in touch. They’re on their way here, along with her…fiancé.”

“I don’t have a fiancé!” Lily exclaimed. “Well, except for Silas. Just Silas. Kyle and my parents are liars, just trying to get me to bend to what they want, for my family’s financial gain. I want nothing to do with it.” She looked at me, imploring. “I just want you,” she whispered.

“You have me,” I promised. I looked over at David. “They’re not to come to the plantation.”

He nodded. “Agreed.”

“Mr. Rutherford,” the nurse prompted. I nodded to acknowledge her then looked back at Lily. “I love you. I’ll see you in a little while. Have them come get me if you need me. I won’t be far.” I looked back at the woman trying to corral me away. “I want the closest exam room to hers.”

“Of course, sir.”

* * * *

~ Lily ~

“First, we’ll need a urine sample,” nurse Eliza said, handing me a screw-top container.

Yuck. I hated this part. I also hated that they’d be examining me when I felt so dirty. Yes, we washed often at the waterfall of the lagoon, but I still felt sand-crusted. Little could be done for that right now. I studied the container. “Um…about my medical history, what happens here is confidential, right?”

“Of course,” she replied, looking almost affronted that I’d suggest it wouldn’t be.

“Good. Um…when they’re testing for whatever they need the pee for, can they run a pregnancy test, too?”

“You think you may be pregnant?”

“At least a month.”

She nodded and typed something into my chart. “We’ll make sure that’s done. It’s usually standard, anyway.”

She directed me to the little bathroom across the corridor, and when I’d taken care of business there and headed out, I found Silas leaving his exam room, a small cup in his hand.

“Have fun,” I laughed. He rolled his eyes at me and chuckled. Grabbing me with his free hand, cupping it behind my neck, he kissed me quickly.

“Didn’t get to kiss you goodbye before.”

“Give me another one to tell me goodbye again.”

He did, this one lingering. His forehead tipped to mine. “A few more hours and we can hole up in our bedroom for the night—our bedroom with a nice big bed.”

“Can’t wait,” I whispered. I reached up and dropped a quick kiss on his lips then hurried back to my exam room before he detained me further because the chances of us getting lost in each other were high. We were still caught up in the closeness forced on us by our shipwreck situation. For that reason, fear niggled at the edges of my thoughts. Would this intimacy fade now that we were back to reality? How long before we went our separate ways to our separate lives, our separate problems…and our separate beds.

“Now,” Eliza said, pulling me from my morose musings. “Hop up on the table and let’s get you checked out.” Once I was there, she took my vitals, typing notations in her little laptop. “Is there anything you want to discuss with the doctor? How are you feeling? Anything unusual since you were stranded?”

I shrugged. “I’ve lost weight, and I like I said, I think I might be pregnant. My period is late, really late, but I guess that could be stress, right?”

“Could be.” She didn’t sound very convinced, though. “The tests will let us know if we need to get you on prenatals.” She opened a cabinet and pulled out some blue, folded cloth. “Here’s a gown to change into. Everything off beneath it. The phlebotomist will come in for some blood draws, and the doctor will be with you shortly. Okay? Do you have any questions?”

I shook my head, my nerves ramping up for no particular reason.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“We’ll probably have you both on your way in an hour or so. We’ll call you if anything comes up in the labs that take longer to run.” She smiled softly. “They probably know by now if you’re pregnant or not. It will be confirmed with the blood they’re testing. Do you want me to find out?”

Excitement exploded through me. No matter what happened with my love life, I might be having a baby. I nodded eagerly. “Yes. Please.”

Though I hoped I hadn’t picked up any parasites or diseases while I was on the island, foremost in my mind was whether of not I was having Silas’ child…and how he’d react to it.

Eliza left me alone in the room, and I changed behind the curtain in the corner. I was reseated on the table, gnawing on my bottom lip and twisting my fingers, when she returned.

I looked at her expectantly.

“It’s positive,” she said.

Positive…

Hope bloomed through my chest, though I was almost afraid to confirm. “I’m…pregnant?” I whispered.

“Yes.” Her brows furrowed in concern, but the look dissipated when a slow smile stretched my mouth. My hands flattened on my belly.

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, so unbelievably happy. Even the fear of Silas’ reaction and worry about our future couldn’t dull my elation.

Eliza nodded. “How far along do you think you are? Do you know the date of your last period?”

I shook my head. “I kept track on the period tracker app on my phone. It should have come about four or five weeks ago, I think. I could have gotten pregnant as much as six weeks ago.”

“Okay, well, the doctor will probably want to do an ultrasound to see if we can determine how far along you are. If we can’t tell today, they’ll have you get another sonogram in a couple of weeks. I’ll go and let Dr. Verona know this development. Meanwhile, the tech is waiting to draw your blood. I’ll let her in.”

Things rushed by after that. I had several vials of blood taken, and the doctor, a lovely Asian-American woman, with lush hair black pulled back in a clip but still curling to her waist, checked me over. I was given a clean bill of health, barring any adverse results in my tests.

“I don’t expect anything to turn up in your labs,” Dr. Verona assured me. “Now, you are a bit underweight, and from what you’ve reported compared to the scale today, you’ve lost a bit. I’d like you to work on slowly regaining that—keyword slowly. I’m prescribing a good vitamin you can take home with you today. You’ll need to take one daily. Your iron is low, so I’ll be giving you an additional scrip for that to boost your level, too.”

“Thank you.” I was just relieved to know I was healthy.

“Are you ready to see if we can spot that little one?”

I nodded excitedly. “Is Silas done?” He should probably be here, but I wasn’t sure if he was ready for this news. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to share it, not when I felt so uncertain about our future. The reality of no longer being stranded had settled in, but wasn’t as reassuring as it should have been.

“I’ll check and have him sent in if he is.”

“No, it’s okay,” I rushed out. “I…well, is it okay if I do this on my own?”

She patted my hand. “Of course. Are you sure? You’ve been through a lot.”

I wasn’t sure, but I also didn’t want to break the news to him like this. Oh, hey, great, we’re rescued. Also, surprise! You’re going to be a dad. I hope that’s okay.

I mean, he’d claimed to want forever, and forever as a couple usually included kids, but…

Butterflies bombarded my stomach as the doctor left me alone again. “No matter what, it’s okay, little bug,” I whispered, calling my baby by the nickname my sweetest nanny used to call me. I’d loved her until my parents had decided I was too attached to the woman and fired her. I’d been five, yet I still remembered her clearly and recalled just as clearly how much I’d cried after she’d gone.

I would never do that to my child.

“Knock-knock,” Dr. Verona said as she returned. “All set?”

“Yes,” I replied, clenching my fingers on the edge of the exam table. She hummed to herself as she got the machine situated then partially covered me with a sheet for privacy.

“Okay, hon, feet on the edge of the table, knees apart,” she said, and I complied, though the wand in her gloved hand made my nervous.

A rap on the door interrupted us, and I slammed my knees together as it swung open a few inches. Silas stuck his head inside.

“Are you okay, baby?” he asked.

“Yes, why?” I asked, pushing up on an elbow.

Apparently, he took that as an invitation to come in.

“What are you doing?” I exclaimed. Still, my gaze devoured him as I took in his appearance. He’d changed and was now clad in a crisp white shirt and charcoal dress slacks. I’d thought he was handsome before, but dear God, now, I melted inside. Something about a man who wore dress clothes so well made everything in me sit up and yell, Yes!

“Do you want him to leave?” the doctor asked, reaffirming that this was her domain. She was in charge and what she said was law—though I doubted Silas would be removed by anything less than security dragging him from here. The way his clenched jaw ticked and his eyes swung between me and the machine Dr. Verona had brought in, I doubted security would have an easy time of it either.

“What’s going on?” he demanded before I could answer the doc. I shook my head at her, indicating he could stay. Part of me really didn’t want him here, but I didn’t want a scene. The rest of me wanted him here more than anything in the world. I needed his reassuring presence.

Moment of truth was now, I guessed. Now was when I’d find out how he really felt about the whole package with me—either he’d be happy or reality would set in and he’d freaked out. Better here than if I were stranded on his island, right?

My stomach roiled at the idea of his rejection.

“It’s nothing. They’re just—”

“Did I hurt you, and you didn’t tell me?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, Silas. Geez, you’re big, but you don’t have some monster cock tearing everything apart.”

The doctor snorted and choked on a laugh, coughing in an ill-disguised attempt to hide her reaction. Silas stared at me aghast.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” he muttered, coming to my side opposite the machine.

Apparently finished with our byplay, the doctor eased my knees back apart.

“I can’t believe you thought—” I stopped on a gasp as the wand slid into me. It was large and cold, a little uncomfortable, but I knew it was necessary.

“All right,” Dr. Verona said and looked at Silas then to me. “Do you want him to leave?” she repeated, a little late for the question in my opinion. Maybe, she should have asked again before that probe was stuck in me.

“I’m not going any-fucking-where,” he growled. “What’s going on with my wife?”

Okay… We were back to wife instead of fiancée.

Her eyes widened, then she looked at me. So much for figuring out how to tell him. Silas wasn’t leaving, something I’d known from the second he’d stepped into the room and sensed something was wrong. Well, he’d find out sooner or later. I guessed it was here and now, whether he was ready or not—whether I was or not. As if I had another option, even if we weren’t ready. Still, I’d wanted time to think things through.

“It’s fine,” I reassured her.

“All right.” She looked at Silas again then glanced away, shaking her head and clicking keys on the machine. “Let’s see if we can spot the baby.”

“Baby?” Silas blanched, going nearly white despite his tan. “You’re pregnant?” he whispered. His hand clenched around mine.

“That’s what they tell me,” I whispered back, throat tight with fear. “I thought maybe you suspected.”

“No. I didn’t, but I hoped,” he confessed.

He did? Oh my God… That was good. That was good, right?

“Then I kept telling myself wishing for that was foolish,” he continued. “Being stranded on that island was the worst place for you to be pregnant. But now… God, baby. We’re having a baby.” His eyes shimmered, and my fears settled for now. Time would tell… “How do you feel?”

“Good. I’m fine. I wasn’t sure… I haven’t experienced any sickness or anything. Are you okay with this?”

“Okay? I’m…thrilled. I can’t even…” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine then kissed me softly.

“Oh, there we are,” Dr. Verona said. Silas straightened, and we looked to where she pointed to a little bean on the screen. “We can’t get much of a good look yet, but here’s your little girl or boy…or…” She trailed off and tilted her head. She moved the wand a little to the right. Terror filled me at that pause. Was it not a baby? Was it a tumor or something?

“What’s wrong?” Silas demanded, his growl sounding as alarmed as I felt.

“Oh, nothing’s wrong,” she rushed out as she made measurement marks on the screen. “Lily, I’d say you’re around six weeks, but you’ll need another scan to better pinpoint your due date.” She adjusted the probe again then tapped the screen with her finger. “Right here…baby one.”

Baby one? What?

“And right here is baby two.”

I stared at her. “Two?”

Beside me, Silas swayed as if his knees had buckled. The newly returned color in his face drained again.

She nodded. “Looks like twins. More than looks like,” she amended. “It’s definitely twins.”

“Twins,” Silas breathed. I couldn’t take my eyes from the screen to look at him again. That was our baby—no, babies. Oh my…

The doctor finished up and printed out some pics for us. She handed them to me. “I put in an order for your scrips. You can pick them up before you leave. The nurse will direct you where to go for them. I’ll leave you to get dressed. Do you have any questions for me before I go?”

I had a million questions but not necessarily any I needed to ask right this moment. I was just so overwhelmed.

Silas ran a thumb over my cheek, gazing at me with such adoration I wanted to cry. “Is she free to go?”

“Yes, I’ll have the nurse bring in her paperwork in a few minutes. Congratulations on your rescue and the good news. It was a pleasure, Ms. Slater…er…or is it Rutherford?”

“Slater,” I replied.

“For the moment,” Silas growled.

The doctor shook her head and left, looking faintly entertained.

“Babies,” he said to me, shaking his head, clearly bemused.

“Is it okay?”

“Okay? It’s magnificent.” His brow furrowed. “But what if I wasn’t okay with it? What did you plan?”

I shrugged, sitting up so I could go get dressed in the raggedy clothes I’d worn on the island. He caught my shoulders.

“Lily,” he grated. “Answer me.”

“I… I would have…figured it out on my own, I guess.”

“Left? Me?” Fury filled his tone, and truly, it frightened me though I knew Silas would never hurt me.

“I…well…I guess so. I mean if you didn’t want us, then—”

“I would never not want you and our babies. After all this time, I can’t believe you’d think that.”

“Being unwanted isn’t exactly a new thing for me. I won’t let my children grow up that way.”

“You need to get used to a new way of being, sweetheart. You’re wanted, desired and integral to my life. Our children are an extension of us.” His fingers gently squeezed my upper arms. “A blessing,” he whispered, his voice so filled with emotion I couldn’t doubt him.

“Silas,” I cried and threw myself into his arms.

“Shh, it’s all good, baby. It’s all good. We’re going to have an amazing life and you’ll have anything you could possibly want.”

“I just want you and our family.”

“Done.” He kissed my forehead in the sweet gesture that always revealed his tenderness with me. “Let me get the clothes David brought for you and then we can go home.”

Home… My home with Silas. I smiled as he walked from the room, so tall and confident, commanding his world. My home wasn’t with Silas. My home was Silas.