CHAPTER 13

Logan began to pace back and forth in his office. He couldn't believe that Evan had turned down his proposal. He had done that to stop this insane relationship she had going with Jason Valdez.

The name alone made him puke. He hated the man. He was shrewd and could screw anyone over like he did him years ago. Why didn't Evan see through his good face for the devil he really was? He hit the table in frustration remembering the way Jason had almost ended him years ago.

A friend had introduced them to a multi-million-dollar deal. Both Logan and Jason had been called to a meeting with a third company to execute a technology deal that was assumed that a single company couldn't singlehandedly handle.

Right from the first meeting, Logan knew Jason Valdez reeked of money. The man was literally a walking god in the tech. company. He recruited the best developer in town. Most of his developers were Ukrainians and everyone knew Ukraine produced the best developer in the world today.

He himself was a guru developer, making him gain the respect of all. Logan had just been a start-up company doing well in the field. He was in no way qualified to work with the likes of Jason Valdez. Still, he carried himself with pride at the meeting. It didn't take long to know that Jason was a control freak just as the other man would know that he wasn't a push over.

After series of meetings, both companies decided they were ready. They had worked with the best team to create a technology that uses AI to recognize images and say the object placed in its face.

"I'm more worried about the third company." Jason had said, at the last meeting.

"Since they didn't show up, they are out of the deal. That means more cuts for us," Logan had replied, nonchalantly. They worked on the last piece and closed for the day.

The next day, Logan had woken up to the sad news that the deal was off.

"What do you mean off? We sealed the deal last night. Its payment we should be talking about," he said to his PA then.

When the guy insisted, he knew what he was saying, he had rushed out of the office to the developer site. The secretary was on seat. Confused about the whole issue, he had approached the lady. Been a favourite with ladies, he had turned on his charm in spite the rage going on inside. The lady smiled at him they checked the data on her system.

"The other partner was paid today," she informed him.

It was pretty much like watching a movie, only this time he was part of the cast. "Paid today?"

The lady nodded, "This morning actually." She confirmed.

All effort to get in touch with Jason had been abortive. The man was literally unavailable. The next he knew, he was served a court notice and sued for half his life worth. He was charged for contract breach. Never once did Jason Valdez approach him personally. It was all a legal battle with his thugs running the show.

It had almost ended him. Well, then he had no connection and no money. Now, he had the resources to fight back. He had lost the legal battle and money to the man. He wasn't about to lose his love life to him too.

Sitting down, he brought out his phone and called his team on video chat. "I want every detail on Valdez Jason. His late wife. The reason he wants a surrogate mother. Everything. The relevant. The irrelevant. Table it all. Most importantly, I want dirty, okay." He bellowed, then ended the call without waiting for their response.

"I need to make Evan see him for the devil that he is and stop this."

Adriana Swiss entered her apartment with the twins. The packed food she had ordered at the eatery on the way were soon in the microwave. She timed the warmer and went to help the twins wash up. They splashed water everywhere making a mess of the place. "On days like this, I wish you daddy was home." She muttered, under her breath.

Noah had called earlier to say he was coming home. Several times he had had to cancel his homecoming if anything came up. Tonight, it appears like he was cancelling on them again. She hated how the company drives them miles apart. It was taking too much on her family.

The only good thing it brought was the cool cash. Her husband knew how much she enjoyed family time, so whenever he returned, he tried to stay home with the kids. Most time, they just go on a short trip anywhere in the world. The company was doing great. The books were balanced and the cheque; clean. But mother was a hard driver, always on her husband's tail to do more. He didn't mind as he was a hard driver himself. He didn't need the pushing mother gave.

The twins heard and squeaked delightedly. "You better don't cause any more mess or we all will be up cleaning the whole place." She said even as the kids ran ahead of her.

"Anybody misses daddy," Noah said as his kids ran to hug him. Their mother hurried excitedly to meet him.

"I'm glad you're home." She gave him a wet kiss not minding that their six-year-olds mooed sweetly.

He hugged her tightly, "I've missed you."

"Want to show me how much?" She flirted, licking her lips sexily, in an inviting tone she added in a whisper to his ears alone, "Over and over again?"

Before he could reply, the kids jumped at him, "Dad, you didn't get the chocolates." Elizabeth accused, arms folded, lips pouted. The reflection made both parents laugh.

"And my spiffy-man." Ethan added gloomily.

"Hold that thought." He replied his wife and hurriedly sent the kids to their room where he intended to give them their presents.

As all three ran in the kids' room, Adriana cleaned up the room and went upstairs to get a warm bath. She had showered and was dozing off when he came in. Noah snuck into bed with her and pulled her to himself.

He kissed her deeply, awakening her in every way. Drowsily she asked what took so long. "Well, in between giving them their presents, being crushed with kisses, which by the way was the highlight of my day. Then, I was listening to gossips that I may have missed according to Lizbeth; I know about the new big toys Evan got them by the way. Then telling bedtime stories, I got held up. Still, want me to show you how much?" his hands groped her body.

He didn't need any further invitation. Her body gave her away. Her nipples hardened the instant his thumb grazed them and she sulked in her breathe. His mouth searched for and found her lips. She returned the kiss fire for fire. A masculine tongue probed entrance into the other's mouth, which opened for the invasion. Their tongues engaged in a fierce dance as did their body. They let their sizzling passion burn through their tangled bodies as they rolled over each other on the bed.

"Yes, please." She purred when they both come up for air.

Whatever she was saying yes to was lost on him. He bowed and took in a nipple while his thumb rolled the other. She moaned into him just the way he loved her. Satisfied with her response to him, he let his thumb replace the other nipple while he paid the second one the same attention. Adriana gasped and pressed his mouth closer to the nipple, asking for more.

Her hand searched for his zipper and found his hardened length. Noah groaned in pleasure. He lifted himself above her to let her have access to him. Her naked palm on his hardened length made him grow harder.

He sucked in her lips forcefully and she felt hot searing fluid in her pant. Words were not needed as the two tore at each other's cloth. They were naked in a minute. When he pushed into her, Adriana cried out softly. His strokes were deep and hard. Each stroke pulling him in, drawing them closer. She robbed his back and dug her nails into him as she climaxed. It didn't take him long to get there too. His groan as he poured his hot seeds in her, signalled his.

Minutes later, the couple got out of bed into the shower. Adriana helped scrub his back. When she was done, she passed him the sponge too. But he smiled wickedly. When he began to scrub, she moaned at the way he held her against him. His hands began their own magical movement.

"Did we say over and over?" He purred in her ears. Nodding, she closed her eyes and gave in to the sensation coursing through her inner thighs.

When they were done. The couple went back to the bedroom exhausted. Adriana soon started to sleep. As he began to doze off too, his phone rang. Noah looked at the caller and quickly at his wife.

Then he tiptoed out of the room. "What now?" He groaned at the caller. "Didn't I tell you to back off? I'll handle it." He said, taking in deep breaths to stay calm.

It wasn't until three days later that Logan's team decided there was nothing to dig up. Jason Valdez was clean on paper. And that could only mean two things. He was so dirty but have a really good team covering his ass or he really was clean. Left with no choice, the team leader was urged by the team members to present the little information they had on him.

Logan sat down patiently while the man told him every detail about Jason. He nodded when he heard about his net worth. The man had always had cool money and over the years, he seemed to have made triple the amount.

"He lost his wife and..."

"When does the dirty come in James?" Logan asked impatiently. He was tired of hearing the good things about the man who had screwed him over. "I want the dirty." He spoke louder so the fidgeting man could hear him loud and clear.

"That's the thing sir, the man is clean. So clean."

"That must be mean he's covering it up well." He smiled wickedly, "I trust you were able to bypass his walls and get in?" When James nodded not in affirmative, he sat up straight. "What the heck have I been paying you for?" He yelled then brought his voice low, "I want you out now. Get me something juicy or risk losing your job."

CHAPTER 14

While Logan's team was searching the internet, trying to dig up dirt on Jason, the man was having dinner with Evangeline in a posh restaurant. The way the waiters attended to them with courtesy and extra care gave him away. He either had been here earlier with a threat that they behave or this was his.

"So which is it?" Evan asked the man, looking at him intently. He had insisted she try their seafood and she was savouring every bit. The oysters had been well salted and Jason had taught her to suck the meat out of the shell to get the best taste. She closed her eyes and sucked the last one. This was so good she let the meat roll in her mouth a while. When she eventually opened her eyes, Jason was looking at her with interest.

"Enjoying the meal, I see." He smiled.

He hardly smiles. She resisted the urge to ask him to smile more. The poor man had just lost his wife. Saying something like that would be unethical. Instead she asked him again, "Which is it?"

"What now?" He sighed and waved over a waiter.

"Either you own this place or you've been here to warn the staff to be on their best behaviour." She went for the shrimps this time. The waiter came and he requested for white wine. The man nodded and cleared the empty plates. He smiled at her brightly. She didn't understand.

"He appreciates how well you eat," he said. "He isn't the only one though. I like a woman that eats. Makes me want to buy more. Should we order more?"

Evangeline laughed heartily, "Unless you want to carry me out of here." She teased, "I'm literally full to the brim."

"Good." He smiled as the waiter brought their wine and proceeded to open it and fill their glasses. When he left, he told Evan casually that this was one of his clubs.

She had just stuffed her mouth with a peppery crawfish. "I knew it" Her eyes glistened.

"This will help." He offered her the wine and she drank.

"Wow... the cook here deserves a raise. "Mexican?"

"World best." He confirmed.

They ate and then stood to leave. "I suppose we can discuss the contract on our way? This place isn't the place to talk about it." He said as they stood outside the club waiting for his driver to bring the car over.

"I suppose we can. Do you seriously mean we should review this together?" She asked eyeing the big folder.

"Trust me, we should." He said. The driver stopped in their front and opened the door remotely. He let her go in first and shut the door after him. The car started before he opened the file.

"So, before we do this, I wanted us to trash some petty issues. One that concerns me is your place."

"My place being?"

"I mean you stay in L.A, I live in Miami... that's too far apart. What happens when you need a help with something? I don't know" He ruffled his hair trying to come up with a good reason, "I was hoping you will move over to Miami till it's done. Plus, your family stays there."

"I'm not moving to Miami" She replied stubbornly. "I have a business here. Are you saying that I should close up?"

"No. I don't mean that. I could pay you. Buy it over and pay you monthly if that's what's keeping you here" He offered.

"I assume you know how many offers I'll get in that one year. A single deal can land me billions." She pressed him wanting to pump him for more information to be sure he really meant it. She wasn't about to give up her business or livelihood for anything

"I can afford it." He said, oblivious he was being played.

"I won't change my livelihood. Next?"

Jason sat up straighter. He had expected this but not so conclusively, "Can't we compromise in any way?"

"Not on my part." She replied, stubbornly. "I will be here. If I need help, I'm sure someone will be more than willing to do that."

"Okay. Let's both sleep on it and come up with a workable solution then."

"Good." She replied. "What's the next issue?"

"I'll prefer to pay for this. I know you don't want or need the money. But you're doing us a favour and..."

She held her hand up, "Hold it right there. First, I'm doing no one any favour. You're in this as well as me. The child is yours as well as mine. This isn't for you or..." She couldn't say his late wife, so she instead let it hang. The tension in the car was high. He suddenly sat up straight.

"I'm sorry. This is going to be our child. Still, I want to pay. It's the only way I can be comfortable with it."

"I don't think so. How do I explain it? That I got paid to birth my child?" She replied amused at the way he was seeing whatever they had going. He had just ruined every good moment they had shared earlier.

It was becoming obvious they wouldn't ever be on the same page. The way he sees things were completely different from hers. She wondered if things would change. And to think she wanted some sort of relationship with the father of the baby.

The car stopped and she peered out the window. They were at her place. "I think you should let me have the file and we both go through it separately then meet later to compromise where it needs be." She said flatly.

He agreed easily and passed her the file, keeping the other one for himself. He was probably as tired as she was about everything. She got down from the car and walked the short distance to her apartment without a backward glance.

Had she looked, she would have seen him try to reach out for her. Once inside her home, she dumped the file on her dresser and started to undress. Her ringing phone did nothing to speed up the moment.

Done and safely tucked in bed, she brought out the file and began to read. Aside the two they had discussed in the car, other conditions seemed okay. He wanted both of them in the child's life. That she wanted too. He had plans for visiting drafted already too. The man was freaking detailed. Everything was dotted and crossed to the last minute. Satisfied, she dropped the file. Her phone rang again.

CHAPTER 15

Jason Valdez watched the stubborn, blond woman walk away from him. He wanted to reach out, explain why he wanted all these. But he didn't know how. With instructions to wait, his driver didn't drive. He stayed in the car for a few minutes before telling him to drive him home.

At home, he decided to call Evan. She wasn't picking up. He mentally went through the conversation in the car. There wasn't anything wrong in wanting her in Miami. If she was carrying his child, he wanted no stress. The procedure needed to be successful. He wasn't going to go through another tough episode like he did with his late wife. Pregnant women were delicate. Any little mistake can cause miscarriage. It would appear though that Evan was too young and naïve to see why he was insisting on this. He called her again.

"Are you okay?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"About the contract, can we reach some sort of compromise? Did you read it?"

"I did." She turned on the bedside light and sat up. "Aside the two we discussed, I think others are okay."

"I know I sound absurd but trust me, pregnant women are delicate things. I want nothing happening to cause a mis..."

"Miscarriage." She breathed, getting that he was scared of her losing their child. She relaxed. Jason didn't scare easily. The experience with his wife must have edged so deep. "Okay, how about we have the procedure in Miami. Doctor Tom should do it. I'll stay the first trimester. I hear those are the danger period. After that, I'm back in LA."

He considered it and decided it was probably the best he could get, "Fine." He sighed. "You drive hard bargain Evan." He said, smiling.

"It's what's keeping me I business." She replied too, happy they had this settled. Then she remembered the payment part, "And I want no payment."

Jason didn't reply immediately, "Gifts are allowed then."

"Yes.... But."

"I give big gifts." He told her, "There's no saying no to this."

*******

Logan poured himself a drink and served his security team head one too. "Sit." He told him.

Seated, he offered him the second glass and drank his in a gulp. James didn't drink. He let the drink swirl as he watched his boss read the documents he had pulled up on Evangeline Swiss and Jason Valdez. "I can believe this man is so clean. But then again, he hires the best developer. How he pulls that off, I don't know."

"Money and power." James replied, "Like the Swiss, the Valdez are another powerful force in Miami. They are feared."

Logan studied the charts again. "He has an estranged sister?"

"Yes. Jennifer Valdez. She's rumoured to be into importing goods, most of which may not be legit but no paper trail on that either."

"Damn." He closed the folder on Valdez, "Another time, my man." He swore then he proceeded to read Evangeline's.

"So you think our best chance is to let her mother in on this?"

"Yes. Both women haven't been on good terms ever since she moved here. In a way, she'd be able to get through to her. She also has the resources to pull it off."

Good. If paying a visit to his future mother-in-law would stop Evan, he was going to take the chance and hopes she sees how she meant to him. He wasn't going to let her be tangled with a man who couldn't be trusted not to go back on his word.

"Get the jet ready. We're going to Miami."

"Now?"

Logan stared at the man.

*******

Mrs Swiss couldn't believe what the man seated across her had just told her. It had to be some sort of joke. Why would Evangeline be a surrogate mother? She picked her phone immediately to call her daughter right in his presence.

"Of course, she wouldn't pick." Then she called her other daughter. Adriana told her she was on her way to her office.

"I want you to meet my other daughter." she told Logan. The two chatted back and forth till Adriana joined them.

Though Adriana hadn't met Logan, Evan had told her a lot about him. She had also shown her his picture at one of her visit. She knew immediately who was seated with her mother. Something about them having any sort of conversation didn't look good. It would be destructive if he was here to gossip about the surrogacy. Evangeline would never forgive him. If this was the move he came up with to win her back, it was a terrible move.

"Here's Logan, Evan's man."

Adriana scoffed, "Okay?"

"He just shared a preposterous information."

Her mother was staring at her strangely. Of course I know mother, she told me. Now say it, she rolled her eyes.

"Which is mother?" she asked bent on not saying anything, she had a promise to keep.

"She wants to be a surrogate." Her mother blurted out making it sound disgusting.

The look on her face was spectacular. Evan would want to see this. She gave it to her though, her mother was taking it strongly. She had expected her to faint.

Adriana didn't try to pretend or deny the statement, instead she turned to Logan in irritation, and "I assume you came here to tell her this? Does Evan know you're here?" she glared at him, "You just made a terrible mistake."

Logan didn't dignify her with a response. He smiled at her, then at her mother and begged to take her leave. This was a family affair now. He would let the Swiss handle this situation for him. At least, one Swiss found the idea very appalling too. That done, he got off the chair and took his leave as the two Swiss bickered back and forth. He would wait for Evangeline to come for him. That shouldn't take long.