The Baby Bargain

Chapter 28: Alison

Alison glanced at the time on her laptop as her stomach growled for about the hundredth time. It was almost ten p.m. She'd spent the entire day hiding in her office and she'd be more than happy to spend the rest of the night there except she was starving. Her stomach grumbled again. "Be quiet. You win." She closed her laptop and stood. "I have to face the asshole sooner or later. It's stupid to sit in here and starve."

She left the office and walked down the long hallway to the private section of Harker's house. She opened the door, sighing with relief when he wasn't sitting in the living room, a frown on his stupid face. She quietly made her way to the kitchen, listening for any sound of HIM. She didn't want to see him again. Ever. She'd wasted enough time feeling sorry for herself because of what he'd said. He was always bossy and arrogant, but he'd never been cruel until today.

She opened the refrigerator and pulled out some of the leftovers from their wedding luncheon. The little bit of food she'd eaten had been delicious. She grabbed two plates and began filling them with a wide array of finger foods. She slid the plate that needed to be warmed into the microwave and put the other one on the table. She grabbed a bottle of water and sat, staring at the empty chairs. She hated eating alone. That'd been the worst thing when she'd had her own apartment.

She'd grown up always eating dinner with her family and even when she'd moved back home, she and her mom ate together whenever they could. The only times they didn't had been when she'd worked late. She'd been glad when Aunt Tiff had moved in with them. She'd felt guilty for leaving her mother to have dinner alone almost every night while she was working and eating dinner with Harker. Knowing him, he probably hadn't eaten yet. He always forgot about food when he was working.

The microwave dinged and she stood, grabbing the plate. It smelled delicious. Her stomach rumbled again. He was probably starving too but that was his problem. It wasn't her job to take care of him, except it kind of was her job. He was her husband, but he'd been mean. She wasn't the most attractive woman, but he didn't have to admit that he needed to work himself up to have sex with her.

She put the plate next to the other one and sat at the table. She'd known her marriage wouldn't be great, but she hadn't expected it to be like this, although she should have. Harker was rich and attractive in a gruff, bossy way. He was probably used to having sex with models and beautiful women. She had no idea why he wanted to make the baby the old-fashioned way. It made no sense. In vitro would be perfect. Their genes combined and he wouldn't have to work himself up to have sex with her.

She swallowed thelump of sadness that welled in her throat. He probably hadn't expected to havedifficulties becoming aroused. No man wanted to even think about their littleJohnson not rising to the occasion. Now that he knew it was an issue, maybe shecould convince him that they should try in vitro. She stood. The best way toconvince a man to do anything was to feed him or fuck him. Since the second onewas off the table, that left the first. She grabbed another water and the twoplates and went to find her husband.