The Prince's ASAP Baby Read online

  The Prince’s ASAP Baby

  Holly Rayner

  Contents

  The Prince’s ASAP Baby

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  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  The Sheikh’s Sextuplet Baby Surprise

  Introduction

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  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

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  Also by Holly Rayner

  The Prince’s ASAP Baby

  Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.

  All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.

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  Chapter One

  It was Friday night in Brooklyn, and Eva Nightingale had just finished her shift at Gustavo’s Coffee Shoppe. She’d spent her long, tedious day pandering to the requests of coffee-loving hipsters who, in her expert opinion, needed to take up home brewing rather than spending so much cash on mediocre drinks.

  It didn’t help that Eva wasn’t much of a coffee drinker herself. If given the choice, she’d rather waitress at a nice restaurant. But this was her reality, and she was thoroughly stuck in it.

  “Have a good night, Eva,” her manager said as she walked out from behind the counter. “We’ll see you next week.”

  Eva shrugged her shoulders and shuffled toward the staff room.

  “Yeah. See ya, Chris.”

  Her halfhearted goodbye was hardly enough to convince Chris that she liked, or even appreciated, her job. She figured it didn’t matter much. He’d only hired her because he thought she was attractive. That much was clear from her first interview, when he’d spent more time ogling her than he did taking notes on the hiring form.

  Eva didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t going to turn down a perfectly reasonable job opportunity—those were few and far between, these days.

  She’d only been working at Gustavo’s for a few months, and already Chris had asked her out three or four times. Each time, she shut him down. But she was starting to run out of family emergencies, study sessions, and extracurricular commitments. Eventually, Chris would start asking questions. It wouldn’t be long before her stories fell apart. She wasn’t even in college anymore. Once he knew the truth, that she’d been avoiding him and lying to him, he’d conveniently start to notice that she wasn’t the greatest barista after all.

  Then, it would be goodbye, independence and hello, unemployment line.

  She couldn’t let that happen. Not when she still had some control over it.

  Eva knew she’d have to go out with Chris at least once or twice if she wanted to keep her job. It would be different if she was attentive, or even halfway positive, at work. Then, she would have a case for wrongful termination. But she spent the majority of her shifts moping around the shop, doing as little as possible and hoping no one would care enough to speak up. She wasn’t the kind of employee worth saving, and she knew it.

  When she reached the staff room, Eva pulled off her uniform and changed into the simple black dress she’d brought.

  Stuffing her polo shirt and coffee-smelling pants into a plastic shopping bag, she removed a rather large purse from her assigned locker. She’d brought the purse on purpose, hoping to shove the uniform inside and conceal her barista identity for a few hours.

  On ordinary days, Eva left her uniform at work. But this wasn’t an ordinary day. It was laundry day, and she couldn’t afford to miss another week. She only had so many copies of the same red polo and black pants.

  Eva changed shoes, grabbed her bag, and left the staff room. Chris was still standing behind the counter when she emerged, smiling as he cleaned. He was getting ready to close the shop.

  Closing was the worst. She considered offering to help, but the idea quickly dissipated. Chris would wonder why she wasn’t rushing home to get ready for her three-day study session—an obligation she’d invented to avoid weekend shifts altogether.

  She’d almost reached the exit when Chris called out to her.

  “Hey, Eva! Can we talk for a minute?”

  Eva sighed and turned back. She didn’t move away from the door.

  “What’s up?”

  Her voice was stale, and Chris looked disconcerted for a moment. His consistent smile faltered. Eva felt sorry for him. He was a good looking guy, and pleasant enough, but too cheerful and optimistic for her taste. She was waiting for someone more independent and interesting. It just wasn’t a good fit. She wished that he could see that without being told. Besides, the last thing on Eva’s mind was a boyfriend.

  “I’d like to take you out sometime,” he said.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Chris wasn’t finished.

  “I know you’ve been avoiding me,” he said. “If you don’t want to go, just say the word. I won’t ask again. I’m not going to harass you over it.”

  Eva looked down at the floor. This was a crappy start to her weekend. Should she continue to be dodgy, or should she be honest? Chris sounded sincere enough.

  She decided to go with complete honesty.

  “I know you hired me because you think something might happen between us,” Eva said. “But I don’t think it’s a good fit. You’re a great guy, and I’m flattered that you’ve taken an interest in me. It’s just that you don’t really know anything about me. This isn’t easy to admit, but I haven’t been honest with you.”

  Chris looked concerned.

  “What do you mean?”

  She sighed.

  “I’m not in school anymore,” Eva said. “I dropped out six months ago. That’s why I needed this job in the first place. I live in this awful studio apartment and I need to pay rent. This job isn’t some part-time thing for the school year. This is my income. It’s pathetic and hard and I’m just not looking for a love interest right now.”

  There was a moment of silence. Chris took a breath.

  “Oh,” he said.

  “That’s it?”

  “Honestly, I’m relieved,” he said, the smile slowly returning to his face. “I thought you were going to tell me you’re married.”

  Eva laughed.

  “Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not married. But I’m going through a lot right now. I’m sorry if I seem grumpy at work. And I hope you don’t fire me for it. I’m adjusting. This job is all I have.”

  “Eva,” Chris said. “I’m not going to fire you.”

  He stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to her.

  “I appreciate you being h
onest with me,” he said. “And I’ll do what I can to help you adjust. Would that be all right?”

  Eva nodded.

  “Okay,” Chris said. “I’ll see you next week.”

  “See you then,” Eva affirmed.

  She pushed open the door and walked onto the sidewalk outside Gustavo’s. As it shut behind her, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. At least she wasn’t living a lie at work anymore.

  Eva began walking toward the nearest subway station. It was ten blocks away, a sizable hike in her heels, but she felt cool and confident. For the first time in six months, she felt that she was capable of handling herself without the help of her parents or her friends—all of whom she’d lost when she’d decided to leave Columbia.

  She shook off the thought. There was nothing like bad memories to kill a good mood.

  Still, the longer Eva walked, the harder it became to maintain her positivity. She was going home to nothing but a studio apartment and a pile of laundry. The nearest laundromat would be open late, but finishing her chores early would mean two whole days of silence until her shift on Monday morning.

  It wasn’t like she could afford cable or Wi-Fi. Her cell phone data plan was laughable; not even enough for a few episodes of her favorite show. All she had to entertain herself was a stack of free magazines. She’d been making plans to shop for leisure reading at a used bookstore in Manhattan, but she couldn’t bring herself to go into the city alone.

  Now that Chris knew the truth, she could pick up extra shifts at work to fill her time. But the thought depressed her even further. Did she really have nothing better to do with her life? That had been the reason she’d avoided opening, closing, and weekend shifts. Underneath it all, she wanted her life to revolve around more than a coffee shop.

  Still, it was time to face reality. And, according to reality, she had bills to pay.

  “You look like you could use a pick-me-up,” a man’s voice said from behind her. It was kind, not intimidating, but Eva was startled all the same.

  She turned to find a young man wearing a white apron. There was a name tag pinned to his chest, informing her that his name was Calvin. He clearly worked somewhere nearby. The cigarette in his hand suggested that he was taking a smoke break. Eva was intrigued.

  “You aren’t wrong about that,” she replied.

  “What if I told you I could help?”

  Eva raised an eyebrow.

  “How do you plan on doing that?”

  “I’m an assistant chef at Oasis,” Calvin said, gesturing to the building directly behind him. Through the front windows, Eva could see there were at least fifty people inside, chatting and laughing and drinking.

  She recognized the bar. She passed by it twice on weekdays.

  Oasis was an exclusive venue with a rooftop terrace and a renowned dinner menu. This wasn’t a place where people came to get wasted. This was a place where the financial bucks of Wall Street came to kick back with their all-too-rich buddies.

  Usually, when Eva passed it, the building was dead silent. She hardly ever worked the evening shift at Gustavo’s, especially on Fridays. She’d never seen it the way it was now—filled to the brim with people in suits and cocktail dresses. She longed for one night with them.

  Calvin continued.

  “It isn’t easy to get in, but I think you could use a night off.”

  Eva stared into the bar, then looked in the direction of the subway station. She thought about the tips she’d earned during her shift and wondered if they’d be enough for a couple of drinks. She figured they probably were, even if the drinks were expensive.

  Still, she wasn’t sure. What if she did something stupid and embarrassed herself? What if she stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb? She didn’t think her ego could take another hit.

  Weighing her options, she figured a night of the high life would be better than a night at the laundromat, embarrassment or not. No one had to know who she was. She wasn’t looking to take anyone home.

  Eva was skeptical, though, of Calvin’s intentions.

  “No strings attached?” she asked. “You just let me inside and go back to work?”

  Calvin laughed.

  “Lady,” he said. “I bat for the other team. No strings attached.”

  She smiled.

  “Eva,” she said. “My name is Eva. And I’m in.”

  Calvin nodded, dropped his cigarette on the ground, and smothered it with his shoe.

  “Let’s go, then,” he said, offering an arm. Eva took it.

  Calvin led her through the front door and into a different world.

  Chapter Two

  There were suited men everywhere. Stunning, attractive, successful men, with equally stunning women on their arms. Most bars in New York were dim. Eva found them dreary and dirty. Oasis was different. The lights were bright and inviting. Each table was decorated with fresh flowers.

  To her surprise, no one stared at her entrance. She wasn’t given a second glance, either, but at least she didn’t feel out of place.

  “This is incredible,” Eva whispered to no one in particular. “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”

  “Oasis is something else,” Calvin said with a grin. “But if you think this is incredible, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

  Calvin led her through a pair of double doors toward the back of the room. Behind the doors sat a metal staircase that seemed to lead up and up forever.

  “I have to get back to the kitchen,” he said. “But you follow those stairs up to the terrace. If you hurry, you’ll be able to catch the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. Tell them Calvin sent you. It’s strictly VIP up there.”

  They stopped at the foot of the stairs.

  “Thanks,” Eva said sincerely. “I kinda wish you batted for this team.”

  He laughed.

  “Have a good time, Eva.”

  And then he was gone, leaving her alone at the bottom of a metal staircase that led to a life she’d only dared to dream about.

  “You can do this,” she said softly. “No one knows you here.”

  Eva collected her courage and started up the steps. When she reached the top, she found a big, beefy man in black standing behind a podium. He was holding a clipboard.

  “Name?”

  “I won’t be on that,” Eva said, her voice noticeably shaking.

  Pull yourself together.

  “Calvin sent me,” she continued. “My name is Eva Nightingale.”

  “Calvin?”

  Eva’s eyes widened. For a moment, she was certain that Calvin had made the whole thing up. He probably didn’t even work at Oasis. For all she knew, he could have been on his way to the subway station himself, fresh out of a shift at some fast food restaurant. What had she been thinking?

  Then she realized the bouncer was grinning. Her fears melted away.

  “He’s one of our favorite guys around here,” he said. “A friend of Calvin’s is allowed up here any time. Go on in. Pick whatever table you’d like. We have plenty of room tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Eva stuttered as the bouncer gestured her in.

  “Enjoy your evening.”

  Eva walked through an open door and onto the terrace.

  Calvin was right. It was a thousand times better than the bar below. The terrace offered a gorgeous view of Manhattan Island. There were tables lining the sides with a counter in the center for drinks. Two bartenders were taking orders from three men in black tuxedos. Their hands seemed to dance as they grabbed, set, shook, and poured. It was far more intricate than making coffee, not that she’d been allowed to do anything but run the register yet.

  The tables were high top and set for two, each decorated with the same beautiful flowers as those downstairs. Most of the tables were taken, but the bouncer had been right. It wasn’t crowded up here. She spotted an empty table in the corner of the terrace. It had a perfect view of the sunset. She crossed the rooftop and sat down, her large bag taking up the extra
seat.

  She spent thirty or forty seconds watching the sun slip lower on the skyline before a man showed up. He was carrying a pad of paper and a pen. It took her a moment to understand that he was a waiter.

  “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Just breathe. No one knows you here.

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Eva said lightly. “Can I get a martini?”

  “Coming right up.”

  She was alone with her thoughts again. She decided that was all right. It was about time she reflected on her miserable life from somewhere other than her apartment.

  It really was a crappy apartment. When Eva’s parents had kicked her out, she was given two weeks to find a suitable place to live. They would co-sign and pay rent for the first two months. But, after that, Eva was on her own. No more help from Mommy and Daddy. And no more contact, either. She’d burned that bridge the day she’d decided to leave Columbia.

  Finding an apartment without a stable job was difficult, not because she couldn’t immediately pay rent, but because she had no idea what kind of job she’d end up with. If she got evicted from her first apartment, she couldn’t count on her parents for help. She could end up jobless and homeless—all because she’d stood up for herself for the first time in her life.

  Eva had never wanted to go to college, let alone law school, but her parents had insisted she follow in their footsteps and become a successful lawyer. Her entire high school career had been dedicated to government and law. She was on the debate team. She spent hours going over cases with her parents. She worked as an intern in their firms.

  If she’d been given time to explore other avenues of interest, Eva might have found herself a hobby, or even another possible career path. But there was never time. She had no idea what else she liked. And the time she might have had to pursue that dream was gone.

  She could have told her parents no. She could have refused to go to Columbia at all. But, if she’d made that mistake, she might have been on the streets long before she was prepared. At that age, she was still optimistic. It had never occurred to her that her parents might kick her out if she didn’t follow their lead.