She could turn me down, throw a lawsuit at me, or humiliate me and try to destroy the reputation that I’ve built.
But that’s not what I find unsettling.
It’s the five foot five inches of perfection from a woman I’ve barely spent any time with. She stirs a desire inside of me that I can’t explain. There’s a line I won’t be able to cross with her.
Sex is off the table.
The previous surrogates who I interviewed, I never would have even considered crossing that line.
But I also decided against each of them. One was married. The second had been a journalist attempting to get a story.
They didn’t fit the image ingrained in my mind of what I wanted.
“Do you honestly think a traditional surrogate is a way to go?” Matteo asks. “She could claim a right to the child, and things could get messy. No offense, Boss, but you’re rich as fuck. Any woman could easily take advantage of your generosity.”
Does he think I’m an idiot?
“And why do you think I’m doing this through surrogacy instead of knocking up the next girl I bed? I’m being cautious.” I sweep the papers of candidates to the side of my desk.
Matteo stands on the opposite side as I sit behind the desk in my leather chair.
Comfortable.
Although I’m not the least bit relaxed.
I’ve been stressed thinking about the fact that I have no heir. No child to inherit my name or run the Barone family when I’m gone. While I don’t intend that day to be any time soon, I would like to know I have a son who will follow in my footsteps.
“These candidates are garbage,” I say, pinning Matteo with my stare. “Anyone can lie on paper.”
“Sir,” Matteo says, and I cut him off. I don’t want his excuses.
There’s only one way for me to feel confident that the surrogate is right.
Half my child’s DNA will be coming from the mother. I can’t depend on statistics and accomplishments from an egg donor.
I need to see the mother for myself, determine if she’s a good fit and if my child could benefit from her genetics.
It’s not about hair color or the shade of her eyes. Those things don’t matter to me.
There’s stubbornness and tenacity that I’m looking for in a woman—a fire and a spark that won’t diminish. I need an heir who won’t cower toward the enemy.
That type of personality doesn’t reveal itself on a piece of paper.
“I want to meet the surrogate, spend time with her, know without a doubt that she is the right person to give me a child.”
“Did I mention that I’m against this, Boss?”
“Repeatedly.”
A dark blue hatchback is parked out front by the street.
I drive past but don’t see anyone in the driver’s seat. I press the buzzer, open the wrought-iron gates, and pull into the driveway.
I glance in the rearview, ensuring the metal gates are closing before I pull around into the garage and shut the doors.
Stepping out of the car, I grab the takeout food and head inside the house.
The lights flip on automatically.