The Billionaire and the Cleaner Read online

  “I’m thinking.”

  “Sometimes it’s good to ease the soul with thoughts that leave a sad face,” he said.

  Lana smiled at him but didn’t say another word. She typed in her security PIN at the building. After grabbing her cleaning equipment she made her way up the stairs to Kent’s floor. She saw the light on in his office.

  He’d been working overtime the last few days on some kind of overseas deal. She listened to everything he said about work even though she didn’t understand all the terms.

  She started working on cleaning the office. Their story had done the rounds in the newspaper, but when another playboy got an heiress pregnant her story had soon died down. No one was interested in a cleaner, especially when Kent threatened them if they printed anything bad about her.

  His hands wrapped around her waist as she was leaning over a desk.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to get here,” Kent said.

  She lifted up, and his hands cupped her breasts. Lana moaned as pleasure shot up her spine. She couldn’t keep her hands off him, and he’d kept to his promise. Not a day went by when he’d brought her to climax at least twice.

  “We’re in your office, Kent,” she said.

  “I don’t give a fuck. Everyone has gone home. I need you right now.” Kent lifted her onto the desk, pushed her uniform up her thighs to expose her pussy. He tore her panties from her body.

  She watched as he pulled his hard cock out of his pants. In the next instant he was inside her. She gasped as the width of him startled her.

  “Fucking, yes,” he said.

  He devoured her mouth as he rode her body. Lana had no choice but to hold on as he took her on one of his employee’s desks.

  “I’m not going to last. Play with yourself. I want to feel your cunt grip me,” he said.

  She licked her fingers and pressed them to her clit.

  “That’s it. Finger your sweet pussy.”

  Kent licked her lips as he rode her hard. “Fuck!”

  He fucked her hard, and she played with her clit bringing herself to orgasm as Kent finished inside her body.

  She didn’t want to think about the consequences of their unprotected sex. Lana hadn’t told him she’d missed two monthly cycles. The consequences scared her. She’d never used the pill because of how it affected her moods.

  “Thank you. I’m addicted to you, Lana,” he said.

  “I’m addicted to you as well.” She spoke the truth. Neither of them said the L-word. Lana was afraid in case he pushed her away. From an early age she’d learned how people used you once you gave them a part of yourself.

  She wouldn’t let that happen even though it was getting harder every day to deny him.

  ****

  Lana’s cunt pulsed around his cock. Kent didn’t want to leave her body. She felt so amazing to him. He held her close and wished they were home in his apartment where he could remove all of her clothing.

  “We’re going to John’s house this weekend. He’s putting on a barbeque, and a few of my friends will be there,” he said.

  “I’m going?” she asked.

  He hated this part of Lana. She always asked permission, as if she was his dirty little secret. Kent loved her. Why didn’t she see how he felt? His family and his friends knew he was in love with her. Why couldn’t she see what everyone else could?

  “Of course you’re coming. Lana, you’re my woman. Your place is by my side.”

  She smiled. “I need to finish work.”

  “I think this is going to be messy,” he said.

  “It’s good for you you’ve got a cleaner who knows how to clean this mess up.” He chuckled.

  When they were apart he helped her clean the mess they’d created. Kent pushed all of his thoughts aside. He wanted her badly.

  “I’ll help you clean,” he said.

  She laughed, and together they cleaned up the building. He watched as she moved around the room. His gaze never left hers.

  I love her. She’s part of my soul.

  He’d phoned his mother about a ring. Kent wanted to make Lana his wife. He loved her and intended to spend the rest of his life with her.

  The party at John’s place was also where he intended to propose to her. His family were due to be present. He’d planned the whole event. The last few days he’d been arranging places that would be perfect for him to propose. He’d cancelled three restaurants as proposing in those places had been done numerous times.

  Lana didn’t need expensive places. She needed to be comfortable and in a place she could trust. He understood that about her more than she realised.

  When they’d finished cleaning his floor, Kent waited for her in the car. She came out of the building, smiled at the security guard, and then made her way to him.

  Something was off about her. He’d noticed she was off her food, and when she woke up in the mornings she’d run to the bathroom a few times to vomit.

  Was she pregnant?

  He couldn’t be sure, and he didn’t want to pressure her. They hadn’t talked about kids, and he didn’t know her thoughts on kids. He knew she liked kids from the way she was with his nieces and nephews.

  What were her thoughts on them having kids?

  “You’re quiet tonight,” she said.

  “Thinking about the weekend. John’s parties are always full of surprises. He’ll probably get the photograph album out for you to have a little laugh over.” He chuckled.

  She laughed along with him. “He’s a teaser?” she asked.

  “Not really. He takes life pretty seriously,” he said, thinking about John.

  Lana grew quiet. They’d argued about photographs before. Kent didn’t want to bring up any bad memories for her.

  “Your friend sounds amazing,” she said.

  “He is.”

  They drove the rest of the way in silence. On the way up to their floor Kent kept thinking about her morning sickness. When they got into the apartment Lana went straight for the sofa. She collapsed on it moaning.

  “I’m so tired.”

  “Do you want anything to eat?” Kent asked, looking around their space. Their space was cleaner than he remembered it. A chocolate fudge cake was on a cake stand underneath a lid on the counter in the kitchen. She baked a lot, and the staff inside the block loved what she produced. The shelves and counters in the kitchen were filled with her books. He’d also noted some of her ornaments on the counters around the phone.

  He’d taken a couple of pictures of her over the weeks and gotten them framed. One was on his office desk at work.

  “No, I’m not hungry,” she said, grumbling.

  Kent helped her into bed and then walked through to the sitting room. He picked up his cell phone, checked the time, and tried his mother.

  Penny answered on the third ring. His mother was known for her late nights and early mornings.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  “I was wondering if you’d bring a pregnancy test on Saturday.”

  His mother squealed. “Oh my God! Derek, wake up. Lana’s pregnant.”

  He waited for her to calm down before talking. “I don’t know if she is. I’m going to propose to her on Saturday, and then we’re going to do the test. I don’t want you to rush ahead,” he said.

  Kent grew exasperated as Penny kept talking about grandbabies and preparing for the future. He rubbed his eyes.

  “Please, don’t tell the others. Something is bugging her, and I don’t want to rush ahead until I know what’s wrong.”

  At his words, Penny calmed down. He talked to her about everything that happened with Lana.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing, son. She’s hormonal, and if she’s pregnant she’d probably a little frightened. You’ve got to give her time.”

  He agreed. After some time passed, he hung up the phone and went into his room. Lana wore a sheer negligee, and one of her legs was wrapped around the blankets. She looked exhausted even in sleep.

&nbs
p; Stripping down to nothing, Kent climbed in beside her. He placed a hand on her stomach and wondered if his child was growing inside her.

  Lana was everything to him: his woman, his lover, and the other half of his soul.

  “I love you,” he said, cradling her close to his heart.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lana stared at all the photos of John’s family. There were several pictures of Kent with John when they were younger. She held a glass of water in her hand and her purse in the other as she looked at him. The party was a barbeque, and the scents were turning her stomach. Lana didn’t know how she was going to get over the next few hours. The thought of eating made her feel sick. The only food she could stomach was the dry crackers she kept in her purse. Every now and again she took one out of her purse to eat when no one was looking.

  Kent’s family had turned up. The instant Penny saw her, the older woman wrapped her arms around Lana. Staring at the photos sent uneasy thoughts tumbling through her mind. She’d taken a pregnancy test yesterday when Kent had been at work. The stick she’d taken read positive. The test she’d taken was wrapped in a plastic bag, and she’d placed it in her bag. She needed to tell him, but her past felt like a barrier between them and happiness.

  “There you are. I was wondering where you’d escaped to,” Kent said. His arms wrapped around her waist. “You can’t leave me at these events.”

  She smiled. “I was looking at some of the pictures.”

  He chuckled, and they walked over to them. “John loved to take photos even back then. He always had a camera. Didn’t you ever have a friend like that?” he asked.

  Lana froze. Again, a question about her past. What should she do? Answer the question, or ignore it?

  Kent let out a sigh. “Here we go again,” he said.

  She turned on him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Putting her glass of water down she faced the man she loved. Would he want her when he knew where she came from and the lifestyle she used to live?

  The patio doors leading out to the garden was open. The room they were in offered some kind of privacy for them.

  “You’re cutting me off. I ask something of your past, and you keep it hidden. I asked a question about you, Lana. Other women would want me to take an interest in their life.”

  “Oh, that’s right because you’re such a fucking gift from God.”

  What was wrong with her? Her emotions were all over the place.

  “No, that’s not it, and you know it. I want to know everything about you because I’m in fucking love with you,” Kent said.

  She opened her mouth to argue and froze. “What?”

  “You heard me,” he said. He grabbed a box from his pocket. “I organized all of this. I wanted to propose to you today.”

  What had happened?

  “You keep your life so wrapped up in yourself that you won’t let anyone inside,” Kent said. His voice rose, and she gazed out the door to see the crowd of people getting closer. Lana clutched her purse tighter against her stomach. Her stomach that would soon be fuller with his child.

  What are you doing? You’re in love with him. I can’t do this on my own.

  Lana closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks. Her past was a nightmare, but she couldn’t run from it anymore. Kent had invaded her life and her heart, and she couldn’t live without him. He was part of her life.

  Licking her lips she looked at him.

  “I lived in a trailer.” She blurted the words out before she gave herself chance to walk away without looking back. “I didn’t have a home like you or anyone else. I lived in a trailer in a bad area of town. I didn’t know who my father was. He could have been a guy in town or a passer through. My mom didn’t care who they were as long as they paid for services rendered.” She clutched her purse tighter as her stomach churned. “My Christmases were spent with a chair wedged against the door so her men didn’t come to my room. When it was summer I used to take a blanket and sleep on a ratty sofa next to a stream.”

  Kent stood facing her.

  “I had no brothers or sisters. I was an only child with a mother who drank a lot. She didn’t do anything but whore her body out. I was bullied in school by my peers, but more often than not I saw them when I woke up in the morning. They were happy to ridicule me, but they still slept with her.” Tears were falling down her cheeks. “I graduated school, but I didn’t have great grades. I could work hard at waiting tables and cleaning. I hate mess because it reminds me of her and the past I left behind. The stench of sex, alcohol, and despair filled the trailer.”

  She took a deep breath. “There are no pictures of me because my mom never owned a camera. I don’t know what I looked like as a baby or toddler. All I remember is the stench of alcohol from my old life. I don’t talk about my past because it’s miserable, and who wants to remember something like that? I don’t.”

  Lana moved closer even as tears fell down her cheeks. “That is the past I’ve tried to keep from you. The woman you think you love didn’t start her life like this. My small apartment meant so much to me because it wasn’t a trailer. What I’ve told you is what I told Frank. When he dumped me he told me the only reason he stayed was because I made him feel guilty. I don’t want you to stay with me because you feel guilty.”

  She dropped her gaze to her purse. The pregnancy test was inside her purse waiting for her to show him.

  Lifting her head she stared at him. “I’m in love with you, Kent. I’m not after your money or anything else. I love you, the man. I don’t want you to stay with me because you feel guilty.”

  For the longest time she waited for him to respond. Nothing happened, and she felt her whole world crumble.

  ****

  Kent stared at her bowed head. His family had heard every word she spoke. He saw them beyond the door with tears in their eyes. They were supposed to jump in with congratulations. He’d not intended to start an argument with her that made her talk with him.

  The past she spoke of made him feel sick. He’d figured a horrid parent or something was in her past. He never expected something so stressful.

  Her past didn’t affect his decision. Kent loved Lana the woman, not her past. He reached out, cupping her cheek. “Do you really think I give a shit about that life? I know it’s not who you are. I love you, Lana.” Sinking his fingers into her hair, he pulled her close. Her soft warmth pressed against his body.

  Closing his eyes he absorbed the pleasure of her next to him.

  She loved him. He smiled as all of her words penetrated his mind. Kent opened his eyes and tilted her head back to look at him.

  “Frank’s an asshole. I don’t care what happened to you. However, it does explain your tendency to clean everything and that day your shoe was dirty. You’re an obsessed cleaner. I can live with that, but I think you should relax around the baby. Our son or daughter won’t like your obsessive cleaning.”

  She gasped. “How did you know?” she asked.

  “Know what?”

  Lana opened her purse and pulled out a plastic bag. She handed him the bag. He went to open the bag.

  “Don’t open it. It’s got urine on. You can read the result on the front,” she said.

  He turned the bag over and saw the test with two blue lines. “This is a pregnancy test?” he asked.

  “Yes. It’s positive.”

  Throwing the test down on the floor, he picked Lana up in his arms and swung her around. His family charged in the room cheering. Lana rested her head against his chest, and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Do it,” his mother said, whispering. He laughed but got down on one knee before Lana.

  The box he’d shown her was still in his pocket.

  “Lana Hawkins, you crazy cleaner, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? This is not because of the baby. This is because I love you and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. You mean everything to me.”

  Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at him. “
You still want to marry me?” she asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I want to marry you?”

  She nibbled her lip. “After what I told you, aren’t you angry with me?”

  Kent got to his feet. He cupped her cheeks and claimed her lips under his. “What you’ve just told me has made me want you more than ever before. You’re a brave woman, Lana. What you told me about your past has only made me want you more. I love you so much.” He kept kissing her lips in between each word he spoke.

  “I love you, too,” she said.

  “Be my wife and I’ll show you what true love really is.”

  She stared at the ring in the box then nodded. “Yes, I love you.”

  He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger as his family cheered. John stood with Samantha in his arms. A few of his other friends raised a beer toward him.

  Kent took Lana in his arms outside and danced with her. For the rest of the day he refused to let her leave his side. As the day passed he took her for a walk down the street for them to have some alone time.

  “You’re not embarrassed about my past?” she asked when they were far enough away.

  “I admire you, Lana. What you’ve told me mustn’t have been easy to overcome.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  He took her hand and led her down toward a tree. Pressing her against the tree he stroked her face. “What was the hardest?” he asked.

  “Of living like I did?”

  Kent nodded. He needed to show to her he could handle the truth.

  “The worst part was waking up in the morning and seeing one of the guys from my year. I would be getting ready for school, and they’d be pulling up their pants. I’d pretend not to see them, and all day I’d see them smirking in my direction. I felt dirty. Their looks made me think I’d slept with them or something. My mom never cared about what happened.”

  Kent saw it was still hard for her to talk about. “I want you to know you can talk to me about anything. Your past is part of who you are. I don’t want you to be embarrassed about it.”

  She nodded. “I know, but I don’t want to remember any of it. The Christmas I spent with you made me realise how messed up my past was. My Christmas was spent doing catch up on school work. I was always behind because of her rages and the men she brought home.”