Twins For Christmas (Book Three): Twins For Christmas, #3

By Layla Valentine

The most wonderful time of the year just got scandalous.
Two adorable Christmas babies,
For my billionaire boss!

I've never been the biggest fan of Christmas,
So when I was called to volunteer for a last-minute work trip, I jumped at the chance—even if it meant working through the holidays.
Finding out that I'd be flying to Rio with the company's smoking-hot new CEO,
Well, that was just the cherry on top.
One thing led to another, and we had a very merry Christmas indeed.

Flash forward to the next day and he tells me it should never have happened,
And he's willing to pay big bucks if I agree to keep my silence.
Well, it's too late for that—
I'm pregnant, with his twins!
Can we be a beautiful, united family?
Or will our scandalous secret ruin us both?

This is the third book of Twins For Christmas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Layla Valentine
• Release date: Mar 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201182205

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

ISLA

MAY

Aglimpse of myself in the wall mirror at the side of the waiting room was enough to give me pause. Sure I’d seen myself pregnant every day since, well, I’d gotten pregnant. But at that moment, it dawned on me exactly how pregnant I was.

Twenty weeks. For twenty weeks I’d been dealing with aches and cravings and nausea, and not even a glass of wine to help me out.

Well, I thought. This is what you wanted, right? You’re going it alone, exactly like you’d said you wanted to.

I couldn’t argue with myself on that point. And I had to give myself some credit—I was really making the most of it. Aside from a few days off work here and there that I felt bad about having to take, I was carrying on. Sure, I knew that things might get a little more difficult as the pregnancy went on, but I was ready for any challenge.

Look on the bright side, right? That’s what I’d always told myself.

So that’s what I tried to do. I thought about months from now, how I’d finally give birth and be holding my little baby boy or girl in my arms, that all the struggle and hardship would be worth it. After all, I had a great job with benefits and childcare, and before too long I’d start looking for an apartment with a little more room. Sure, it’d be a stretch since I wasn’t exactly making Adam Forde money, but I’d do it, I was certain.

Cutting through my thoughts, the soft voice of the receptionist carried through the waiting room.

Ms. Marten?

With no small amount of effort, I heaved myself up and out of my chair. As I did, I caught another glance of myself in the mirror. My belly was…huge. I wasn’t exactly an expert on how pregnancy looked at the different stages, but what was going on with my reminded me more of women in the last few months, not a little over halfway through.

Don’t worry yourself about it, I told myself. You’re going to see the doctor now, and she’ll answer whatever questions you have. No sense in getting yourself worked up into a tizzy.

That did it. Talking myself down like that had been a skill I’d really gotten down over the last few months. I found it the best way to handle going through this pregnancy all by myself.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to have someone, anyone by my side offering some words of calm and encouragement that I didn’t have to come up with on my own.

Maybe someone like Adam.

No, I thought, my inner voice taking a sharp edge. You made your decision with him and you’re going to stick by it. No going back now.

It was a conversation I’d had with myself more times than I could count. Sometimes in my most difficult moments, I’d think about how easy it would be to call Adam, to tell him what was going on and demand some kind of help. What if he did simply write me a check and send me on my way? He was wealthy—surely the check would be substantial. Maybe even some monthly payments, money that could make the difference between a life of struggle and one of comfort.

But as I had every other time, I dismissed the thought. I didn’t need his help. And as much as I’d accustomed myself to the idea that he’d likely pay me off and not want to be involved, I knew that actually hearing him say it would be difficult to take, to say the least.

Focus on what’s happening now, I told myself as the nurse formed up on my side and escorted me down the hall. You’re pregnant, you’re alone, and you’re kicking butt. You don’t need Adam and his kind of support—you’ve got this.

I smiled, pleased as the negative feelings slowly drifted away.

As I walked, however, I found that it was kind of…hard, actually. My belly felt like it’d grown bigger between when I’d entered the office and when I’d gotten up.

Here you go, said the nurse, seemingly sensing my struggle as she slipped her arm around mine. Easy does it.

Having her help me like that, as nice as it was, struck me as against the whole idea of looking out for myself. I was quick to slip my arm out of hers and resume walking on my own as normal—well, as normally as I could.

Thanks, I said. But I’m okay. Got to get used to walking with a belly sooner or later, right?

She smiled, thankfully not appearing to take my independent streak in the wrong way.

That’s right, she said. And that’s a big belly to get used to. You’re what, twenty-four weeks along?

My eyes went wide. So it wasn’t my imagination that I looked huge for my stage.

No, I said. Twenty.

The nurse appeared impressed.

That’s a good sign, she said. Big babies are healthy babies. My first was nine-and-a-half pounds, if you can believe that. And now he’s thirteen years old and already pushing six feet. You might have a future linebacker on your hands!

She flashed me another warm smile.

It put me at ease. Maybe that was it? Maybe I was about to give birth to a big, healthy kid. After all, Adam was tall and well-built, why wouldn’t any kid of his be the same?

Tall and well-built, handsome, smart, ambitious…I had to admit that if I was going to have an absent father, there were far worse genes to be left with. Then again, there was the issue of him being something of a selfish prick. Maybe I could teach that out of the kid, letting him or her know the value of empathy.

Focus… I reminded myself again.

We continued on, eventually reaching the examination room where I’d been so many times before. The nurse led me in and guided me to my place on the table.

She’ll be right with you, she said right before closing the door.

At that moment I hated to be alone. I wanted the doctor to come in and tell me that everything was going to be all right.

Damn, Isla. She’s an obstetrician, not a therapist.

My internal scolding made me think