The Baby Arrangement: Life, Love, & Babies

By Samantha Chase

What do you do when a baby is dropped on your doorstep and you're not sure if the father is you or your wayward brother?

 

If you're Derek Sloan you freak out as your perfectly organized world suddenly becomes filled with chaos. With his brother nowhere to be found and fatherhood is suddenly thrust upon him, Derek is desperate for any help he can get.

What do you do when the man you've been crushing on suddenly has a need and you are the only one he wants to fill it?

 

You do a little happy dance and pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming! For five years Kayleigh Mitchell has longed for her boss to notice her and now that he has, she can only hope that he'll come to see her as more than a temporary solution to his problem, but someone that he wants around for the long haul.

 

A sweet and tender contemporary romance perfect for fans of Susan Mallery, Bella Andre, and Marie Force.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Samantha Chase
• Release date: Jul 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201138028

Samantha Chase

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well. When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Book preview

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"What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?"

"Ugh. I’m not ready to think about it yet. I’ve still got...what? Five, maybe six weeks?"

Kayleigh Mitchell stood and looked up at the obscene number of red and pink hearts dangling from the ceiling of the Super Target and sighed. Valentine’s Day was not her thing. She looked over to where her friend and coworker Carol was flipping through racks of red lingerie. Once again, there would be no one for her to look forward to surprising with racy lingerie, and the next day she’d have to sit through hearing all about everyone else’s super romantic dates.

And possibly a little TMI about all the sex they had afterwards.

Well, you better get yourself ready because the big V day will be here before you know it.

Kill me now.

Resignation weighed her down as she walked over to catch up with Carol. So I’m sure Joe really appreciates this kind of stuff, huh? She sounded uncomfortable and ridiculous even to her own ears.

Are you kidding me? Carol said with a laugh. We have been married for five years and we dated for three years before that, but all I have to do is flash a little red lace, and it’s like we’re teenagers again. It’s become kind of like a game for us; each year I try to find something sexier and more daring. I’m not big on leaving my comfort zone, but once a year I can handle it.

Wearing sexy lingerie is leaving your comfort zone?

Carol looked at her with pity. When was the last time you purchased anything slinky? The answer was too depressing to admit out loud. That’s what I thought, Carol said before turning back to the rack and looking at her options. Wearing sexy things isn’t out of my comfort zone; it’s the sexy things the lingerie leads to that pushes my boundaries. She held up a red silk nightie. See this? The first few years we were together, I’d wear something like this. It hits mid-thigh, it covers everything, and the spaghetti straps make it feel more like a slip than pajamas, but for the most part, it’s tame.

Tame? She watched in fascination as Carol led her around the lingerie department and described each item she held up. The garments grew smaller and smaller, and after a while, Kayleigh had to wonder why a person would even bother wearing one.

I’m pretty much down to needing just a thong this year, Carol said finally. I’m not quite as fit as I used to be, and I’m a little self-conscious about wearing just that, but hey, I know Joe will be thrilled.

Kayleigh thought of her flannel boxers and t-shirts. Would any man be thrilled by that sight? Somehow she doubted it. Still, since no one was going to be seeing her in them anytime soon, it didn’t really matter. She knew who she’d like to see her in them, but she was pretty sure that particular man would be less than enthused by her unsophisticated sleeping apparel.

If you want, I can fix you up with one of Joe’s friends for Valentine’s Day. You know, we can double-date and go out for dinner or something. What do you say?

I’m pathetic.

Thanks, but...I’m good. Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem like the best night for a blind date.

Carol shook her head and made a tsking sound. When are you going to admit you’re fighting a losing battle?

What are you talking about?

"You never go out, you don’t date, and you spend most of your Friday nights babysitting your nieces and nephews. It’s time for you to leave your comfort zone, Kayleigh. A knight in shining armor isn’t going to come searching for you, and if he does, he’s not going to be looking at your siblings’ houses. It’s time you stopped letting your family take advantage of you and thought about yourself."

It wasn’t a new concept. Kayleigh knew she needed to get out more and babysit less, but she didn’t want to hang out at clubs or bars. She knew the man she wanted. She just needed him to notice she was alive.

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There was a whirlwind of activity going past the customer service department. Kayleigh had looked up several times from her tiny cubicle at the raised voices and the fast-paced movement of people running past.

I wonder what’s going on, she quietly whispered to Carol, who was sitting in the adjoining cube.

I bet Brian’s done something wrong again, she replied with a snicker.

Kayleigh shrugged her shoulders, figuring Carol was right. The Sloan brothers’ nationally recognized textile distributor, Sloan Design, catered to clientele that included some of the most exclusive hotels, resorts, and spas in North America and, soon, abroad. Their grandparents had started the company some thirty years earlier and had retired just five years ago, leaving their grandchildren in charge. Since then, the company had more than quadrupled in size.

Derek, the older brother, was the company president and the brains of the whole operation. He had come to work for the company while still in high school and Gerald Sloan had groomed him to take the helm one day. Brian, five years younger, held the title of vice president but had no real interest in the company. Everyone who worked for the Sloans knew Brian was a playboy who enjoyed the perks of the family’s wealth and success but did nothing to contribute to it. Derek had to bail his little brother out of one predicament after another.

The sound of a baby wailing brought Kayleigh’s head back up. She looked over at Carol. Was that what I think it was?

If you thought it was a baby, then you’d be correct. Kayleigh looked around the department to see if anyone else seemed as distracted by the goings-on as she was, but most of her coworkers appeared unfazed. The sounds coming from the executive end of the hall were most definitely of an infant crying. Loudly. After several moments, the others seemed to catch up with Kayleigh’s initial reaction and looked at one another with raised eyebrows, nearly getting whiplash when Derek’s normally reserved and in control assistant Eileen came running by them, and away from her office.

Several moments passed before she ran back to her boss’s executive suite and slammed the door.

Well, that was odd, Carol commented while punching numbers into her computer, clearly still uninterested in what was going on.

Kayleigh said nothing but inwardly felt great distress. The infant’s cries grew louder and more heartbreaking. Why is that poor baby still crying?

Who knows? her friend replied casually, still not looking up from her work.

After looking at her clock and seeing that the cries, along with raised voices, had been coming from Derek Sloan’s office for nearly thirty minutes, Kayleigh could no longer remain in her seat. She strode purposefully down the wide, carpeted hallway toward the one office she had never been invited into.

She knocked and waited for a reply. The raised voices made it impossible for her to be heard. Gently turning the knob and opening the door a mere slit, she was assaulted by the argument going on inside.

"I am not a babysitter, Derek! If that’s what you need, then you better find one fast because that is not in my job description. And so help me, if you don’t do something about this situation right now, I’ll quit!"

Kayleigh admired Eileen’s ability to stand up to her boss, but under the current circumstances, while an innocent baby was so obviously in distress, she didn’t think it was right that the woman would stand there and yell.

What is it you’d like me to do, Eileen? Derek asked. His booming voice caused Kayleigh to jump and retreat slightly from the partially opened door. At thirty-five, he was the handsomest man Kayleigh had ever seen. His six-foot-two frame towered over most people in the office and he was built like a linebacker. His impeccable appearance and commanding presence made him an entity unto himself.

Most Sloan employees rarely saw the man in person because he was either holed up in his office or traveling on company business, a problem that plagued Kayleigh daily. After being with the company for a short time, she had found herself coming into the office earlier than necessary just so she could catch a glimpse of Derek’s raven-black hair and smell his distinctive cologne.

Breaking out of her fantasies, she opened the door farther and stepped tentatively inside. The boss and his assistant were still arguing and the baby continued to cry. Kayleigh spotted a wicker basket on the floor and noticed a tiny red fist flailing around.

I suggest you remove this child from the building and go find your brother, Eileen snapped, clearly at the end of her rope. "It’s probably his responsibility anyway."

Kayleigh nearly gasped at the harsh words. Who knew that a woman who looked like a saintly grandmother could have such a hard heart? Kayleigh was about