She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32 The Hotel Co-Parents

(Natasha)

Stepping through the double doors of the hotel suite, exhaustion drags heavily at my bones.

The private flight across the Pacific was smooth, but traveling internationally with a newborn takes a heavy toll..

Lily fusses quietly against my shoulder.

She obviously hates the sudden time change just as much as her mother does.

“Just put that next to the wardrobe,” Chase instructs the bellhop.

Glancing around the sprawling suite, my stomach tightens with fresh anxiety.

There’s a sleek sitting area, a glass dining table covered in business files, and one king-sized bed visible through the open bedroom archway.

A beautiful wooden crib sits mere feet from the mattress.

“Only one bedroom?” My tone is sharper than intended.

“Bauer booked the suite for me before this came up,” Chase replies calmly, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

“Every other room on this floor is occupied by his executive team. I’ll ask the front desk to bring up a mattress for me to sleep on.”

He doesn’t sound angry or demanding. He just sounds exhausted.

A sharp cry erupts from the bundle in my arms.

The unfamiliar environment is finally catching up to Lily.

Her tiny face turns bright red as she wails, her fists clutching the edge of her blanket.

“Here, let me,” Chase says, stepping forward and reaching for her.

Usually, she settles the moment her father holds her. But today, the second Chase lifts her away from my chest, her cries double in volume.

“Give her back,” I urge, reaching out immediately.

Chase hesitates, clearly wanting to soothe his own daughter, but the wailing grows frantic.

He gently places her back into my waiting arms.

Pressing her against my heart, I sway from side to side, murmuring soft words to her.

Slowly, the piercing cries taper off into tiny, exhausted hiccups.

“I guess you’ve bonded,” Chase notes softly.

His dark eyes hold a surprising warmth.

He rolls up his sleeves, revealing his forearms, and loosens his tie.

“Sit down, Natasha,” he urges, gesturing to the sofa.

“You flew fourteen hours to save this deal. I’ll order room service.”

Chapter The Hotel Co-Parents

+15 Bonus

Sinking into the plush cushions, a strange sense of unreality washes over me.

For the past year, our interactions consisted of neglectful disdain, bitter arguments, legal threats, and cold glares.

Now, my estranged husband is pouring me a glass of water and calling down for a late dinner.

“How’s Nathanial?” I ask, keeping my voice low so Lily can sleep.

“He’s a wreck,” Chase admits, sitting on the upposite end of the sofa.

“Finding out his sister died broke him. He locked himself in his room. Bauer saw him fall apart, which is why he demanded you fly out here. He wants your steady hand on the server migration.” 1

Half an hour later, the coffee table is covered in Bauer’s integration schematics and plates of warm food.

Lily refuses to be put down.

The moment she senses the mattress of the crib, she whimpers.

So, she stays securely tucked in the crook of my left arm, sleeping soundly against my chest.

“Bauer is worried about the timeline,” Chase explains, pulling his chair right next to the sofa.

His shoulder brushes against mine and a spark of electricity shoots down my spine at the sudden contact.

He smells like rain, sharp citrus, and dark roasted coffee.

A scent that instantly brings back memories that I buried a long time ago.

“The timeline is solid,” I reply, forcing my focus onto the papers.

Trying to review the schematics with one hand is nearly impossible.

Holding Lily requires a firm grip, leaving me struggling to turn the thick pages of the file.

Chase leans closer, invading my personal space.

Reaching across me, his large hand smoothly flips the page.

He stays close, reading the document alongside me.

The heat radiating from his body is highly distracting.

“Look at paragraph four,” he points out, his voice a low rumble right next to my ear.

My breath catches.

The domestic intimacy of the moment feels overwhelming.

We’re working side-by-side, sharing the weight of a multi-million dollar merger, while our daughter sleeps peacefully between us.

When I try to reach for my plate, the angle is too awkward.

My stomach that moment to growl loudly and I flush in embarrassment.

Without a single word, Chase picks up my fork.

He cuts a piece of chicken and lifts it directly to my lips.

Chapter 2 The Protel Co Parents

+15 Bonus

“Eat,” he commands softly.

Heat floods my cheeks.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify