“Oh, he wasn’t just a pleasure fuck, then?” Felix said, blinking in surprise. “And here I thought you had simply made time for a sensual holiday for two.”
“No,” Heath said firmly. “I’m making an heir.”
“I bet Lidell is thrilled to hear that.”
Heath groaned.
“Oh, Lidell doesn’t know, does he?” Felix shook his head and cackled, his neck extending back with his glee. “Sweet babies in a basket, Heath!
What’s going on with you?”
“Business first.” Heath shot his cuffs and sat down in the chair opposite Felix’s desk. “Fill me in on this investment you’re so sold on and convince me to give you the money for it.”
Felix smirked but didn’t argue. He knew Heath well enough to know that pissing him off now wasn’t a good personal or business choice.
The rest of the meeting ran quickly.
“I do appreciate you coming in today,” Felix said once the ink was dry on the agreement and Heath had put a large sum of money at his disposal. “As usual, I couldn’t do what I do without you.”
Heath shrugged. He’d inherited his family’s fortune when his parents died, and he had more than he could ever spend. He’d found over the years that money didn’t buy happiness, and, if he had his way, he’d spend more time in the woods and less time cutting deals. But he also knew the world around them was going to shit, and if he wanted to make a difference in it, then he needed allies like Felix to fight the good fight, build the good buildings, fund the right work, and organize proper charities. For fuck’s sake, he wasn’t going to do it himself, now was he?
He stood up, straightened his suit jacket, and said, “I have things to attend to at home. Raincheck on those drinks, friend.”
“And by ‘things to attend,’ do you mean a pregnant omega?” Felix asked.
Heath adjusted his tie. He should have known Felix wasn’t going to let the subject go. They’d been friends too long, and Felix knew too much about his family’s dramas to not see how Lidell was going to take it and to not wonder what prompted Heath to burn that bridge after all these years.
He cleared his throat, uncertain where to start. Should he tell him all the justifications he’d made up after the fact? Or the truth?
“He was a luscious young man,” Felix said. “I was willing to pay a lot to have his heat. I have a few children already, as you know, all of them living with their omega parents because I have no patience for young ones. But if I’d won him, I’d have paid to breed, too. He’s handsome and intelligent. I get the urge. I do.” Felix tilted his head. “But, Heath, it’s not like you.”
So the truth, then.
“He’s Nathan’s son,” he said. It came out sounding strangled. He hoped Felix didn’t notice. He hadn’t meant to give so very much away with so few words.
Felix’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “He’s what?”
“Nathan’s son. His only living descendent. From his first breeding.”
Felix stared at Heath and then headed to the liquor cabinet by the wide windows looking out over the city. “No, you’re staying for a drink, because this? This is madness.”
Heath almost balked, but Felix approached him with a finger and a half of brandy and a worried glimmer in his eye that spoke of true friendship. Heath sighed and took the liquor.
“Your favorite brandy,” Felix said.
Heath took a sip.
“Now, sit down here on the sofa,” Felix said, guiding Heath toward the area of his office reserved for more casual conversations. “You’ve impregnated your dead lover’s son,” Felix said, and Heath had to admit it sounded quite bad when put like that. “Does he know?”
“Who? Nathan? As you stated, he’s dead. Of course he doesn’t know.”
“Don’t be purposely obtuse. That won’t work with me. You know I meant the son. The omega you won.”
Heath sighed, then took another hearty swallow of brandy and raised a
brow.
“He doesn’t know,” Felix concluded, sitting back with wide eyes. “Do you plan to tell him?”
“I don’t see why I should.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Why would I tell him something like that? It’s not important in the scheme of what we’re doing together. He’ll be gone after the child is born, take the money and…” Heath trailed off. That’s what he’d expected Adrien to do. It’s what Nathan would have done. But Adrien wasn’t Nathan. “There won’t be a reason for him to ever know. Even if he chooses to participate in the child’s life, he won’t be around for long. He wants to be a professor.” He shifted uncomfortably.
Felix lifted a brow. “And if you fall for each other during the gestation period?”
“Unlikely.”
Felix blew out a low whistle. “I fell for two of my boys’ omega parents.
They didn’t fall for me.”
“That’s brutal,” Heath said, throat tight.
“Yes. Well, what do you plan to do?”
Heath took the rest of his glass down in a fast gulp. It wasn’t good form, but he didn’t care. He needed the burn of alcohol to clear his mind. Or muddy it. He wasn’t quite sure which. “I suppose a lot of it is up to him. How well we get on between now and the birth will play a big part. How much of a role he wants in the child’s life. How much of a role he wants in mine.”
“You? Raising a child alone? No. If you want my advice, let him raise the little booger, and you just leave the castle and the fortune to it. Be done with the whole thing after the heat. If you don’t fall in love, all the better.”
“I know you don’t enjoy fatherhood much, Felix, but I think I’ll take to it quite well. He’ll be part Nathan, and I always wanted that.” And part Adrien, too. He no longer seemed only a Nathan substitute, after all, but his own, sweet, trusting person who made Heath feel all alpha.
“Fine, fine. But you intend to let this boy decide what part he’ll play in this child’s life without ever telling him why you knocked him up to begin with?” He lifted a brow again. “That seems unfair.”
“Adrien is—”
“Ah, yes, Adrien. I’d forgotten his name.”
Heath huffed, annoyed by that statement. How anyone could forget anything about Adrien was beyond him. The boy was exquisite, and in bed he made the sweetest, most desperate noises while coming on Heath’s knot. He cleared his throat and adjusted his pants.
“What does Simon think of this?”
“He doesn’t like it.”
“I should say not. The old bugger must be worried that he’ll have to change nappies and sing the baby to sleep when this omega goes trotting off with all that money to, as you say, travel the world or finish his schooling.”
Heath frowned. “I’ll hire a nanny for the child.”
“That was Simon’s job, wasn’t it? Your nanny.”
“And now he’s my general keeper. He doesn’t find it a very fun position.”
“At least you aren’t throwing ragers with the president’s youngest son anymore or keeping omegas on retainer for heat orgies like you did in university.”
“I’ve known you too long, Felix. You have all of my worst secrets on speed dial.”
“I also have your best interests at heart. I suppose there’s no undoing it now. The boy is well and truly fucked in so many ways, and you’ll have to deal with whatever comes.” Felix shrugged.