Touched by a Phoenix Read Online Free Page B

hit her.
    No, it’s not possible. She rummaged through more documents….
    Damn…he is! As she continued to look through the stack of purchase agreements—he wants how much total? Oh no, before I approve these purchase requests, we are going to have a serious conversation. Alexis banded the folder and tossed it to the side. She had more important things to do today.
    She initiated the power on the tablet and began researching how to go about adopting a child. As an attorney, she could handle the legalities, check. She had a good job that paid her well; therefore, supporting herself and the child would not be a problem, check. She had a delightful life, would be able to offer a child a wonderful home, and so she didn’t think the approval process would be an issue, check. She had checked all the blocks, not too shabby for an afternoon’s work, she thought.
    Alexis then laid her head back and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered to her childhood dreams. Her heart saddened at how drastic life can change in a split second. Her mind shut down, refusing to think about that now. She tried to banish the ugly thoughts from her mind; I cannot change the past, but I can change the future.
    She had buried the painful memories of her past deep within herself, sharing them with no one. Alexis had learned from experience that love—even wishing for love—only led to heartbreak and pain. She had spent the last ten years building a wall around her heart protecting herself from hurt, and dammit, she was not about to let anyone hurt her again!
    She went back to reading. Grrr! She growled. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. It could take two years or more to adopt an infant. Would she be able to wait that long? Did she even want to wait that long? Now that she had made up her mind, she wanted to make it happen now. A child would complete her life, or at least as much as she could handle.
    Out of sheer frustration, she typed in ‘what are the alternatives to having a child’ and selected the third website—Alternative Means of Reproduction. The words Artificial Insemination screamed at her. She nearly closed the site down, but something grabbed her heart and tugged. She might be able to experience the joy of pregnancy and bringing a child—her child into this world. Alexis was overcome with excitement.
    I could have a baby without a husband.
    The plan began to form. She could pretend she had met someone special, have the procedure and voila, her problem would be solved. The special someone would simply disappear, leaving her to raise the child alone. She’d have her little family without the husband and no one would ever be the wiser! What an absolutely brilliant idea, she thought.
    Her excitement waned as she read the pages and pages of information. Before the afternoon was over, she knew she had to be out of her mind. She closed the site, it was too much to think about. Sperm donor? You have got to be kidding! It all sounded too good to be true and she had serious doubts.
    If she didn’t have a mate, how would she obtain the sperm without using a sperm bank? Oh, the banks guaranteed that you would receive the desired sperm but she wanted an intellect, someone who was healthy and physically fit, with a pleasant personality. She didn’t see how a sperm bank would be able to guarantee those things—what about hair and eye color? She’d need the baby to have some resemblance to either her or her mysterious boyfriend. More importantly, what about testing for diseases and family genetics? What if the donor lied? What if they found out and wanted to share in the child’s life later on?
    Alexis’s protective nature kicked in.
    He or she would be my child; I’d never allow that to happen.
    Her distrustful nature was overshadowed by longing and determination. Alexis closed her eyes. She simply had to figure this out, had to make at least some of her dreams come true.

    “Alexandria!”
    A familiar voice startled her from