Winning His Wife: Baby Daddy University Book 1

by Hamel, B. B.

  I frown and check the time on my phone. I give a little gasp. It’s after ten at night, and somehow I just spent the whole time chatting with this man about… nothing, apparently.

  “I’m going to get in trouble,” I say. “Curfew is ten.”

  He waves that off. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

  “But—”

  “Trust me.” He walks over toward the door. “Coming?”

  I sigh and get up. “Shouldn’t we straighten all this?”

  He laughs. “Kayla, you have people to do that for you.”

  I glare at him but don’t argue. We leave and head back down the hall and out into the night. Somewhere back in that lavish apartment, my lavish apartment, people are probably cleaning up our mess. It makes me strangely excited and strangely uncomfortable.

  I follow him down the paths toward the dorms. The curfew at Gradus is strict, but it only applies to freshmen dorms. The older girls can stay out as late as they want, and if a freshman isn’t in the dorms, she doesn’t have to follow that rule.

  Unfortunately, I’m in the dorms, and so I have to get back. I feel anxious as we walk up to the building and I keep expecting Olive to come storming out, but nothing happens.

  Reed faces me as we stop in front of the door. We’re partially in shadow but I can’t help but feel like people are watching.

  “I had a nice time,” he says softly.

  “Yeah. I did too.” I frown up at him. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask. Did I see you before?”

  He nods. “You did.”

  “You were watching me.”

  “I was.”

  I bite my lip. “What is it with sponsors? Are they all so…”

  “Involved?” he suggests.

  “Yeah,” I say softly.

  “Probably,” he whispers, moving closer. “But don’t worry about them.”

  I look up into his eyes. He’s so handsome, I can barely breathe. I know I don’t want to give him anything in exchange for all this, but…

  I find myself wanting him anyway. It’s dumb, I know.

  “Listen,” he says, his voice almost a whisper. I have to lean closer to him and I feel his hands suddenly touch my hips. I let out a little breath as my heart leaps in my chest. “Girls are going to… be jealous,” he says softly, his breath warm in my ear. “Be careful, okay?”

  “I will,” I say.

  “I can’t interfere with that. But just… be careful.”

  I nod and he draws back slightly to look into my eyes.

  We hold there for a moment, inches apart, his hands on my hips. My lips part and he stares down at me and I want it. I want it so badly.

  He must hear my beating heart because he gives me exactly what I need. He leans forward and kisses me gently, slowly, deeply.

  God, what a kiss. I return it almost hungrily, letting his tongue slide against mine as I reach up to run fingers through his hair. I’ve never kissed someone like him before, never had a kiss that made me feel…

  Insane. Crazy. Heart beating fast, that pooling wet growing between my legs.

  We break the kiss off and his lips still linger on mine, a ghost of their touch.

  “Good night,” he says, a little smile in his eyes. He turns and walks quickly away.

  I stand there like a moron, watching him go.

  What the hell just happened?

  I turn to the dorm and push open the door. I walk quietly up the steps and down the hall toward my room, floating in a haze. Olive’s door is open and she looks out at me as I pass, but she just nods.

  Bizarre. All of this is bizarre.

  I finally reach my room, unlock the door, and step inside.

  Instantly, Iris is there.

  “You have to tell me EVERYTHING,” she gushes.

  I let her draw me into the room, the door shutting behind us with a soft click. I sit on my bed and smile at the girl, probably my only friend here.

  And I tell her everything, the whole crazy story, beginning to end. By the time I’m done, Iris looks like she wants to pass out from excitement.

  “Sorry,” I say, getting changed. “I’m exhausted. Do you mind?”

  “No, that’s okay.” She sounds disappointed. I’m sure she has a million questions.

  “We’ll talk tomorrow.” I slip under my covers, duck under them, and close my eyes.

  And all I can see is Reed, his lips against mine, his taste in my mouth. A buzz runs through my body and god, as much as I hate to admit it, I really want that man again.

  4

  Reed

  I know I made a mistake back there, but god, what a delicious little mistake.

  I didn’t plan on kissing her. I just wanted to warn her that the other girls were going to treat her even worse once they realized that she was drafted. The bullying was probably pretty bad already, but she was protected from the worst of it because they didn’t realize the truth about her.

  Now though, I doubt it’s going to stay secret long. Too many people saw me with her and that roommate doesn’t seem like she can keep her mouth shut.

  Fucking hell. I really don’t want to make her life harder. I hope she gets over her stubbornness and moves into the sponsored dorm, but I suspect that’s not going to happen. I don’t think she’s the kind of girl to pack up and run away, no matter how bad it gets.

  Which is why I shouldn’t be kissing her. That wasn’t my intention when I got so close, but as soon as my lips were near hers and she looked up at me with those pretty eyes, I knew I couldn’t resist. She smelled good, felt good, looked so fucking good. And finally, she tasted even better.

  God damn, that kiss. I’ve kissed plenty of women in my life but never once have I reacted like that to just a kiss. I felt like my whole body was on fire with excitement for her. It was all I could do not to drag her off to her dorm and have my way with her.

  Fucking hell. What a nightmare.

  I get home late that night, head still spinning. Normally I live in New York, in my own little apartment in the Village. I work for a tech startup I founded, one that’s dedicated to making virtual reality work for disabled people. We’re doing great so far, making some real advances, and it feels good to put my money to good use.

  Unfortunately though, the only place near Gradus that I can genuinely stay is my father’s palatial fucking estate.

  I grew up here, but it never felt like home, not in the traditional sense. As I park my car at the top of the absurdly long driveway and head around toward the side entrance, I can’t help but feel like a stranger.

  There’s not much going on this late at night. Most of the staff is gone, everyone except for my father’s personal butler, a man named Jones. He’s lurking around somewhere and I hope I don’t have to run into him.

  I slip into the back of the house and into the kitchen. There’s a light on above the stove, something Henrietta always does when she knows I’m staying in the house. I smile to myself, remembering all the times the woman was kind to me over the years.

  I walk through the kitchen and toward the back stairs when something catches my eye. There’s a light on down the hall, which is unusual. Normally people are upstairs or in bed at this hour. I frown and walk toward it, only realizing too late that it’s my father’s study.

  “Reed?”

  I freeze in the hall, like a deer caught in headlights. I’m surrounded by ancient mahogany, priceless paintings, and even a few portraits of past family scions. The Wright family goes back decades in this country and even further back into England. We were always wealthy, but now we’re something else entirely.

  I’m tempted to smash some of the crap around me but I’m not a petulant child anymore. This doesn’t own me.

  I let out a breath and walk into his study. My father is sitting behind his desk, a glass of whiskey in one hand, and my oldest brother Silas is standing off to the side, leaning against a bookshelf. Both men stare at me as I enter and I feel like a little boy again.

  “Dad, Si
las,” I say.

  “Been out late?” Silas asks with a grin.

  I just ignore him. My father frowns at me. “How was campus today?” he asks.

  I laugh softly. “You ask like I’m a student.”

  He smiles a little, unsure of my mood, I’m sure. “Come inside and sit.”

  I hesitate but I know that if I don’t engage, they’ll just accuse me of being moody. It’s not worth trying to wriggle out of this.

  I go to the bar, pour a drink, and sit. I might as well get drunk if I’m going to put up with their bullshit.

  “Campus was fine,” I say finally.

  “Did you see her?” father asks.

  “I saw her.”

  “Good.” He seems strangely relieved.

  “I know what’s expected of me.”

  He likes that, I can tell. “I wasn’t sure if you did.”

  “You’ve been telling me my whole life.”

  “But the girl’s nothing,” Silas says suddenly. “I mean, come on. We all know you chose her just to piss everyone off.”

  I give Silas a little smile. “I guess it’s working on you, huh.”

  He glares at me and father interrupts him before he can speak.

  “Frankly, Reed, if you settle down with anyone, I’ll be happy.”

  I raise my eyebrow at him. “Never expected to hear that from you.”

  He sighs and leans back in his chair, looking tired. He puts his drink down and takes off his glasses. My father is a thin man with sharp eyes and gray hair that’s a bit too long. He pushes it back haphazardly but he never understood how to style it at all. He’s wearing a rumpled collared shirt and a pair of khakis.

  I bet if you saw my father in the grocery store, you’d think he was just another random older man out to buy some cereal. But of course, you’d never see Eli Wright in a grocery store. He has people for that sort of thing.

  “You’ve made it clear that you don’t care much for our family,” father says. “Time and time again, I’ve reached out to you, your brothers have reached out to you, and you’ve rebuffed us at every turn. I’ve given up on you, Reed.”

  I hate myself for feeling disappointed. This is what I’ve wanted my whole life. My family has been trying to push me in the “right” direction since the day I was born and it never felt good to me. I never wanted to marry a smart rich girl from a good family. I never wanted to go into the oil business like my brothers. I never wanted any of this.

  And now, finally, it sounds like my father might be giving up.

  “I wanted to offer you a deal,” father says softly.

  Silas snorts. “I told him not to do this,” he says. “You don’t deserve it.”

  “Silas.” Father glares at him then looks back at me. “Are you ready to listen, son?”

  I nod. “I’m listening.”

  “I’m ready to cut you loose under one circumstance.”

  My heart quickens in my chest. “Cut me loose?”

  “That’s right. I’ll release your trust to you, free and clear. What’s yours will be all yours.”

  I clench my jaw. This is what I’ve always wanted. My trust is the money that has been set aside for me, invested in my name since the day I was born. It’s a sizable fortune at this point, and I’ve been wanting it badly to help fund my company and my charities. Father has been releasing it in small drips, but never enough.

  This though, this could change things. I could make serious strides with my company. I could help people with disabilities live better lives. I could donate to charities doing real work. I could have a life and do some real good in the world to combat all the bad my family has done.

  “And the catch?” I ask.

  “You have to marry her.”

  Silas snorts but says nothing. I glance at him then back to my father. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” he says, nodding. “Marry this girl you chose. Settle down, have a family. Maybe you won’t be the man I want you to be but maybe you can still be something good.”

  I feel my fingers curl against the arm of the chair. “Is that all?”

  “That’s all.”

  “Then the answer is no.” I stand quickly. The whiskey in my glass sloshes but doesn’t spill.

  “Oh, Jesus,” Silas groans. “Of course you’re too good for this.”

  It takes all my energy not to spit back at him.

  “Reed,” father says, “this is the best offer I’m going to make you.”

  “I understand,” I say. “But I told you a long time ago. I’m done playing these little rich person games. I’m only involved in this draft thing because you threatened to take away all the funding to my company, and I can’t afford that right now. I believe in what we’re doing and I won’t lose the progress we’ve made just because I’m too proud to play along.” I take a breath and let it out then shake my head. “But marrying her is going too far, even for that.”

  Father looks disappointed but not angry. I think the anger has been yelled out of him by this point. We’re past that now.

  “Your choice,” he says. “You can always change your mind, however. Marry the girl and your money is all yours.”

  “Is that all?” I ask.

  He nods. “That’s all.”

  “Have a good night.” I turn away from them and walk out of the room. I hear my brother say something to my father and my father snap back at him. I can’t hear the words, but the tone is clear.

  Neither of them are happy about this.

  Screw it. I throw back my drink and put the glass away in the kitchen before heading upstairs to my room. I’m playing along enough as it is, I won’t go through with this farce.

  Kayla doesn’t want to marry me. She doesn’t even know this marriage thing is a part of what’s happening. All she knows is I’m a rich guy paying for her education. Sure, she kissed me, and I want to taste her again so badly it almost hurts, but it doesn’t have to go further.

  As far as I’m concerned, she’s going to have a normal education. I’ll never, ever make her marry me.

  Unless she wants it too.

  5

  Kayla

  I’m daydreaming in English class, thinking about Reed’s lips pressing against mine, when the professor calls my name.

  I look up and blink. Everyone’s looking at me. It’s like a nightmare, except very, very real.

  I feel Iris squirming next to me, itching to answer in my place.

  “Uh, I’m sorry,” I say.

  The professor frowns, a woman in her mid-fifties with long dark hair that’s wild and messy and streaked with gray. “I asked you, what do you think Grendel’s mother might signify?”

  I frown, wracking my brain. We’re reading Beowulf and I’m pretty sure I actually did the work, but for some reason it’s all escaping me right now.

  “Uh, peace?”

  Iris groans and I hear Nora and Morgan snicker. The professor shakes her head and turns away, calling on someone else.

  “Poor and stupid,” Nora whispers loud enough for me to hear. “Pathetic. How’d she ever get drafted in the first place?”

  “Ugly too,” Morgan answers. The girls laugh again and this time the professor asks them to be quiet. They shut up, but I can feel them glaring daggers at the back of my head.

  I glance at Iris and she just frowns and shrugs a little. I don’t know how everyone knows that I have a sponsor now, but I don’t think it was Iris that told. I’m betting people saw me walking with Reed, maybe even kiss him, and now they just… made assumptions.

  Oh, god. Kissing Reed.

  That was a mistake. I know it deep in my bones. It’s a mistake because he’s my sponsor and holds my future in his hands, but also because I told myself I wasn’t going to do anything like that.

  And because I want to do it again so badly.

  I can barely listen to the rest of the lecture. I just keep coming back to Reed and that kiss. It felt so natural and comfortable, I don’t really even know how to expl
ain it. But his taste was perfect, crisp and ripe and just right. I keep thinking how much I want more of him, so much more.

  But no, I need to get it together. If people hate me just for being sponsored, it’ll be worse if I’m sleeping with him, too.

  Class passes and I hurry out of there with Iris on my heels. “Are you okay?” she asks me as we fall into the crowd of people leaving the English building between classes.

  “I’m fine,” I say, giving her a little smile. “Just distracted.”

  She grins at me. “I bet you are. I mean, Reed Wright is…” She trails off.

  “What do you know about him?”

  She cocks her head a little, considering. “Well, his family is rich and powerful and in the oil business, but he’s not. Reed is like, their black sheep. I think that makes him sexy and I guess most of the elite girls agree.”

  “What’s that mean?” I ask.

  “Oh, you know. Rumors are he gets around.” She blushes a little. “Not that I can blame anyone. He’s fine.”

  I look away. She’s not wrong about that.

  “Anyway,” she says quickly. “He has this company, I think it has something to do with helping people? I don’t know the details. Something in tech. Anyway, he’s not close with his family, but still. There’s a lot of money in that name.”

  I nod a little. “Why would he sponsor someone like me?”

  She gives me this look like I’m the dumbest person in the world. “I mean, have you seen yourself? You’re, you know, you’re really pretty.”

  I laugh a little uncomfortably. I don’t like compliments all that much. “He’s not paying for my education just because he thinks I’m pretty.”

  “Well, yeah, he sort of is…” She trails off. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  We step out into the afternoon light. I blink a few times, getting used to the sun, as people swarm around us, heading to their own class.

  “Get what?” I ask her.

  “Well, it’s just—”

  She doesn’t get to answer. As she’s about to talk, two girls appear in front of us, blotting out the sun.