A flicker of admiration gleamed in his blue eyes. “All right. What else?”
Stealing a move from his book, she bent over, caging him with her arms, though she didn’t dare touch him. “You get Andy in my arms before the end of the day. Make Lila and Alfred go away, and I’ll marry you.”
“You have yourself a deal.” He reached up and tugged on her hair. Warm lips touched hers, plush and soft as he traced the seam of her mouth with his tongue. Too many men tried to force a kiss, smashing lips and teeth together in a wet mess. Jackson didn’t. He simply waited until she relaxed and opened to let him in.
What the ever-loving fuck was wrong with her? A strange man who had already tried to kill her this morning put his hands on her and kissed her, and suddenly she was agreeing to marry him? If she didn’t know better, she’d swear the wine was spiked.
But the only thing intoxicating her was his kisses.
“That’s a good girl,” he whispered.
She jerked away, embarrassed and furious. “Bring me my nephew, asshole. And don’t touch me again.”
* * *
Retrieving Andy from his grandparents wasn’t very difficult, though he’d never tell Siobhan. He expected she knew what kind of people they were, but it served no purpose to confirm her suspicions. All it took was a Hilton Head condo he never used, and they pushed the baby at him, tossing his car seat out the door after him. It was appalling, as was the odor emanating from the small human in his arms.
Siobhan wasn’t the first to call him bastard or asshole, and he accepted those less than flattering names because they were true. Well, he wasn’t, strictly speaking, a bastard, but the modern usage applied. Even so, he wouldn’t consider neglecting an innocent baby. The fact that they’d essentially sold Andy made acid rise in his belly.
He picked up the seat and got the infant strapped into his car. As he was finishing with the buckles, Andy’s gaze lit on his Rolex and he grinned, showing two teeth. When he moved away, the baby squalled, and only quieted when Jackson took off the watch and gave it to him.
Jackson watched the boy chew on the expensive timepiece and shook his head. “At least you have good taste.”
Andy didn’t answer. The kid was cute enough, though he couldn’t see much use in having one. Still, the smelly thing behind him was Siobhan’s price, and he was going to deliver. On his way back to her house, he stopped by the office to retrieve the prenup the lawyers had drawn up for him. They’d been delighted to write in Siobhan’s refusal of claim on his business, and less happy that he gave up claims on her future assets. Fucking vultures.
Andy was asleep by the time Jackson parked in front of her house, and he lifted him carefully from the car. He strode to the door and knocked softly. Siobhan answered, and her eyes widened at the sight of her nephew. She sniffed once and promptly burst into tears as she snatched the carrier from him. Jackson followed her inside, nonplussed when she ignored him and stunned by the crying.
She took Andy upstairs and cleaned him up, dressing him in fresh clothes before sitting in a comfortable chair in an airy bedroom furnished with a crib and painted in bright, primary colors. Humming softly, she rocked the infant, laughing as he cooed and tugged on her hair.
He sat on the bed, just watching. She looked so soft, snuggled with an infant. Though her eyes were still red from crying, her expression relaxed into a true smile, the first he’d seen on her beautiful face and so different from the closed and hostile looks she’d given him. It made him wish for things he had no business wanting -- like wanting to see Siobhan round with his kid. He pushed that surprising and unwelcome thought firmly from his mind. He wasn’t ready to settle down with kids yet, and he was absolutely positive Siobhan would refuse.
“Thank you, Jackson. If you have a prenup for me to sign, we can go to the courthouse and get this taken care of.”
“Yes. I picked it up on the way. It’s exactly what you asked for.” She held out a hand and he passed the documents over.
She hummed to the drowsy baby as she scanned the prenup, then said, “Hand me a pen, please.” When he handed her the gold Mont Blanc from his pocket, she laid the paper on the table next to her and struck off the addendum regarding her settlement. Initialing the change, she signed it. “I told you I wasn’t a whore, Mr. McKenna. You can’t buy me.”
“It was just recompense. The lawyers --”
“I don’t care. I’m not accepting a dime from you.”
He wished for a very brief moment that he’d met Siobhan ten years ago, before age and a never-ending stream of sugar babies soured him against relationships. He’d never once met a woman who wanted nothing from him. To him, a woman who actively refused what he had to offer was a fucking unicorn.
But all he wanted from her was a brief marriage to facilitate both their needs. After that, he’d cut her loose and get back to his life. “I’ll have movers pack up your things tomorrow. I have an empty bedroom that will be fine for a nursery.”
“Don’t bother. I’m not moving.”
“This isn’t optional. We have to present a united front to make sure Andy’s grandparents don’t make noise.” He knew Lila and Alfred wouldn’t, but he wanted Siobhan in his home, telling himself he was keeping up appearances for Nakamura.
Not glancing up from the fabric book Andy was chewing on, she said, “Calling bullshit again. Did you make them go away, or didn’t you?”
Gritting his teeth, he rubbed his forehead. Siobhan was too damned smart for his usual tricks. Normally, he used pleasure and the tease of a reward to entice women into doing his bidding, but she was too sharp a negotiator to miss the holes in his stories. It was infuriating and strangely arousing to spar with her, though if she was his submissive, he’d have her ass up over his knee so fast it would make her head spin.
“Fine,” he growled. He tossed down his ace, reluctant to use it so early in the game. He should have known she wouldn’t believe him without proof.
Picking up the document he’d made Alfred and Lila Sievers sign, she scanned it and beamed at Andy. “There you go, little man! The wicked witch dropped her custody suit.”
“Does that mean you’ll move in with me?”
She looked down at Andy, and resettled him in her arms before kissing him. “I suppose one of us ought to move, but I’m staying here unless you have a second spare room. I’m still not sharing a bed with you.”
Reaching over, he stroked her cheek, giving her the smile that had worked on so many women before her. “I reserve the right to change your mind.”
Instead of melting into a puddle like she should have, Siobhan rolled her eyes and stood. “I’m going to give Andy his lunch, and you can watch him for a few minutes while I clean up and change for our trip to the courthouse.”
Jackson followed her down the stairs, watching with little interest as she sat Andy in a high chair and poured a small pile of oat cereal on his tray. The boy was a surprisingly neat eater. A few minutes later, she sat down across from Andy with a divided plate and a small spoon.
“I can feed him while you get changed,” he offered. How hard could it be to feed such a well-mannered baby?
Siobhan jerked around to stare at him, then smiled. Something in her eyes made him wary, but it was too late to take back the offer. “That will work out just fine. Thank you.” She fed Andy a few bites to demonstrate and handed him the plate and spoon before dashing up the stairs.
Grimacing in distaste at the pale mush Siobhan had called chicken and pears, he dipped the spoon in and held it out.
After about five minutes of trying to get food into Andy, Jackson wiped away the smear of masticated chicken from his forehead and knew why Siobhan had given him that shit-eating grin. Though his shirt was a ruined mess of stains from the putrescent green substance she’d called peas, he felt a strange sense of triumph when he figured out how to feed the boy without either of them wearing it. After he’d scraped up the last of Andy’s lunch, he leaned back and stared at the messy child, won
dering what he should do next.
A click sounded from the hall leading into the kitchen a second before Siobhan sauntered into the room. Tucking her phone back in her purse, she smirked. “I bet that picture will be a big hit at the next board meeting.”
The dress covering her voluptuous body was the stuff of wet dreams. Pink and frothy with a halter neck, it looked very similar to Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress. His vocabulary, along with every single thought in his head, disappeared at the sight of her luscious curves in that pale silk. He could only watch as she sauntered to the sink on high-heeled sandals, her muscular calves flexing as the dress swirled around her knees. Red gloss painted her lips, and she’d done something with her eyes to make the green pop. Her hair was twisted into a complicated updo, with just a few curls tickling the back of her neck. How had he ever thought she was homeless? And how the fuck had she gone from unkempt bag lady to goddess in fifteen minutes? The last woman he’d dated would have demanded a full day to produce such magnificence.
“Fucking unicorn,” he muttered, thankful she didn’t hear him over the sound of running water.
When she turned to face the sink, he nearly swallowed his tongue. A dragon sprawled lazily across her upper back. Picked out in a thousand shades of blue and indigo, the beast had gunmetal claws sunk into Siobhan’s shoulder. Inked blood trails trickled down from the wounds. Its crested head rested on her opposite shoulder blade, peering at him with metallic eyes and a sardonic expression. The tail wrapped around her ribs, curving to disappear under the bodice of her dress. He’d never have guessed she had such a secret, especially given her work history with Japanese companies. Of course, it would never show under a suit.
Finding his words, he asked, “What’s it going to cost me to make that picture disappear?”
She laughed and wrung out the cloth she’d dampened before wiping the mess from Andy’s hands and face. “Not a penny. All you have to do is quit asking me to share your bed.”
As she leaned across to tidy up, he inhaled her delicious cookies-and-sin fragrance into his lungs. He stood up, following her as she walked back to the sink. He lowered his lips to the sweet spot under her ear, delighted when he only had to dip his chin to reach. The warm odor of vanilla was stronger and swirled around him, filling his senses with her unique scent.
“No deal,” he hissed. “Put it in the fucking paper, for all I care, but sooner or later, I’m going to get you into my bed, and you’re going to beg me for more.”
“Dream on, Casanova.”
She rolled her eyes and sidestepped, but he wouldn’t let her leave the cage of his arms. Her eyes dilated and she flushed, the heat of her skin warming his hands as he wrapped them around her throat, imagining his collar around her pretty neck. Her lips parted as she gasped and he took the invitation to kiss her.
The lip gloss was strawberry. The taste made him growl for more as he plundered her mouth, nipping when she tried to keep him out. Letting go of her neck with one hand, he stroked her thigh, lifting the skirt of her dress. He wanted that hot flesh in his hands more than he wanted his next breath.
She moaned when he reached the curve of her generous ass. Fuck him blind, she was wearing a thong. He gave the taut flesh a squeeze as he probed her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers. He could kiss this woman all day. And that wasn’t him. Kissing was too intimate. It made women expect things he had no intention of giving. But with Siobhan, it was right, especially when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and returned his kisses, her hips pressing against his as she rubbed her belly against his hard cock.
Siobhan’s submission, though tenuous at best, was heaven. He could wait for more. He was sure he could be patient and wait for her to come begging. She would drop to her knees with her hands behind her back, pleading for his cock, and he would…
Die of the worst case of blue balls known to man. Her eyes widened when Andy squalled. Without a word, she jerked away and he let her go, scowling as she scooped the baby into her arms. Jackson stared at Andy’s nearly toothless grin. The baby was mocking him. He was sure of it. “Et tu, Brute?” he asked softly. Siobhan didn’t hear. She had her back to him, allowing Andy to peer over her shoulder in smug satisfaction.
Military school, Jackson mouthed. His words made Andy chortle in glee, and he slapped his little hands on Siobhan’s bare shoulders.
“We’d better go,” she said, not looking at him. “There’s a stain stick in the laundry room if you want to try to clean up.”
“I have a spare change of clothes in my car. I’ll be just a few minutes.” After slipping outside and retrieving his emergency bag, he changed into his spare shirt. Thankfully Andy’s destruction hadn’t reached his suit.
* * *
Jackson had good taste in cars, she’d give him that. The Mustang that had almost ended her life growled with a throaty purr as it accelerated toward town. She’d have much preferred following him, but she’d be able to get her car after this farce of a wedding.
“After we finish at the courthouse, I’m going to walk over to the mechanic and pick up my car.” She refused to say a word about the kisses they’d shared. If Andy hadn’t spoken up, there was every chance she’d have fucked him right there. That would have gone over so well with the people who thought she wasn’t a good guardian for Andy.
Jackson ought to have a warning label slapped over his mouth. Her thighs were still uncomfortably wet from the arousal that had trickled between her legs. Every woman between eighteen and eighty, beware!
He grunted and nodded. “One of my employees said you’d gotten a ride with Reggie James this morning and I wondered. Was it anything serious?”
“No, just inconvenient.”
“Good.” He was silent as he parked, but helped her take Andy and his diaper bag into the courthouse. Ten minutes later, she and Jackson took their freshly printed marriage license upstairs to the probate judge’s chambers. As they waited outside, the elevator doors opened, allowing two people to exit the car. She vaguely recognized the man from Jackson’s office.
The woman was very familiar. She gave Moira a relieved smile and stood to hug her. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but why are you here?”
After kissing Siobhan’s cheek, she said, “You look beautiful!” Kneeling, she tickled Andy under his chin, making the baby giggle. “I couldn’t miss my new favorite daughter-in-law’s wedding, now, could I?”
Siobhan blinked once, but refused to show any emotion. She’d learned a nearly impenetrable poker face in Japan and honed it as an event planner. Though every part of her screamed to grab Andy and run, she allowed the older woman to pluck him from his carrier. Though Moira wouldn’t hurt him, Siobhan didn’t want her anywhere near her nephew. Why had Moira neglected to tell her Jackson was her son?
A heavy hand fell on her shoulder, squeezing the tense muscle in a tight grip. Reaching up as if to touch him, she dug her thumbnail into the sensitive skin between his wrist bones until he hissed and pulled his hand away. With an airy little laugh, she said, “Imagine that! I had no idea my darling Jackson was your son!” She grinned, baring teeth. “What a surprise.”
Moira glanced sharply at her and gave her a toothy smile. “Quit complaining. Your problems with Lila and Alfred are over. You can thank me later.”
As if.
The door to the judge’s chambers opened, and a middle-aged woman poked her head out. “The judge is ready for the McKenna wedding. If you’ll all follow me, we’ll get started.”
Siobhan picked up Andy’s empty carrier and trudged into the judge’s chambers behind Jackson. One of her few friends in town had betrayed her, and it hurt. She expected duplicity from Jackson, but Moira had been a confidante and a shoulder to lean on when Lila was on one of her rampages. As they stepped forward to stand in front of the judge, she caught a sympathetic, pitying glance from the man standing with Jackson.
Whatever. It was three years. She’d keep Andy away from Jackson and his mother. He’d be alm
ost four when their marriage ended, plenty of time to relocate before he started kindergarten. If she could keep that sell-by date in her head, maybe she’d make it through with her wits and dignity intact.
The judge droned, and Siobhan had the sudden urge to shake the woman and shout, “Say man and wife!” like the evil prince from The Princess Bride. She didn’t have a speech impediment, but the monotone reading sounded the same. She wanted this farce over with so she could take Andy home and lick her wounds in private.
Though her attention was elsewhere, she said her lines in all the right spots. To her surprise, Jackson slipped a massive platinum ring set with diamonds and emeralds on her finger. She stared down at it in shock. She could fund a small country for what he’d probably spent on it. With luck, she wouldn’t lose it before the three years were up. Holding back a hysterical laugh, she remembered something her mother had said before Susan and Dan got married. Boys throw rocks at girls they like, and the only difference between boys and men is how much they spend on the rock.
In this case, she thought Jackson was marking his territory. She’d rather he’d pissed on her leg. At least that washed off.
“You may kiss the bride.” The judge smiled benevolently and closed her book.
Still picturing Jackson pissing on her leg, Siobhan was too slow to escape the tight grip he had on her neck and let him kiss her. He smelled of fresh starch, soap, and bay rum, and the combination swirled around her, rendering her helpless against the onslaught of his kisses. She closed her eyes and whimpered, desperate to escape but unable to move.
He pulled away, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he stroked her lower lip with his thumb. Leaning close, he whispered, “I can have you on your knees and begging before midnight.”
She flinched at his disgusting words. Must not kill the vile man in front of a judge. Must not… Siobhan resisted the urge to do something violent to Jackson, but she had to teach him a lesson, namely that Siobhan Jane O’Malley fought dirty. She stepped backward and gave him the most vapidly happy smile she could muster before turning to his mother, her ex-friend. “Moira, you have to come over and let Jackson tell you the nicest thing he just said to me.”
Bastard's New Baby (Roosters Book 3) Page 4
