by Raina Wilde
He tried not to imagine the love of his life going through all of that alone. It made him angry to think of Lori’s struggles. Especially, when he could have very easily been there to help her. But, she had not wanted that, had not allowed it.
Josh counted the months back from Emmy’s birthday and swore under his breath. He’d bet millions of his savings that girl was his.
They had only made love once that summer, but Lori had been a virgin and, despite what she said, he seriously doubted that she had had many partners since. It did not fit her personality. His mind flashed back to that night so many years ago. It had been amazing and he had been certain that they were going to last forever. Then, his dreams had been crushed when a few weeks later she refused to speak with him, and informed him that she had never truly been interested in him.
That had been a lie. Would she have lied again about Emmy being his daughter? The resounding answer in his head was, yes. Lori would lie if she thought that she was protecting her child. She had done it in the past, and she would continue to do so if she felt that it was necessary.
Again, he pictured a pregnant Lori, alone and struggling to make ends meet. Was that why she had cancelled her scholarship to the academy? Had she given up on her dreams because of her situation?
Josh felt rage in his blood. Why had she never told him? No matter whose Emmy was, he and Ashley would never have abandoned her. He felt sick to his stomach as he thought about Lori’s motivations for cutting them out of her life. She had not wanted them to know about her daughter. It was as simple as that.
She had thought that her decision was right, but it had not been. She should not have isolated herself. There he was making millions of dollars a year, and she was living in a tiny little apartment working a job that she clearly did not enjoy. She should be singing in front of packed houses, playing her music for the world to hear. She should have never had to do this alone. Never had to give up on her talent, and her dreams. He cursed her parents for abandoning her. He cursed himself for not trying harder. He should never have let her push him away.
Wyatt said something to Josh and he snapped an angry response. Josh was not angry with Wyatt, but the pretentious actor was getting on his nerves this morning. Josh had more important things to worry about than whether or not he should wear custom laces with his shoes.
Chapter 12
When Josh picked Lori up for the dinner, he was in a foul mood. Though he complimented her appearance, and spoke kindly to Lydia and Emmy, Lori could sense that there was a coolness in his mood that had not been there before.
They drove to the restaurant in silence.
He knows, she told herself. He’s figured it out the truth and he is angry. Lori felt a wave a guilt crash over her heart. Josh had every right to be angry.
When they entered the party together, Ashley approached them with wide, questioning eyes. Lori stared nervously at her friend. She wanted to bolt from the room but Josh’s hand on her waist held her there. She was certain that he could feel her shaking beneath his fingers.
For a moment they all stared at each other. Then, Ashley enveloped them both in a massive hug. She squealed with delight but seemed unable to formulate words. Lori was glad that they were not going to discuss the situation in detail. Wyatt sauntered over and requested that his bride-to-be come join him to greet their guests.
With a soft apology, Ashley rushed away with her fiancé. For the rest of the night, she continued to cast glances over at Lori and Josh, as if unable to believe what she saw.
Although they made every appearance of a happy, casual date, Lori and Josh hardly spoke to each other. The tension that rolled between them was palpable. It was not until they sat down to eat and drink that some of the tension subsided.
Lori could feel Josh’s thigh brushing against her knee and, from the look on his face it was not an accident.
She felt a blush rise in her cheeks as he leaned over to speak with her with one arm braced against the back of her chair. Once again, Ashley’s knowing smile greeted them from across the table.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be so obvious. ” She whispered. She had meant to chastise his behavior, but her voice had betrayed her by sounding sultry instead.
“Why not? ” Josh’s free hand interlocked with her own fingers and together, their hands rested in her lap. “I’m tired of lying, Lori. People are going to know, and I don’t care. ”
He had made the statement with a casual air, but Lori understood the deeper message. She took a large drink of her champagne. She did not know if she had the skill to play this game against Josh.
Later in the evening, as the dancing began and the party started to become livelier, Lori realized that Ashley and Wyatt had left. There were not many other guests that she knew and the party no longer held its appeal.
Josh’s hand was massaging her fingers beneath the table. Lori was resolutely not looking at him, because she knew what she would see in his eyes. The same thing that she was feeling. Desire.
“Do you want to get out of here? ” His voice was barely audible over the music.
Lori nodded and followed Josh from the building.
The hot summer air greeted them as they walked through the parking lot in search of his rental. It was parked in the far corner, in the shadow of a large tree.
Josh held her hand as they walked. His thumb drew circles on her palm and she imagined that sensation on other parts of her body. They approached the passenger side of the vehicle and Lori turned toward him. She did not know what she had been about to say, but it did not matter.
His lips were on hers and that was all that her mind could handle. He pressed her body against the side of the car and Lori curled her hands into his shirt. The parking lot was deserted, but Lori did not know if she would care either way. Her entire focus was on Josh.
His hand inched up beneath her dress and slipped beneath the fabric of her underwear. Lori moaned as he touched her. If he wanted, she would let him take her right here.
Slowly, he pulled away and stepped back into the darkness. Lori straightened her clothing and stared at him.
“What is it? ” she demanded. A minute ago he had been as lost in the passion as she. Now, he was closed off again. She could feel a chill creep over her body.
“Emmy is mine. Isn’t she? ” He spoke with a calmness that she wished she felt.
“Josh, I told you…”
“Damnit Lori. Just tell me the truth for once. ” He demanded.
Lori took a deep breath. What was the point in hiding the truth any longer? It was clear that he knew. How could it have been otherwise?
Lori nodded. “Yes. Emmy is yours. ”
Saying the words aloud drove all of the air from Lori’s lungs. It was as if the weight of the last four years was off of her shoulders, and yet, now she was terrified in an entirely different way.
Josh swore and turned away from her.
“I did it so that you could have a future!” She cried. She approached him and placed a hand on the small of his back, begging him to understand. “I never wanted to hurt you, but I know you, Josh. ” Her voice was wracked with sobs that she was trying to suppress. “I know that you would have given up everything for us and I couldn’t stand that. Look at everything that you have been able to accomplish! You couldn’t have done that if you had been saddled with us. ”
Josh spun around and glared at her.
“Saddled with you? ” He spat. “I don’t think that was a decision that you had the right to make for me, Lori. How the hell do you know what I wanted? All that I had ever wanted was you. A life with you. A family with you. Do you really think that I would have regretted that? ” Lori shrunk under his anger. Four years of pent up hurt came spilling out of Josh and she knew that he had every right to feel the way that he did. “You shouldn’t have made that choice for me. You should have let me know. How could you, Lori? You even cut Ashley off so that she wouldn’t let me know. How could you think that was okay? ”
By the end of his rant his voice was merely a whisper. Lori could not bring herself to reply. They both had their reasons for feeling the way that they did. They were both wrong, and they were both right.
“Come on. ” He sighed. “I’m taking you home. ”
He opened the door for her and she slid into the vehicle. The ride back to her apartment was excruciating. Neither of them spoke. Lori stared out the passenger window and waited for her tears to dry. Josh stared with complete focus on the road ahead.
When they arrived, she got out of the vehicle and he did not say a word. When she heard the car pull away behind her, Lori was certain that this was the end. She doubted that Josh would ever speak to her again.
Chapter 13
The following morning, Lori awoke with swollen eyes and a headache from crying. Josh was supposed to pick her up at noon, but she knew that he was not coming. She needed to get ready earlier if she was going to catch the bus in time.
Lori had just finished piling her blond curls on top of her head when there was a soft knock on the door. It was eleven o’clock and she had no idea who it would be at this hour.
When she opened the door, Josh was standing there looking devastatingly handsome in his tuxedo.
“I snuck through the front door as someone else was coming out. May I come in? ” His face revealed nothing.
“Josh…I”
“Lori, we need to talk. ” He pressed.
With a deep breath she allowed him to pass.
Emmy ran into the room with a squeal of delight.
“Mr. Josh!” She curled herself around one of Josh’s perfectly tailored legs. “You came back!”
Josh laughed and peeled the girl off of him.
“Why don’t you give your mommy and I a minute to talk. ” He smiled at the child who was pouting in front of him. “I promise that we won’t take long. ”
“You can’t take long or mommy’s going to be late for the wedding. ” The little girl skipped down the hallway and left the adults alone.
“She’s cute. ” Josh pointed out, as he lay a garment bag that Lori had not noticed before over the back of a chair.
Lori nodded. What was she supposed to say?
Josh approached Lori and took her hands in his own.
“Lori, you know that I love you. That I’ve always loved you. ” He began.
Lori felt a knot rise in her throat. After all of his anger the previous night she had not expected such tender words.
“I wanted to marry you four years ago, even before the night that we made love, and even now none of that has changed. ”
Josh gave her hands a gentle tug and Lori found herself pressed against him. He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Lori was still uncertain and so she remained frozen, with her arms crushed between them, and her face turned up toward his.
“I don’t like what you did, but I understand why you did it. ” Lori had started to pull away but stopped when she heard the last words. “There isn’t anything that can be done to change the past but, I’m hoping that it doesn’t mean that we don’t still have a future. ”
Lori pressed her forehead against Josh’s chest in order to hide the tears that were gathering in her eyes.
“Lori, look at me. ”
She did, reluctantly.
“You mean everything to me. You always have. And now, that little girl does too. ” He wiped the tears from her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers. “I want to make this work between us and, this time, I’m not going to let you push me away. ”
Lori’s body shook with sobs and Josh plied her with gentle kisses until they subsided.
“I’m in love with you Lori Stone. ” He whispered.
“I love you too. ” Her voice was barely audible and came in short bursts.
“I’m going to tell Emmy who I am. ” When Lori gave him a warning look, he stopped her. "I’m not going anywhere this time. The two of you are stuck with me for the rest of your lives and I’m not hiding this anymore. ”
“What do you mean? ” Lori was trying not to be too hopeful. Could Josh really mean what she thought he meant?
“Well, first I think that we have some dating to do. ” Josh laughed and Lori could not resist a smile. “We have a lot of catching up to do but, I think if we really make a go of it, the ultimate goal would be to convince you to marry me. ”
Lori laughed and wrapped her arms around Josh’s waist.
“I like the sound of that. ” She spoke into his chest.
“We’re a family now. ” Josh’s hand brushed along her spine and Lori closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. “There’s no more pretending. No more hiding. Deal? ”
“Deal. ” Lori smiled and hugged Josh closer to her.
“One more thing. ” Josh persisted.
“What? ” She looked up at him with hesitant eyes.
“You’re finishing school and following your own dreams now. ” When Lori began to argue he shook his head and continued. “I’m where I want to be. Now, it’s your turn. ”
Lori kissed him but did not respond. It all sounded too good to be true.
“Gross momma. ” Emmy’s voice spoke from behind her and Lori froze. Josh’s laughter made her embarrassment all the worse.
“Emmy. ” Josh released Lori and offered his hand to the small child. “I have something for you. ”
Emmy was instantly distracted by the prospect of a gift and she followed him happily to retrieve the garment bag.
When he unzipped it, Lori and Emmy both gasped. Inside was the most beautiful, tiny gown that Lori had ever seen.
“Is that for me? ” Emmy asked.
Josh laughed. “Yes it is, Emmy. I don’t think it with fit anyone else. ”
Emmy ran her hands over the intricate beading and hugged the gown. “I can play princess now, Momma!”
“Well, first you have to wear it to a wedding. Do you think that you can do that? ” Josh asked the question as if it was a very serious issue.
Emmy responded with a nod and an expression that mirrored her father’s.
“Josh…” Lori began. Taking Emmy to the wedding was going to raise all sorts of questions. She knew that she had agreed to stop hiding, but this was all very sudden.
“This is a family wedding. ” Josh interjected. “I want to go with my family. ”
Emmy’s eyes were wide as she stared up at Josh.
“Momma, can I go? Pretty please? I want to be in Mr. Josh’s family too. ” Emmy ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around Lori’s legs. “Puh-lease” she begged.
Lori looked up at Josh who was standing there with a victorious smile.
“Well, I guess I’m outnumbered. ” She laughed. “Let’s go get you dressed, princess. ”
The End
Tempted by the Alpha Billionaire
Hard-hitting journalist Neelia Jones gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is offered an exclusive interview with one of the most tight-lipped billionaires in the world—an interview that could catapult her career and get the promotion she's been longing for handed to her on a silver platter.
Unfortunately, the offer comes with a hitch. The CEO of Matherson International Development is none other than the irritating groomsman from her best friend’s wedding. And though the pair has an argumentative history that leaves them both seething, neither can deny the intense chemistry that sparks whenever they are alone.
Drew Matherson needs a journalist that will tell the truth about his company, someone with the fortitude to combat the slanderous publications that are being spearheaded by a vengeful ex-girlfriend.
But, can Neelia and Drew put their differences aside long enough to learn the truth about each other? Or will their preconceived notions prevent them from experiencing a love that knows no bounds?
Tempted by the Alpha Billionaire
Neelia Jones, award-winning journalist for one of the country’s most prominent news publications, wheele
d her designer luggage up the stone driveway to the elegant three-story vacation home that sat nestled on the banks of an isolated Colorado lake. She was already annoyed with her visit. Her stiletto heels kept sinking beneath the stones and her luggage hobbled along behind her like a drunken sailor. She pulled a scarf over her hair to protect it from tangling in the violent wind and mentally chastised herself for extensive styling she’d had done the previous day. If she and her belongings survived this trip it would be a miracle indeed.
Neelia had informed Hillary, her best friend since junior high, that she simply could not take time off from work at the moment, but Hillary had insisted that it was important. Newly married to Jake Matherson, Hillary was enthusiastically embracing the transition from upscale NYC to the beautiful, but rustic, northern Colorado. Neelia loved her friend, and her new husband, but after their intimate wedding Neelia had decided that she would not be disappointed if she never had to return to this middle-of-nowhere town again.
Neelia tugged her bag over a particularly brutal rut as she remembered her visit to this very town only six months prior. Hillary’s wedding had been the perfect representation of subtle elegance. Neelia smiled as she pictured Hillary’s blonde curls and pale, blushing skin; so very different from Neelia’s own flawless golden umber tones. Though the girls had been the epitome of physical opposites, they had quickly discovered a kindred spirit in their love for music and competitive sports and games. While the wedding had been straight out of a fairy tale, Neelia gritted her teeth at the memory of the pompous groomsman with which she had been paired. Drew Matherson, elder brother to Hillary’s husband and heir to the Matherson fortune, had been the bane of Neelia’s existence from the moment they had laid eyes on each other. Sure, she shrugged, he was devastatingly handsome with his light brown hair and striking blue eyes but the cocky alpha-male took sick pleasure in goading Neelia’s headstrong, independent side to purposely encourage heated arguments that only left her on the brink of wanting to throttle the man. If her parents hadn’t raised her better, Neelia would have been sorely tempted to veritably scream at him.
