Billionaire Baby Daddy: A Second Chance Romance

by Lara Swann

  I always knew Cassie was hot, objectively. I always knew I had an awesome time hanging out with her. But she’s always been so utterly platonic that it never occurred to me to see her that way at all.

  Until she bit me.

  I’d just come out of a relationship with a girl who had a thing for biting. Not sweet little nibbles, either, but full-blown love bites and bruises, all over. One of my more painful relationships, that one, though the sex was pretty fucking hot if you could get over it.

  We’d been sitting drinking, scouting for a little rebound action for me, and I’d flicked Cassie’s ear in the way I like to do.

  She’d grabbed my finger in retaliation, biting the tip of it - hard - and looking back at me with a sparkle in her eyes and a wide grin, saying pointedly “keep that up, and maybe I’ll develop a biting habit…”.

  I’d just sat there trying to deal with the shot of pure fire that it had sent through me, and the sudden way my body reacted as it had never done for biting-girl. The heat and lust and electric need that swamped me almost instantly, and changed the way I saw her. Maybe it was my brain’s temporarily whacked associations with being bitten, but suddenly…Cassie wasn’t just a friend anymore - she was a woman, too.

  I’d struggled not to stare at the way the beautiful waves of her red-brown hair framed her face, at the dimple she gets on the left side of her face, or the stunning picture she made there, fire and fun and challenge sparkling in her eyes as we teased each other the way we always do, and looked around for a girl for me to fuck.

  I didn’t find one that night. Or for quite a while after.

  I thought that the shock realization that Cassie was a girl I could fuck might pass.

  If anything, it was cemented a few days later when she asked me point-blank, “what are you even looking for in a girl?!”.

  Someone who makes me feel…like you do.

  The instinctive response I thought then still hasn’t faded. At least I’d managed to cut it off at the time and replace the last part with a pretty lame “…something”.

  If Cassie had been the slightest bit available, I would’ve kept my original answer - eye-roll inducing as it was. And then I would’ve charmed the fuck out of her.

  I’m certifiably good at that - there are dozens of girls who would agree.

  But throughout all the time I’ve known her, Cassie has been resolutely uninterested. A career girl determined to leave relationships until later and fed up with the unending interest and pestering she gets from just about everyone.

  I’d challenge any other man to possibly match me in being able to sweep a woman off her feet, but I have no idea how to compete with studying medicine.

  If she were any other girl, I’d try anyway - I’m not exactly a stranger to showing good girls that there’s more to life than books.

  But Cassie’s not exactly a textbook good girl - her unashamedly dirty mind makes me laugh out loud - and with her, I have something to lose if I fuck it up.

  One of the best friendships I’ve ever had.

  So yeah, maybe I’m waiting for her to wake the hell up. Or maybe I’m waiting for this stupid crush to die, dating around and looking for that kind of spark with other girls.

  Maybe that makes me a fucking pussy…but with shit like this, timing is everything.

  I’m not going to risk it all when I know the timing sucks right now.

  Not when I’m still having a fucking good time living life. Dating around. Screwing hot girls.

  I smile slowly, taking another sip of beer.

  And with Katy gone, it’s the perfect time to enjoy being single again.

  With that thought, I finally unlock my phone and look at the message, ignoring the mixed feelings that the woman sending it gives me. Another advantage of being dumped…more time with Cassie, and without Katy’s suspicions to worry about.

  “Are you free?” She’s asking.

  I glance at the door Katy just left through.

  “Free as a bird. What’s up?”

  Her message fires back almost instantly.

  “Meet at Jack’s in twenty?”

  My eyebrows rise. Twenty minutes is about as long as it takes to get to Jack’s Bar from my apartment…if I’d left five minutes ago.

  Something is definitely up, but the chances of finding out before I get to her are low, so I put the beer down and start shrugging into my jacket.

  I dash off a quick “Sure” as I leave.

  Drinking with Cassie sounds like a much better plan than drinking alone, anyway.

  Chapter Two

  Cassie

  I take a sip of the margarita that’s the only thing keeping me this side of civility right now, and glance around the dimly lit room as I wait for Josh.

  Wednesday night means that Jack’s Bar is pretty quiet - and it gives me a two-for-one special on cocktails.

  Which, right now, I need.

  Jack’s isn’t exactly upmarket, but on a shoestring budget that’s exactly what Josh and I want, and we’ve been coming here for years. It’s the kind of underground bar that thrives on its quirky atmosphere, and boasts an attempt at chic art decor that probably wouldn’t hold up for more than a minute under an educated gaze.

  I’m tucked away at a corner table that I’d never be able to get away with if the place was busier, nursing my margarita and scowling as I try not to think about the conversation I had earlier today.

  Josh walks through the door a few minutes later, and despite my out-of-the-way position, his quick look around the bar finds me almost immediately.

  “You’ve already started?” He nods at the empty margarita in front of me as he walks up, sliding into the seat opposite and cocking his head at me.

  “I might’ve been outside the bar when I text you.” I admit, taking another sip of my second drink and pushing a third over to him.

  I have to agree that having four margaritas on the table certainly looks better now that he’s here. One slight disadvantage of ordering for a friend when there’s a two-for-one deal going on.

  “Drinking alone, you know that’s not sexy, babe.” Josh grins at me, lifting the drink and tapping it to my glass before taking a large swallow. Catching up, I’m sure.

  “And you know I could have company the moment I wanted it.” I smile sweetly at him, tossing my hair back over my shoulder as he rolls his eyes at me.

  I know exactly what he’s seeing - the absolutely zero effort I made coming out tonight. Barely-there makeup, semi-wild hair that was lucky I pulled a brush through it and a skimpy tank top over tight jeans.

  Coupled with the admiring glances of at least a couple of guys at the bar that I’ve been steadfastly ignoring.

  “Is that what I’m here for then, hmm?” He asks with a sardonic smile. “To keep the unwelcome attention at bay?”

  He’s teasing, but when it comes to us there’s an undercurrent of truth to it. I’ve been glad of having him around to deflect heated advances more than once before.

  “Not quite. Just a fortunate side benefit.” I shoot him a grin and raise my drink in appreciation. “Thanks though, drinking alone would’ve been sucky.”

  “Doesn’t take much to get me interested in two-for-one cocktails.” He takes another long swallow, as if to emphasize the point.

  “So, how long have I got you before Katy freaks out?” I ask, tilting my head with a knowing smile.

  It’s awkward, sometimes, the inherent suspicions that Josh’s girlfriends - or hell, anyone we know - end up with about Josh and I. That we’ve fucked. Or we secretly want to and we’re definitely, totally, absolutely going to fuck. And it’s all just a matter of time.

  As if a guy and a girl can’t possibly just be good, platonic friends. As if fucking could possibly be better than having the kind of lifelong friendship Josh and I have going.

  I get how his girlfriends feel, of course I do, but there are times like this - moments like tonight - when I really wish I could just have my friend without the sideways gla
nces and extra precautions we have to take to make it absolutely clear that no, tonight is not the night we break our four-year streak of not fucking.

  “As long as you like.” Josh says with a slightly ironic smile, “Katy just dumped me.”

  “Oh.” I pause for a moment. “What was it this time?”

  “Something about her wanting us to be going somewhere.” He responds, slowly sipping at his margarita.

  “I’m sorry.” I reach over and squeeze his hand.

  “Don’t be, it’s fine.” He shakes his head, still smiling as if nothing happened.

  It makes me laugh, dropping any attempt at sympathy as I take my hand back and look at him. We’ve been through this routine too often for me to expect him to actually need comfort.

  “What?” He asks.

  “I’d say that’s the reason you got dumped.” I point out.

  “Yeah, maybe. She was probably looking for someone who’d fall to pieces over her.” He grins again, swiping the shock of caramel-golden hair from his forehead back on top of his head. “I was getting a little bored, anyway.”

  “It’s a pity, actually. I liked Katy - she was…”

  “Boring?” He suggests.

  I laugh again. “Well, maybe. I was going to say sensible or stable or—”

  “Not off her head with drugs, manic-depressive, or never-ending drama, like everyone else has been?”

  “Yeah.” I reach over and nudge him. “I really thought she could be your settling-down girl, you know - your one.”

  He snorts. “So, I think we have a winner for the best thing not to say to someone who just got dumped.”

  “Best thing not to say to someone who cares they just got dumped.” I correct, “Besides, from the sounds of it, if you told her you’d had a sudden epiphany that you were meant to be together, she’d come back around.”

  “Not if I told her that the epiphany came from my best friend Cassie Jacobs.” He points out wryly, taking a drink.

  “Yeah, maybe leave that part out.” I agree.

  Katy has been better than most of Josh’s girls about our friendship - part of the reason I’d liked her - but I’d still pretty much dropped giving Josh advice once they’d started dating. The last thing she needed to feel was that my opinion was part of their relationship.

  He rolls his eyes at me. “I thought we were here to talk about you, anyway.”

  “I just want you to be happy, Josh.” I say with a fond smile, thinking about his string of failed relationships.

  “I am happy.” He grins back at me. “Hell, I’m single now - just think of all the fun I’m going to have with that. Plenty of fish in the ocean and all. Those are the platitudes you should be quoting at me.”

  “Mmhmm…and only one small rod to catch them with.” I give him a dirty smile and watch as Josh catches the innuendo.

  He splutters on his drink, then laughs openly. “I’ll have you know, the last thing it is, is small.”

  I just smile innocently and watch as he tries to recover from almost choking on alcohol. It takes him a moment, and then he’s shaking his head at me again.

  “So, c’mon, I came all this way and it wasn’t to talk about Katy - what’s the emergency?” He asks again.

  “It was hardly far, Josh.” I point out, but then sigh and stop trying to distract myself from the reason I started drinking tonight in the first place.

  “My sister is engaged.” I finally say, and pop a couple of the nuts on the table into my mouth, crunching them.

  “Okay…and I take it from the look on your face that congratulations is the wrong thing to say.” He doesn’t quite ask.

  I just look at him.

  “Is the guy a douche?” He guesses.

  I think about that for a moment. “I’ve barely met the guy, but knowing Beth…probably.”

  As far as I’m concerned, the best thing about my future brother-in-law is that he’ll distract my younger sister. The fewer family gatherings and events I have to deal with her high-strung opinions on everything…the better.

  “So…what is it?” Josh tilts his head as he looks at me, “If you were any other girl, I’d say you were bothered that your younger sister is getting married while you’re still single, but…”

  “Ohh hell no.” I laugh. “I assure you, quite the opposite.”

  I palm another couple of nuts, shaking my head.

  “She’s having a big engagement party next month - which my parents have decided to extend and use as an excuse for the whole family to get together. A whole week. Trapped in a vacation ranch with them all.” I scowl as I finally acknowledge the truth I’ve been trying to ignore all day. “There’s no way I can get out of this one. I’ve avoided the last Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Mom is making such a big deal about it. I’m gonna have to show up.”

  Josh looks at me with a hint of sympathy, but rather less than I think the situation deserves. “Is your family really so bad?”

  I groan. “Pretty much. Well, some of them anyway. I can already see how this trip is going to go.”

  Josh raises an eyebrow at me and I continue, picking out the pistachios in the small bowl of nuts and peeling them just so I’ve got something to do with my hands.

  I look up at him, “Maria is married with two kids, Mark has one on the way, and Beth is engaged now. My family is…a little traditional, and now I’m the only one left for my parents to focus on. Twenty-five and single is like…anathema to them. I swear they think I’m a lost cause and are fully expecting me to die alone, simply because I want to get my life figured out before I think about any of that. I simply don’t have time to be thinking about a relationship at the moment.”

  I take a breath from my stream of complaints, and down the rest of my drink.

  Josh dutifully flags down the waitress to ask for another round and I try to conceal the mess I’ve made of the table by throwing a couple of napkins over the broken nut shells. He rolls his eyes at me, and I stick my tongue out, then push the de-shelled pistachios over towards him.

  I don’t even like pistachios, I just wanted something to do - but since he loves them and hates the effort involved, I figure we make a good team.

  “So you’re going to get hassled about when you’re settling down and starting a family?” He asks, chewing on the nuts as he considers my impending doom.

  “Day in and day out.” I confirm, “Not just that, though - the last time I was fooled into coming back for a family gathering, it was a parade of dates and set-ups. My parents had somehow convinced a string of guys that I totally wanted to date, marry and have children with them, even though I’d never met any of them before. Fuck, the amount of sitting politely through boring anecdotes and tedious dinners…and then having them storm out when I mention that no, actually, I’m not ready to start a family, no, maybe not for years, maybe not at all…And then my parents’ perplexed questions of how I could possibly scare off—”

  “Wait.” Josh interrupts, and I’m not sure whether I’m happy to avoid reliving anymore of that last disaster, or irritated at not being able to finish my rant. “I thought you said this was some family vacation, on a ranch? Surely you don’t have to worry about any of that, Caz - they’re not exactly going to invite random hangers-on just on the off-chance you get together with them.”

  “You don’t know my parents.” I say grimly, “Besides, the ranch isn’t so far from my hometown - I’m sure they’ll convince at least a few eligible bachelors to drive a couple of hours to join in the festivities.”

  He looks at me, obvious skepticism on his face. We’ve been friends for years, but I haven’t said much about my family in all that time. In fact, I make a point of not talking about them - and since I rarely see them these days, it doesn’t exactly come up in conversation. Josh hasn’t heard nearly enough anecdotes to realize I’m not exaggerating in the slightest.

  After seeing my expression though, he shrugs and raises his glass again.

  “So we’re here getting drun
k to help you come to terms with suffering through a week of family pressure and bad dates?” He asks.

  “Exactly.” I nod, taking a sip of the new margarita in front of me. They’re tasting better and better.

  “I can think of worse problems, Caz.” His lips quirk up in a small smile and he shrugs. “But I can get pissed with you either way.”

  I smile back at him, laughing a little myself. That’s one of the best things about this - Josh and I don’t agree on everything. Hell, I’m not sure we actually agree on much at all. But we don’t need to. We can rant, and get drunk, and distract each other without any judgment at all.

  And right now, that’s just what I need.

  I clink my glass against his, and we set to doing exactly that with a grim determination.

  As the room becomes a little hazy at the edges and I start relaxing for the first time since I took that call from my mother this afternoon, Josh and I start brainstorming ways that I could possibly get out of this week with my family.

  “School got too busy?” He offers.

  “Hah, that’d be true. But it doesn’t count anymore…if I have to hear one more thing about how I care so much more about my work than my own flesh and blood…”

  “Okay, so…something you have no choice about. Broken leg?”

  “They’d come visit. With adoring suitors, no doubt.” I say glumly, then perk up at another thought. “Maybe I can claim I was abducted.”

  “By aliens?” Josh asks, perfectly reasonably as he sets aside his whiskey.

  He got bored of the margaritas, but they’re still tasting better and better to me. I started craving food a while ago, but I pushed past it and now the only thing the alcohol is making me want is more alcohol. The best point in a night out.

  “Nah…cowboys, maybe.” I counter.

  “They’d believe that?” He raises an eyebrow, which over his slightly languid expression ends up making him look lop-sided.

  “They live in Arizona - hell, they’d probably be fine with it if the cowboys did the honorable thing and I ended up hitched to one.” I roll my eyes. A bad idea, I find out, as I feel suddenly dizzy and stars flash across my vision.