“I know, Cyrus, I’m not an idiot.”
“Well then what’s the plan, Ivy?” Cyrus asked.
“He’s her father and they should get to know each other. That’s the plan.” She took a deep breath and splayed her hands on the table. She looked at each of her brothers in turn. “I didn’t expect the situation to play out this way, but now that Lucas knows, he and Katie should have a relationship. I can’t avoid it, and I shouldn’t try.”
“How’d he find out?”
“He came by my office unexpectedly. He saw Katie, talked to her, and he put two and two together. He was the guy you noticed at the anniversary party.”
“You should have told me who he was when I asked you at the party,” Cyrus said.
“What would you have done? Had him killed?” Ivy held up her hand. “Don’t answer that.” She wouldn’t put anything past her brother and his need to protect the family.
“What do you plan to do about Winston’s family?” Cyrus asked.
Ivy shrugged. “I’ll have to tell them he’s in her life now, but that won’t change anything for them. They’ve known almost from the beginning that she wasn’t their granddaughter and didn’t care.” Having Winston’s parents accept Katie as part of the family had made the deception easier.
“Mother will want to meet him,” Trenton said.
“I don’t think now is the best time,” Ivy said. “I want to take this slow so Lucas and Katie can get to know each other first. Things have been a bit…bumpy.”
“You’ll have to introduce him to other people, too.”
“To be honest, outside of the family, I doubt anyone will care.” At least that’s what she told herself. She’d done a good job of staying out of the news for years. There was no reason that should change.
Cyrus spoke again. “If you need—”
“Cyrus, let me handle this.” She had to cut him off before he tried to take over. “The last thing I need is for you to start meddling.”
“I don’t meddle.”
Ivy raised a skeptical brow and Trenton fake coughed.
Cyrus pursed his lips. “Fine, but would you do me a favor? Be careful with this guy. You knew him when you were much younger, but for all we know, he could have an agenda now. When he has time to think about the situation, he could become greedy. Equally important is how you handle this. I remember how torn up you were after your relationship with him ended. Do you still have feelings for him?”
“No.” She answered too quickly, and her older brother’s eyes narrowed perceptively. She rushed on. “As you pointed out, I was younger then. I’m going to continue dating, like I’ve been doing, and nothing will change for him, either. He’s living the bachelor lifestyle, flying from city to city and seeing multiple women. There’s no chance of us rekindling any kind of relationship.”
“You sure about that?” That was Trenton. Even he doubted her. “You have a child together.”
“Of course I’m sure.” Her voice hardened, her resolve firmed. “Years have passed since we were together, and lots of people have children together and move on from each other. Why would Lucas and I be any different?”
Chapter Twelve
Trying to win over his daughter was turning out to be a lot more difficult than Lucas had expected. However, her reluctance to see him and lack of interest in spending time with him didn’t quench the desire he had to see her and connect. Her apathy only made him want it more.
Whenever he saw her, he experienced so many emotions. Wonder, at this little person who carried his blood in her veins. Disbelief, that he’d been kept in the dark for so long. And a deep affection that overwhelmed him as he examined her face and heard her voice, knowing she derived half her genetic makeup from him.
Resentment, an uglier emotion, also infiltrated his thoughts. Another man, an imposter, had filled the position of father for years and quite well, apparently. So well, Katie didn’t want anyone else in his place. While Lucas had been cheated out of all the important milestones in his daughter’s life, Winston had experienced them all. Her first words, her first steps, and her first day of school.
After several visits trying to win over Katie, Lucas was at a loss. She hadn’t warmed up to him anymore than before. She treated him like a stranger and sat quietly while he talked about his life in Atlanta and what he did for a living. When he asked her about school and her family, her monosyllabic answers made it clear she’d rather be anywhere else doing anything else but sitting with him.
Finally, though, he had an idea, one he hoped would break the ice between them.
****
Ivy opened the door, surprised to see Lucas standing on the other side. “You’re early,” she said.
Her trainer had left a few minutes ago after an intensive yoga session, and her skin was still damp with sweat. She hadn’t had a chance to shower and change and wore the yoga pants and fitted tank from her class. She felt grimy, sweaty, and decidedly unattractive.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Lucas said.
Strangely, he seemed excited. His interactions with Katie over the past few days had been awkward, to say the least, but he appeared renewed. Her heart had gone out to him as he arrived night after night, only to be greeted by Katie’s tepid responses. He held a rectangular package in his hand, giftwrapped with a pretty white bow on it. Her heart hurt a little bit more for him. He’d resorted to bribery for his daughter’s affection.
“No, of course I don’t mind. Come in.” She opened the door wider and let him in.
His muscular physique filled the small entryway. He was dressed business casual in a pair of dark slacks and a maroon shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his elbows, revealing hair sprinkled along his sinewy forearms. The undone top button on his shirt offered a peek at more hair on his chest.
Could he be any more sexy? Any more virile?
The first time she’d seen him years ago, she’d assumed he must be an athlete because of his size, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. Except recreationally, Lucas hadn’t played sports. He hadn’t fit her idea of the passionate writer and bibliophile, but as she’d gotten to know him, she’d seen that side of him. More than anything, she loved listening to him do spoken word. It always turned her on to hear him recite his poems on stage in his deep, sexy voice.
“Katie finished her homework with the babysitter, and she’s at the dining room table writing.”
“You just came in from exercising, I see,” Lucas said as they walked back.
His conversational tone held a warm undercurrent that made her self-aware. If she turned around she knew she’d see him watching her body. And of course there was plenty for him to see in the clinging pants and body-hugging top.
“I get in a few hours a week,” she replied. She could practically feel his gaze on her—and the tiny hairs on her skin rose as a shiver quivered under her skin.
She brought him into the open room. “Katie, your father’s here.”
Katie looked up from the book she’d been writing in. She’d had a long talk with her daughter the night before about being more polite when her father came around. When she muttered a dispirited, “Hi,” and dragged from the table, it was obvious the talk hadn’t worked.
Lucas lowered to his haunches in front of his daughter. Ivy stepped back to give them a modicum of privacy, but she remained close enough so she could satisfy her curiosity about what was in the prettily wrapped package.
“I brought you something,” he said. He handed Katie the gift.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Open it and see.”
Katie looked over at her and Ivy smiled encouragingly. She opened the package slowly, taking her time to remove the paper as if she expected something to jump out at her. Finally, she revealed a purple, leather bound journal. A warm glow lit in Ivy’s chest. He’d remembered purple was Katie’s favorite color.
Katie turned the book over in her hands. “What is it?”
“
It’s called a journal,” Lucas explained. “I remembered you said you liked to write down your thoughts. If you’re going to do it, you need to do it the right way, the same as a writer would. I mean, you’re a writer, right?”
Katie nodded vigorously.
“I thought that’s what you said.” He unhooked the latch and opened it for her to see the lined pages. A purple pen lay attached to a wide band of elastic on the inside. “Every good writer needs a journal to write her thoughts, dreams, and ideas. So, you write down your thoughts in here, and then you lock it up so no one gets to read it. It’ll be your own private diary of whatever you’re thinking or feeling. For your eyes only.” He produced a key for the lock hanging off the zipper’s pull tab and Katie took it.
She hugged the gift to her chest and rewarded Lucas with a small smile. “Thank you.”
Lucas stood and Katie looked up at him, then at her mother. “Can I go write in my journal?”
“Well…” Ivy said. Lucas had come over to spend time with her, and now she was running off.
“It’s okay. That’s what it’s for,” he said. He seemed satisfied with the results of his actions.
Katie hurried off down the hall and left them alone together, and Lucas immediately blew a burst of air from his mouth. He must have been more nervous than he let on. After Katie’s constant rejection, it must be a relief to finally get a positive reaction.
“That went well,” Ivy said.
“Better than I thought,” he agreed with a grin.
A genuine, full-on grin lit up his eyes and made her heart do a treacherous somersault. He had always smiled like that—a dazzling expression—as if his entire being were involved in the act. The perpetual smile around his eyes had been one of the things that had made him attractive to her. He had a joie de vivre that she hadn’t mastered at the time, clearly loving every second of life. Coupled with his unique blend of beauty and masculinity, he’d been downright irresistible.
“When in doubt, getting a woman a gift is always a good way to soften her up,” Ivy quipped.
He chuckled. “I know a lot about women, but I didn’t think little girls were exactly the same. I should have known.”
Ivy clasped her hands in front of her. “Um…would you like to stay for dinner?”
He shook his head. “I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got a writing deadline to meet, but I wanted to see her tonight.”
“I appreciate you doing all of this.”
He frowned. “All of what?”
“Spending time with her and hanging in there even though she hasn’t exactly been welcoming.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s been what, a week? It’s understandable. Like you said, it’ll take time for her to get used to me. Oh, before I forget.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “Here’s the second key to the journal, in case she loses hers or you need to do any snooping.”
Ivy took it, careful not to touch him. “Look at you, already thinking like a parent.”
They smiled at each other, and her chest tightened a little. Seconds ticked by and she shifted from one foot to the next.
“So where do you go to work out?” Lucas asked.
“I’ve been doing more yoga lately, and I do it here. The trainer comes by and works with me for an hour. I go down to the hotel gym and get on the machines when I want to really sweat.” The last part sounded like sexual innuendo and her cheeks heated.
He raised an eyebrow and observed her from head to toe. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to lose weight?”
She blushed at the shock in his voice. “You know how we women are. We always think we can stand to lose a few pounds.”
In all honesty a few years ago she’d given up trying to lose any more weight and accepted her figure. So her stomach was softer and not as flat and firm as it had been in her early twenties. Her main goal was to stay healthy, and stressing about losing an extra ten pounds that she’d then have to be vigilant about keeping off was not on her list of priorities.
Both of Lucas’s brows raised in surprise this time. “And you feel that way? Like you could stand to lose a few pounds?”
“Maybe a pound here or there.” She lifted one shoulder, suggesting it didn’t really matter, but she wondered what he thought. She wasn’t the same lithe young woman he’d met nine years ago.
“Well, whatever you do…” His gaze raked boldly over her and lingered, settling on the arc of her hips and thighs. She couldn’t read his eyes because he’d lowered his lids and those thick, pretty lashes of his shielded his thoughts. “Lose all the weight you want. Just don’t lose that ass.”
She stopped breathing. What was she supposed to say to such a comment?
She ran her hands down her hips to get rid of their dampness, but the action ended up drawing attention to her figure. Lucas’s eyes followed the movement, and heat mushroomed from her pelvis to other parts of her body. She swallowed nervously. Her thoughts veered into dangerous territory, such as wondering what kind of sensation she’d experience if he kissed one of her butt cheeks and she could feel the bristles of his beard rub across her bottom.
Lucas was an ass man, and he’d made no secret of how much he’d enjoyed hers.
“Mmm…” His tongue stroked over the curve of her fleshy bottom. He pinched the soft skin between his teeth. She gasped, moving restlessly, lifting her hips higher. Moisture pooled in the apex of her thighs.
He cupped both cheeks in his big hands and squeezed. He kissed each one in turn.
“You done turned me into an ass kisser.”
As if he guessed her thoughts, one corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “I’ll be more considerate of your time tomorrow,” he said. He didn’t move; he just stood there.
“Thanks.” She couldn’t think of another single thing to say. The complication of a sentence was too much for her brain to handle at the moment.
The silence between them lengthened and as he watched her, she shifted to the other foot and cleared her throat. “So…um…”
“Guess I better head out,” he said. Finally, he turned and walked to the front door.
Still shaken, Ivy stumbled along behind him. “Coming by early wasn’t a problem,” she said. “You’re welcome any time. It’s good for you and Katie to spend as much time together as possible so you can bond before you leave to go back to Atlanta.”
“Agreed.” He paused outside the open door. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow if I plan to come by earlier.”
“Sounds good.”
His eyes ran down her body one more time, as if imprinting the image in his mind. Her fingers tightened on the doorknob as she fought the flush of heat that covered her skin.
“Good night, princess,” he said softly.
She opened her mouth to remind him not to call her that and stopped. Knowing Lucas, he hadn’t forgotten. The pet name didn’t annoy her, it was just too intimate, reminding her of what they’d shared in the past.
Ivy stuck her head out the door to watch him walk down the hallway, as sexy as ever and moving with panther-like grace. He had a wide, bow-legged stride like he was hung between the legs. Which, she knew, he was.
She slammed the door shut and rested her head against it. “Breathe.”
She should be over him. Sure, there had been times when she’d thought about him and reminisced about their months together. It was only natural when each day she stared into a pair of eyes heart-achingly similar to his.
She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart.
The last thing she needed was to develop feelings for Lucas again. She couldn’t let the wall of civility erected between them crumble under the weight of something as simple as attraction. He couldn’t give her what she wanted. She knew that from first-hand experience.
Chapter Thirteen
It was nachos night, and Lucas had received strict instructions to bring his appetite. Once a month Katie could have whatever meal she chose, and this month she’d chosen nachos. I
vy had called to let him know Katie had invited him to dinner, and how could he possibly refuse the invitation?
He followed Ivy back to the spacious kitchen, from which they had a view of the living room. It contained top grade appliances—a Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine cooler, Miele dishwasher, microwave, and gas stove. It was also large enough to comfortably accommodate several people working there at the same time.
“Anything I can do to help?” he asked.
A pan of ground beef and beans simmered on one of the burners, and he smelled the distinctive aroma of cumin and onions. Ivy looked up from the cutting board where she was back to chopping fresh cilantro for the pico de gallo. “You can get the glasses and beer. I thought we’d try a new winter brew one of our brewmasters blended, if you’re interested?”
“Sounds good to me,” Lucas said. “I’ll be your beer guinea pig.”
“No beer for me, thank you,” Katie piped up. She burst into giggles.
“That’s right.” Ivy bumped hips with her daughter and joined in the laugh. “There’s juice in the fridge for the little one.”
Watching them, Lucas couldn’t help but smile. Mother and daughter worked side by side in the kitchen, and although Katie’s task was minor in comparison, it was clear having some responsibility in the meal preparation was important to her.
“When did you learn to cook?” he asked Ivy. He grabbed two bottles of Winter Lager and held them up.
“Mommy’s a great cook,” Katie announced.
Ivy nodded her approval at the beer in his hands. “That’s them. They flopped last year, so we’re trying a new formula. So far it’s tested well in the pubs, but this is the first time I’m trying it out.” She sprinkled salt from her fingertips into the pot and gave the meat mixture a stir. “I’ve learned a lot about cooking in the past eight years or so,” she informed him.
They worked in silence for a few minutes, and it felt cozy. Almost like they were a real…family. The thought snuck up on him and he shook off the sentimentality. This was nice and all, but it wasn’t what he wanted. This type of tame existence was for other men who didn’t crave excitement the way he did. He had a great life in Atlanta, and he liked traveling and meeting different people—especially women. He could still do all that even as he learned to nail down this father-thing. At least he hoped so.
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