Hope

by Tia Wylder

  “Sorry,” Jack said. “But Adele, it’s ten in the morning. Don’t you want something lighter for lunch? It’s beautiful, maybe we could eat outside by the pool. I could make you a chicken salad, maybe? Or an avocado with a fried egg?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Both of those sound disgusting,” I said.

  Jack laughed. “Fine, baby,” he said. “You want me to make your fondue for you?”

  I shook my head. “No. Standing up is the only time where I feel like I’m not going to explode.”

  “You know you’re still beautiful,” Jack said. He took a stepladder from the kitchen closet and climbed up to reach the pans. Carefully, he handed me the copper double boiler and climbed back down.

  “You know, I think I actually want something else,” I said, staring down into the pan. “Thanks, though.”

  Jack kissed me on the cheek. “Of course,” he said. “So, out by the pool?”

  I frowned. “Let me make something to eat first, and then yeah, sure.”

  “You sure you don’t want me to make you something?” Jack frowned. “I could actually go for a pizza,” he said. “Want me to order one?”

  “Oh, god, no,” I said. “I can’t stand the idea of pizza right now.”

  Jack shook his head. “Tsk-tsk,” he said. “If only Lisa could see you now.”

  “Oh, she’d be happy,” I said, giggling. “That way she could have the whole thing to herself.”

  “Probably,” Jack said. He stepped closer and put an arm around my massive waist, pulling me close. As our lips met, I moaned softly. Jack nibbled my lower lip and slipped his tongue into my mouth. Arousal began to build in my lower belly, and I pushed my body against Jack’s muscles as our kiss grew more intense. I wanted him so badly, but something about sleeping with my husband while so hugely pregnant seemed…strange to me. Another reason for the baby to come, I thought as I reluctantly pulled away, nibbling at my lip. Because damn, do I miss the sex!

  “So, Mrs. Nathan,” Jack purred. “Feel like coming to bed with me?”

  I licked my lips. “As soon as this little one gets here,” I said, patting my stomach. “And then trust me, I’ll be all over you.”

  Jack grinned. “Good,” he said. “Because I don’t think I can wait much longer.” He stared longingly at my breasts. “And I miss you so much.”

  I flushed hotly. “I miss you, too,” I said.

  Jack kissed me again and sauntered out of the kitchen, humming under his breath. Against the brilliant white of his clean t-shirt, his muscular skin looked browner than ever. Living in Nassau had given us both permanent tans. I’d stopped complaining about skin cancer, as avoiding the sun was nearly impossible, but I was careful to always wear sunscreen. Jack, on the other hand, preferred living like a bronzed god.

  Not that I minded. He’d been sexy before, but now I found him more irresistible than I ever could have possibly imagined. It wasn’t just the pregnancy hormones, either – Jack and I had an intense, passionate connection that I was sure would never break. Loving him had given me a new purpose in life.

  As I looked around the kitchen for something palatable, I thought about how much had changed in just three years. After graduation, I’d taken over the company Jack had gifted me – Cerulean Skies. The work had been different than what I’d expected, but I’d adjusted quickly. Now, I had four teams of researchers combing the Caribbean for ways to improve the quality of marine and aquatic life. Plus, every year we held a massive fundraiser and donated all the proceeds to hurricane relief. I knew that without Jack, I never would have lived the life I was living…but I didn’t mind that as much, now. I’d worked hard to achieve everything I’d done, and somehow that alone was satisfying to me.

  Jack and I had moved to Nassau about a year after he proposed. I’d been reluctant to leave Boston and all of my friends behind, but after graduation, we’d all drifted. Lisa and I were still close – she’d even come to our wedding, at the Hotel St. Charles – but most of my other friends were off, doing their own thing. I was glad they were all happy…but I wouldn’t have traded my life for anything in the world.

  It truly seemed that things had worked out perfectly.

  Why don’t I have more of an appetite, I thought, frowning as I rested against the wall with both hands on my belly. The baby had been an active one, kicking and kicking (mostly during the nights!) but she hadn’t moved in a few days. Maybe she’s not hungry right now, either, I thought as I gnawed at my lower lip. Or maybe I should eat anyway, just to keep my strength up.

  I was only a few days away from my due date, but I was wondering if the baby would be early. My mom had told me that I was exactly three days early – when I was a kid, she’d joked about the experience had always made me so promptly. But whether my baby was early – or even just a bit late – I didn’t mind. I just wanted a happy, healthy baby in my arms…and out of my belly.

  Reluctantly, I walked across the massive kitchen and started making myself a sandwich with croutons, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff. Just as I was slicing into it, I heard a noise behind me that made me jump.

  “Oh! Miss Adele! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

  I turned around to see our cook, Grace, standing there with an apologetic look on her face.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make a mess for you. I’ll clean it up.”

  Grace clucked her tongue. “No, no, Miss Adele,” she said. “You go relax with Mr. Jack. I’ll take care of everything.”

  I nodded. Taking a bite of my sandwich, I chewed thoughtfully.

  “You should be eating whole foods, Miss Adele,” Grace said, wagging her finger at me. “You know that!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thank you,” I said. “But this is what I wanted right now.”

  Grace giggled like she knew something I didn’t. “Ah, you eat what the baby wants,” she said, shaking her head. “Baby must be coming soon, now!”

  “I hope so,” I said drily as I plated my sandwich and walked out of the kitchen.

  Jack was sitting by the smaller pool, adjacent to the deck of our master suite. He had his laptop out on the table, and he was clacking away furiously at the keyboard as I gingerly lowered myself down onto a chaise lounge.

  “Hey, baby,” Jack said. He leaned over and gave me a kiss, typing all the while.

  “Can you put that away? I’d like to have lunch with just my husband,” I said slyly.

  Jack flushed. “Of course.” He closed his laptop and slid it out of sight before reaching over and lacing his fingers with mine. “What did you settle on?”

  I showed him my sandwich. “I think it needs mustard,” I said, narrowing my eyes and staring at the odd concoction I’d put together. “Or maybe Worcestershire sauce.”

  Jack mimed gagging. “I think our kid is going to be anything but a picky eater,” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “What do you want for dinner? Feel like going out? Or should I tell Grace to make something here?”

  “I don’t know,” I said as I took another bite. “Just something good.”

  “Like tuna mixed with chocolate?”

  “Ew!” I burst out laughing. “That sounds gross, even to me!”

  Jack snickered. “Gotcha,” he said. He got up and sat at the foot of my chaise lounge, rubbing my feet. “I love you, baby,” he said. He leaned over and put a hand on my belly. “And I love you, baby,” he said to my huge stomach.

  I flushed. “How the hell did I get so lucky?” I asked softly.

  Jack didn’t answer. He leaned down and put his head on my stomach. As he listened to the kicking baby, I listened to the soft crashing of the waves in the distance. Our massive house was on the beach, and I could see the water from where I sat. Even as pregnant and uncomfortable as I was feeling, I’d never been so relaxed in my life.

  “Well, I guess you sailed to Nassau in the middle of a hurricane and found this handsome guy who was stranded at a hotel,” Jack said, rubbing my stomach. He sat up and lo
oked into my eyes. Suddenly, the beauty of the blue sky and the ocean was nothing compared to the tenderness in his brown eyes.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I guess I did that, what a crazy thing for a woman to do.” I raised an eyebrow at Jack. “Hardly seems fair, really. Most people get to say they met on a dating site, or at a party.”

  Jack snickered. “I think ours is much better,” he said. He reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. “Adele, I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” I said. “I always will.”

  Jack lifted my fingers to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand, then turned my hand over and kissed my palm. A delicious, warm thrill shot up my arm. As we sat together under the bright Nassau sun, staring at our little slice of heaven, I knew that I was truly the luckiest woman in the world. I had it all – love, a great career, and I was about to become a mother.

  I couldn’t have designed a better life for myself if given a chance to draw the blueprints.

  The End

  RIGHT BEFORE EACH BOOK TITLE:

  Daddy’s Virgin Nanny

  Chapter One

  Jasmine Lawson drew her lip between her teeth, refreshing the auction page on her cell phone. She’d been following the same sort of routine for nearly an hour now, with the auction counting down to the final minutes. Her eyes widened as the bids increased dramatically in price, feeling as if her heart would cease its steady beating in her chest as the auction hit the fifty-thousand mark. She counted down the seconds, watching as the clock ticked down. Five… four… three… two… one: at the last second a sixty-thousand-dollar bid clocked in from a user by the name of BigDaddy12. She exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding, staring at the final bid. She’d never expected the bidding to go so high, but then again, she’d never been particularly well versed in these sorts of auction websites. After all, you could only sell your virginity once. Yes, while it wasn’t the most glamorous means of making a profit in the world, Jasmine had been driven to giving up the one thing she truly had left to offer. She was several months behind on rent, jobless, carless, and hopeless. She’d been browsing the web for ways to make money when she stumbled across the ‘Win my first night’ website. It was relatively cut and dry if a bit questionable. She signed a contract to confirm the validity of her virginity, and thusly the auction had begun. She never thought she would resort to what was essentially prostitution to get by, but then again, she’d never expected to be in the position she was in.

  She shook off these thoughts as a message came through on the auction site, an instant message from BigDaddy12 himself. He sent her a smiling emoticon, expressing how utterly thrilled he was to have won the auction. She wasn’t sure how exactly to respond. Was she supposed to be thrilled as well? She supposed she should have been, considering the hefty payment he had laid down. Before she could formulate a response, three dots popped up to indicate he was typing once more. She hesitated, leaning back in her chair. She was surprised to see a long paragraph’s worth of text pop up, detailing his address, and how he would provide transportation for her to meet him there. She had her fair share of uncertainty, but truthfully, she had little choice but to agree with his proposition. She input a simple confirmation of her address, and with little else to say, he bid her a good night. She stared at her phone for a moment longer, before resolving herself to getting ready for bed. She set the phone on her bedside table, getting dressed in her pajamas before slipping beneath her simple twin sized blanket. Her mind raced what seemed a thousand miles per hour, but finally, she managed to drift into a restless sleep.

  When she woke the next morning, she immediately packed what BigDaddy12 indicated she would need for her… stay, so to speak. She took a moment to pick out her sexiest underwear, pulling them on with some reluctance. She supposed she should dress to impress at the very least, considering the exorbitant bid that this man (or what she assumed was a man) had put in for a night with her.

  She meandered downstairs with her suitcase, not bothering to engage in idle chit chat with passerby. She had a lot on her mind, and it wasn’t as if she could simply confess to the first person she passed that she was going to trade her virginity for a large lump sum. She rolled her eyes at the thought, stepping out into the bright and sunny morning. BigDaddy12 had indicated a cab would be waiting, and she was not disappointed as an older gentleman stepped towards her and offered to take her bag.

  “Jasmine Lawson, yeah?” He rumbled, and she nodded hesitantly. He shoved her suitcase in the trunk of the taxi, opening the door for her to slip inside before taking his place behind the steering wheel. The trip was a short one, and though Jasmine might have expected the winner’s abode to be expansive, she could have never anticipated just how large the estate would be. As she was driven toward the front entry, she was startled to see a young girl playing in the grass just beyond the porch. The taxi driver pulled her door open, allowing her to step out. He shoved her suitcase into her hands, tipping his hat before getting back in the taxi and driving away. Jasmine felt as if she might hyperventilate, suddenly afraid of what this BigDaddy12 man would be like.

  “What have I gotten myself into…,” she muttered, knuckles white gripping her suitcase handle.

  “Jasmine? Jasmine Lawson?” A warm voice called, and she was startled to see it belonged to a handsome man who could only be a few years her senior. He stepped down off the porch, smiling and taking her suitcase from her hands. “My name is Mark Stanford. You may know me as BigDaddy12,” he chuckled. The young girl, who Jasmine could only presume was his daughter, continued playing in the grass. She seemed happily oblivious to their conversation.

  “Yes, I’m… I’m Jasmine. Is this your daughter? Is she going to… be here, tonight?” Jasmine muttered with a pasted-on smile. Mark laughed warmly, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. She struggled not to shrink away, managing a smile of her own.

  “Actually, Jasmine. I have a bit of an alternate proposal to present to you,” the handsome man murmured. Jasmine met his gaze, wariness welling up inside her.

  “I’m… all ears, Mr. Stanford,” she swallowed hard. He laughed again, taking her by the arm.

  “Please, Jasmine. Mr. Stanford was my father. Please, call me Mark. And this… this is my daughter, Jenny,” he smiled, nearly dragging her over to the younger girl. Feeling entirely out of place, Jasmine forced a smile as the young girl scrutinized her. She wasn’t entirely sure what she’d gotten herself into, but for the time being, she was sure she didn’t like it. All the same, she tended to be rather good with kids. After a moment of staring at her, Jenny quirked her lips in a smile and waved one of her dolls at Jasmine.

  “Hello, Jenny. It’s… nice to meet you,” she managed, smiling cordially at the young girl despite how strange the situation seemed.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Jenny cooed, before returning her attention to her dolls. Mark watched them with a relatively unreadable expression, broad arms crossed over his chest. “Do you wanna play with me?” The young girl abruptly piped up, gesturing to the other doll that lay unused on the ground. Jasmine hesitated for a moment, looking to Mark for some sort of instruction. When she’d sold herself, she hadn’t exactly anticipated her the buyer’s daughter playing dolls with her. The unorthodox situation didn’t bother him, however, as he gestured Jasmine to play with his daughter. She complied with little hesitation, grabbing the doll that Jenny had indicated and waving its arm at the other doll. Jenny smiled in obvious delight, and the two made the dolls embrace. While Jasmine played with the young girl, she watched Jenny’s father from the corner of her eye, not sure what to expect at that point.

  “You know, it’s been some time since she had another female to play with,” Mark hummed, and Jasmine quirked a brow, looking between father and daughter.

  “Mommy doesn’t like to play with me anymore. She’s very busy,” Jenny smiled bitterly and Jasmine couldn’t deny the tug at her heartstrings. She reached out to rest a hand on th
e young girl’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Jenny. You don’t have any playmates in the neighborhood?” She inquired with a soothing tone. Jenny giggled, gesturing to her father with a doll.

  “Daddy plays with me,” she announced with a big smile. Jasmine met Mark’s gaze, and he looked surprisingly troubled. “He’s been staying home from work to take care of me,” Jenny said idly, and Jasmine mused that it explained Mark’s expression.

  “That’s very sweet. I’m sorry that your mommy doesn’t seem to have time for you anymore,” she murmured. Jenny shrugged her shoulders, losing herself in the pretend play. Jasmine couldn’t deny that she felt a bit foolish considering her reasons for coming to the estate. While she didn’t mind entertaining her buyer’s daughter, she certainly didn’t know if it was par for the course with such auctions. She inhaled a deep breath, allowing her mind to drift. She looked towards Mark, the man she better knew as BigDaddy12, taking a moment to consider his appearance. She supposed he suited the tall, dark and handsome stereotype well enough. He stood over six feet tall from the looks of it, and though his clothes obscured his body rather well, she could only guess how muscular he was underneath. His hair was dark, his eyes a vibrant shade of blue that could pierce a woman’s heart. The slightest of stubble along his jaw is enough to look as if he had simply gone unshaven for a few days, but she could guess that he kept it well-manicured. There was nothing about the man that screamed danger, but there was nothing about him that might have indicated his illicit online activities either. He noticed her staring, quirking his lips in a wry smile as she blushed and averted her eyes.