Dirty Little Secret_A Secret Baby-Second Chance Romance

by Michelle Love

  “Probably ’cause Aunt Nancy and Uncle James talked to him.” He led me up the stairs, tugging my hand as we ascended to the second floor. “Those guys always help me out the most when it comes to Dad. He listens to ’em.”

  “That’s good to hear. When do you think I’ll get to meet them?” I went into his bedroom with him, finding it decorated with sailboats and ships. “Pretty nice, Fox. I like the nautical theme.”

  “Yeah, me too. I really like it when we go out on our boats. I like the ocean a lot. But I like lakes too. I guess I just like water.” He walked over to a large model of a ship. “You’ll probably get to meet them soon. Me and Dad worked on this for a whole month last year. Do you like it?”

  “It’s great.” I ran my hand over one of the flat pieces of the ship. “Do you know what kind of a ship it is?”

  “It’s an aircraft carrier.” He pointed to the name on the side of it. “It’s the U.S.S. Lexington. Me and Dad went to Corpus Christi, Texas, last summer and we saw it in person. It’s ginormous!”

  “It sounds like you two had a great time.” I looked around the bright room and thought how lucky he was to get to live the way he did. Not in a million years had I pictured the baby boy I’d had to give up living such a tremendous life.

  “We did. We always have a good time. Most of the time Dad and me get along pretty good, even if he is stricter than any of my friends’ parents.” He walked toward the door. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of upstairs. There’s a media room and a room just for playing around, with all kinds of fun toys. And four rooms for guests. But the only guests we’ve ever had stay over are Grammy and Gramps. And now you.” He opened the door across the hall from his. “This is Dad’s bedroom.”

  My heart sped up. “It is?” I peered in, and then Fox turned on the overhead light. “It’s nice.” Done in dark brown and teal, it also had the slightest hint of a nautical theme, but more like a ship’s captain’s quarters.

  “Yeah, I think it’s pretty good too.” Fox closed the door, and we went on to the next room.

  One door after another, he showed me the entire second floor. And then we went down to join his father in the backyard. We found Kane at a large stone patio, where he was building a fire in his big barbeque pit. “There they are. Did you get the grand tour, Zandra?”

  “I did. Fox is an excellent tour guide. And I saw the ship model you two built. It’s impressive.” I took the glass of iced tea he handed me, our fingers touching slightly as it changed hands. Even just that little contact had my tummy getting tight.

  “Glad you liked it.” The way his green eyes sparkled as he looked into mine made that tight tummy do a flip. “Did you see my bedroom?”

  I looked away to see where Fox was. He was getting something out of a storage room, out of hearing distance for now. Then I looked back at Kane. “I did.”

  “I’m putting you in the room right next to mine. Maybe you’ll see fit to sneak into mine later tonight.” He made a low growl. “If you can be quiet enough that Fox won’t hear us.”

  Now I was wet too. “Kane Price, you’re terrible.” I hit him lightly on the shoulder as I smiled coyly at him.

  “You think?” He looked to see if Fox was watching, and when he saw that he wasn’t looking at us at all, he swatted my ass. “I think you’ve been bad. Maybe you need a little spanking.”

  My body flushed with heat. “Kane, you’ve got to stop. You’re killing me.” I took a long drink of the iced tea to cool myself down.

  He smiled cockily, pleased with himself for the state he’d put me in. “Why don’t you take a seat right there at that table while I go grab the meat to put on the pit?” He walked away from me, and I had to fan myself.

  “You hot?” Fox asked as he came up right behind me.

  Startled, I asked, “What?”

  “Hot? Are you hot, Mom?” he asked again. “I can turn on the sprinkler if you are. It helps cool things off.”

  “Oh.” I pulled my head out of my ass. “No, that’s not necessary.”

  Holding up a baseball, he asked, “Wanna throw the ball with me?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I sure do.”

  The two of them were making me feel right at home. I had never imagined being a part of any home, never mind this beautiful one with my son and his father.

  It was like a dream come true, a dream I hadn’t even dared to imagine. Life was changing in ways I’d had no idea were even possible.

  Chapter 22

  Kane

  The woman had me running on an overload of libido. Sure, it had been a while since I’d had sex, but with Zandra around, everything was that much harder—and one thing in particular was very hard. My mind sprinted forward to the night ahead of us. Her in my arms, her body glistening with our combined sweat as I pumped into her.

  Stop it!

  I had to slow my ass way the hell down. What was I thinking?

  The main goal here was to figure out how to incorporate her into Fox’s life. And here I was thinking more about all the ways I was going to fuck the hell out of her, and not thinking about what she was actually there for.

  Aunt Nancy came out the patio door. “Knock, knock.”

  Zandra looked at me with panicked eyes. I smiled at her, hoping to convey that everything was fine. “I invited Aunt Nancy and Uncle James over to meet you.”

  She fanned herself. “Oh, heck.”

  My aunt went straight to her. “Do you remember me, Zandra?”

  “You haven’t changed a bit.” Zandra met my aunt halfway, then Aunt Nancy took her into her arms for a big hug.

  “That was so long ago. I was afraid you would’ve forgotten me.” Aunt Nancy let her go. “It’s good to see you, Zandra.”

  “You too.” She looked a little overwhelmed, and I stepped up beside her, putting my arm around her to steady her.

  Uncle James came out the door. “Hey there.” He held up a twelve pack of beer. “I brought the suds. Let the party begin.”

  “And what did you bring for me, Uncle James?” Fox shouted.

  Uncle James held up a brown paper bag. “Some boxes of apple juice. You know I never forget about my little man.”

  “Thanks,” Fox said with a smile.

  After he put the drinks in the minifridge in the outdoor kitchen, Uncle James joined us and I introduced Zandra to him. “Now, you two have never met. Uncle James, this is Zandra.”

  He held out his arms. “Well, can I have a hug too?”

  She walked to him, letting him hug her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too, Zandra.” He let her go, and we all took seats around the large glass patio table.

  With Aunt Nancy and Uncle James around, the flirting would have to stop for now, but I thought that might be a good thing. I don’t know how the girl did it, but she tied my ass in knots.

  Zandra had taken the chair next to mine. “You want a cold beer, Zandra?”

  She hopped up. “I’ll get you one, but I’m good.” She looked at the others. “Can I grab you guys one?”

  I got up, stopping her. “No. I’ll get them. You take a seat. You’re not working today.”

  She kept heading to the fridge anyway. “Sit down, Kane. I’ll get them. It’s fine.”

  “No.” I grabbed her by the waist, picking her up then putting her back in the chair. “I’ll get them.”

  “Fine.” She laughed. “But can you get me an apple juice?” She looked at Fox, who stood near us tossing the baseball into the air and catching it. “If Fox will share with me, that is.”

  “Yeah, sure.” He stopped throwing the ball and looked right at me. “See, Dad, she’s not an alcoholic just ’cause she works at a bar.”

  I froze then looked at Zandra, who thankfully wore a smirk. “I told you he has no filter.”

  She shook her head as Aunt Nancy put her palm over her face in embarrassment. “For the record, I’m not an alcoholic, or drug addict, nor am I promiscuous, or any of the other things you’ve pr
obably been thinking about me, Kane Price,” she stated for all of us to hear.

  “What’s promiscuous mean?” Fox blurted.

  “Never mind,” I grumbled, then looked at Zandra. “And I’m sorry for even saying those things out loud. In my defense, I didn’t know he was eavesdropping on my private conversations with other people.”

  “Yeah, Dad.” He tossed the ball up really high then looked at me. “I’m pretty much always listening.”

  “Good to know,” I said, then got the drinks.

  Zandra looked back and forth at my aunt and uncle. “So you two tracked down my family, found the adoption agency I registered at, and even managed to get my son in the end. That’s just plain amazing to me. How’d you do it?”

  My uncle laughed. “I was in Special Ops in the Navy.”

  “And I was a secretary for a private investigator,” Aunt Nancy added. “Together, we were an unbeatable team. Kane’s parents called us in as soon as Kane told them the news. We all wanted to make sure the baby got to stay in the family.”

  Uncle James went on, “We took him home a couple of days after he was born. We were going to keep Fox whether he was really Kane’s or not. But we didn’t want to introduce Kane to the baby until we knew for certain whether he was his or not.”

  “So we waited for the DNA test to come back,” Aunt Nancy said as she popped the top on her beer. “A week later we knew Fox was indeed Kane’s, and we brought him home to Charleston to meet his father and grandparents.”

  Zandra looked a little misty-eyed. “And he’s always lived in a home with a loving family. You have no idea how many nights I lay awake, worrying about him, wondering if he was okay. And to find out that he was more than okay … it means everything to me.” A tear fell down her cheek, and I leaned over, wiping it away.

  “I know now that I should’ve tried to contact you once you turned eighteen.” I put my arm around her shoulders, giving her a little squeeze. “I knew your parents must’ve had a lot to do with you giving the baby up, from the story your neighbor told me. But a part of me thought that you would’ve found some way to keep him if you’d really wanted to. I had no idea the extent they would go to keep you from talking to anyone. I’m so sorry for that, Zandra.”

  The way she leaned her head on my shoulder made my heart race. “I don’t blame you, Kane. Don’t be sorry for anything. I’m just so glad you’ve been such a great father to him. You have no idea how grateful I am to you and your whole family.”

  Fox had to chime in, “And I’m grateful for you, Mom.” He came up behind her and put his arms around her neck. “I love you so much.” Then he kissed her cheek, making the tears really pour from her pretty blue eyes.

  I laughed and got up to grab some napkins for her. “I’ve got ya.”

  “I’m sorry for being so emotional.” She took the napkins I handed her, drying her tears. “I’m not usually like this.”

  Aunt Nancy reached over, patting her on the leg. “It’s understandable, honey. Tell me, have you ever gotten any help after the trauma you’ve been through?”

  I knew that was a touchy subject, so I tried to change the topic of conversation. “So, who wants to help me in the kitchen for a few minutes? Zandra?”

  “Oh, yeah, I can help.” She got up, sniffling still, and came with me.

  “We’ll hang out here with Fox,” Uncle James called out to us.

  Zandra leaned in close to whisper, “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” I led her into the kitchen and went to get the meat from the fridge. “I didn’t really need any help. I just thought you needed saving.”

  “I figured.” She leaned back against the counter then blew her nose. “Where’s the trash can?”

  I pointed at the door behind her. “Behind that door.”

  She walked away and I watched her go. Her ass looked so enticing in the shorts she wore, which fit her just right. “Those blue jean shorts and that white T-shirt look good on you, Zandra.”

  When she came back out, she had a grin on her face. “You think so?”

  My cock sprang to attention as she walked toward me. Her tits bounced just the slightest bit under her shirt. Her dark hair cascaded around her shoulders. Then she was right there, within reach. But my hands were filled with a tray of meat.

  “I do think so. And I think they’re gonna look even better when they’re spread all over my bedroom floor. After I take each piece off of that smoking hot body, one at a time.” I leaned over the tray and pecked her on the cheek.

  With a little giggle, she turned away from me. “Kane Price, the things you do to my body are unreal.”

  Following right behind her, I watched her sweet ass sway with each step. “What I’m going to do to you later will be very real, baby. Very real.”

  “I can’t wait.” She held the door open for me and I moved passed her, stealing a little kiss before we headed out where everyone could see us.

  “Neither can I.” I loved the way her eyes barely opened after the kiss, as if my lips had a drugging effect on her.

  She blinked a few times. “Oh boy, I’m in trouble.”

  “Yes, you are.” Jerking my head toward the patio, I added, “Come help me with this meat.”

  I looked over at her, finding her biting her bottom lip. “How do you do this to me, Kane?” I saw goosebumps rise along her arm and found that unexpectedly erotic.

  She wasn’t lying. My words really did have a physical effect on her, and I liked that. I liked that very much.

  Aunt Nancy had her phone in her hand, holding it up to her face, clearly talking over video chat. “Oh, here she is, Linda.”

  “My mom,” I told her. “Go say hello.”

  Zandra looked a little shy. “Oh, Lord. How do I look?” She ran her hands through her hair.

  “Beautiful, as always.” I grinned at her.

  Aunt Nancy turned the phone around, and there was my mother’s face as she called out, “Come here, Zandra. Let me say hello to the woman who gave me that perfect grandbaby.”

  Waving, Zandra said, “Hello, Mrs. Price. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Mom was quick to correct her. “Mrs. Price was my long-gone mother-in-law. I’m Linda. How do you like life with the boys so far?”

  “Um, it’s good. Today’s the first day I’ve gotten to spend much time with them though, so it’s still new to me.” Zandra took a seat after Aunt Nancy handed her the phone. “I have to say that you’ve raised one heck of a son, Linda. I feel like I’m constantly being surprised by all of Kane’s accomplishments. And he’s the best father I’ve ever met. At least, so far he is.” She looked at me then winked.

  “And I’ll continue to be.” I placed the steaks on the hot grill, making smoke rise up. “Oh, if you could smell this, Momma, you’d be in heaven. When can you make it down to meet this little lady in person?”

  “Not too far from now, I think.” Mom looked at me now, as Zandra had turned the phone toward me while I spoke. “Your father has a doctor’s appointment for his gout next week. I’ve got a dentist appointment the week after that. The dog has to get his rabies shot on Friday, and the bird will have to be sent to stay with the neighbors, who won’t be back from Hawaii until the end of the month.”

  “So, next month, maybe?” I asked, as she’d pretty much used up what was left of this one.

  “Probably. We’ll have to see. You know how it goes with us. Maybe you guys could come here. I bet it would be much easier that way,” Mom said.

  I looked at Zandra. “What do you think? Do you want to go to California to meet my parents?”

  “Um. Uh …” Zandra looked like I’d put her on the spot. “I’ll have to see. I’ve got to get a new job, and getting time off might be hard at a new place.”

  “We’ll see what happens, Mom.” I let her off the hook.

  “Turn me back to you, Zandra,” Mom told her.

  Zandra turned the phone back around. “Hi, it’s me again.”

  “I just want you
to know that you’ve got a place in this family, girl. You’re the mother of my favorite grandson,” Mom said.

  “I’m your only grandkid, Grammy,” Fox called out.

  “Speaking of my grandson, let me see that boy, honey.”

  Zandra turned the phone around so Mom could see Fox. He waved at the phone. “Hi, Grammy.”

  “Hi, handsome. I hope you come see me soon.” She jerked her head as if gesturing to Zandra, who held the phone. “Talk your momma into coming to meet me. I can’t wait to get to know her.”

  “Me too,” he said. “You’re gonna love her just like I do.”

  “I bet I will.” Mom’s eyes searched me out as I walked into frame. “Treat her right, Kane.”

  I looked at Zandra. “I will.”

  The blush on her cheeks made my heart race. That girl did things to me that I couldn’t comprehend.

  At that moment, I knew I wasn’t going to make the same mistake I’d made with her all those years ago. I wasn’t going to treat her like a piece of ass that I just had to have. And it hit me suddenly that I’d pretty much been doing just that so far. Well, that would have to change.

  The rest of the afternoon and evening went great. Fox had Zandra read him a book when he went to bed, and I met her in the hallway once she was finished. “Hey.”

  She smiled coyly. “Hey.”

  “Is he asleep?” I leaned back against my bedroom door, putting one foot up behind me.

  “Yes, he is.” Zandra’s eyes went to the floor, her hand moving through her hair a little nervously. “He’s really a great kid, Kane. You’ve done such a great job with him. I mean it.”

  I crossed the hall to take her hand, leading her down the hall to the bedroom next to mine. “Thank you.”

  She watched me push the door open. “So, I guess this is goodnight then.”

  “Uh huh.” I ran my thumb up and down her palm. “It is. And I’m locking my bedroom door tonight. And I want you to lock yours too. Wanna know why that is, baby?”

  Her eyes dropped a bit. “Because you don’t want me.” Her head fell.

  “No.” I took her chin, lifting her face up so she had to look at me again. “I want you more than I can put into words. But I don’t want it to be like last time. I want you to know that I care about you the next time we make love.”