Always Daddy

by Karen Rose Smith

  Jon. How could she go back to Pennsylvania and only see him intermittently?

  Marilyn continued, “I’ve never heard Jon as happy as in these past weeks he’s been in Pennsylvania. I was worried about him. I think Emily has given him new purpose in his life. I hope now that he’s back he doesn’t start working twenty hours a day again.”

  “He’s a good father. And he spends as much time as he can with her. When she’s here, I think she’ll be the priority.”

  “And when she’s here, will you be here? I mean if you don’t move?”

  “We haven’t discussed that yet. I trust him with Emily, but I don’t know how much time I’m willing to spend away from her. Yet I have a business to run. It’s a complicated situation.”

  Marilyn canvassed Alicia’s face. “I can see that.”

  Alicia guessed Marilyn could see more than the situation, that she might suspect Alicia had feelings for her son.

  Adam Hobbs’s house was twice as big as Jon’s. Jon had told Alicia that not only did Adam and his wife, Jana, have a year-old baby, but that his two daughters from a previous marriage also stayed with them on and off. When Jon had asked her if she’d like to go to a pool party at Adam’s, she figured she might as well jump in with both feet and get to know Jon’s friends. Now, on Adam’s patio, her white terry wrap firmly knotted at the waist, she wondered what she’d been thinking.

  Adam and Jana had greeted them at the door. The couple had been friendly and welcoming. Alicia and Jon had mingled for a while and then changed into their swimsuits in separate bedrooms. Jon must have gotten waylaid somewhere because he wasn’t in the room where he’d changed or on the patio. Looking around, Alicia went to the bar for a glass of white wine and studied her surroundings. Many of the women on the patio wore bikinis, all wore suits that probably cost more than her profits for a week. Her own suit, a black satiny maillot, could be found on more than one rack at any department store. She’d purchased it on sale at the end of a season.

  Not feeling as if she could just go up to strangers and start a conversation, she sat at one of the tables. Adam saw her, crossed to her and sat down. “Well, what do you think?”

  She wasn’t sure what to think about Adam. Jon said he was treacherous in corporate negotiations. His blue eyes twinkled with friendliness, but his squared jaw hinted at an aggressive attitude she supposed could surface in a second.

  “About?” she asked in answer to his question.

  “California, of course.”

  She took a sip of wine and set down her glass. “I’ve only seen a small bit of it. Jon’s house, the beach, the observatory, Disneyland. He did say he’s taking me to Rodeo Drive tomorrow.”

  Adam’s gaze seemed to take in everything about her, from the flutter of her finger against her glass to the tilt of her head. It wasn’t male interest; it was lawyer interest. She had the distinct feeling he was sizing her up. “To buy something for the charity gala?” he guessed.

  “You and Jon must think alike. Unless you’re a mind reader.”

  “Or else Jon told me yesterday when I asked him to the party.”

  To divert Adam’s attention from her, she commented, “You have a lovely house.”

  “It’s nice, and big, and since I married Jana, it’s become a real home.”

  Alicia relaxed a bit. “Jon said your little boy was a year old last week.”

  “He took his first steps yesterday.” Adam’s voice held the awe of a proud father. “I wanted to keep Matthew up to show him off, but Jana insisted he’d enjoy our parties more when he gets older.”

  Alicia smiled. “I remember Emily’s first steps.”

  “How does Emily like it out here?” Adam asked casually.

  Alicia would bet that swimming pool he’d already asked Jon the same question. “She seems to have adapted easily. She loves the beach. It’s one big sandbox. She’s afraid of the ocean, but Jon helped her get a few toes wet this afternoon.”

  Adam leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the arms. “I suppose Marilyn is baby-sitting tonight?”

  “Yes. Do you know her well?”

  He chuckled. “For years. She’s given me guiding lectures now and then.”

  “Did you need them?”

  His blue eyes flickered with amusement. “Probably.”

  Jon pushed open the sliding glass door and stepped outside. Alicia stared and stared some more. She’d seen his bare chest before. But add bare hairy legs, muscled thighs and a pair of navy trunks that hugged him too well, and she couldn’t swallow let alone breathe.

  He opened the gate leading to the pool. “Are you bothering the lady, Hobbs?”

  “Am I bothering you, Alicia?”

  Somehow she found her voice. “No, you’re protecting Jon’s interests.”

  The two men looked at each other. Adam shook his head. “She’s sharp. Here I thought I was being subtle.” Pushing his chair in, he faced Alicia. “Don’t blame Jon. We’ve known each other a long time and I’m more than his lawyer, I’m his friend.”

  As Adam moved away to talk to other guests, Jon sat beside her. “Did he give you the third degree?” His question was edged with annoyance at his friend.

  “No. Like he said, he was subtle.”

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  “That’s not necessary. You don’t have to protect me, Jon.”

  He smiled and fingered a strand of her hair curling on the lapel of her robe. “Are you sure?”

  She smiled back. “I’m sure.”

  “Are you going to swim with me?”

  The women standing around the pool looked as if the last thing they wanted to do was get their suits or hair wet. But the balmy night, the unearthly blue lights under the water, Jon beside her, beckoned. She took a deep breath. “Sure.”

  Jon watched as her hands went to the belt of her wraparound. Loosening the knot, she unbelted it and the lapels fell open. Jon’s green eyes heated with the sensual awareness that always hummed between them. Chills broke out on her arms, but she shrugged out of the robe anyway.

  His slow, sexy smile chased the chills away. His gaze flicked from her halter top, to her slim waist, to her long legs. He held out his hand and she took it.

  Jon swam laps while Alicia floated on her back. No one else was in the pool. She let bits of stray conversation and laughter float around her until a hand grabbed her ankle and she yelped. Before she knew it, Jon’s hands were around her waist and he was holding her in front of him.

  She gripped his shoulders—strong, hard, wet shoulders—and tried to tear her gaze from the droplets of water collected in his chest hair. “I thought you were going to swim for a while.”

  He grimaced, his frustration laced with the tight edge of desire. “How in blazes am I supposed to swim when all I can see in front of my eyes is the way you look in this suit?”

  “But it’s sedate.”

  “It’s sexy as sin.”

  “I’m covered,” she blurted out.

  Sliding his hands up from her waist to under her arms, from there down to the tops of her thighs, he murmured, “You sure are. And I’m imagining exactly how you look underneath.”

  She felt the heat flow to her face and couldn’t do anything about it. “Jon.”

  He tipped her chin up and stroked her cheek. “Right now, I want to strip that suit off you and look at every lovely inch. And then I want to touch every lovely inch. If that embarrasses you, I’m sorry, but that’s all I can think about lately.” He pulled her even closer until she fit against him. Her softness molded to his hardness, and the titillating temptation even with their clothes on shortened her breath.

  Jon’s eyes seemed to pierce her with a knowing intensity that aroused everything womanly within her. The trembling around her heart swept lower and wider. She felt three beats of his heart before he lowered his head and took her lips in a devouring kiss that sent a string of tremors through her. With masculine demand, he parted her lips with his tongue. As darkness surrou
nded them except for the blue underwater lights, with all the guests sitting on the patio talking and drinking, they seemed to be alone in a sensual world of water and touch, heat and a slight breeze. There was Jon and need and love.

  Jon’s hand slipped between them. She felt his palm on her breast as he deepened the kiss. Arching into him, she forgot they were at Adam’s house, she forgot she should be cautious, she forgot that she didn’t know if he loved her. When his thumb stroked across her nipple, she pushed her thighs against his, felt his hardness, and accepted it, reveled in it, rocked against him until he tore his mouth from hers and groaned her name.

  Moving his hands again to her waist, he bowed his forehead against hers. “My God, Alicia, I could take you right here.”

  Her racing heart tightened her throat. Sucking in a puff of air, she could still taste Jon, could still smell Jon, could still feel every tingle from his body molded to hers. “I don’t think Adam would appreciate it.”

  “The hell with Adam,” he growled.

  She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. “He’s your friend.”

  Jon sighed and raised his head. No one seemed to notice them standing near the deep end at the side of the pool. To anyone on the patio, it looked as if they were having an intense conversation. He’d never do anything to compromise Alicia’s reputation, but he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.

  When they left the party, they were both silent as he drove home. He pulled the car into the garage, then said, “Let’s take a walk on the beach.”

  “Don’t you think we should tell your mom we’re back?”

  “I think she’ll guess. She heard the garage door go up.”

  Jon took Alicia’s hand as they walked down the stone steps to the beach area. Her sandals clicked against the stone, but Jon’s sneakers were silent. The roar of the ocean in the distance echoed like a benevolent rumble of thunder. The swish and swoosh of the surf soothed the line between sand and horizon.

  They’d walked for a while when he said, “You and Mom seem to get along well.”

  “I like her. Very much. So does Emily.”

  He stopped and tried to see Alicia in the glow of the moon. “You’re not just saying that.”

  “Have I ever lied to you?”

  A ghost of a smile slipped across his lips. “No. Come to think of it, you don’t even gloss the truth.” His heart felt lighter and he wasn’t sure why he felt so relieved. He lightly swung her hand as the sand slid around his sneakers. “Emily makes her smile and laugh. She hasn’t done enough of that since Dad died.”

  “Do you think she’ll ever remarry?”

  He was shocked for a moment. “I honestly never thought about it.”

  “She’s an attractive lady. With all the charity work she does, she could easily meet someone.”

  “I hope she does. She’s always wanted to travel. Dad would never take the time away from work.” He’d been thinking about his parents a lot lately. But he’d been thinking about something else more. “How do you like the ocean?”

  “It’s wonderful. It’s amazing that you have it in your front yard. You’re very lucky.”

  He stopped again and took hold of her shoulders. “I’d like to be even luckier. You’ve been here a week. What do you think? Could you be happy living in Los Angeles?”

  She hesitated, then answered, “Truthfully, I’ve postponed thinking about it. I do know one thing for sure. I don’t want to give up my business.”

  Some part of him had been holding its breath, had been worrying about Alicia’s reaction to his house, the city where he lived. He didn’t want Emily with him on a sometimes basis, he wanted her here all the time. And the picture wasn’t complete without Alicia. He stroked her hair away from her cheek. “I can understand that. Why don’t we look at a few office spaces tomorrow?” He’d do everything in his power to lure her to the West Coast.

  “All right.”

  Seeing the doubt and confusion in her eyes, he thought he knew what they came from. Ria would still be in Camp Hill. So would her friends and everything she’d known all her life. He couldn’t push this decision, but he could make her want it as much as he did.

  Taking her in his arms, he kissed her. The breeze blew, the surf rolled, the sand shifted and Jon knew he couldn’t let Alicia and Emily fly out of his life.

  The next afternoon, Adam’s message didn’t alarm Jon, but it did make him wonder what was so urgent. “Come to my office as soon as you get in. It’s important.”

  Jon had taken Alicia through a few office spaces before they went shopping. She hadn’t seemed impressed. Something was troubling her. Maybe it was more than leaving Ria in Camp Hill. Maybe she simply didn’t like the idea of surf and sand twelve months of the year.

  She’d seemed excited when they’d picked up his mother and gone shopping. He’d taken Emily to a nearby park while the women explored the dress shops. Now Emily was taking a nap, and her mother and grandmother were oohing and aahing over their purchases.

  Peeking into the guest bedroom, barely noticing a froth of pink on the bed, he said, “I’m stopping at Adam’s then going into the office for a few hours. If you need me, that’s where I’ll be.”

  His mother waved him away. “We’re fine. Alicia and I will see what we can concoct for supper. Unless…I’m sorry I’m pushing in. If you want to be alone, I’ll understand.”

  Yes, he wanted to be alone with Alicia, but he understood his mother’s need to be around them. Glancing at Alicia, he saw her small smile of understanding. “You’re more than welcome to stay for supper. I’ll take you home afterward.”

  He couldn’t forget his mother’s pleased and happy expression as he drove to Adam’s office. The secretary buzzed Adam when Jon arrived and the lawyer told her to send him in.

  Adam took off his wire-rimmed glasses as Jon approached his desk. “We’ve got trouble with a capital T.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “Valerie Sentara.”

  “She’s just a nuisance.”

  “She managed to get my most recent paralegal to divulge some information.”

  “About?”

  “You and Alicia. This is the same paralegal who typed up your letter of intent to file for visitation rights.”

  Jon’s epithet was loud and harsh enough to carry through the closed door.

  “I’m sorry. Valerie called me this morning to give me the chance to verify. Can you imagine the gall of that woman? I told her to take a hike, and she said the article comes out Monday on the Style page. She even gave me the headline. Newspaper Tycoon Claims Illegitimate Daughter.”

  Rage percolated through Jon until slamming his hand through the wall seemed to be the only option.

  Adam looked at him with concern. “Want a drink? I have some scotch.”

  Jon ignored his friend’s offer. “I will not have Emily and Alicia put smack dab in the middle of a scandal. If I could get my hands around that woman’s neck—”

  “You’d go to prison for murder one. Try to calm down, Jon. We can think our way out of this. You know we can.”

  “For God’s sake, Adam, this isn’t some math problem we can solve. That woman’s a walking time bomb!”

  “Yes, she is. But there has got to be some way we can defuse her.”

  Jon went to Adam’s window, the same window he remembered staring out of after he’d learned he had a daughter. His mind started clicking and the solution suddenly became obvious. “I’ll ask Alicia to marry me. Tonight. We’ll get it out to the other newspapers, then call Ms. Sentara. If everybody else is writing about the wedding of a newspaper tycoon, the emphasis will be on that, not Emily. It will take the wind out of Sentara’s sails. She doesn’t like happy endings, she likes scandals.”

  Adam’s brows arched. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? Marriage is a big step.”

  It didn’t seem like such a big step. Subconsciously he must have been considering it for some time or it wouldn�
��t seem like the natural solution it was now. “This is what I want to do. Alicia and I are good together.”

  “Are you doing this because you want a life with Alicia or because you don’t want to be separated from Emily?”

  “Both. Now all I have to do is to convince Alicia.”

  After Alicia put Emily to bed, she waited for Jon to come back from taking his mother home. Tomorrow night was the charity gala. She couldn’t wait for Jon to see her in the dress she’d purchased. She’d paid much too much. But she wanted Jon to be proud of her. More than that, she wanted to see the desire leap into his eyes when he looked at her. Maybe she’d even see love.

  She heard the garage door. When Jon came in, he sat down on the sofa next to her. “Is Emily all tucked in?”

  “When we get back, she’s going to sleep for a week. There’s so much to see and do while she’s here, she’s afraid to close her eyes. She might miss something.”

  “Maybe she won’t have to miss anything.”

  Jon was talking about more than sightseeing. Alicia’s pulse raced.

  He took something out of his pocket. It was a small velvet box. Opening it, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

  The marquise diamond was recessed in a wide band of gold. She’d never seen a diamond that large it had to be at least two karats. Meeting his gaze, her mouth went dry. She wanted more than anything in the world to say yes, to be his wife, to stand beside him, to be joined to him forever. But why did he want to marry her? Because he desired her? Or because he loved her? Or because of Emily?

  Only one of those was the basis Alicia wanted for a marriage.

  “If you don’t like it, we can pick out another one.”

  The ring was the last thing on her mind. “Oh, no. It’s beautiful. It’s just…”

  “You’re not sure. Alicia, we’d have a good life. Emily would have the best of everything. You would, too. And I know how much you’d miss Ria, but you can fly back anytime you want. And we can fly her out.”

  Not a word about love. Pride made her unable to ask. Pride made her say, “Give me some time to think about it.”