ROMANCE: BAD BOY ROMANCE: Basketball Daddy (BWWM Alpha Male Billionaire Pregnancy Romance) (African American Unexpected Pregnant Contemporary Romance)

by Ava Walsh

  "Responsibilities like what?"

  "Making sure everybody lives comfortably. I try to keep jobs on the packlands for members of the pack, and there are a lot of building projects that need to be done. One thing about being a werewolf is that you're not really welcome off packlands. It's hard to get a job when people keep expecting you to turn into a monster and eat them."

  Jackie winced. The bias against werewolves was alive and well in the world. She knew that Myles had been lobbying governments to give packs better resources to build their infrastructure and get their kids into college and university, but he was facing an uphill battle.

  "So you have a lot of work to make sure everybody is taken care of."

  Myles nodded. "It's not always easy. I could easily lose all my money if I move too quickly on everything I want to be done around here. And that's not to mention the other packs out there that also need help. Anyway, I think I see Mom peeking through the curtains. Come on, they'll be dying to meet you."

  ***

  Myles's family was warm and welcoming, giving Jackie unexpected hugs. The littlest of his nieces immediately wanted to drag her off to see all the highlights of the farm. By the time the tour was done, dozens of vehicles were parked in front of the house, and crowds of people were greeting Myles. They all brought casseroles, salads and desserts with them. Several long tables had been produced, stacks of paper plates and plastic cutlery were set out and everybody started eating.

  Jackie hung back, not certain where she and her diet fit into this impromptu potluck. Myles was always talking with somebody or other, and though she felt like she ought to be at his side, making appointments or something, she couldn't muster up the nerve to push her way through the werewolves.

  "Hey," a deep, male voice said behind her.

  Jackie jumped and turned to see a man standing close to her. His build was similar to Myles's, broad shoulders, ropes of muscles on his arms. His shirt was undone, showing off a chiseled eight-pack. His hair was wheat-blond, eyes a pale blue, his skin red and peeling with sunburn.

  "Hi," Jackie said. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."

  The man smiled. "You going to eat? We have plenty."

  Jackie shook her head. "I'm feeling a little… um… out of sorts right now."

  "Care to sit on the swing with me, then? A beautiful woman like you shouldn't have to spend a social gathering alone."

  With a smile, Jackie nodded. Were all werewolves smooth talkers, or had she just not been exposed to enough men in her life? Well, it could be the latter. It wasn't like she had men falling at her feet. A couple of boyfriends over the years, but that was all.

  "I'm Harley, by the way. Are you the Alpha's human mate I've been hearing so much about?" Harley settled on the swing beside her.

  "God, no." Jackie couldn't help but laugh. "I'm his personal assistant. Jacqueline. Jackie. And the human mate you've been hearing about isn't his mate. She's just a woman looking to stir up trouble."

  "Ah. Well, we'll all be glad to hear that, then." Harley pushed against the porch with his toes, making them swing back and forth gently, though he actually looked a little disappointed. "So are you married then? Boyfriend?"

  Jackie's face reddened. "Um…"

  "I'm getting too personal. Sorry. When you grow up in a pack like this it's hard to remember that not everybody shares everything with anybody else the way we do around here."

  Jackie nodded, understanding. She glanced over the crowd, finding Myles. Was he writing a check? She narrowed her eyes. "What is he doing?"

  Harley followed her gaze and snorted. "He likes to do that. Pack members come to him, tell him what they need for their farms or families, and he writes them checks so they can buy whatever they want."

  Damn. Just when she thought she couldn't be more attracted to him. Jackie's pulse fluttered. "That's so sweet."

  "That's his responsibility. He's our Alpha. He has to look after the welfare of the pack. But he likes to pretend that he's being oh-so-generous by giving out a couple thousand here and there. The man's worth billions. So why do we have to go to him begging for enough money to buy a new tractor or patch up our roofs?"

  Jackie frowned at Harley's bitter tone. "It's not really that simple. He's got to keep enough capital to keep his businesses going, and then there're investments and other things he's got to keep on top of so that he can keep increasing profits. He told me that he was hiring pack members to build new houses and stuff."

  "He's doing that, yeah, but a lot of us think he ought to be doing more."

  Myles handed a check to an elderly man and scanned the crowd. His face lit up in a smile when he spotted her, but the smile quickly turned into a scowl when he saw Harley beside her.

  "Oops," Harley muttered. "I don't think I'm welcome."

  If the brief flash of a canine was any indication, Harley was right. Myles strode through the crowd. The people parted before him, and the buzz of conversation died as every eye landed on the Alpha and where he was headed. Jackie jumped to her feet as he got close, but Myles ignored her.

  "Myles," Harley greeted lazily. "It's been a while since you've visited home."

  Jackie gasped as Myles seized Harley by the collar. Muscles bulged and strained as the Alpha lifted the other werewolf bodily from the ground and hurled him off the porch. Harley rolled several times and sprang to his feet.

  A growl like thunder shook the air as Myles advanced on the other werewolf. Harley crouched, fists raising.

  "You are not welcome here," Myles said.

  Harley growled, his eyes darkening, his exposed canines lengthening.

  Myles leaped lithely forward, seizing the other werewolf by the throat and hurling him backward again. "Are you challenging me?" he roared.

  Harley dropped his chin to his chest and backed away towards the vehicles. Myles advanced, making the other werewolf move faster.

  "Never show your face here again, do you hear me?" Myles shouted after him.

  Jackie pressed her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had never seen anybody as angry as Myles was at that moment. And why? Was this because Harley thought he ought to be doing more for the pack? Her gaze followed the Alpha as his shoulders roped and hands clenched. There had to be more than that to it.

  The other werewolves were going back to their conversations, but the buzz seemed nervous now, anxious. Myles's sister Tamara pushed her way to her brother and put a hand on his shoulder. Myles turned towards Jackie, and she fled into the house, unable to look him in the eye.

  Chapter Four

  Jackie managed to work up the nerve to ask Myles about Harley the next day. They were driving out to visit various pack members who hadn't managed to come to the potluck the previous night, with two checkbooks tucked into the glove compartment. Myles tensed at the name, then sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

  "Harley was mated to my sister."

  "So he's the girls' father?"

  Myles nodded. "They mated when they were young. I never liked him, but Tamara loved him, so I didn't protest. I was a new Alpha back then, and I didn't want to push my authority too far."

  Jackie waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she shook her head. "Why doesn't she live with him now?"

  Silence swelled between them. Myles gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. "He hit her."

  "What?" Jackie's jaw dropped.

  "Right after Tamara's youngest was born, I visited her and found bruises on her face. She said it was the first time he’d ever hit her, and I made sure it was the last." Myles's eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted. "We fought. If it wasn't for human laws, I probably would have killed him."

  Jackie shivered at the venom in his voice.

  "It was the first time I fought as an Alpha, and I wanted to tear his throat out for hurting my sister. After I’d defeated him I let him know that, if he ever came near my sister again, I would kill him. I still would like to kick him o
ff the packlands, but I've already dealt with him, and he hasn't done anything against our laws since."

  Goosebumps jumped up on Jackie's arms and she rubbed them. To think that she had been enjoying Harley’s attention! Had he singled her out just because he thought she was Myles's mate and he wanted to find something to use against him?

  It shouldn't be surprising. I should have known better than to think two hot werewolves would both think that I'm pretty.

  But did Myles think she was pretty, or had he just been being polite that day when he told her she was hot? He wasn't really the kind to hand out false compliments, but then it had only been two weeks. She really didn't know him well just yet.

  "What are you thinking?" Myles asked suddenly. He was still rigid, gaze straight ahead.

  "I'm not sure," Jackie said slowly, trying to come up with something that didn't include her admitting just how attracted she was to him. She knew it the moment they met and she knew it now–men like Myles Foster didn't go after girls like her. "I thought that werewolves, when they mated, were mated for life."

  Myles tensed even more, if that was possible. "We do, within reason. My father implemented divorce in the pack when he was Alpha. It doesn't change the physical bond between them, but if a mate is found to be abusive, or there are irreconcilable differences between individuals, they are allowed to marry others. A second mating isn't possible, but people are not forced to stay with mates they can't stand or who abuse them."

  The rigidness in his posture broke suddenly and his shoulders slumped. "It's in situations like this that I wish more than ever that my dad was still around. He'd know what to do with Harley."

  Jackie hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing an excellent job. You're taking care of your pack the best way you know how."

  Myles shot her a grateful smile, but he didn't continue the conversation, so Jackie folded her hands into her lap and stared out at the fields passing them by, not knowing what to say.

  ***

  Three weeks blew past, and all too soon the PR department called and told her that the worst of the Kathy scandal was over. Myles could return to the public eye without fear of the incident blowing up. Jackie never thought she would miss the slower paced life out on the farm, but somehow she always managed to stay busy. Instead spending hours on the computer or phone every day, she spent her time baking, cleaning, learning how to drive a tractor, helping to feed the animals, or playing with the kids. It was nice to have a break from the city.

  The night before they were going to head back, Jackie sat by the window, a book sitting on her lap while she gazed out at the dark fields. Myles's mother and sister had gone to bed an hour ago, but she wanted to be good and tired for the trip back to the city, since the only bearable way to travel was sleeping, and so she was staying up.

  She looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled when Myles entered the family room. He had a mug in one hand and a book in the other.

  "Can't sleep?" she asked.

  "I never go to bed this early. The night is the only time I really have to myself. I need the time to relax and get my mind off work." He sat in a winged chair across the room from her and set his mug on the coffee table.

  Jackie peered at it curiously. "Is that warm milk?"

  "Warm milk and nutmeg. It's something my mom always fixed me as a kid and I've kept the habit." Myles grinned at her, as though he expected her to laugh and was beating her to the punch. But Jackie wasn't going to laugh. She thought it was sweet.

  "My mom used to tell me stories about princesses who rescued princes and fought dragons," Jackie said. "She was always determined that my sister and I were going to grow up to be strong, independent women. And I guess she got it right with my sister. She has five kids. Never married. Never wanted to. She sat down, created a plan for her future, and never looked back."

  Myles smiled gently. "I think your mother did a good job with you, too."

  Jackie looked down at her book. "Not really. I lost control when my parents died. I… I wasn't strong enough to handle it. I got severely depressed. I spent days lying in bed eating ice cream because that's all I could do to keep myself alive."

  "That's not being weak." Myles set his book on the coffee table and came across the room to sit beside her. "You suffered a heavy blow, and you did what you had to do. North American society doesn't allow you to grieve. Just look at TV shows. A character dies and the next episode, they've been forgotten. Your society is always pushing you to move on no matter how soon your loss was. It's not healthy."

  "My society?" Jackie smiled slightly. "You live in North America, too."

  "Werewolves understand grieving. When one of us dies, it's not uncommon for the bereaved to be cared for by family or friends for months, even years, until their grief has run its course."

  It sounded like a bizarre concept to Jackie, but she had spent the last three years being told it was time to move on over and over again. Maybe the werewolves had a better system of coping with loss. "So in my case, what I did would be seen as normal."

  "There is no 'normal' to grief. We understand that. That's the difference between us and you. That and the tail."

  Jackie couldn't help but laugh. "We can't forget the tail. Yours must be very small. I've never seen it."

  Myles growled playfully. "I assure you, it's much larger than normal. Nothing about me is small."

  Was the innuendo just part of her imagination? Jackie blushed, glancing away again. "Well, I can't argue with that. Your hands are twice the size of mine," she said, trying to infuse her voice with humor.

  It was just her luck that it trembled instead.

  "You're shaking," Myles murmured, one of his hands touching the back of her hand. "Am I frightening you?"

  "No." If anything, she was frightened of her own feelings. This close to him, the werewolf thorn scent was so strong she could almost taste it, and as she looked back at him she couldn't break her gaze from his mouth. She wanted to know what his lips would taste like, what they would feel like on her body.

  She tried to push aside these feelings. Myles was her boss. Being attracted to him was one thing, but sitting here staring at his mouth like an idiot was something completely different. She was being unprofessional, she needed to look away, say goodnight, go to bed—

  "God, you're so beautiful," Myles murmured, shifting closer. "I thought I could handle working with you every day, but the more I get to know you, the more beautiful you are. You smell so good. It's driving me crazy."

  Jackie's heart pounded against her chest and her throat suddenly felt very dry as heat soared through her. He really did think she was beautiful? "It is?"

  "Yeah." Myles leaned forward. "I should go now. If I stay this close to you, I'm going to kiss you. And it won't end with one kiss. The floodgates will open and..."

  At that moment, Jackie wanted nothing more than that. She sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to stay still as Myles moved closer and closer, his gaze locked on hers. He paused an inch from her face. His breath wafted over her, smelling of mint toothpaste. She couldn’t stop herself and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  Myles pulled her closer, hands grasping at her hips, and the floodgates opened.

  Chapter Five

  Jackie eased out of bed the next morning, her mind swirling from what she had done. Sleeping with Myles? They had spent hours on the couch in front of the fire before they both went to their own rooms, and now Jackie wondered how she would face him.

  Sure, he had been everything she was hoping for–passionate but gentle, insatiable, telling her over and over again how beautiful she was. But she had slept with her boss. What had she been thinking?

  It was late and I wasn't thinking. She shook her head. It had been unprofessional, and now that they were getting back to work she would forget it even happened.

  Myles probably already had, or at least he would soon. After all, he was a
billionaire and the Alpha of a freaking werewolf pack. Women constantly threw themselves at him. He had chosen her last night because she was available. That was it.

  Still, no amount of stern self-scolding could stop her heart from sinking when they said goodbye to his family and drove away. Or more specifically, when he said what he said once they were in the car by themselves.

  "Last night can't happen again."

  Jackie forced herself to stare straight ahead and nod. "Agreed. It was a fun one-time thing, but it would jeopardize our working relationship to have a personal relationship."

  "Exactly." Myles's tone was stiff and formal. "I won't apologize for it because I don't regret sleeping with you, but you're a good PA and I don't want things to be weird between us."

  "I totally agree," Jackie said, her shoulders slumping. "Especially since there could never be anything more between us. We're from two different worlds."

  Myles didn't respond to that, and Jackie slid her sunglasses over her eyes to stop him from seeing how they pooled with tears. They had slept together and now it was over. She never had to think about it again.

  ***

  Three months later, Jackie sat at her desk flipping through her appointment book. They hadn't talked about that night since they left his packlands. A huge part of Jackie was relieved. She knew where she stood with him, and it wasn't as a lover. Things had resumed their professional atmosphere between the two of them, and she didn't want to jeopardize that.

  She had just hung up the phone from arranging a tour of a cherry orchard Myles was interested in purchasing when he stalked over to her desk and slammed a box in front of her. She stared at it for a moment. Finally, her brain registered it was a pregnancy test and her gaze flickered to Myles's face. His mouth was pinched, his eyes narrowed.

  "What's this for?" she asked, not touching the box.

  "You haven't had your menstrual cycle in three months. Since we slept together."

  Blood rushed to Jackie's face. "How do you know that?"