The Heir's Unexpected Baby

by Jules Bennett

  Four. Days.

  Evidently, Viv was holding her ground and not having anything to do with him if it didn’t involve work. She’d been only emailing or texting. He hadn’t even heard her voice over the phone. Fine. He could handle this switch.

  But he didn’t like it. He hated every moment that had passed without her. Damn it, he missed her.

  He’d noticed a void by the end of day one. A hole in his life that only Viv filled. When had she become so important, so permanent in his life, that he was miserable without her?

  The office was boring as hell and it smelled...not like her jasmine scent. Her cheery yellow-and-white office mocked him every time he passed by. He finally closed the door on the second day.

  But having her work from home was the smart move to make. Wasn’t it? He wanted her safe, out of harm’s way as much as was possible with this messed-up case.

  Now, after four days of not seeing her face, Jack stood at her apartment door with an insane amount of shopping bags—he’d left the boxes in his car. Katie’s birthday was today and Viv had texted him that she was doing a cake and maybe taking her sledding in the park. There was no way in hell Jack was going to ignore that invitation.

  Because not only had he missed Viv, he’d missed Katie. He wasn’t quite sure when he’d become attached to the innocent girl, but he couldn’t wait to wish her a happy birthday.

  As he gripped the bags, he wondered if he’d done too much. What was the protocol for buying presents when a child was in temporary housing after being orphaned? In Jack’s opinion, there was no maximum amount...as he’d just proved with his no-limit credit card.

  The neighbor’s door opened and Jack groaned inwardly, pasting a smile on his face as he turned to see Martha poke her head out.

  “Oh, nice to see you again,” she said with a wide smile. Her eyes darted to the bags in his hands. “Are those for Katie? That is one spoiled little girl.”

  He wasn’t about to mention the dollhouse or the motorized convertible toddler car he’d left in his SUV.

  “You only turn one once, right?”

  Viv’s door opened, saving him from further conversation with the nosy babysitter.

  “Jack. Come on in.” Viv peeked out the door and waved to Martha. “Thanks again for the stuffed elephant. She loves it. I’ll bring you some cake in a bit.”

  Her neighbor winked. “Take your time.”

  Ushering Viv back in, Jack threw Martha a nod and followed her. Once they were inside, Viv closed the door with a giggle.

  When she laughed her beauty was like nothing he’d ever seen. She was absolutely breathtaking. With her hair down around her shoulders, a simple cream sweater hugging her every curve, Viv was the quintessential girl next door, but she was as complex as any woman he’d ever known.

  And he wanted her. The attempt to get her to move in with him was legit; he was worried about her safety. But he wanted her under his roof where he could keep his eyes—and his hands—on her.

  Damn it. He shouldn’t want this. Yet there was no way he could stop the ache, the need.

  “I’ve never seen anyone scare you.” She continued laughing. “Yet you’re afraid of my elderly neighbor.”

  Jack didn’t reply. There was no denying the truth. That woman terrified him.

  He glanced around the open apartment. A bundle of pink balloons lay on the small dinette table, while white and pink streamers were twisted around every stationary object. Two cakes sat on the kitchen counter, a small one with a large purple 1 in the middle and a larger one that was pink with white-and-purple polka dots.

  “You’ve been busy,” he commented, setting the bags down.

  Her eyes darted to the load he’d carried in. “I hope all of that is not for Katie.”

  “I actually have more in the car,” he told her, feeling like a fool when her eyes widened. Perhaps he had gone too far, but whatever. He wasn’t sorry and he still believed Katie deserved everything and more. “I had a problem choosing just one item.”

  “Jack.” Viv closed her eyes and sighed before meeting his gaze again. “Go get the rest.”

  Stunned, Jack tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. “You’re not angry?”

  “Does it matter?” she laughed.

  “Not really. Once I got to the store and the clerk started showing me all the new things that had arrived, I just kept adding to my pile. Honestly, if I’d had more room in my car, I would’ve bought more.”

  Viv’s hand went to her forehead and she began rubbing her temples. “I don’t know why I’m surprised, but...okay. Just go get the stuff and I’ll get Katie into her birthday outfit.”

  Jack darted out the door and made quick trips, grateful not to get caught by Martha again. He was nearly out of breath by the time he’d carried everything into Viv’s apartment. Obviously, he needed to up his workout routine. He’d been a little preoccupied lately to get in all the miles and lifting he was used to.

  As he closed the door the final time, he realized his purchases had pretty much overtaken her apartment. Wrapped boxes in various colors, with thick bows, littered the living area; the bags he’d brought in first circled the dining table. Between all the variegated shades of pink, there was no denying this was a little girl’s birthday party.

  Katie came crawling out of the bedroom wearing a polka-dot top with some ruffles around the hem. She seemed to match the theme of the newly decorated apartment. He may have gone overboard monetarily, but Viv had seriously thought this out and wanted something special for the little girl.

  Viv stood over Katie, reached down and took her hands. Suddenly, Katie was on her feet, wobbling toward Jack.

  His heart swelled. How could he be so excited to see her learning to walk? He wasn’t invested in her...was he?

  No. Absolutely not. She wasn’t staying with Viv. One day, probably soon, Katie would move on to the family that would give her a forever home.

  Still, he couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t completely detached from emotions.

  “When did she start this?” he asked.

  Before he realized his actions, Jack found himself squatting down and reaching for Katie. That wide, two-toothed smile tugged at strings he thought had been severed years ago. This sweet child didn’t have a care in the world. How could he not smile back? How could he even think of anything going on in the outside world when she was teetering toward him, those bright blue eyes locked on his?

  “She started a week or so ago, but she’s getting stronger.”

  Viv let one of Katie’s hands go and Jack took hold. Together they walked toward the dining area. The image of a family hit him hard and he attempted to tamp it down, but damn it, this was everything he’d wanted. A woman like Viv was exactly what he’d be looking for if he wanted a family. She was perfect in the way she cared for Katie, the way she was sexy and sweet, the way her cheeks flushed when he caught her looking at him. She’d called him first when she’d been scared, so she trusted him to protect her. At one time that’s all it would’ve taken for him to get her and keep her in his bed, his life.

  But that man was gone. His dreams had been murdered. There would never be a future with Viv. His sexy assistant would have to remain just that. And working with her day in and day out was wearing on him.

  Somewhere along the way, though, his wants had changed, and they looked too much like everything Viv was offering.

  Was it even possible to have that life he’d once wanted? After ten years of grieving, of burying himself in work and building his empire, could he actually put a personal life back in place?

  Katie let out a squeal. “Up, up, up.”

  Jack didn’t hesitate and didn’t even question who Katie was requesting pick her up. He merely reached down and swung her into his arms. The weight of her little body, the slender arm that r
ested behind his neck... There was something so special, so perfect about her.

  And maybe he could slowly ease back into the idea of having his own family one day. He knew his wife would’ve wanted him to move on.

  “I’ve never done this before,” Viv stated. “Should we just let her dive in to her cake first?”

  Jack laughed. “I don’t think there’s a rule here.”

  Pulling out one of the chairs, he took a seat and situated Katie on his lap. “Bring her cake over and let’s see what she does.”

  Viv’s eyes widened. “She’s going to get you filthy. Put her in her high chair.”

  Jack shrugged. “We’ll be fine. I have other dress shirts.”

  He maneuvered his arms around Katie so he could fold up his sleeves while Viv went to get the cake. She placed one white candle in the top and set the confection in front of Katie.

  “Hold her arms back while I light this.”

  Viv pulled out a lighter and lit the candle. With a smile, she pulled her cell from the pocket of her jeans and held it up. “Should we sing?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  Jack started “Happy Birthday” and didn’t feel silly at all, sitting in a sea of pink. If anything, he felt...hopeful. Damn it. He deserved to have this. He wanted to have this.

  While Viv sang and snapped pictures with her phone, Jack motioned for Katie to blow out the flame. Of course she had no clue what was going on. Jack met Viv’s eyes, the smile on her face making something inside his heart clench. Before he could assess the emotion, she leaned toward the candle. Together, they blew it out.

  Jack reached out and slid his finger along the icing. He showed the glob to Katie, then took one of her hands and guided it toward the cake.

  And that was all he needed to do. She dived in to the white cake and colorful icing with both hands, bringing fistfuls of the clumpy mess to her mouth. She rubbed her hair, rubbed his pants, turned and smeared some across his lips.

  Viv laughed, still snapping pictures.

  Jack licked his lips. “This is really good. You made this?”

  “I did. I’m not much of a baker, but I figured I could handle a simple cake recipe.”

  Viv set her phone down and went to get napkins—pink-and-white polka-dot ones, of course.

  “About the other day—”

  She shook her head, cutting him off. “I don’t want to discuss it. Forget about it.”

  Surprised at her flippant response, Jack eased the cake closer to Katie before meeting Viv’s intense stare. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line? I wanted to forget everything, but I can’t.”

  “For now, let’s focus on Katie.” She smiled, warming him in places he thought would always be cold, empty. “And discuss where you think I can possibly keep all the toys you bought.”

  He didn’t want to discuss toys. He wanted to discuss how he’d ached for her since he’d last seen her. He wanted to discuss how he’d handled the situation poorly.

  But mostly he wanted to discuss how they could erase this sexual tension between them, which was more prominent than ever. And he had a feeling there was only one way.

  Fifteen

  Jack discarded his dress shirt straight into the trash. It wasn’t even worth having Tilly take it to the cleaners at this point. The icing appeared to be permanently embedded, which was just fine. He honestly didn’t recall when he’d had a better time...at least not in the past ten years.

  His dress pants weren’t faring much better, but he couldn’t exactly walk around in his black boxer briefs and light gray T-shirt. He’d scrubbed out as much of the pink icing as he could, but only managed to grind it in more. Tilly would scold him, but whatever. His tailor in Italy wouldn’t mind making a new suit.

  Viv had taken a sugar-loaded one-year-old back to the bath. Poor Katie could barely keep her eyes open, but her ringlets had been dripping icing and she needed a good scrubbing.

  While he was alone, Jack attempted to tidy up, but he was wondering if he should just buy Viv a new condo. It would take days to get her tiny apartment looking like it once did. Granted, with all the purchases he’d made, the living area would look like the toy department at Saks as long as Katie lived here.

  Unwelcome emotions suddenly clogged his throat. He’d gotten attached to the innocent child, when he’d told himself he wouldn’t. But only a heartless person could look in that sweet baby’s face and not feel a connection. She demanded affection and damn if he didn’t want to give her everything. Toys were one thing, but he wanted her to have the perfect family. That would mean leaving...which would destroy Viv. Hell, he was beginning to think it might destroy him, too.

  He’d give Viv the world and her every desire if he were in a better place. She deserved to have everything handed to her. More than anything, he wanted to be that man who could do that. But he couldn’t risk the pain to his already battered heart.

  Attempting to focus on things he could actually control, Jack took a trash bag and started gathering up the wrapping paper and empty boxes. Once that was done, he piled the toys on one side of the living room. When he turned back to the dining area and kitchen, he groaned inwardly. There was no way that was going to come clean without something akin to a pressure washer.

  When Viv stepped into the living area, she glanced around and let out a laugh. “We survived.”

  Jack took in her disheveled hair, ends damp from the bath and a glob of icing dangling on one side. She’d stripped off her sweater and now wore a simple white tank that hugged her breasts and dipped in at her waist. As messy as her appearance was, Jack wanted his hands on her. Now that he knew the way her silken skin felt beneath his palms, his need for her was all-consuming.

  But after this family moment they’d just shared, seducing her wouldn’t be the wisest decision. Everything from this day was temporary: Katie, Viv, Jack, the party, the appearance of domestic bliss.

  “Why don’t you go shower and I’ll figure something out in the kitchen.”

  Shaking her head, Viv crossed to the chaos on the table. “I’ll clean this up. You didn’t come over to get assaulted by a birthday cake. You can head home.”

  She threw him a glance over her shoulder. “Where’s your shirt?”

  “Trash.”

  Her eyes widened. “I can wash it for you. There’s no need to just throw away a good shirt.”

  He shrugged. “I have more at home.”

  Viv rolled her eyes and focused on gathering everything inside the plastic tablecloth she’d laid out. “I’m not going to offer to wash your pants.”

  Jack couldn’t hold back the smile. “If you want me to take them off, just ask.”

  Flirting was dangerous, but he could control himself. He’d help her clean up and then be on his way. It was getting late, but where else did he have to be? Nobody was at home, and for the first time in years, he didn’t want to go back to that empty place where his own breathing echoed in the halls.

  “Keep your pants on and help clean if you insist on staying,” she said with a laugh. “Just grab a garbage bag and hold it open.”

  Jack pulled another bag from the roll beneath her sink and shook it out, holding it in front of her. When she turned with the bundled tablecloth and pieces of mashed cake, she tripped, sending the whole gooey mess onto his chest.

  Her eyes immediately went to his. “I’m so sorry,” she gasped.

  Jack dropped the sack on the hardwood floor, scooped up a hefty amount of icing with his hand and flung it. The glob landed just at the scoop of her tank, disappearing into her cleavage.

  Her eyes narrowed, but the glimmer of mischief there warned him this war had just begun. He quickly picked up the discarded bag and held it out as a shield, but not before she scooped up another chunk of hot-pink icing and smashed it into the side of his head
.

  As he reached down for more discarded cake, Viv ran toward the living area, her hands stretched out in front of her. “Okay. Truce.”

  The wide smile, the brightness in her eyes... Even smeared with cake—especially smeared with cake—she looked sexy as hell.

  “I don’t think so,” he stated, stalking toward her. “You got me twice. I owe you one.”

  “Jack, it’s in my shirt,” she argued, taking another step back until she hit the side of the sofa. “We’re even. I didn’t intend the first attack—I tripped.”

  He jerked one hand out to grab her arm, pulling her against him, then smeared the icing over her chest with the other. Slowly, he stroked that exposed skin just above her tank, keeping his eyes locked on hers. Viv shuddered beneath his touch.

  “You’re not...playing fair,” she murmured.

  Jack snaked his arm around her waist. Trailing his fingers up to her mouth, he spread the last of the icing across her lips.

  “I’m not playing at all, Viv.”

  Tipping his head down, Jack held her close as he slid the tip of his tongue over the icing just below her collarbone. Her breath hitched, so he did it again.

  “Jack.”

  The way she whispered his name set off a fire inside him he didn’t know existed. Gripping her hips, Jack aligned her body perfectly with his.

  “You drive me crazy,” he muttered against her lips. “I tried to ignore you, ignore this. Damn it, Viv, I want you.”

  Her fingers threaded through his hair, urging him closer, and it was all he could do to not rip her clothes off and take her to the floor.

  “Then have me.”

  She covered his lips with hers, demanding he turn his words into actions. No problem. He slid his hand inside the back of her tank, palming her bare skin. Her body arched against his as she tore her mouth away and started licking the icing off his jawline, his neck. His body was strung so tight, but he didn’t want just a quickie.