Daddy by December (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read online

  Truth be told, talk wasn’t the only thing she wanted. In fact, it was sort of low on her priority list right now. There were so many other things, things that made her body shiver just thinking about them.

  But talking was a good way to start so, after minutes of hand wringing and deep breathing, she’d gathered her courage about her, picked up the phone and dialled.

  Drake picked up on the first ring. “Hello.”

  His voice was deep and mellow, not like he’d been sleeping at all. Had he lain there, tossing and tortured as she had?

  “Hi, Drake,” she said, her voice soft and hesitant. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “Not at all. I was just about to call you.”

  “You…were?” Meg’s heart skipped at his words.

  “Yes, I was…thinking about you.” There was a pause then she heard him sigh. “I want you, Meg, so badly it hurts. Can I see you tonight?”

  Meg’s breath caught in her throat. Had he really come out and asked that question? She hadn’t expected that. Now what should she say?

  “Yes.” The word escaped her lips in a soft, breathless whisper. Her hand flew to her mouth and her heart began to pound faster. There. She’d said it. And now there was no turning back.

  “I’ll be down in a sec.”

  “W…wait.”

  But he’d already hung up. Holy cow. Drake was on his way down to her hotel room and he was expecting sex. More hand wringing, palms growing even more moist. Could she handle it? Maybe she should call him back. But no, he’d probably already left the room.

  She rested the phone receiver in its cradle and slid off the bed. Smoothing her damp palms down her hips she dried them on the terry robe. Good heavens, was she ready for this? Maybe she should tell him no, that she’d made a mistake. Maybe she should-

  There was a knock at the door and Meg started. He was here. Already? No more time for maybes. She took a deep breath and went to open the door.

  Drake was standing in the doorway and as he looked down at her, his hair still damp from a recent shower, his eyes burned with a fierceness she had never seen before.

  She stepped back, not saying a word. She didn’t need to. She knew what she wanted and the look in his eyes left her in no doubt as to what he wanted. This was going to happen.

  He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and only then did she realize that he was barefoot. Had he been in that much of a hurry?

  Then there was no more time for questions, no more time to think, because he reached for her, pulling her into his arms with a force that knocked the air from her lungs. His arm circled her back, locking her body to his, and then his hands went up, fingers sliding through her hair to cup the back of her head and hold her at his mercy.

  And then his mouth came down on hers, sensual and strong, subduing her with a kiss that drove all thought from her mind.

  When he’d kissed her till her bones melted, leaving her soft and pliable in his arms, he bent to lift her and carry her over to the king-sized bed where he laid her on the pillows. Then, hands moving urgently, he pulled the knot in her sash and opened her robe, leaving her blushing and bare to his gaze.

  He groaned and as she moved her hands to cover her nakedness he caught them, trapping her wrists against the bed, drinking his fill of the sight of her.

  Holy heavens. No one had ever looked at her like that before, not even Greg. In his eyes was a burning hunger that made her heart jerk in anticipation and just a hint of fear. She hadn’t done this in so long. Would he be gentle?

  He dipped his head and in that move he wiped the question from her mind because his lips, so masterful and firm, were now on her right breast, sucking, drawing its pink tip deep into his mouth. He played with that nipple, teasing and torturing, till she gasped in delight and arched her back, wanting even more.

  To her relief, he obliged. Drake’s urgent need seemed to match her own because he released her breast, but just long enough to raise her up and pull the robe away from her body. He tossed it to the floor. Then he was shedding his own clothes, swift fingers making fast work of the buttons on his shirt. In seconds he had it off and threw it on the floor.

  Meg’s eyes widened and her mouth went dry. Holy Christ. She’d never been one to swear but, my goodness, did they build them this beautiful anymore? He was toned like a weapon of female destruction, the muscles cut in all the right places, the body tanned to perfection. She’d thought this man was a typical business executive with the body of someone who lived a sedentary lifestyle. But no, this man in front of her had the body of a professional athlete. He was like a well honed machine, far advanced from what she’d seen ten years before.

  But she should have known. When he’d pulled her close he’d practically crushed her against a body that felt like rock. Now she knew why. He was solid muscle. She hadn’t quite finished admiring his upper body when his hands fell to his trousers and he began unbuckling his belt. She wanted to look away, she really did, but like a deer caught in headlights all she could do was freeze. And hold her breath.

  Then, in one smooth move, trousers and boxer shorts were sliding down firm, muscled legs on their way to his feet. He stepped out of them then he straightened, moving so quickly she had no time to advert her eyes. But then, why should she? As nervous as she was, she was still enjoying the view.

  Her eyes fell on the strength of his manhood as it stood rigid in its bed of soft blond hair. His arousal was obvious in the throbbing of his member and the almost angry hue of its tip. Meg swallowed hard.

  She didn’t have to do anything else because Drake moved immediately to the bed and reached out to pull her into his embrace. He kissed her long and deep, her breasts crushed against his chest, his heart pounding like he’d just done a hundred-meter sprint.

  When he released her it was to press her back into the pillows, then he was kissing her neck, her breasts, sliding his lips down, down till he was licking her navel, teasing her with light flicks of his tongue till she moaned.

  What was he doing to her? Did he know he was driving her crazy? His tongue was turning her insides to liquid and, holy Mary, she was growing oh, so wet.

  Meg sucked in her breath and reached for him. “Please,” she whispered. “Please, Drake,” she begged. “Now.” The word was almost a sob. “I want you so much.”

  Immediately, he slid away from her off the bed. He reached down to where he had dropped his trousers and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He dug around for about seven seconds and then a look of consternation crossed his face. Then, to Meg’s dismay, his face fell in obvious disappointment.

  She raised up off the pillow. “What? No condom?”

  He put his hand to his forehead and groaned. “No condoms.” With a look of disgust he dropped the wallet on top of his trousers.

  “But…how come?”

  Drake drew in his breath and let it out again. Then, still looking like he could kick himself, he walked back to the bed and with a heavy sigh he lay down beside her. He gathered her into his arms and stroked her hair.

  “I don’t know if I should admit this but I haven’t done this in a while.” He gave her crooked smile. “I bought a brand new pack a week ago and put it in my medicine chest at home. This morning I went into the bathroom specifically to put it into my wallet when the phone rang and I went to get it. I completely forgot to go back and get the darned thing.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Now I remember.”

  She groaned and turned her face into his shoulder.

  “I know, honey,” he said softly as he stroked her arm. "I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it right now. There's no way the hotel gift and sundries shop would be open at almost one o’clock in the morning and, stuck out here in the boonies, it’s not like we’ll find any store near here that's open at this hour.”

  Meg groaned again and this time she gave him a little bite on the shoulder.

  He jumped. “Hey, what was that for?”

  “That’s for leadi
ng me on and then torturing me.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said sadly. “I guess I deserve that.”

  For a moment they lay there in each other’s arms then Meg spoke. “You know,” she said softly, “We could still do it.”

  The hand that was stroking her shoulder came to a standstill. Drake looked down at her. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Well,” she said, then paused. How to put this? “It’s a bit embarrassing but I’ll tell you anyway. I…started taking the pill about a month ago.” She could feel her face turning red. Please don't let him ask me why.

  He tilted his head to one side. “Really?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly then, seeing that she was the one who had brought up the topic, she decided to be brave. “Yes, I did, so we have nothing to worry about where pregnancy is concerned. And as for that other thing,” she bit her lip then pressed on, “I haven’t been with anyone since I lost my husband and I’ve done several physicals since then.” Her speech over, she peeked up at him. “What about you?”

  A look of relief passed over his face. “Coincidentally, I did a physical just last month when I was upgrading my insurance plan. I got a clean bill of health.” Then he gave her a thoughtful look. “But I don’t have anything to prove that, Meg, not here. This is going to come down to trust. Do you trust me enough to let me make love to you…without protection?”

  Meg looked up at him and in her heart she had no doubt what her answer would be. “I trust you, Drake. And if you trust me, I want you to make love to me.”

  She could see that he needed no further encouragement. A smile broke across his face and he leaned down to steal a kiss from her lips. Then he raised himself up and, with a firm hand, he pressed her back into the pillows. To her delight he continued where he’d left off, teasing and tickling her with soft kisses, making her body tingle with desire.

  And then, when she thought she would burst with wanting him, he covered her body with his and she wrapped her legs around his lean hips and clung to him, her breath coming in pants. He aligned his body with hers and sank deep into her core.

  “Drake,” she gasped. “Oh, God, Drake.” It was like she’d been waiting for this moment forever. Now their bodies were one.

  He let seconds pass, allowing her body to get used to his presence, and then he was moving, slowly and gently at first, then faster until he was thrusting into her, riding a wave of passion, taking her with him over the crest where he exploded inside her as her inner core pulsated around him, sending sparks shooting to every inch of her body.

  It took a long time for their panting gasps to slow to deep breaths and then to the normal rhythm of breathing. Only then, when their bodies had floated down from that pinnacle and the tension had dissolved, did they let each other go and fall back into the pillows.

  “Oh, God, Meg,” Drake breathed, “I’ve waited for this for so long and it was worth every minute of the wait.”

  She smiled and as his chest rose and fell she reached out to rest a hand on him. “For me too, Drake. For me, too.”

  And as she lay in the bed beside him, Meg had no regrets. Although there was still that little question in the back of her mind – where would they go from here?

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”

  “Jessie.” Meg’s voice was stern. “Not nice, young lady. Now go over and apologize.”

  Jessie’s face fell but she walked slowly over to the swing and regarded her classmate with a frown and a pout. “I’m sorry, Patrick.” Then, with a whirl of her skirt she turned and headed back toward her mother.

  Not a very gracious apology but one Meg would have to let slide right now. Just that week she’d signed Jessie up for private piano lessons and today was the first class. If they didn’t move quickly they’d be late. And for a class that lasted only half an hour they definitely couldn’t afford to be late.

  They made it to the class with five minutes to spare, thank goodness. While Jessie went to music room number three to plunk away at the piano, Meg settled herself in the most comfortable seat in the parents’ waiting area, a big fat armchair, and pulled out her Kindle ereader. She hadn’t finished that romance novel she’d started so long ago. Right now at least she could squeeze in the half hour Jessie’s piano lesson would last.

  For the last three weeks she’d been working hard on Drake’s project, determined to finish within the deadline she’d set herself. The contract said up to six months but she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it in four. And besides, she didn’t want to prolong her professional relationship with Drake. She was dying to make love to him again but they’d both agreed that they should postpone any further intimate contact until they could openly start seeing each other. Before that could happen the project would have to end. And the wait was killing her…or at least it felt like it. Thank goodness she was on the last lap. She’d already submitted her second draft and was now doing the final pass before presenting Drake with the official manuscript.

  Yes, for the good of her sanity, this project would have to wrap up very soon. Because how could you concentrate on something so mundane as a business memoir when your breath caught in your throat every time those gorgeous gray eyes rested on you? And how could you take notes when all you wanted to do was flick the pen away and reach over and slide your fingers through that thick, dark-blond hair? And how in heaven’s name could you act cool and collected when the secretary came in to offer you tea, when all you wanted was to shove her boss back onto the sofa and kiss him till he begged for mercy?

  Meg shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She glanced at the clock. Jessie’s half hour was almost up and she hadn't got past the page she’d started on. It looked like she was destined never to finish this novel. Oh, well…

  The following week there was a stall in Meg’s plan. She and Drake were to have had a final meeting before she prepared her complete package – hard and soft copies of the memoir and a return of the tape recordings and notes. Where and when it was published was up to Drake. Once Meg submitted her package she would be free.

  She’d been counting on catching an April fifteen date but it was not to be. Drake ended up having to leave for a week on business, delaying the project past her four month mark. There was nothing to do but wait.

  But that weekend, days before Drake was to return, Meg was at the department store shopping with Jessie when a thought crossed her mind. When was the last time she’d had her period?

  Her heart jerked. She started digging in her bag for her pocket agenda and flipped immediately to the calendar at the back. She’d always been regular, had never been more than a day or two late. But now? She rubbed her forehead as she checked the days. Dear Lord, let her be wrong. Maybe it had come last month and she’d been so busy she’d forgotten?

  “Mommy, can I get this baby bubble bath? It smells like strawberries.” Jessie held up a teddy bear shaped bottle, cutting into Meg’s thoughts.

  “Not now, Jessie.” Meg ran her fingers along the little boxes on the page, counting the days. Then she looked up and her eyes glazed over as she stared straight ahead. Holy goodness. Holy Jeez. She was late by all of sixteen days. How the heck had she missed that?

  “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

  Jessie’s plaintive wail brought Meg back to the present. Hands trembling, she returned the tiny book to her bag and took her daughter’s hand. “I’m sorry, honey. Mommy…was just a little distracted. Let’s go pay for our stuff and then we’ll get something to eat.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Jessie looked up at her with huge eyes, almost as if she knew something had gone wrong.

  And a lot had. Because there was no way she could tell Drake Duncan he was going to be a daddy.

  ******

  What the hell was going on? This was the third message Drake had left on Meg’s cell phone and still she had not returned his call. Could she be out of town? He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Eleven thirty-seve
n. No, he could not call again. Definitely not at this hour.

  He’d been back in Chicago one day now but it felt like a week because he'd been in the same city with Meg a whole day and still had not seen her. She’d become so important in his life that he would be with her every day if he could.

  He lay back in the pillows and folded his arms behind his head. He would just have to be patient. They had their final meeting scheduled for tomorrow and, feeling like a schoolboy with a crush, he could hardly wait.

  But the next day ended up being one of the strangest of Drake’s life. One o’clock finally came and Meg walked into his office looking elegant and composed as she always did. But this time there was something different about her. She’d greeted him warmly, giving him a smile and a nod but she seemed distant, even cool. It was as if that night they’d shared had never happened.

  When she handed him his final package he’d expected jubilation, maybe a celebration, but not this aloofness that had him frowning and practically scratching his head. Then when she got up to leave and he walked her to the door as he’d done so many times before, she dropped her eyes and dipped her head, hiding her face from view but not before he’d seen an expression that made him pause. She’d almost looked like she wanted to cry.

  “Meg, are you all right?” The door he was holding was half open but he refused to let her through. He needed answers.

  It was only then that she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “I’m fine,” she said quietly and then she smiled. And as beautiful as that smile was, it was tinged with a sadness that squeezed his heart.

  But he could see that she didn’t want to talk. Now was not the time. Somehow, although he didn’t know in what way, he knew that he’d hurt her…again.

  For today he would leave things be and give her some space but next time he saw her he would expect answers.