was to care for my daughter. I wasn’t going to curse her for the next eighteen years to deal with a deadbeat father who had created her in eighteen lackluster seconds.
I never should’ve crushed on Jasper Theroux in college. Before him, I had my life planned. College. Grad school. Doctorate. Teaching.
But I couldn’t resist that one night with the sexiest, most popular guy on campus.
Then, one whoops later, Jasper and Dad both thought they knew better than I did. But I could raise my daughter and have a successful life without a ring on my finger. Something bigger waited for us, something wild and full of adventure and better than a life being Jasper’s wife could offer.
He coo’ed my name like it’d make any difference. “Piper, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It only makes sense that we’re together.”
“I…fail to see the connection.”
“Well, just look in the crib. We made the most adorable baby in the world.”
“And when was the last time you saw that baby?”
“You post pictures on Facebook,” he said.
“Ah, yes. Father-of-the-year—always there to like his daughter’s pictures.”
“I’d do more if we were married.”
I laughed. “Like what ?”
“Like make more babies.”
Thank God I wasn’t driving anymore or I’d have run myself off the road. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’ve always wanted a big family, and you make a pretty baby. We might as well get together and finish the job.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Come on, Piper. Sure, we made a mistake in the past—”
“Don’t call Rosie a mistake.”
Jasper hesitated, making a curious noise in his throat. “So…we’re really settled on Rose for a name then?”
I couldn’t afford to have an aneurysm now. “She’s sixteen-months-old! Yes! Her name is Rose !”
“Just thought Bella was cuter.”
“I’m done talking to you. Are you taking her today at all?”
“I can’t take her tonight. Are you crazy?”
“Why not?”
“I have a date.”
My kingdom for a fairy godmother who’d skip the gowns and aim straight for the balls.
“Knock yourself out, Jasper. I won’t have your daughter ruining your date night.”
I hung up on the bastard. As far as I was concerned, a half a bottle of tequila summoned the stork that brought me a little baby girl to love. Neither of us required her sperm-donor to be happy. All we needed was each other.
And, well—a job. I needed a job.
Which meant I had to face the second most egotistical asshole in my life. Only this one didn’t make me angry. Cole caused a more dangerous flutter in my chest.
I unloaded my car and took the steps to his door slowly. I wasn’t dumb enough to let myself feel anything for the beastly man, but every inch of Cole had been impressive—and he had a lot of inches.
Of course, chasing that sort of fun was the reason my library now shelved Spot the Dog and Goodnight Moon between hardbound editions of Hugo, Flaubert, and Dumas. I knew it was wrong to think about it. Hell, it was wrong to stare when his sword unsheathed, but…
It had been a while since I fenced with anyone. And it had been even longer since anyone called me beautiful.
When Jasper spoke to me, it was like he took the compliment himself, praising his own good taste in women. When Cole teased…he spoke like he meant it. Hell, a man like him was too rough for politeness and too fierce for insincerity. He did find me beautiful. Sexy. Desirable .
That meant I had to be careful. I needed to get in and out of his house before those warm little tingles transformed into full on enchantment.
I knocked on his door, fully expecting him to ignore my arrival. I’d prepared to set up camp on the porch for the afternoon. I’d even swiped a folding chair from the office and packed myself enough of a lunch to get me through early evening. I only hoped I’d break him before I lost an entire day off that I might’ve spent with my daughter.
To my surprise—the
I never should’ve crushed on Jasper Theroux in college. Before him, I had my life planned. College. Grad school. Doctorate. Teaching.
But I couldn’t resist that one night with the sexiest, most popular guy on campus.
Then, one whoops later, Jasper and Dad both thought they knew better than I did. But I could raise my daughter and have a successful life without a ring on my finger. Something bigger waited for us, something wild and full of adventure and better than a life being Jasper’s wife could offer.
He coo’ed my name like it’d make any difference. “Piper, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It only makes sense that we’re together.”
“I…fail to see the connection.”
“Well, just look in the crib. We made the most adorable baby in the world.”
“And when was the last time you saw that baby?”
“You post pictures on Facebook,” he said.
“Ah, yes. Father-of-the-year—always there to like his daughter’s pictures.”
“I’d do more if we were married.”
I laughed. “Like what ?”
“Like make more babies.”
Thank God I wasn’t driving anymore or I’d have run myself off the road. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’ve always wanted a big family, and you make a pretty baby. We might as well get together and finish the job.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Come on, Piper. Sure, we made a mistake in the past—”
“Don’t call Rosie a mistake.”
Jasper hesitated, making a curious noise in his throat. “So…we’re really settled on Rose for a name then?”
I couldn’t afford to have an aneurysm now. “She’s sixteen-months-old! Yes! Her name is Rose !”
“Just thought Bella was cuter.”
“I’m done talking to you. Are you taking her today at all?”
“I can’t take her tonight. Are you crazy?”
“Why not?”
“I have a date.”
My kingdom for a fairy godmother who’d skip the gowns and aim straight for the balls.
“Knock yourself out, Jasper. I won’t have your daughter ruining your date night.”
I hung up on the bastard. As far as I was concerned, a half a bottle of tequila summoned the stork that brought me a little baby girl to love. Neither of us required her sperm-donor to be happy. All we needed was each other.
And, well—a job. I needed a job.
Which meant I had to face the second most egotistical asshole in my life. Only this one didn’t make me angry. Cole caused a more dangerous flutter in my chest.
I unloaded my car and took the steps to his door slowly. I wasn’t dumb enough to let myself feel anything for the beastly man, but every inch of Cole had been impressive—and he had a lot of inches.
Of course, chasing that sort of fun was the reason my library now shelved Spot the Dog and Goodnight Moon between hardbound editions of Hugo, Flaubert, and Dumas. I knew it was wrong to think about it. Hell, it was wrong to stare when his sword unsheathed, but…
It had been a while since I fenced with anyone. And it had been even longer since anyone called me beautiful.
When Jasper spoke to me, it was like he took the compliment himself, praising his own good taste in women. When Cole teased…he spoke like he meant it. Hell, a man like him was too rough for politeness and too fierce for insincerity. He did find me beautiful. Sexy. Desirable .
That meant I had to be careful. I needed to get in and out of his house before those warm little tingles transformed into full on enchantment.
I knocked on his door, fully expecting him to ignore my arrival. I’d prepared to set up camp on the porch for the afternoon. I’d even swiped a folding chair from the office and packed myself enough of a lunch to get me through early evening. I only hoped I’d break him before I lost an entire day off that I might’ve spent with my daughter.
To my surprise—the
Similar Books
