The Amalfi Coast was so beautiful—the rocky cliffs, the bursts of bright pink azaleas in bloom framing the view of that glorious turquoise water. I felt like I could just drink the sight in with my eyes forever. His villa—our villa—had this exquisite view from the broad terrace high up on a hill. The breeze was soft and salty, and the limoncello was tart and bright, or so I was told.
Four months pregnant and not drinking anything stronger than fresh lemonade, I lie on a cushioned lounge in my loose white sundress with my dog curled up napping at my bare feet. Months ago, Raul brought me here the first time for a belated honeymoon the week after he finally admitted to loving me. He took me sightseeing in the beautiful towns and hiking along secret paths. We made love on a sun-drenched private beach. The room where we slept was wide and cool from the sea breezes that ruffled the sheer white curtains in pale moonlight. Raul’s arms were always around me. In sleep, as we ate breakfast in bed, even when we toured the leather goods headquarters. I was his wife, and every word and gesture announced to those around us that we were together, that I belonged to him and he belonged to me.
For our first anniversary, we had come back to spend a few weeks. On Santeria, we were a team that fueled and expanded the family legacy. Here though, here we basked in the sunlit glory of being in love, of being so lucky and so joyous. Every moment felt golden with bliss, and the daughter we were having could grow and blossom in this rare, perfect life.
Raul had finally admitted that I was right, that our child would be a girl. He wanted to name her Allison after me. I laughed at that. I’d always thought men naming children after themselves was silly, and no less so for women. I suggested naming her Amalfi, after this beautiful, romantic place, but he objected that other kids would call her Fifi or something stupid. We joked now about things to name her—Azalea, Italia, Parmigiano. They were all such ridiculous ideas to make us laugh, to let the baby hear our fun and our joy where she was and feel the rush of love and happiness that our playfulness brought me.
He joined me on the terrace. I moved over on the chaise so he could stretch out beside me. I settled into my preferred spot with my head on his muscular chest as his arm went around me.
When he suggested we name her after cheese, I laughed so hard that Dori barked at me in dismay.
“Do you want to call her Hermione?” I teased the dog, who barked even more indignantly.
“That’s right. No one’s naming our baby that!” Raul agreed with the dog.
“We could always name her Dori after the dog that brought us together.”
“Or we could name her Stray or Lawyer Appointment or Hot Vet Tech,” he said. “All equally bad ideas.”
“What about Antonia? After your Papí.”
“After that controlling old buzzard?” he said.
“Yes. Because if you think about it, all of this is his fault. He wanted what was best for you and look how it turned out.”
“I refuse to honor him by naming our child after him. I was extremely lucky that we met, that you said yes at all. It was a crazy deal, asking you to marry me for three years.”
“I said yes because it was you. Because I liked you and saw the potential for us to be happy together. And being happy for three years isn’t nothing.”
“It is compared to being happy for a lifetime, Allie.”
“Ok, yeah, a lifetime is better, but I would still rather have had three years with you than a lifetime with anyone else,” I said, kissing him.
“Speaking of a lifetime,” he said, reaching down into his pocket. “I brought you something from town.”
“Really?” I asked. “Is it more leather baby shoes? Because she doesn’t even have feet yet.”
“No, it’s for you this time,” he said, handing me a velvet box.
I flipped it open and gaped at it, a ruby so big and blood-red that I could not take my eyes off it.
“Rubies stand for good fortune, which we had a lot of, loyalty and purest love. So I want you to wear this ring to remind you. They’re also supposed to be healthy for reproductive organs.”
“So this represents love, loyalty and good blood flow to my uterus?”
“Something like that,” Raul smirked.
“Are you sure the reproductive thing isn’t just because men who buy giant rubies usually get lucky?” I teased.
“Oh, do they? I never thought of it that way. Let’s see if it works.”
He slipped the ring on my finger. I kissed him softly. He took over the kiss, capturing me, sliding his tongue into my mouth in a way that made me open for him, warmth and yearning suffusing my languid body. I shuddered when his fingers brushed my chest as he unbuttoned my dress. My full breasts were sensitive and desperate for his touch. I bit my lip as he rubbed and stroked my nipples. His mouth came back down over mine, kissing me deeply as he reached down to part my legs.
I settled myself on his lap, my dress pushed up my thighs as I straddled him on the lounge. I made quick work of his zipper, his hard length jutting out into my greedy hands. Raul reached between us, giving a growl of approval as he realized I wasn’t wearing panties. He took me by the hips and positioned me just right so he could thrust into me, slick and so full, so deep that I rocked into him with a cry. It always felt so good to make love with my husband and doing it in the idyllic Italian sunlight on our terrace, the soft rush of waves far below made it even sweeter.
The scent of lemons from the nearby grove, the salt of the breeze and the musk of his sweat as I kissed his shoulder—every sense was satiated with riches. His flavor and the rough calloused fingers that never failed to make me moan in ecstasy, the thrust of his tongue in my mouth moving in sleek rhythm with the big cock that impaled my aching, slick core. Want was the thing I felt most, and the tight squeeze of love for him clenching in my chest as I came and came again. Words would never be enough to express our deep love. Only through physical joining could we begin to explain it to each other, in a heavenly union both romantic and earthy, love and lust twisted together in a tangled perfection.
Every touch, every kiss and thrust felt perfect, glorious. I know I said thank you as he made love to me. I could never thank him enough for this life, this joy we found together. When we were finished, sated and sleepy, we lay in each other’s arms on the lounge and watched the sun set. His hand curved around my belly where our child slept. She would wake and kick me at night, I knew, but for now we had perfect peace and love.
“You’ve given me all I ever dreamed of and more,” I told him.
“I never even dared to dream of anything this wonderful,” he said. “But you gave it to me anyway.”
He kissed me tenderly and I smiled against his lips. Dori barked from her spot on the other lounge chair.
“Stopping to help that dog was the luckiest thing I ever did,” he said with a sigh.
“You know, we could name our daughter Lucia,” I said, “and call her Lucky.”
“I like that,” he said, “I’ll think about it. But for now, I don’t want to think about anything but this.”
I snuggled up in his arms and settled in for a nap as he kissed my forehead, his hand tangled possessively in my hair. It wasn’t just our baby who was lucky. It was all of us.
Bad Boy’s Secret Baby (Sample)
Enjoy a free sample of one of my other novels.
1
Jacob
It had been years, eight years to be exact, since I’d darkened the door of Burning Butte, North Dakota. I had thought things would have changed dramatically. I had. The small town had not. I stared out the heavily tinted driver’s-side window of my Ford F-350 and saw the ice cream shop was still in the same place. On the other side of the street was what I thought had to be the tiniest bookstore in the world. Most of the buildings were A-frames. The northern town got a lot of snow in the winter, and the buildings with the flat roofs always suffered. I could see there were still a few holding up, but I imagined it was only a matter of time before they were demolished under
the weight of the snow.
The businesses lined the main road through town, all vying for that prime piece of real estate. I passed the Old Flame Saloon and grinned. It was amazing that place was still operating. Of course, not that surprising. The bar was one of two in town, where everyone went to get a drink. The other tavern was more of a restaurant and was always packed with families with mommies and daddies who wanted to drink but were also stuck with the kids. Parents could pretend to be getting in some family time while throwing back a few beers.
I kept my speed slow as I rolled through the small town, taking it all in. It felt good to be back. It felt even better to be back in my new position. I wasn’t the same kid who’d been run out of town by the local sheriff all those years ago. I was a man. A man with money and power. Not a lot of either, but a hell of a lot more than what I had when I’d left.
I was back and I was determined to show Sheriff Arthur Maxwell I wasn’t the kind of man who allowed himself to be pushed around anymore. I dared him to try and pull the same bullshit he did back then. I was back and I was determined as hell to prove I wasn’t a worthless piece of trash from the wrong side of town with no future. There had been other adjectives used to describe me, but they didn’t matter. I was going to prove them all wrong.
I drove through town, heading out to the outskirts where Western Energies had set up shop. There were a few houses on sprawling farmland dotting the area with green pastures and cows lazily grazing as the road bent to the right. The old warehouse that had been used as a feedstore didn’t even look the same. I wouldn’t have known it had ever been a warehouse if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes as a kid. I was surprised to see the old, decrepit buildings that had once dotted the barren land gone and replaced by a paved parking lot. The old buildings that once stood in the area were dangerous, more of an attraction for kids to get up to no good. Like me. I was one of those kids, drinking and partying and doing other things I shouldn’t have.
I drove through the smooth parking lot, looking for a spot close to the door, and was surprised to see my name on a sign in front of a spot near the door.
“Well, look at that,” I cooed. “Reserved for Jacob Miner, Vice President of Western Energies,” I read aloud, unable to stop smiling as I pulled my truck into the spot.
I threw it into park, grabbed my phone, and hopped out of the truck, smoothing down the dark polo shirt with the Western Energies logo on the upper left. I’d worn a pair of nice jeans for my first day. I bent down to check my reflection in the side mirror, making sure my hair was in place. I hadn’t been able to resist driving down the highway with my window down and the music blaring. I used my fingertips to comb back my short brown hair before standing to my full six-two height again.
I strode up the couple of steps to the front doors and walked into the sleek, modern building that looked completely out of place in the old mining town. There was muted lighting throughout the lobby that was covered with tasteful, modern art and several little seating areas arranged around the wide-open space. It was like something one would expect to see in a big city, not a little out of the way town like Burning Butte. A receptionist was sitting behind a tall desk, a headset on her head as she smiled at me.
“Hi, I’m Jacob Miner, here to see Larry Welsh,” I said in a friendly tone.
“Yes, Mr. Miner, he’s expecting you. I’ll take you in,” she said, sliding off the tall chair she’d been sitting in.
She came around the edge of the reception desk. Her attire, a very attractive business suit with heels that could be used as a lethal weapon, were starkly different than the flowing dresses and jean-clad women I had seen on my drive through town. I imagined she must stick out like a sore thumb if she ever dared shop at one of the local shops.
The cement floor of the building was finished with a marble appearance and a high shine so perfect it was like walking on a mirror. She turned a corner and strode toward a set of double doors at the end of the hall. She knocked once before turning the handle and pushing the door open, gesturing for me to go inside.
“Thank you,” I said with a nod before strolling into the office with a big black-and-gray rug spread over the cement. Larry Welsh was sitting behind a massive cherrywood desk lining one side of the office. The guy was a younger version of George Clooney. He was a handsome, suave dude that could charm just about anyone. He was wealthy and it showed in the way he dressed, but he also had that Texas charm about him that made him approachable and well liked.
My new boss and the owner of Western Energies got to his feet. “Jacob! Good to see you. I take it you found the place okay.”
I chuckled. “It’s not hard to find. This place is amazing. I can’t believe the transformation,” I told him, still in awe of how the old feed warehouse had been turned into something out of Architectural Digest.
“Thank you. It’s been a long process, but my design team really pulled off a miracle. Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to one of the two leather couches facing each other on either side of the massive rug.
I sat down, resting my ankle on my knee, and looked around the grand office. It exuded wealth and power. “This is really nice,” I told him again.
“Thank you. I’m excited for our future here. We’re going to do great things together. I think Fate had a hand in the two of us meeting back in Chicago. I had been looking for somewhere just like this to invest in, and you pointed me in the right direction,” he said with a small laugh.
I shrugged a shoulder, thinking back to the event that had been held for energy company execs and owners. It was a networking event, rubbing elbows, shaking hands, and making connections that would make the wealthy a little wealthier. I didn’t mind having a role in that. My goal was to be wealthy and powerful and prove to everyone I wasn’t a worthless punk kid. I had worked my ass off in school to earn my bachelor’s degree in business management. That event had been the ticket I needed to get a foothold in the world that would make me successful. A single, casual conversation with a guy had led to me becoming the VP of a major energy company.
Larry had jumped at the chance to hire me when he found where I was from. The oil boom in the Dakotas was big money for those willing to take the risk with an investment. I had the in Larry was looking for. Between my knowledge of the area and his business savvy, we’d decided to make it happen and now, here we were.
I had gone through all the training at his Dallas offices with the intention of coming home to Burning Butte to work as VP. It couldn’t have worked out any better if I tried. It was exactly what I had intended to do when I’d been very unceremoniously run out of town eight long years ago. I was back. I was back to reclaim what had been taken from me. I loved that I was coming back home with a fancy title and a six-figure salary to go with it.
“I have to admit I thought things would have changed some. It is almost exactly like I remember. I guess time doesn’t move quite as fast here,” I chuckled.
He grinned, slapping his knee. “That’s going to work out in our favor. We’re about to shake things up and bring this town into the twenty-first century with good paying jobs and all the benefits that brings. We’ll get new businesses in town and infuse life back into this sleepy little place.”
I grimaced. “We’re going to have to do it with a great deal of finesse. These people are old-school, and they might not be all that open to change,” I warned him.
“I’m prepared for that. You’re my secret weapon. I’m counting on you to help soothe those ruffled feathers,” he said, that old-boy smile in place. “Let me show you your office,” he said, getting to his feet.
My office was in the exact opposite direction of his down an identical hallway. I was impressed to see that it had the same double doors. He pushed open the door, grinning from ear to ear as he stepped out of the way and let me walk in. I was thoroughly impressed.
“Wow. This is nice,” I said, taking in the luxurious furnishings and the fluffy, dark rug that added a little warmth to the s
tark office.
There were built-in shelves lining one wall and a desk that was similar to the one in his office. I could already picture a piece of art I’d had my eye on for some time hanging on the huge blank wall behind my desk. It was a little dark, but it exuded luxury. I liked it. It was what I had always dreamed of.
“Only the best for my favorite vice president,” he said.
“Thank you, Larry. This is great. I look forward to making this a successful venture for you and the company,” I told him.
“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve got a room at the local inn. I’m thinking I’ll dine on some vending machine snacks and maybe a Big Mac,” I said with a laugh.
He slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you come by the house tonight for dinner. I’d like you to meet the family.”
I nodded, not about to turn down a hot meal and the chance to cement the friendship between Larry and me. He was a good guy. I had interviewed with a lot of other companies, but I didn’t like the vibe, or the CEO was not the kind of person I would ever want to be associated with.
“I’d like that, thank you.”
He quickly gave me his address. I should have known. He had the biggest house in the damn county. I was going to start looking for my own house ASAP. I wished I had the time to have something built, but I needed a place to rest my head now, not in a year. I had a Realtor working on the problem and was hoping to be moved into a new place by the end of the week. The inn was not exactly my idea of a homecoming.
Faking It Page 17