Bastard's New Baby (Roosters Book 3)

by Raisa Greywood

  With Andy on one hip, Moira sauntered over and tugged the tip of her gray braid from Andy’s mouth. “Oh, what did he say?”

  “Jackson has to tell you. It was just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, and I want to hear him say it again.” Though Moira didn’t seem to notice, Siobhan’s tone was so saccharine she was about to send herself into a diabetic coma.

  Jackson laughed uncomfortably and said, “It was nothing, just a few words telling my new wife how beautiful she looks.”

  The expression on Jackson’s face was a priceless mixture of anger, embarrassment, and horror, and she enjoyed every second of his discomfort. When Moira looked at him expectantly, Siobhan laid a hand on his shoulder and said, “Come on, darling. You must remember. It was something about knees and begging?”

  Moira gasped and her eyes widened as her face paled in shock and anger. Siobhan took the opportunity to pluck Andy from her arms. Gathering his carrier and diaper bag, she made her escape as the dulcet tones of Jackson’s mother tearing a stripe off his hide echoed through the courthouse. As she strolled out, the man who had stood with Jackson touched his fingers to his brow in a salute and smirked.

  Best exit ever. Eat your heart out, Bette Davis.

  Chapter Four

  Despite downing at least three double scotches at the local watering hole, Matt still broke into laughter every time he looked at Jackson. His mother was furious, and Siobhan had vanished after setting off a powder keg under his ass not even a full minute after their wedding.

  “Damn, McKenna, the look on your face…” Matt collapsed into giggles once more, as the server poured another shot into his glass. “And she just sauntered out like the queen of fucking England. I tried to tell you that was a shitty idea!”

  He slapped the bar again, sending the fresh drink flying into Jackson’s lap. The bartender scowled and handed him a rag.

  As he mopped himself up, Jackson said, “Fuck off, Matt. It’s not funny.” But it was, and he couldn’t help the grin tugging on the corners of his mouth. After the mess he’d made feeding Andy, he should have known better than to poke at her. While he was almost positive there was a sweetly submissive woman under that ball-buster façade, he should never have said something so inflammatory to her in front of other people. For that matter, he shouldn’t have said it at all. She wasn’t some temporary sub he’d picked up for a scene. She was his wife, and antagonizing her hadn’t been one of his best ideas.

  Matt finished his drink and stood, swaying slightly as he punched Jackson on the shoulder. “I’m going to catch a cab home. Want to split it?”

  Jackson tossed back the last of his watered-down scotch and laid enough money on the bar to cover their drinks plus a healthy tip. “I’m good. I’m headed out, so I’ll drop you off before I go home.”

  When he parked in front of Matt’s condo, Matt said, “Don’t go over there tonight, man. Give her a night to cool down.”

  He nodded and waited until Matt got inside before driving away. Matt’s advice was probably the wisest course of action, but he needed to see her. He needed to… Rubbing his face, he put the Mustang into gear, glad he’d decided to stay sober. He owed Siobhan an apology.

  As he drove toward her house, he thought about what she’d said while they’d been hashing out the terms of their marriage. She’d said something about being discreet when he broke his marriage vows. She automatically assumed he’d go after another woman. Scowling, he turned into her driveway.

  She probably wouldn’t believe him, but he had no interest in any of his numerous hookups. All he could think about were her expressive green eyes and how she stood up to his bullshit despite his efforts to cow her into submission. And it made something ache deep in his chest when he realized she wouldn’t care if he cheated.

  He pulled in behind an immaculate black BMW sedan, realizing it was hers when he saw the car seat in the back as he walked past it on the way to her front door. A single light burned in her living room and he knocked softly, hoping to avoid waking Andy. Soft footsteps on wood floors heralded her approach and he straightened as she opened the door.

  Andy was sprawled across her chest, his eyes half-open and drowsy as he rested on her shoulder. She wore soft yoga pants and a cutoff T-shirt that bared a few inches of her belly, including a diamond stud in her navel. Her curly hair was braided into twin pigtails on each side of her freshly scrubbed face. His heart kicked and missed a beat. Even without makeup, and ready for bed, she was stunning. If he hadn’t looked at her college graduation date, he’d have thought she was a teenager. And to his immense shock, she still wore his wedding ring.

  He wore a rumpled suit and two days’ worth of stubble. Her nose wrinkled, and he knew she must smell the alcohol Matt had dumped on him. He was the one who looked homeless now, and the comparison didn’t sit well.

  Andy whimpered and she resettled him. “What do you want, Mr. McKenna?”

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  Huffing out a breath, she stepped back to allow him entry. “I’m just about to put Andy to bed. If you’ve come here to sleep off a bender, there’s a guest room down the hall next to the powder room.”

  “My friend Matt spilled his drink on me. I poured him into my car and took him home after I spent three hours nursing the same glass of scotch.”

  “Ah.” She sat down in a rocking chair and picked up a mostly empty bottle. Holding it for Andy, she asked, “Why are you here?”

  He sat down on the edge of her couch, careful to keep the wet parts of his suit pants off her furniture. “I came to apologize for what I said after our wedding. I was out of line, and you had every right to call me on it.”

  Siobhan blinked, surprise evident on her pretty face. “Wow. Um, thank you.” She stood and laid Andy over her shoulder before patting his back until he released a somewhat stupendous belch.

  It was juvenile, but he couldn’t help laughing. “Christ, woman! How can a kid that small have so much gas?”

  Her beautiful eyes lightened and she smiled. “I think Dan taught him. He’s always done it.”

  He reached over and stroked the sparse blonde curls hanging over Andy’s neck. “He’s going to be a hit at parties when he gets older.”

  “I’ll be happy if he doesn’t spit up when he does it. It’s always a risk with him.”

  “Ah. That explains the double burp cloth.”

  “Yeah.” The smile went away and she stood up. “I have to put him to bed. The offer of the guest room is still open if you don’t want to go home, and I think there might be some old sweats and T-shirts in the dresser if you want to change.”

  “I have clothes in my car, but thanks.” He looked down at his feet, suddenly nervous. “Look, I actually came by to see if we could talk when we’re not at each other’s throats.”

  She cocked her head and peered at him as if she’d never seen him before. “I guess that’s okay. I won’t be long.” She turned away and climbed the stairs, leaving him alone.

  She was still upstairs after he’d gotten changed into worn jeans and a T-shirt, and he wondered if he should go find her. Deciding against it, he went to her kitchen and rummaged her fridge for drinks. The bottle of pinot she’d been drinking earlier begged to be finished, and he filled two wineglasses from the rack above the counter.

  He carried the glasses into the living room as she came down the stairs.

  * * *

  Even in clean clothes, Jackson looked like hell. He seemed tired, and obviously hadn’t shaved in some time. While she believed him about the alcohol smell emanating from his suit, she had to wonder what he really wanted. He seemed genuinely sorry about what he’d said, but could she trust him?

  And there was still that inconvenient and overpowering sexual need whenever she looked at him. If she hadn’t been so attracted to him, things would have been easy. Instead, she was off-balance, trying to keep her distance because she went up in flames every time he touched her. And his kisses. Just thinking about his kisses made
her wet.

  If they were going to be stuck with each other, maybe she ought to give him a chance. She took the glass he held out and curled up in her rocker. “Have a seat and tell me what you want to talk about.”

  He blew out a breath and sat down, but stood again almost immediately and began to pace, his sock-covered feet making no sound. “I’ve been a bastard to you all day, and I owe you an apology for that, too. If the florist had been open, I’d have brought you a few dozen roses to make up for it.”

  Surprise made her nearly choke on her wine, but she swallowed hard and it went down. “You already brought me roses. I appreciate it. And I apologize for calling you names.”

  “No, don’t. You had every right.” He sat and rested his elbows on his knees. “I guess I saw you as an easy answer to getting my mother off my back about getting married. I figured you’d jump at the chance when I learned what Lila and Alfred were trying to do to you and Andy.”

  “I’m not very happy with your mother right now. She never mentioned you were her son when she told me about the job.” She bit her lip, and asked, “Did I look that desperate?”

  He laughed softly and shook his head. “No, not at first, but when I found you after you’d lost Andy…” He winced and glanced up at her. “I’m so used to women who fall all over themselves to be seen on my arm, it didn’t occur to me there was someone out there who wouldn’t.”

  She arched a brow. “I --”

  “I don’t mean that to sound so arrogant. Between the money, and…” Sighing heavily, he continued. “… and my activities as a dominant, I’ve gotten jaded, I guess. Vanilla women want a sugar daddy, and kinky ones want Master Mike.” Wrinkling his nose, he added, “And some of them want both.”

  “Who is Master Mike?” she asked.

  “Me, when I’m scening. Nobody knows my real name in the clubs, so you’ll never have to worry about being married to --”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that, but your board of directors might.” She straightened in her chair and asked the question that had been plaguing her. “So, you weren’t kidding about making those book fantasies come true.”

  “Well, some of them, anyway. I’m not really interested in a lifestyle relationship, though I can picture you wearing my collar. I’m into rope, mostly, but I like impact and sensation play, too.” Clasping his hands, he lifted his head to meet her gaze. “Either way, I shouldn’t have treated you like that, especially without getting to know you first.”

  “I’m not sure you should treat anyone like that, Jackson, even if you know what they’re after.”

  He winced at her barb and nodded.

  She smiled and got up. Sitting next to him on the couch, she covered his hand with hers. “But I get it, especially if your receptionist is the kind of woman you normally deal with. And I was probably predisposed to dislike you, too. All I saw was an arrogant bastard so self-absorbed he couldn’t be bothered with traffic laws.”

  “That woman is no longer my receptionist. I wasn’t kidding when I told you I’d fired her. And I hope you let me replace your suit, Siobhan. I feel really bad about that.”

  “We’ll see what the dry cleaner can do first. If it isn’t salvageable, I’ll take you up on that offer.” With a grimace, she said, “I was more concerned about my shoes, but I think they’ll be okay.”

  “See, you defy my expectations right there.” He laughed and rubbed his eyes. “A normal woman would grab my credit card with dollar signs in their eyes and buy out the department stores. I also want you to tell the cleaner to send the bill to me.”

  She shook her head, but couldn’t help smiling. “You’ve been hanging with a bad crowd, Mr. McKenna.”

  He took a sip of his wine, giving her time to think. Would it be so bad to make an effort to have a decent marriage with him? Every second she spent breathing in his musk made her that much needier. Just touching him was a risk. If she had to be close to him, she wasn’t sure she could keep her distance.

  He grinned and kissed her forehead. “You’re probably right about that. Would you like to bring Andy and have breakfast with me in the morning?”

  Wow. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t a chaste kiss and an offer of a breakfast date. “Sure. Is nine good for you?”

  “Sounds perfect,” he said as he stood to leave. “I’d also like to talk to you about taking a position with McKenna. It won’t be as my PA, though. I was serious about you being my foreign liaison. I’d offer to share Rachel with you, but she’ll be on leave for a few months, and you’ll probably need one of your own.”

  She followed him to the door as she thought about his offer. If she went back to work, she could afford to pay her and Andy’s expenses without dipping further into her savings, but she didn’t want to leave him with a nanny. When they reached the door, she said, “I’ll think about it. Now that Lila and Alfred are no longer a problem, I can afford to wait and be with Andy without worrying.”

  “Would you consider telecommuting or part-time employment?”

  “Absolutely.” She smiled at Jackson’s ideas. Either would give her income and more time to spend with Andy.

  He nodded in approval. “Good. I hope all our negotiations are so easy.”

  Wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life, she said, “I’ll make you a deal, Jackson. I’m willing to try to make this marriage real, if that’s what you want. I’ll move in with you, and after we get to know each other a little better, we’ll talk about sharing a bed.”

  “I hear a but in those sentences.”

  “That’s because there is one,” she replied. “Don’t ever lie to me. If we decide to make our marriage a real thing, don’t cheat on me. If you do either of those things, I’ll be out so fast it will make your head spin.”

  “Funny you mention that,” he murmured as he slipped on a pair of worn sneakers. “I considered calling one of my friends with benefits tonight.” Siobhan stiffened and backed away from him, but he caught her hand and kissed her fingers. “I didn’t because none of them were you.”

  Oh, god damn it. She didn’t know whether to believe Jackson or not. If he was telling the truth, it was the most amazing thing anyone had ever said to her. Shaking her head, she said, “You don’t need to feed me a line of bullshit.”

  Leaning over, he touched his lips to hers, but didn’t linger. “If anyone had told me this morning that I’d meet a woman who would make me see the value in marriage, I’d have laughed in their face. I would have called bullshit if they’d said she would make me get rid of my play partners’ phone numbers. But you…”

  He looked at her intently, dragging a finger down her cheek. She shivered at the sensation. “Me, what?”

  “Even in a ruined suit, you held your head up. You stood up for yourself and didn’t ask for a damned thing from me.”

  “That’s not true,” she protested. “I asked for respect and courtesy.”

  He stroked her lower lip with his thumb. “And you deserve it. Aside from that, you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. I want you in my bed. I want to show you all the ways I can bring you pleasure. I do want you on your knees and begging to suck my cock.” His eyes darkened and he cupped her jaw, then lowered his head to kiss her. Whispering into her mouth, he added, “And I want to hear you scream my name when you come for me.”

  Her lips parted in surprise at his filthy words, and he took advantage. Like the first time he kissed her, his lips were soft and gentle, not forcing a kiss, but enticing, tempting her into taking things further. And fuck, she was tempted. His scent, the feel of his strong hands on her tender skin, and the knowledge that he could fulfill her fantasies made her pussy hot and wet.

  She pressed against him, feeling the ridge of his hard cock against her belly. To her delight, he groaned and sank one hand into her hair, holding her still for the kiss. He nipped her lip, and when she gasped in pleasure, he pulled away.

  “I’m not that kind of guy, Mrs. McKenna.” Chuckling, he
shook his head. “Actually, I am, but not with you.”

  Blinking in surprise, she said, “Huh?”

  Touching his forehead to hers, he said, “Our first time isn’t going to be tonight. We skipped over the wooing and dating parts of the relationship, and you deserve a chance to have all the good stuff first.”

  “I was thinking this was the good stuff,” she muttered.

  He laughed and kissed the bump on her nose where she’d broken it during a rugby game in her sophomore year of college. “Get some sleep, Mrs. McKenna. Use a toy on yourself and imagine us recreating the dirtiest scene you can think of from one of your books. I’ll ask you to tell me about it sometime soon.”

  She arched a brow. “Is that an order or a request?”

  He leaned toward her, putting his lips to her ear. She flinched at the tickling sensation of his warm breath on her neck. In a dark, smoky voice, he said, “Consider it an order. And when you tell me about it, I want you to call me Master.” Lifting his hand, he wrapped it around her throat, making her gasp as he stroked the pulse under her jaw. “Or Sir.”

  Without another word, he let go of her neck and walked out. She shut the door as his Mustang’s throaty roar died away, then melted against the oak doorframe, sliding to her butt as her knees gave way.

  She might not be able to trust her new husband. He might be lying to her even now. But she knew one thing about Jackson McKenna. He was a fucking tease.

  And she needed clean panties.

  * * *

  Despite his exhaustion and the lingering stench of whiskey in his car, Jackson whistled cheerfully as he drove home. Siobhan was stunning when she was aroused. Her green eyes darkened to moss, and her blush suffused her skin from the tops of her breasts all the way up to her honed cheekbones.

  She was so much more than he’d expected. Siobhan was bright, funny, and he suspected she had a generous, kind temperament when she wasn’t being provoked. He smirked at that thought. She was mean as a snake when someone crossed her, that was for sure.