by KyAnn Waters
Pressure built behind his eyes. His head was in a vise. She wasn't propositioning him. She was asking him to choose a daddy for her baby. Where was the relief?
Johnny cocked an eyebrow. “Not really.” He'd never liked any of her boyfriends. “And I think you're forgetting that we went to his wedding a couple of months ago.”
She laughed. “I guess I should delete him.” She took the stylus and touched it to the screen.
“Men have some say in when they start a family. You can't just pick a guy, sleep with him, and then bail.” He took a breath.
“Believe me,” she thumped her chest, “I know how serious this is. I wish I could say I've thought long and hard about having a baby, but I haven't.” She looked at the clock hanging above the front door. “I've had about three hours to make my decision.”
“You need to think a little longer. Once the baby comes, there's child support, visitation, and a guy that, although he looks good, might turn out to be a possessive, homicidal maniac.”
“Then you tell me the answer.” Her fingers tunneled through her hair again and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Johnny, I don't have time to fall in love, get married, and then have a baby. Don't judge me. Just help me.”
He growled, tightening his hands into fists. “Give me that.” He snatched the PDA from her hand. “You won't find him in here.” One moment the idea of being a father made his head spin, his stomach churn, and his chest tighten. Then with the next breath, he nearly blurted that he wanted to be the only man volunteering for the position. He immediately surmised the positions Krissy might like. Fuck, once again Krissy was making his life a circus.
Johnny stifled a low groan partnered with a defeated sigh. Krissy's plan screamed disaster. When she hit the brick wall, he'd be right there beside her.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Yes.” He needed something to wash the bitter taste from his mouth. He was actually scanning down a list of names. Brad, Darin, James, Mike, Trent— he couldn't remember half of these guys. Who was he kidding? He might be her best friend, but there wasn't much difference between him and the names in the Blackberry.
Krissy returned and handed him a cola. “So who's the lucky guy?” She sat down next to him and crossed her legs Indian style.
Johnny glanced in her direction. Under her shirt, she had her hand twisted behind her back unhooking her bra. Slipping one strap down her arm, and then the other, she moaned as she unbound her generous breasts.
Cold soda didn't douse the flames of desire licking his libido. His cock jumped at the gentle sway of her breasts beneath her T- shirt. Drawing his attention, her perfectly tight nipples puckered against the fabric like two ripe cherries. He couldn't help licking his lips.
“Krissy, you won't find a man in here.”
“I know. You're right. But unless you're willing to take on the role...” She laughed. “And we both know that is out of the question, right? Because we're best friends.”
“Right.” His hand stilled. Was it out of the question? Fatherhood? Johnny had graduate school to finish, a career to build. The plan didn't include children for several years. But Krissy didn't have years. Best friends. Wasn't that the way he wanted it? Right now, he didn't know what he wanted. Yes, he did. He wanted what Krissy wanted. Time. Only hers had run out.
She smiled around the rim of her soda can. “I still can't believe this is happening. Morning sickness and cravings.”
He couldn't either. “The news could be worse. My mom is in menopause.” He pulled her close and kissed her temple. “At least you're not having hot flashes.” Unlike him, every time she came near him. So much heat he was ready to erupt, literally.
“Yeah, well what's one more thing to look forward to? Along with mood swings, swollen ankles, back aches, any other symptoms you can think of. My mother had terrible acne.”
“I suppose you want me to hold your head while you're sick after breakfast. Nothing I haven't done before after a night of too much fun.”
“Hardy- har- har.” She slugged him in the thigh. A little higher and she would've made contact with something a lot harder. “I haven't been that drunk in a long time. And anyway, I have to get pregnant first. So unless you want to sign on for the job, I'm trusting in your decision. I don't have the best luck with men.” She laughed and his stomach plummeted. “Any smart— but not smart enough to demand a condom— good- looking guys in your university classes?”
“Good point. How do you know you won't get a disease from unprotected sex? You haven't thought through this crazy scheme.”
“Oh god, Johnny,” she whined. “Forget the whole thing.” She picked up her PDA. “I'll do eeny, meeny, miney, moe.”
“No,” he said, snatching it away from her. “You need to think about this decision.”
Krissy folded her hands in her lap. “I won't change my mind.”
“Fine. We'll go to Stu's tomorrow night. Call the gang.” Johnny jumped up and grabbed his keys. Time for him to go. His body was swinging in and out of heat like a furnace on the fritz. He never knew when it was going to betray his head. With Krissy on the prowl, he'd better figure out a way to check his libido at the door.
“Johnny.”
He paused before walking out the door.
“It might not seem like it now, but I know what I'm doing.”
“I'll see you tomorrow.”
Krissy shut the door, crossed the room, and slumped onto the couch. He was right, of course. She couldn't just pick up a stranger, sleep with him, and trap him into fatherhood. She didn't plan to— she wanted Johnny.
She'd asked him to help her find someone suitable, but that wasn't her true agenda. The problem would be in the details. She wanted Johnny, but not with strings attached. Granted, she knew having a baby meant obligations to each other they'd never had before. Staying friends and avoiding the serious commitment issues would be so much easier if he were gay. She chuckled. That wasn't going to happen. She stood and walked down the hall to her bedroom. After stripping off her clothes, she climbed into bed.
No matter how many times she mentally rolled over her options, she kept returning to the same conclusions. Her tummy swooped. She didn't want to go to a sperm bank or choose just anyone. She would just have to show Johnny he'd be the right man for her. They could have a family and stay friends.
Krissy pulled the covers over her and wondered what she should do now? She closed her eyes and smiled. All she needed was the right motivation to convince him. This was real. She was asking for sex. Her heartbeat tripped and she felt faint. Not just sex, but sex with Johnny. She would make him see every man was wrong for her...except him.
Chapter Two
Krissy Has a Plan
Friday night at Stu's and the place was packed. Johnny greeted a few acquaintances on his way to the back of the bar. He and Krissy were the last to arrive. The rest of the six- pack hollered as they approached.
“You two look like you've been up to mischief,” Shelby said with a smile.
“Why shouldn't they?” Drew asked. “Everyone knows Johnny and the wood girl are doing it.” Drew loved calling Krissy the wood girl. It had more to do with her luscious figure, than the fact that she sold custom kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.
Johnny chuckled in spite of the knife slicing through his gut. “Appearances aren't always as they seem.”
Krissy took a seat on a black vinyl barstool.
“Why does everyone assume we're doing it? Johnny and I are proof the opposite sex can be friends.”
“And why haven't you?” Drew asked while he fished a bill out of his jeans to pay the waitress for his beer. “You're best friends— ”
“Yep, and we want to keep it that way.” Johnny tipped the longneck bottle of beer to his lips. No way in hell was he going near that one. Getting into bed with Kristina Taylor would be amazing, incredible, mind- blowing...enough along that train of thought. His job now was to help her find someone else to take to bed. He
groaned.
“Johnny's not Krissy's type,” Ryan said then grinned.
“You don't know my type.” An indignant tone laced her words.
“Johnny has his shit together.” Drew smirked and then pointed at Krissy with the neck of his beer bottle. “You'd break his heart anyway.”
“I would not, I mean, never mind. We're not going to date so there's no point in arguing about whether or not I make a good girlfriend.”
“Krissy, if a guy gets googly- eyes, you run.”
Johnny wished they'd change the subject. What man wouldn't get googly- eyed? Just over five- two with big, beautiful breasts just enough to spill over a man's hands. She had a heart- shaped ass and blue eyes with depth to drown in. The old cliché about blondes having more fun couldn't be truer than with Krissy.
Only she was so much more. A you- get- what- you- see girl who would give you the shirt off her back. Hell, she'd give the shirt off her back just to show off the fabulous job her surgeon had done.
“Speaking of exes,” Shelby said. “Krissy, remember the guy we met at the hockey game? I just saw him. He asked about you.”
“Oh no, really?”
“If he was in your database, we deleted him.” Johnny gave her a wink.
Krissy scanned the room. “It doesn't matter. My next boyfriend has to be special.”
Oh god, she was going to tell them now. Johnny braced for their reaction. Here's where she told them about her plan. He fortified himself with a drink. If she thought he handled the news badly, just wait. Rule number one between Krissy and her girlfriends— no kids until thirty.
“I'm going to have a baby,” Krissy blurted. “With Johnny's help.”
The beer in Johnny's throat slid down the wrong pipe. Coughing and pounding his chest, he whispered, “Rephrase and explain.”
Krissy laughed and turned to the group. “We've already clarified that you and I aren't fucking.”
“What?”
“Why?” Shelby and Casey asked simultaneously. “Are you pregnant?”
“No. At least not yet.”
“Wait a minute, Krissy,” Drew said, clutching the front of his shirt in his fist. “You need to think about this. If you want a child, fine by me, just don't fuck up the six- pack by fucking Johnny.”
Casey wagged her finger at Drew. “Not that I think Krissy and Johnny sleeping together would be any of our business, because it wouldn't. But I don't see how it would be much different than Ryan and Shelby. In fact, they'd probably be good for each other.” Casey was the responsible one of the group. Wearing her hair in a conservative bob, subtle makeup, she wanted to land a Fortune 500 man when she finally decided to settle down. Until then, she dated selectively.
“Yeah, until Johnny falls in love with Krissy,” Drew said. “The wood girl doesn't do love.”
Krissy slapped her hand on the table. “It's a moot point. I asked, and Johnny isn't up for the job. We're friends and he doesn't want to screw that up any more than I do. So you don't have to worry about the gang breaking up. We're all practically family.”
Actually being up for the job wasn't the problem. Johnny did his best to ignore the conversation, watching the people on the dance floor instead. Fall in love with Krissy? Too late. He hit that mark in ninth grade. By the time he was a junior in high school, she was the star of every one of his wet dreams.
“Remember the nursery rhyme,” Ryan said. “Krissy and ‘someone’ sitting in a tree. K- I- S- S- I- N- G. First comes love, then comes marriage and then comes the baby in the baby carriage. You don't have any of those things. Shopping for a dad for your kid isn't supposed to be like a trip to the mall for a new pair of shoes. Kris, you can't return a kid because it doesn't fit.”
“I know that. Do you think this was an impulsive decision or that it was easy? It's now or never. I saw the doctor. My endometriosis is getting worse. There won't be another laparoscopy for me. Next time, I'm having a hysterectomy. Six months from now, I'm not going to have a choice.”
“Oh my god, are you sure?” Casey asked. “Couldn't you go on the pill? I heard that helps.”
“My disease is too advanced. I'm not taking the chance. I talked to my mom. She got emotional about the fact that I'm her only child and her only hope of grandchildren. I know what you're going to say, and I agree. I'm not getting pregnant for her. I want to be a mother.”
“I can't believe it,” Casey said.
“It's true,” Johnny said with a note of sarcasm to his voice. “It isn't a joke.” No, there was absolutely nothing funny about Krissy searching for a man to take her to bed. This wasn't sex for sport, but rather procreation, permanence, and a family.
“Exactly what is good daddy material?” Drew asked. “Most men who come to bars are looking to get laid, not audition for let me be your baby's daddy.”
“Getting laid is all they need to think about. Leave the rest to me. He looks good,” she said, indicating a man on the other side of the dance floor. “Johnny?”
He looked in the direction Krissy gave a slight nod. Blond hair, decent build, dressed nice, so he could be as good as the next guy. How in the hell was he supposed to decide? “What do you want me to say, Krissy?”
“I don't know. I know I'll never have a Mr. Perfect. Can you think of another solution?”
“No, so I'm sure he'll stud himself out to you. Looks like he's having a good time. Does he have a job? Does he have mental illness in his family? Hell, he could be sterile. Go find out. Bring him over and see if he meets your minimum basic requirements.”
Her eyebrow rose at the challenge, and her mouth did that incredibly sexy thing when it curved up on the left side. “Fine.” She adjusted her shirt to reveal an enticing amount of cleavage and fluffed her hair.
“Wait.” Casey put her hand on Krissy's elbow. “The bar might be the best place for an easy pick up, but I don't think this is fertile hunting ground for the kind of man you want to father your baby.” She held up her beer bottle. “A toast and a wish to Krissy, to being brave enough to make this decision— ”
“Or stupid enough.”
“Shut up, Drew.” Casey didn't break her cadence. “Here's hoping you find more than you expect, a great guy who'll end up being supportive, but not controlling.”
“A guy who'll want to help and have the money to do it,” Shelby added.
Ryan picked up his drink. “Here's hoping he never finds out you tricked him.”
“And if he does, he isn't pissed off. Because I know I sure as hell would be.” Drew didn't wait for the toast to finish. He tipped his beer and drank.
“To finding a man who could be your best friend.” Casey ended the toast and everyone clinked longnecks together.
Nausea rolled in Johnny's stomach. Krissy had a best friend. He wasn't going to toast someone else coming in and replacing him. If he was filling the role of best friend then some nameless donor could be dad. “Why don't you go to a sperm bank?” he blurted.
The table grew quiet. Everyone looked at him.
“What? It would be a hell of a lot safer than picking up Joe Blow at the bar. At least they test the men for disease. You'll get a complete dossier. And you wouldn't have to sleep with him.” And no one would interfere with their relationship.
“It also costs more money than I have.”
“You think kids are cheap?” Johnny asked.
“No, I don't.” She gave him a steady glance. “You still don't really know what you're buying. I'll agree that I'm not going to find him here. Tomorrow I'll get my game on and make a plan. Where else is a good place to look?”
“You mean shop and the answer isn't at the mall,” Ryan said.
“Very funny. I'm serious.”
“Do you want to go to the gym with me? I know you can find a good guy there.” Shelby leaned into Ryan and playfully punched his over- inflated biceps.
“I've got to study tonight.” Johnny stood. “I'll catch you all Sunday for brunch.”
“Wait.” Krissy tugge
d on his shirt. “There's a demolition derby at the fairgrounds tomorrow. Want to go?”
He must have been fifteen the last time he went to the derby. Junk cars, mud splattered T- shirts, good family fun at the fairgrounds. Not the setting for Krissy to continue with her plan to find a dad for her baby, the men at the derby had their kids in tow. Perfect. A night just like old times, old as in less than a week, before her plan for conception.
Maybe he could plant a seed of doubt. He worried about her. What she planned was a one- night stand to last a few weeks until she conceived. Men lusted after Krissy. It wasn't her fault. Her appearance, bubbly personality, and great sense of humor were impossible to resist. In truth, she had just as many female friends. Unlike girlfriends, Krissy didn't keep male friends close. They inevitably wanted more. He groaned and leaned back in the chair. Only he was smart enough to keep what he wanted hidden.
Krissy sat next to Johnny in the cab of his truck. She shifted a glance in his direction then smiled. Her pink T- shirt stretched across her breasts. She inhaled, pulling the shirt tighter. His gaze wandered lower. She wore a pair of white Capri pants to hug the contours of her thighs. Even her toenails were hot pink, poking out of cork wedge sandals. His gaze roamed back up her body until his eyes met hers. She curled her lips in a grin letting him know she'd busted him staring. Johnny dragged his finger under his lip, pretending to wipe away drool.
He turned his attention to the road and drove them out to the fairgrounds just outside of town. The glare from the setting sun in the west reflected off the other automobiles on the old highway. Almost as intense was the glare glinting in Johnny's eyes.
She needed him— always would. If not him, who did he think was going to teach her son to play ball? Johnny would also be great with a little girl. Look how well he handled her over the years. Krissy tended to jump in with both feet and then remember she didn't know how to swim. Johnny— the life preserver— always saved her. Life was better with him around.
“Am I getting the silent treatment?” she asked.