SPORTS BABY (A Secret Baby Romance)

by Mia Carson

  Danny’s eyes darkened, and he saw the fight taking place in her mind. “You’re sure you want to put up with both of us? With Jenna?”

  Deal with another man’s kid? When that man left you both? “If she’s anything like you, I think I can handle her. Do you think she’ll be okay with it?”

  “Maybe. Jenna’s pretty laid back. Crazy about football, too,” she informed him with a grin.

  “She a tomboy like her mom?” he asked, not surprised at all.

  Danny laughed. “Yeah, despite what my mom tries to dress her in all the time.”

  “So are you saying yes?” he asked slowly, holding his breath until she gave him a straight answer.

  “Is it safe to be at your place? You don’t have anything weird going on there, do you?”

  He laughed. “Remember back in high school when I told you that I started some of those rumors, to let people think what was expected of someone like me?”

  “Let me guess… You still do.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath about him asking for whatever the reporters might print about him.

  “When it suits me. Gets them off my back and gives me some privacy when I need it.” Not that you need to know about all the women I’ve slept with since you.

  He watched the thoughtful glint in her eyes as she smiled. “Jenna has three weeks of break,” she said slowly. “And I have some vacation saved up, but if I miss too much work, it’ll put me behind on the bills.”

  “Let me worry about those, at least for a little while,” he offered, hoping she wouldn’t automatically say no.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? I know you said you wanted more than one night, but Jack… Are you sure?”

  “I can’t let you go again unless you tell me you don’t love me anymore,” he admitted quietly. He waited for her to say those words, bracing himself for it, but she tackled him to the bed, kissing him fiercely as her body covered his.

  He groaned when she straddled him, already wet and covering his length. She adjusted her hips and he slid home inside of her, burying deep as they both paused to catch their breath, and the sensations rippled across his body. Last night had been memorable, but this morning, he didn’t have the time to go slow and make her squirm as she had beneath his touch and tongue, her eyes rolling back as she arched off the bed.

  Jack pulled her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard as her hips worked against his, grinding against him as he continued to lick and caress those breasts that had only grown finer in their time apart. He sat up, and she stretched her legs past him as he held their bodies together, angling to thrust deeper inside of her warmth.

  He never wanted to go another night without being surrounded by her, body and soul. That primal urge to possess and be possessed overwhelmed his senses. Whatever else might happen in the future, he was going to hold on to this moment in time. Her body tightened around his, but he wasn’t ready to let her off that easily. Holding her tightly against him, he rolled her over, pulled out, and slid down her body until his mouth found her soft folds.

  Her hands ran through his hair while his tongue explored her depths, searching hungrily for more ways to make her cry out his name in passion. Before, he’d known all of her sweet spots, and now, he was ready to discover them again.

  Tasting her made him even harder, but he wanted to put her on edge, bring her close before he drove inside her. He sucked her clit hard, a wolfish grin crossing his lips when she groaned out a curse. Jack wanted more time with Danny. He wanted forever, and if she came to Texas, he’d prove to her that it was what she wanted, too. It wasn’t just his bed he missed her in, it was his everyday life. That easy smile of hers, the smart mouth, the ‘I don’t care attitude’ about everyone around her. He wanted his tough Danny back.

  She twisted on the bed, her breathing ragged, and he knew she was ready. He climbed back up on the bed, and before she had a chance to recover from the lack of touch, drove hard into her, scooting her across the bed. She cried out, clutching his shoulders and demanding everything he had with her penetrating gaze. His mouth claimed hers, his tongue moving in time with his hips until he couldn’t take it any longer. Gritting his teeth, he whispered in her ear.

  “I can’t. I have to…”

  “Then let go,” she whispered. “Jack… oh, God!”

  He spilled inside her, his whole body wracked by the intensity of the orgasm pulsing through him, filling her as she squeezed every last drop from him. He rested his head against her shoulder, their bodies shaking in each other’s arms until she laughed quietly. A moment later, he joined her, and they lay together until Jack had to leave.

  When they reached the hotel lobby, he kissed her, not caring who was watching. “I’ll send you a plane ticket soon,” he said. “See you in a week?”

  “A week,” she repeated.

  He pulled her close, whispering, “If you run again, Danny, know that this time, I will find you.”

  She wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his chest. “I know, but don’t worry. We’ll be on that plane.”

  “When you leave, go out the back,” he said quietly with a glance over his shoulder. “I don’t want you bombarded by those idiots out there.”

  She shrugged. “I can handle myself.”

  “I know,” he said, kissing her forehead with a smile. “You always could.” Maybe that’s why I’m so worried you’re going to run again. You won’t let yourself need someone.

  He stepped back, her hand clinging to his until he was too far away and she had to let go. As Jack turned around and headed to the bus waiting to take the team to the airport, cameras went off in his face as microphones were shoved closer.

  “Who was that woman, Jack?”

  “Is she your girlfriend?”

  “Was she a hooker?”

  Jack didn’t answer their questions, only pushed through the paparazzi with his head down. Let them think what they wanted. His only concerns were of Danny being back in his life and learning if he could really handle the little girl she would bring with her.

  ***

  Danny took Jack’s advice and left through a side exit of the hotel. She caught a cab around the corner to avoid the press and headed for home. When she unlocked the front door, Hazel stood in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee with a crazed grin on her face. Jenna ran over to give Danny a hug, asking about the night with her friend, Jack.

  “It was good, honey,” she said, her face turning three shades of red. “We had a nice talk.”

  “That’s good. Aunt Hazel said you had a sleepover.”

  Danny shot her stepsister a look. “We did. I’m sorry I wasn’t here last night.”

  “It’s fine, Mom. You needed some fun.”

  “I did? I thought I always have fun with you and your aunt,” she insisted.

  “You do, but this is different. That’s what Aunt Hazel said, anyway.” Jenna hummed as she danced around the kitchen then ran down the hall to her room, red pigtail braids flying behind her.

  Danny kicked her heels off and poured herself a cup of coffee, feeling Hazel’s eyes on her the whole time. “Wait until she leaves for the babysitter’s, then you can ask me whatever you want.”

  Hazel muttered something under her breath, but Danny didn’t catch it. Jenna ran back down the hall, her backpack on and ready for their neighbor, who always walked her home from school. Danny walked her outside to the curb to wait.

  “Jenna, when you come home, I want to talk to you about something important.”

  “What is it? Are we going to see Grandpa soon?” she asked, pleading every word.

  “I hope so, baby, but this is about something else. A different kind of adventure. We’ll talk about it more when I get home from work.” She pulled her daughter close, kissed the top of her head, and stepped back, grinning, as Jenna smirked back. It was Jack’s smile Danny saw, and her chest tightened.

  Their neighbor walked over a few minutes later and led Jenna away, the older woman as
king Jenna all about her holiday weekend. Danny waved until they disappeared down the street before she trudged back inside. She had an hour to get ready before leaving for work and knew that Hazel was going to hound her about last night the entire time. She was in the shower when Hazel opened the door and hopped up on the counter.

  “Really?” She rolled her eyes at Danny. “Yes, you can’t hide from me all morning and not tell me if you had sex or not.”

  “What do you think? I didn’t exactly make it home last night.”

  “Yeah, well, all your text said was ‘staying at the hotel with Jack’,” she quipped.

  “Which implies sex,” Danny said with a laugh as she shampooed her hair. If she didn’t have to go work, she wouldn’t have showered at all. She smelled like Jack, and after being with him all night, she didn’t want to lose his deep woods scent.

  “So, what are you going to do now? He went back to Texas.”

  Danny’s hands paused in their lathering. “He asked me to go stay with him.”

  “You?”

  “No, actually, he asked Jenna and me to stay with him. Asked if the dad was in the picture at all. When I said no, he looked like he accepted everything that happened and wants me back with him.” She knew it wouldn’t be that easy, no matter what Jack told her. Her leaving had cut him deep and that type of wound didn’t heal after one night spent in each other’s arms.

  Hazel fell silent, and once Danny’s hair was rinsed, she turned off the water, wrapped a towel around herself, and pulled back the curtain.

  “You’re quiet. It’s dangerous when you’re quiet,” she grumbled with a suspicious glare at her stepsister.

  “You’re going to tell him the truth, right? That Jenna is his.”

  Danny puffed out her cheeks as she let out a breath and stepped out of the tub. “I don’t know yet. I want to see where things go first.”

  “He’s going to think Jenna is some other guy’s kid for how long? You can’t drag it out like that,” she lectured, sounding so sure of herself.

  “If he finds out, he’s going to hate me again. You didn’t see him last night, Hazel,” Danny argued, grabbing her hairbrush, ready to tackle her red mane. “He hated me for a while for leaving, but at the same time, he still loves me. Never stopped.”

  Hazel hopped off the counter to let Danny have the mirror. “And you know that for sure after one night together?”

  Danny’s hand paused in its brushing, thinking over last night and how it felt like their first night together. “I knew the first time we made love that we were meant to be together. I can’t explain it, but in all this time, I’ve never been able to get over him. Doesn’t that mean something?”

  “I don’t know,” she mused. “I just don’t want to see you or Jenna hurt if this doesn’t work out.”

  She turned to leave, but Danny stopped her. “I’ll tell him when the time’s right, I promise.”

  “Sometimes the time is never right,” Hazel reminded her. “Oh, and Mom called. She wants us over for dinner tonight.”

  She skipped out of the bathroom, leaving Danny to groan and curse after her. The last thing she wanted was to tell her mom what had happened last night with Jack. She could leave out the whole sex part, but her mom knew her too well, and Danny sucked at lying. It was going to be hard enough keeping Jenna’s parentage a secret.

  And you’re going to go live with the man in Texas, she thought grimly. Did you really think this through?

  The answer was simple—no. No, she did not, but she had already said yes. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t let him down again.

  ***

  On the drive to her mom’s place, Danny’s mind fought against itself, trying to figure out if she was digging herself into a major hole she’d never be able to get out of. Jenna’s nonstop questions since they got in the car didn’t help.

  “Why do I have to say I’m only six?”

  Danny gripped the steering wheel tighter as Hazel shot her a look from the passenger’s seat. “Yeah, Mom, why does she have to say she’s six?”

  “It’s just a favor for me, honey, please?”

  “I’ll do it, Mom. I was just wondering why,” Jenna said. “Texas. It’s going to be hot there?”

  “Maybe not,” Danny said with a shrug as she made a right turn. “It’s the first week of January. I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about the heat. It’ll kind of be like here.” She looked in the rearview mirror and saw Jenna pouting before her lip curled up to the side just like Jack’s always did when he was thinking. “Hon, you okay?”

  Jenna nodded. “I just want to see snow, and we missed Grandpa at Christmas.”

  Danny’s heart sank. She hated to see her daughter upset, but she hadn’t been able to pay for the plane ticket home. She couldn’t ask her dad for the money because he was still struggling to pay his bills. She hated his situation and always turned down the money he’d tried to give her over the years.

  “I know, baby. We’ll get there soon. I promise, and I’m sure there’ll be snow.”

  They turned down another street, far outside the city, and Danny announced they’d made it. She parked in the driveway and turned off the car as the front door swung open and her mom stepped out, her hair slowly turning grey when she allowed it to.

  “There they are! You’re late,” she called. Jenna rushed out of the car to jump into her arms. “Traffic?”

  “We were late getting on the road,” Danny said, pocketing her keys. “My fault.”

  Her mom pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. “Work keeping you over again? They better be paying you for that overtime.”

  Hazel hugged her next and smirked. “No, she wasn’t working. She was making plans to go to Texas—”

  “Hazel!” Danny snapped.

  “Texas? Jenna, why don’t you run on inside and see your cousins,” Karen said as she shooed her granddaughter inside. Danny hated that look on her mom’s face. Her mom crossed her arms over her chest and blocked the front door. “Danny? Who’s in Texas?”

  Danny didn’t answer. Her mom knew damn well who was in Texas and refused to say the name out loud. This was not how she wanted tonight to go. She clutched her purse against her as she waited for her mom to let her in the house before starting one of her lectures. It had been nearly a year since Danny heard one, but this one would be a doozy.

  “Fine, don’t say it, but you’re going to tell me what is going on with you before you leave tonight,” Karen said finally and turned towards the house. “Come on. The fish won’t stay warm forever.”

  Danny let Hazel go in before her, tempted to trip her stepsister, but that would be childish. She was a mom now herself. Tripping her stepsister for opening her fat mouth wouldn’t be the mature thing to do, no matter how good it might feel.

  “There they are,” Gerald called out from the kitchen.

  Hazel rushed to him so she could hug him, but Danny simply waved from the living room. She liked Gerald. He was a nice guy, great for her mom, but she’d never let go of the knowledge that her dad still loved Karen, even now when he was greying, alone in his house, and she was happy with Gerald. Rick would always love that damn woman.

  “Jenna was saying something about Texas,” Hattie said, coming out of the kitchen.

  “Yeah, we’re taking a trip,” Danny told her other stepsister, giving her a brief hug. The two of them had never really gotten along too well. “Seeing an old friend.”

  Hattie raised her brow as her two boys charged into the living room, yelling at the top of their lungs. “Tim and Gerry, what did I tell you? Take it outside!” They kept yelling but sprinted for the back door, Jenna running after them and laughing. “I swear, they get it from their dad.”

  “Where is Todd tonight?” Hazel asked. “The deadbeat that he is.”

  Hattie glowered at her sister and opened her mouth, most likely to yell, but Gerald stepped between them. “One night with no arguing, remember? That’s what we agreed on with these d
inners?”

  “I doubt that’s going to happen,” Hazel muttered. “Not after what Danny just told Karen.”

  Danny slumped on the couch, and it was like she was eighteen again. “It’s nothing. Can we please just drop it? I’m a grown woman and I can make decisions for my life and my daughter’s. It’s just a week, nothing more.”

  Karen clicked her tongue at her daughter as she walked back from the kitchen, carrying her typical glass of white wine and a glass of red for Danny. “With who? That is what I want to know.”

  “An old friend from home.”

  “I want a name.” Karen stared her down, but when she still refused to answer, Karen shifted to Hazel. “Well?”

  Danny gritted her teeth, her hand tightening around the wineglass in an effort to get Hazel not to do anything stupid, but she opened her mouth and let the name fall from her lips anyway. “Jack Pearson.”

  “Jack? You’re going to Texas with Jack?” her mom demanded shrilly.

  “You don’t have to shout,” Danny muttered and gulped down her whole glass of wine. “Yes. I bumped into him in the city, and he invited Jenna and me to stay with him for a week while she’s still on vacation from school. Is that such a bad thing?”

  Karen crossed her legs and leaned back against the couch. “Not if you’re planning on telling him the truth.”

  That was not what Danny expected to hear. “You think I should lie to him?”

  “You ran away from him once, Danny, and you never gave him a straight answer as to why. You think now that, all of a sudden, he shows up in your life, he’ll be willing to overlook that lie?”

  “Mom, Jack’s not like that.”

  “No? Then why didn’t he come looking for you? Eight years, Danny. It’s been eight years, and he’s had no part of her life or yours,” Karen snapped.

  “He went to New York,” she said quietly. “He did look for me. I just wasn’t where I said I would be.” But her mom ignored her words.

  “You can’t get involved with him again, and you shouldn’t take Jenna if you do decide to go.”