by Katie Knight
So, to get through this deal, he needed to stick to their agreement and keep his head on straight. Never mind that he’d been secretly crushing on Ele since they’d been kids. Nope. If there was one lesson he’d learned well from his parents, it was that when it came to matters of the heart, giving was much more important than receiving—meaning unless you earned love or deserved it, then you absolutely should not be taking it in from anyone. And, well, since David hadn’t done anything to earn or deserve love from Ele, he needed to steer clear of any feelings like that toward her.
Besides, what they had was great. Friendship, affection, camaraderie.
No messy emotions. No heartbreak. No strings attached.
Which, in theory, should’ve made this whole contract thing a plum assignment for David. He’d get a few nights of sex with the woman of his dreams to accomplish the baby-making deed, then he could race off to his next SEAL mission without looking back. He could work his desire for his best friend out of his system and then have plenty of time to pull himself together before they crossed paths again.
Now, if you would’ve polled the other single, straight, red-blooded guys on David’s SEAL team, the answer should’ve been a no-brainer. But, as usual, David was overthinking it all, like he always did. And sure, his talent for analyzing information to death came in handy at work, since his specialty was intelligence gathering and vetting. But his peculiar talents had always been both a blessing and a curse. An eye for details and a tendency to listen to others rather than putting himself forward made him an excellent sailor and a good friend to have. But they also made him tend to be more introverted when it came to things beyond logic. Things like expressing his own wants and needs.
He tapped the tip of the pen against the contract paperwork and reminded himself that this wasn’t about him—it was about Ele.
Ele had never really asked him for anything during all their years of friendship. She’d remained loyal to him through thick and thin, showering him with love and support through all the obstacles he’d faced. Now, for the first time, she needed something from him. Didn’t that mean he was obligated to sign this contract?
Plus, if he kept focusing on it as his duty, then maybe he could convince himself that’s all it was.
“David? Seriously,” Ele said, jarring him out of his thoughts. “Please sign the contract so we can all get out of here.” She gave him a pointed look. “I’m sure Mr. Swinhart has a busy schedule today.”
The attorney nodded slightly, watching him from behind his desk with all the warmth of a dead carp. “Yes. Time is money, Sergeant Hettinger. Everything in the contract is straightforward, just as we discussed. You supply Ms. Thornton with your… donation. And once a viable pregnancy is in place, your part is over.”
“Uh, right.” He glanced between the two of them before frowning down at the documents again.
Just sign the stupid thing already. You know it’s the right thing to do. You owe Ele for all she’s done for you. It’s the least you can do for her after all she’s given you.
David had never really longed for kids. He’d been too busy building his career in the military. He’d always figured he’d have children someday, in the distant future, maybe.
Ele, on the other hand, had always wanted to be a mom. And while he totally understood why she hadn’t had kids with her asshole ex-husband—there had been no time for a baby when she was busy getting bullied by her giant, whiny infant of a spouse—it had been eight blessed years since she’d kicked Jack the Hack to the curb. During that time, he’d always expected her to find someone new.
But she’d insisted that after twenty-four months in purgatory married to Mr. Wrong, she was too tired to search for Mr. Right again. She’d spent the years since the divorce building up her business, flying all over the world as a freelance photographer. But the big thirtieth birthday knocking at the door must have made her shift her priorities and decide that now was the time—and that David was the man she wanted to make the baby with. She said she’d already known that David was compatible with her in all the ways that mattered—background, beliefs, personality. She’d insisted making a baby with him was the perfect solution her loneliness problem. He’d been so blindsided at the time that he’d dumbly agreed to everything, without really considering the ramifications of his decision. And now, with Ele and the attorney both watching him like hawks, it was too late to back out.
He took a deep breath and lowered the pen to sign the contract, the ballpoint hovering just above the surface of the paper.
Do it, son, he seemed to hear his father’s voice say. You owe her at least this much. Be a giver, not a taker.
David was lucky. He had so much. A good career, a trusted SEAL team who would lay down their lives for him just like David would do for them. A nice apartment here in Chicago to stay in when he was in town on leave. It wasn’t like this would cost him anything, not even child support.
Ele had made it painfully clear she only wanted his sperm.
A weird aching knot formed in his chest at that thought, but David forced himself to shake it off and jotted his name on the contract. When he’d finished, he pushed the paperwork back across the desk to the attorney. “There. Done.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Swinhart said, stacking the papers neatly. “I’ll just get these notarized and be right back.”
So now all that was left was…
An image of him in bed with Ele flashed through his brain—the two of them entwined in the sheets of his bed as he kissed and licked and caressed every inch of her, making her cry out his name as he brought her to climax again and again and…
David inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly, doing his best to remember this was about the contract and not a night of wild passion. Yes, it would happen, and soon—deliciously soon—but it wasn’t going to happen right now, and he needed to get himself back under control before the lawyer returned. He got up to pace the office, concentrating on the contract, the details. Moving around always helped to soothe him when he was anxious, like now.
“Hey,” Ele said, giving him her full attention. “Don’t get all worked up on me here. Honestly, this is fine. Everything will be fine. This is what I want.”
“I know,” he said, stopping near the windows on the other side of the room. Through the glass, he had a good view of the Chicago River lined with skyscrapers and Lake Michigan beyond. “I’m glad we have the contract. Rules make things easier.”
Especially when the lines for him could be so easily blurred with Ele. The last thing he wanted was for any of this to affect their friendship. It was hard enough keeping in touch with her as it was with his travels and confidential missions.
Grab your copy of The SEAL’s Baby Deal here.