by Joss Wood
Piper looked again and noticed his ragged edges. His beard was days past trendy, and his olive complexion looked a shade lighter. His hair suggested that his hands lived in it, and his eyes were as bloodshot as hers.
Jaeger nodded at Johnson. “I’ve got this, thanks. Thanks for letting me know she was here.”
It took a moment for Jaeger’s words to sink in, and when they did, Piper spun around and glared at Johnson. “You alerted him I was here? Why did you let me think I was on the kooks and crazies list?”
“Stop giving my staff a hard time, Piper, and let’s go up.”
Piper gave the now openly amused Johnson a slitty-eyed glare as Jaeger pulled Ty’s diaper bag from the storage area below his seat. He asked Johnson to park the stroller, and Piper followed Jaeger and Ty to the bank of elevators. Jaeger stopped in front of a smaller single elevator she hadn’t noticed the last time she was here and watched as he placed his thumb on a scanner. Within seconds the doors opened, and Jaeger waited for her to enter first.
As the elevator lifted, Piper turned to him. “What have you done with my house?”
The smallest smile touched Jaeger’s face. “We’ll get to that.”
Piper started to argue, but then the elevator doors opened. Instead of seeing a hallway, Piper faced a wall of Jaeger’s siblings. Their eyes bounced from Jaeger’s face to Ty’s, and they instantly made the connection. Oh, crap! Piper took a step back and then another until she reached the back of the elevator.
“Linc, Beck, Sage, meet Ty. Your nephew.”
Sage squealed, Linc laughed and Beck grinned. Three sets of hands reached to take Ty. Ty, who didn’t have a shy or retiring bone in his body, laughed and blew raspberries.
“You take him, you change him. Warning, he’s ripe,” Jaeger said, and those eager hands disappeared. Jaeger rolled his eyes. “Thought so.”
With the hand not holding Ty, Jaeger reached out, grabbed Piper by the wrist and tugged her into the hall. “We’ll be in my office, my locked office. Leave us alone.” Jaeger threw the words over his shoulder as he led her to his office. Piper looked back at their bemused expressions and lifted her shoulders in a tiny shrug. At least Jaeger had publicly acknowledged his son. Maybe that meant he wanted to claim Ty as his own.
Jaeger locked the door behind him and nodded to the sofa in the corner. “Take a seat while I change Ty.”
“I can do it,” Piper protested.
Using just one hand, Jaeger cleared a space on his desk, pulled a blanket from the diaper bag and spread it over the sleek wood. He put Ty on his back and quickly and efficiently changed him. She stood by the door, listening to the rumble of his voice as he spoke to his son, his tone too low to make out his words. Judging by Ty’s soft chuckles, he was enjoying their conversation. Within minutes, the diaper was disposed of, Ty was back in his arms and Jaeger rubbed his cheek against Ty’s head, closing his eyes as he inhaled Ty’s scent. “God, I missed you,” he said.
Piper swallowed, trying to dispel the knot of emotion in her throat. Jaeger loved Ty, absolutely adored him. She just wished he felt a fraction of that love for her.
“I want to share custody of Ty,” Jaeger stated, looking at her.
This was progress. He wasn’t professing his deep and abiding love, but it was obvious that he loved Ty and wanted to be his dad.
Piper walked toward her son and his father. “I appreciate the sentiment, but he’s too young to deal with the upheaval of spending some nights with you and some nights with me. Maybe when he’s older.”
“I’m not waiting that long,” Jaeger firmly stated. “Not for him, and not for you.”
Piper felt the world rock beneath her feet. Oh, God, she couldn’t cope with false hope. “What, exactly, does that mean?”
The corners of Jaeger’s mouth tipped up. Jaeger walked toward her and picked up her hand, which she immediately snatched away. If he touched her she’d cave—beg him to love her—and she wouldn’t allow herself to do that.
Piper stepped away from him, ordering herself to think. “Explain that! Right now.”
Ty batted Jaeger’s face with his hand, and Jaeger captured the baby’s fingers, pretending to bite them. Ty’s laughter rang out loud and clear.
“Jaeger!”
Jaeger sent her a half smile. “I want to share custody of Ty with you, but in the only way it makes sense. You and me, together. I want Ty, but I need you. I need you in my bed and in my arms and in my life. I need to wake up with you, fall asleep with you, make more babies with you. I need you. I love you. Frankly, my life is crap without you.”
Piper felt love, hot and strong, well up inside her, but she forced it back down, not willing to allow it to cloud her thinking. “But you said you’d never trust me again.”
Jaeger led her to the sofa and Piper sat down on the edge, grateful, because she wasn’t sure whether her legs would hold her for much longer. Jaeger loved her, wanted her and Ty in his life.
God, was she hallucinating? Not sure, she touched his hard thigh as he sat down and bounced Ty on his knee.
“I went to see your cousin in Sag Harbor. I bought her sapphs.”
She didn’t care about the sapphires. She wanted to hear more about how much he loved her, whether there was some way, any way, they could make this work.
“She’s the sharpest geriatric I’ve ever met, and she also has a magnificent jewelry collection.”
Piper really didn’t care.
“You obviously had a heart-to-heart with Maeve because she immediately tagged me as Ty’s father, as the man you were having issues with. I told her I wouldn’t discuss you, and she told me she wouldn’t sell me the sapphs if I didn’t.”
Piper sneaked a look at him. “So, what did you tell her?”
“That I was confused, that I loved you but I couldn’t understand why you kept Ty from me. Maeve told me about your nonrelationship with your father, and I understand a bit better. Maybe we can talk about it more?”
Piper waved her hand in the air. “I shouldn’t have let my issues with Mick affect my decision.” Piper lifted her hand and rested her fingers on his cheek. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Jaeger, and I wanted to tell you. After Milan, I really did try to tell you. I couldn’t get hold of you, and I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.” Piper rubbed her hand up and down his thigh. “And then I read about your lack of interest in kids, and I took it at face value. Afterward, and subconsciously, it was also a way for me to justify my decision not to tell you about Ty.”
“I’m not like your father, Piper.”
God, she knew that! “Jaeger, you’re the best man I know and nothing like Mick. You’ve walked through hell and it’s just made you stronger, and better. You’re a good man and God knows, I need one of those in my life. I need you. Another reason I didn’t tell you about Ty was that I knew I would lose you when I did.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t want to lose you, Jay.”
“I’m here now, Piper, asking if we can move beyond this, whether we can move forward, together.” Jaeger’s voice was low and deep and laced with emotion. And love. So much love. “I trust you. With my heart, my life, my son. Be with me. Love me.”
Tears welled and ran down her face. “I do. I will.”
Jaeger raised his hand and cradled her cheek, his own eyes bright with moisture. “I love you so much.”
“And I you,” Piper whispered against his lips.
Jaeger’s kiss was soft, sweet and so very, very sexy. He broke their kiss to speak. “I have a little something for you.”
“You gave me our marvelous son. He, and you, are the only gifts I’ll ever need.”
His eyes danced with pleasure. “Well, I have two more,” he said, his voice gruff as he handed Ty to her. “Go to your mom for a sec, bud.”
Ty bellowed his outrage, waving his hands at his
dad. Ty had fallen in love with Jaeger, Piper realized. She could understand it; she was head over heels in love with him herself.
Jaeger stood up, walked to his desk and picked up some papers. He handed them to Piper. She looked at Jaeger, confused. “This looks like an agreement for you to buy my house.”
“It is. I want to buy it for you. Well, for us. I’d like to put it in your name, but I was hoping you’d share it with me,” Jaeger said, taking Ty back into his arms. “I want to live with you and Ty. I’ll still have to travel, but instead of prolonging my trips, I’ll make them as short as possible. And if I live with you, then I can look after Ty when you travel. Or we can come with you, or you and Ty can travel with me. We can work it out. We can work anything out.”
“We can,” Piper agreed. “Anything.”
“So, are you agreeing to marry me?” Jaeger asked.
Piper laughed. “I don’t recall you asking me. But when you get around to it, the answer will be yes.”
Jaeger smiled, his face softer with happiness. He ducked his hand into the right pocket of his pants and pulled out a rich, sleepy blue stone. “I bought this from the collection of Kashmir Blues, and it was worth every penny Linc extorted from me. It’s practically flawless, fabulously rare and infinitely precious. Just like you. Want it?”
“If it comes with a proposal, then hell yes, I want it.”
Ty rested his head on his dad’s shoulder, and Piper looked at her two men, pure love pumping through her veins. She lifted her lips to be kissed. “I love you, Jaeger. I have since the moment I caught you ogling my legs in Milan.”
Jaeger’s lips brushed hers. “Can you blame me? They are fabulous legs, sweetheart.” Sadness came and went in his eyes. “I’m sorry I don’t remember our first meeting. I want to, but...” He shrugged.
Piper dropped her face into his neck. “Maybe you can take me back and I’ll show you what we did, where we ate, how we loved each other. We can reconstruct that time.”
“I’m up for that.” Jaeger kissed her forehead and looked at their son. “And maybe this time, we can try to make a pink one?”
Piper sent him a long, loving, I-can’t-wait-to-get-you-naked look.
Jaeger grinned, bounced up from his seat and, still holding Ty, quickly walked over to the door. He yanked it open and yelled down the hallway. “Yo, family! Linc, Sage, Beck! I need one of you to spend some quality time with your brand-new nephew so I can kiss his mama. He’s clean and happy. Any takers?”
It took ten long and very frustrating minutes to referee the argument around who got to hold the newest Ballantyne first before Piper got her hands on the newest Ballantyne’s daddy.
* * * * *
Pick up these other stories of sexy heroes and the women who love them from Joss Wood!
TAKING THE BOSS TO BED
TRAPPED WITH THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE
PREGNANT BY THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE
MARRIED TO THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE
Available now from Harlequin Desire!
* * *
If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire! #harlequindesire
Keep reading for THE MAGNATE’S MAIL-ORDER BRIDE by Joanne Rock.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Desire story.
You want to leave behind the everyday! Harlequin Desire stories feature sexy, romantic heroes who have it all: wealth, status, incredible good looks...everything but the right woman. Add some secrets, maybe a scandal, and start turning pages!
Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Desire every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards & Instantly earn a FREE ebook of your choice.
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever & whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Register Today & Earn a FREE BOOK*
*New members who join before April 30th, 2017 will receive 2000 points redeemable for eligible titles.
Click here to register
Or visit us online to register at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
The Magnate’s Mail-Order Bride
by Joanne Rock
One
“It’s no wonder her performances lack passion. Have you ever seen Sofia date anyone in all the time we’ve known her?”
Normally, Sofia Koslov didn’t eavesdrop. Yet hearing the whispered gossip stopped her in her tracks as she headed from the Gulfstream’s kitchen back to her seat for landing.
A principal dancer in the New York City Ballet, Sofia had performed a brief engagement with a small dance ensemble in Kiev last week. Her colleagues had been all too glad to join her when her wealthy father had offered his private plane for their return to the United States. But apparently the favor hadn’t won her any new allies. As one of the most rapidly promoted female dancers currently in the company, Sofia’s successes had ruffled feathers along the way.
She clutched her worn copy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to her chest and peered toward her father’s seat at the front of the jet, grateful he was still engrossed in a business teleconference call. Vitaly Koslov had accompanied the troupe on the trip to the Ukraine, his birthplace. He’d used their rare time together as an opportunity to pressure Sofia about settling down and providing him with grandchildren who might be more interested in taking over his global empire than she’d been.
“That’s not fair, Antonia,” one of the other dancers in the circle of four recliners snapped, not bothering to lower her voice. “None of us has time to meet people during the season. I haven’t had a lover all year. Does that make me passionless when I go on stage?”
Sofia told herself she should walk back to her seat before the pilot told them to buckle up. But her feet stayed glued to the floor. She peered down at her notes on Shakespeare’s play, pretending to reread them for an upcoming role as Titania if anyone happened to notice her.
“But Sofia’s been with the company since ballet school and have we ever heard her name connected romantically with anyone?” Antonia Blakely had entered ballet school at the same time as Sofia, and had advanced to each level with the company faster than her. “Actually, her dad must agree that she’s turning into a dried-up old prune, because—get this.” She paused theatrically, having relied on showmanship over technical skill her entire career. Now, she lowered her voice even more. “I overheard her father talking to the matchmaker he hired for her.”
Sofia’s stomach dropped even though the plane hadn’t started its descent. She gripped the wooden door frame that separated the kitchen from the seating area. For over a year she’d resisted her father’s efforts to hire a matchmaking service on her behalf. But it was true—he’d stepped up the pressure during their visit to Ukraine, insisting she think about her family and her roots.
Marriage wasn’t even on her radar while her career was on the upswing. Would Dad have signed her up with his matchmaker friend without her approval? Her gaze flicked back to the proud billionaire who made a fortune by trusting his gut and never doubting himself for a second.
Of course he would proceed without her agreement. Betrayal slammed through her harder than an off-kilter landing.
“Seriously?” one of the other dancers asked. “Like a private matchmaker?”
“Of course. Rich people don’t use the same dating web sites as the rest of us. They try to find their own kind.” Antonia spoke with that irritating assurance shared by know-it-alls everywhere. “If Papa Koslov gets his way, there’ll be a rich boy ready and waiting for his precious daughter at the airport when we land.”
Sofia lifted a hand to her lips to hold back a gasp and a handful of curses. She wasn’t wealthy, for one thing. Her father might be one of the richest people in the world, but that didn’t mean she was, too. She had never even spent a night under his roof until after her mother’s death when Sofia was just thirteen. She’d followed her mother’s example in dealing with him, drawing that financial line and refusing his support a long time ago. Her father equated money with power, and she wouldn’t let him dictate her life. Ballet was her defiance—her choice of art over the almighty dollar.
Her father knew he couldn’t control her choices. Not even Vitaly Koslov in all his arrogance would arrange for her to meet a prospective date in front of twenty colleagues. Not after an exhausting overseas dance schedule and nine hours in the air across seven time zones. Would he?
A ringing noise distracted her from the question and she peered around, only to realize the chime came from her pocket. Her cell phone. She must not have shut it off for the plane ride. Withdrawing the device, she muted the volume, but not before half the dancers on the plane turned to stare. Including the group nearby who’d been gossiping about her.
None of them looked particularly shamefaced.
Sofia hurried toward an open seat and buckled into the wide leather chair for descent. She checked the incoming text on her phone while the pilot made the usual announcements about the landing.
Her closest friend, Jasmine Jackson, worked in public relations and had agreed to help Sofia with a PR initiative this year to take her dance career to the next level. Jasmine’s text was about the interview Sofia had agreed to for Dance magazine.