by Nicole Casey
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at him, emotions flooding me to the point of weakness.
I still knew him well enough to know he was being sincere.
He was saying everything I had longed to hear for six years and I was overcome by the reality.
“Say something,” Draven begged, his fingertips trailing over my mouth. “Good or bad, just say something.”
“I don’t want to be senior partner,” I confessed, and he chuckled, a look of relief washing over his face.
“I don’t want to practice divorce law anymore,” he replied, and I exhaled a breath I did not know I had been holding.
I began to laugh, and I dropped my head against his chest, relishing the warmth of his strong arms against me as he held me tightly to him.
Could this be real? After all this time, could we make it work again?
I refused to second guess the elation in my heart.
It had been so long since I had felt happy, a realization which was stunning and freeing simultaneously.
My work had clouded my deepest desires as if I learned to accept that it would only get as good as my career.
I would not make that mistake again, not when I finally had the man I had always wanted in my arms.
Although he shouldn’t be in my arms here…
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this here,” I said, pulling myself back to study his face. “I don’t want to think what the senior partners will do if they catch wind of this.”
“Appearance of impropriety, right,” Draven agreed, laughing but he didn’t let me go and I was glad he didn’t. “I don’t care.”
My pulse quickened as I realized that I didn’t either.
His embrace tightened, and I was merciless to fight him, even if I had desired to do so.
I never wanted to let him go.
And I won’t, I vowed silently. Never again.
“It’s not so terrible allowing someone in, is it?” he asked softly, brushing my bangs away from my forehead.
I smiled.
“That depends on who that someone is,” I teased, and he gently kissed the top of my head.
“I hope it’s me,” he whispered. “Because if you let me in, I won’t ever leave.”
I nodded, a fresh batch of tears wetting my eyes but this time I was crying with relief, with the sense that I had made something right which had been off kilter for a long while.
“I won’t let you,” I promised.
“You better not,” he threatened jokingly. “Because next time I will not only follow you, I will move onto your street.”
“You followed me here!” I gasped, pulling back, heat rising to my face. “I had always suspected…”
Draven’s grey eyes glimmered.
“Of all the law firms in all of America, you think I just happened to fall into yours?” he asked quietly.
“But you were engaged!” I cried, unsure of how to feel about what I was learning.
Draven chuckled.
“I don’t know if you happened to notice that relationship ended two weeks after we got here,” he commented. “But let’s just say I didn’t want to arrive in North Carolina empty-handed in case you had moved on.”
I didn’t know what to say, my mind trying to process what I had learned.
“But…what about your fiancée?” I finally choked.
He laughed aloud.
“She needed a green card,” he replied lightly. “And I didn’t make nearly enough money for her anyway. She moved on to an oil tycoon in Texas. No hard feelings there.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
“Are you mad?” he asked quickly.
“No…” I replied slowly, and I knew I was not. “I am twistedly flattered. You really never gave up on us, did you?”
Draven shook his head vehemently.
“No,” he said softly. “And I never will.”
11
Draven
“Mr. Archer, we have been waiting here for twenty minutes and I am losing my patience. Where is your client?”
I glanced at my watch nervously and then across the courtroom at the empty respondent seat.
“I’m sorry, judge but she is not answering her phone.”
Judge Bateman scowled.
“And I don’t suppose you know what happened to opposing counsel and her client either?”
“No, your honor. I spoke with Ms. Viera this morning in fact and she was on schedule to be here.”
Worry was beginning to tickle my stomach.
I had never known Yve to be late for anything in her life, let alone a court appearance.
“Try to call again,” the irate arbiter ordered. “If they have not shown in ten minutes, I am holding Ms. Viera in contempt and charging your clients a fine for wasting the court’s time.”
“I assure, judge, this is highly unusual. Ms. Viera and Mrs. Sterling are both very punctual. I imagine there must be traffic or – “
“I don’t need excuses, Mr. Archer, just find them.”
I bit back the desire to snap at him that something was obviously very wrong.
It wouldn’t serve anyone a bit of good if I got held in contempt too.
I jumped from the petitioner’s chair and pulled out my cell phone to text Yvette again as I headed into the hallway.
No sooner had I opened the door when she appeared hurrying down the hall.
“Where the hell were you?” I demanded, relief coloring my face. “Judge Bateman is about to birth kittens he’s so mad.”
“Never mind, come on,” she replied, grabbing my arm and steering me back into the courtroom.
“Where is Sterling?” I asked but she threw open the doors and rushed up the aisle toward the head of the courtroom.
“Apologies, your honor,” she started.
“Oh, Ms. Viera, how nice of you to join us,” he replied caustically. “Don’t you own a cell phone?”
“I do, your honor and I was on it with my client. I have some good news and bad news.”
Bateman’s growl deepened.
“Do I look like I’m in the mood to play games, Ms. Viera?”
“No, sir,” she said smoothly. “I’ll give you the good news first.”
“Wonderful,” he spat.
“The Sterlings have decided not to terminate their marriage after all.”
“What?” I gasped. “What do you mean?”
The judge eyed us.
“You’re certain of this, Yvette?”
“Yes, judge. Mr. Sterling sends his sincerest apologies for wasting your time and assures me he will attend to the necessary paperwork to forget this ever happened.”
“And what about Mrs. Sterling?” I asked sarcastically. “Was she going to call me and let me know?”
Yvette shrugged and grinned.
“She wanted me to pass along the message.”
I rolled my eyes and inhaled.
“What’s the bad news, Ms. Viera?”
I had almost forgotten about that.
We stared at her expectantly.
“The bad news, sir, is that I will never be heard before you in this courtroom again. I have retired from divorce law.”
Judge Bateman groaned.
“Court is adjourned,” he barked. “In the future, young lady, no matter what judge you’re standing before, make sure you call.”
He rose from the bench and disappeared, leaving me to gape at her uncomprehendingly.
“What do you mean you’ve ‘retired from divorce law’?”
She sashayed toward me, slipping her arms over my broad shoulders.
“I have been offered a job as Ryerson’s in-house counsel at Ryerson Media,” she explained, her eyes bright with happiness.
A combination of warmth and worry seized me as I looked at her.
“That’s incredible!” I choked, hoping I didn’t seem dismayed. “Congratulations, babe!”
I wasn’t sure how to process the news exactly although a thousand
questions were flooding my mind.
She nodded, holding my gaze.
“Thanks. The pay is two and a half times what I’m making now and that’s just to start.”
I swallowed quickly as I thought of how much money that would be.
We could have a great life together without any worries, I thought, warming to the idea instantly. We always talked about a house with a pool –
A stab of uncertainty hit my heart as I studied her face.
What does that mean for me?
“He wants you too,” she continued as if my question had been spoken aloud, and I felt my heart quicken.
“What? Really? Why?”
The words spilled out before I could stop them, and Yvette laughed.
“For some reason, he thinks you’re a good lawyer. I tried to tell him differently, but his wife wouldn’t back me up.”
My eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.
“Angeline spoke for me?”
The idea that Angeline had anything nice to say about me seemed suspect, but Yvette nodded.
“She did. She said something about how you made her realize that her husband wasn’t such a bad guy after all.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“They are waiting for us at the Four Seasons,” Yvette continued. “They have a mound of paperwork for us to sign.”
I continued to blink at her, disbelievingly.
“Are you all right?” she asked and suddenly her face turned white. “You don’t want this job, do you? I should have checked with you first. I’m sorry, I just got so excited by the opportunity and we had talked about getting out of divorce law and – “
I chortled, holding my hand up to stop her rambling.
I then reached down to seize her by the waist, spinning her around while she squealed at the unexpected gesture.
“Of course I want this job!” I howled, kissing her lips with fervor. “It’s exactly what we were talking about!”
Yve seemed to relax slightly but her dark eyebrows still knit.
“It’s a big step,” she said cautiously, and I nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes,” I agreed. “It is. Are you having second thoughts?”
She shook her head.
“No,” she answered. “But…”
I stared at her expectantly, but I already knew what she was thinking.
Still, I waited for her to speak.
“Is everything moving too fast?” she whispered, and I saw a slight doubt in her eyes.
My heart melted at the vulnerability in her face and I stepped forward to wrap her in my arms.
“Too fast?” I murmured into her hair. “We have worked like cavemen to get where we are today. How many all-nighters have we pulled? How many abusive clients have we cajoled? We have earned a spot at the grown-up table.”
She peered up at me.
“And us?” she asked. “Are we going to survive working together like this?”
I laughed.
“We haven’t killed each other thus far,” I replied. “In fact, I think we make a pretty good team.”
She nodded and slowly the cloud began to lift from her eyes.
I was saying everything she needed to hear, and it made me feel good to know I was alleviating her doubts.
It was high time that someone was there to lift her up for, despite her icy façade, Yve was a sensitive soul.
I was so grateful that I was the one she had chosen.
“What is it, darling?” I asked, sensing that there was something else she wanted to say.
“Are you happy, Drave?” she breathed, and I could see the answer terrified her.
My face exploded into a smile of pleasure and I nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as I peered into her face.
“I might be too happy,” I replied, our eyes locking.
She eyed me cynically.
“Too happy?” she echoed. “How is that?”
“I have everything I ever wanted suddenly, and I feel like it’s too good to be true!”
Her shoulders seemed to fall, and she giggled.
“I know how you feel,” she sighed.
“It’s like a dream, isn’t it?” I asked, and she nodded her smile broadening. I couldn’t resist sweeping her into my arms again.
The urge to be near her, to touch her at every opportunity was more than I could stand sometimes.
“Just don’t pinch me,” Yve joked but the look in her eyes melted me and I placed her on her feet gently.
“I can pinch you,” I told her tenderly. “Because while it is a dream, it’s our dream and we’re never going to wake from it.”
“I love dreaming with you,” she murmured, nuzzling my neck.
“And I love you,” I breathed.
- THE END -
Hot Dad Next Door
A Single Dad & Virgin Romance
Book Description
Hot Dad Next Door
I’m about to become the live-in nanny to the daughter of Ryan Cade. He’s sexy, gorgeous and probably almost twice my age, but he’s the one who can make me wet in one glance.
I have dreamed of his muscular body, his perfect abs and those piercing eyes.
But I can’t sleep with him. No. Not when the 4-year-old cotton candy princess is around.
But by the way he undresses me with his eyes, I know that he wants something too. Something hot. Something… dirty.
Should I tell him the truth?
What if he knows I’m still a virgin?
What if there’s an even bigger surprise waiting for him?
1
Ryan
I could do this. At least, I thought I could do this. How difficult could pancakes be? Sure, the batter had splattered all over the counter, the butter had burned in the pan, and the dilapidated oblong pieces of pancake had scorched on contact while the centers continued to ooze runny dough. But I wasn’t giving up yet.
“Daddy, those don’t smell right,” Abby piped up from where she sat at the breakfast bar, peering dubiously at the pan from a safe distance away. A smoky haze seemed to have formed between us, and as if on cue, the fire alarm sounded, brought to life by the smoke wafting through the room. Abby covered her ears and looked ready to burst into tears.
“All right, kiddo. Let’s go.” I grasped her hand gently, still not accustomed to her tiny hands, and worried I’d crush her delicate fingers with the slightest grip. I ushered her into the room quickly, down the hall and out the front door. “Just, stay there, honey, and I’ll turn off the alarm.”
She nodded and I darted back inside, just long enough to make it through the living room and down the hall to the electronic home control station that I was beginning to think had been rather inconveniently placed.
It was time to give up. I could organize multi-million-dollar mergers with my eyes closed, but apparently, I was not fit to master the intricate art of pancake-making.
The alarm temporarily silenced, I raced back to the porch, resigned to another breakfast out. But Abby was gone. I hadn’t been gone for more than two minutes, but she was nowhere in sight. Panic welled in my chest—a sensation I was unaccustomed to. I’d always been calm and cool under pressure, but then, I’d never been responsible for a four-year-old child before. I hadn’t even had her a full two weeks, and already I’d lost her.
Just as I was about to call in the armed forces, I heard giggling, and it sounded suspiciously like Abby’s wind chime laugh. I followed the sound down the steps and across the yard to the neighbor’s house. And there she was. I could see her golden-blonde hair above the bushes in the front yard. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it’s a wonder parents could handle this sort of stress on a regular basis.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay on the porch, kiddo?” I queried, probably less sternly than I should have, but I was just relieved she hadn’t wandered into traffic or gotten carried off by kidnappers.
I came around the bushes to retrieve her and wound up not three feet a
way from the most incredible ass I’d ever seen. The owner was bent over, her head and upper body beneath the bushes. She must be the gardener, and I bet by the look of her she was never out of work. Hell, I’d hire her just to watch her work. What guy wouldn’t?
“Look, daddy, I made a friend,” Abby announced proudly, not the least bit chagrined over her quick escape.
“But I told you to stay put.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t un-sup’vised ‘cause Emma is watching me. See?”
“I can see that, but you shouldn’t be bothering the woman while she’s working.”
The woman—Emma, I presumed—slipped out from under the bush then and stood up, and every drop of blood circulating in my veins threatened to drain to my cock. The rest of the woman was just as incredible as her ass—long, dark hair, vivid green eyes, tits handcrafted by the gods and legs that were made to be spread.
“She’s no bother, really,” Emma said, and her voice rippled over my skin like a caress. “I’m Emma McKenna,” she introduced herself and extended her hand, but pulled it back with an apologetic smile when she glanced down to find her slim hand covered in dirt.
I’d gladly get a little dirty if it meant touching her. Hell, dirty sounded pretty damn good right then.
“I’m Ryan Cade,” I said instead. “It’s nice to meet you, Emma.”
“It’s OK if she hangs out here with me for a while…if you’re busy, I mean.”
The fire alarm began to sound again, and I debated just letting the house burn down to the ground. It would teach me better than to delve into something as dangerous as pancake-making ever again.
“That’s all right. Abby and I were just heading out for breakfast.” I smiled ruefully.
“Do you wanna come with us, Emma?” Abby piped up without warning.
Oh no. I had nothing against sharing a meal with the woman, but I’d much rather her be the meal. And that hardly seemed appropriate for my four-year-old daughter at the table. Still, an image sprung to mind of Emma McKenna up on the dining table, naked and bent over in the position I’d found her. Now that was the kind of breakfast any man could go for.