Hot Seal Next Door_A Bad Boy Second Chance Romance

by Tia Wylder

  “I’m not crying over her. I’m so happy you’re back,” Jenny sniffled. A warmth settled over Jasmine, a warmth that only intensified as Mark stepped towards them. He rested a hand atop Jenny’s head for a moment, to soothe her. Then, he slipped a hand into his pocket. Jasmine watched curiously, her eyes widening as he produced the emerald necklace she had thrown at him. He stepped forward hesitantly, his expression warm.

  “I know I have a lot left to prove. I know I’ve done wrong by both of you, but… I’m willing to spend the rest of my life making it right. If you’ll allow me, Jasmine,” he said softly. Jasmine felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, and she nodded her head slowly.

  “I love you,” she whispered as he stepped forward to slip the necklace around her neck.

  “I love you too,” Mark murmured. He leaned in to kiss her, stopping short as he realized Jenny was still clutching Jasmine’s legs. He frowned, dropping into a crouch beside her. She turned a cheeky grin towards him, reaching up to tug at Jasmine’s shirt.

  “If daddy gets a kiss, so do I! I love both of you!” Jenny exclaimed. Traces of tears were still visible on her cheeks, but a brightness in her gaze spoke volumes about the future the three would spend together. Mark grinned, rolling his eyes and scooping Jenny up in his arms. At the same time, both he and Jasmine pressed a kiss to the girl’s chubby cheeks. Jenny giggled ecstatically before shoving their faces together. “Now you,” she ordered with glee. Jasmine and Mark considered each other for a moment before meeting for a sweet kiss.

  At that moment, Jasmine felt as if she truly belonged. And for the first time in her life, she felt as if everything would turn out alright.

  “Eww, that’s enough! Let me down!” Jenny squealed, and Mark allowed her to scamper off. He rose upright, turning warm eyes upon her. However, traces of uncertainty were still in his gaze. She reached out to cup his face in her hands, brushed her thumbs beneath his eyes to wipe away tears he didn’t seem to know he was shedding.

  “Happy tears?” She asked gently. He smiled, nodding his head.

  “That is… if you’ll stay,” he murmured. He drew Jasmine into his arms, resting his chin atop her head. She settled contently against him, rubbing her palms up and down the plane of his back.

  “There’s nowhere else I would rather be, Mark,” she smiled. He searched her eyes for any signs of deceit, but she knew he would find none. She had never been so certain of something in her life. This was her family. This was her something to live for.

  And sometimes, it’s as simple as that.

  ---

  Around three months later found Jasmine dutifully working in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her makeshift family. That day marked the end of her ‘contractual obligations’ with Mark, and she was certain things couldn’t get any better. She rested a hand idly upon her stomach as she flipped the ham and cheese omelet she was making for Jenny. In the time they’d spent together, Jasmine and Mark had only grown closer. It was the closest Jasmine had ever been to anyone, let alone a lover. Mark felt the same, stealing kisses from her at every opportune moment and never ceasing to tell her how much she meant to him. A single thread of doubt still lingered in the quilt of her mind, but she paid it little mind. She was sure that Mark would have kicked her out long ago if he didn’t feel anything for her.

  Deborah hadn’t shown her face, but then again, that wasn’t surprising either. Jenny seemed more relieved than anything and had quietly admitted that Jasmine seemed more like a mommy than Deborah ever had. On top of everything else, Jasmine had taken on providing Jenny’s homeschooling. She’d never expected to be a mother, but she felt much the same as the little girl she’d come to treat as her own. It was almost like she could never love another child as much as she loved her young charge. Then again, she would likely change her mind because of a nagging feeling.

  As she finished the last touches on Jenny’s breakfast, adding a dash of salt and pepper, she turned to call the father and daughter duo to breakfast. She was startled to see Mark lingering at the doorframe, watching her with a rather pensive expression. She smiled warmly, inching towards him and grabbing him in a tight embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder, exhaling a fluttery sigh of satisfaction. He seemed tense, and while she tried not to worry too deeply about the possibilities, she could tell that he had something on his mind.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” She said mildly, drawing away from him and looking him in the eye. He seemed reluctant to meet her gaze, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

  “It’s been three months,” he said carefully, and Jasmine felt as if a trap door had been opened beneath her. The thread of doubt in her mind multiplied, and she struggled to keep her breathing even as the man met her gaze. “Your contract technically ends today. It’s been a wild ride, hasn’t it?” He smiled nervously. Jasmine frantically tried to think of things she may have done wrong, things that would make him want her to leave. She had been certain things were going so well, but…

  “But?” She managed, feeling a single tear make a trail down her cheek. Mark’s eyes widened, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head fiercely.

  “No buts. It’s been a wild ride, the best three months I could have asked for. There were a few hiccups along the way, but I wouldn’t change what we have for the world… except,” he paused, drawing away to meet her gaze. “I’ve been working really hard to prove how much I love you. I was just curious as to if I’d had much success in that department,” he asked shyly. Jasmine wiped her eyes hurriedly, chuckling in response to the question.

  “Of course. You’ve proven yourself a thousand times over. I still… I still worry, but I couldn’t see myself anywhere but here… with you,” she murmured. He smiled broadly, seeming pleased by the answer. Taking a step back, he fumbled in his pockets for a moment. Thinking nothing of it, Jasmine returned her attention to the food she was preparing.

  “Do you think we should call Jenny for breakfast? I don’t want her food… to get… cold,” she trailed off, glancing towards Mark and feeling as if her heart would leap out of her chest. He was on the floor, poised on one knee with a ring box in front of him. He was sweating bullets but had an expression of hopefulness on his face. “Mark…?” She whispered, gasping as he popped open the top of the box. Inside sat a beautiful diamond ring with emerald accents, the exact shade of the emerald on her necklace. She reached up to touch it subconsciously, the tears beginning to spill anew.

  “I know things got off to a rocky start. But over these past few months, I’ve only fallen deeper and deeper in love with you. You’ve been a mother to my daughter when no one else would, you’ve been a friend to me, but more than anything, I’ve come to realize you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know this may seem sudden, but… Jasmine, I can’t keep it inside any longer. Will you marry me?” He implored, his voice cracking throughout the speech. Jasmine stared down at him, blinking as she heard a soft hissing noise.

  “Pssst,” someone called from the stairs. Mark looked just as confused as her, and Jasmine looked up to see Jenny watching from between the rungs of the stairs rail. “Say yes, Miss Jasmine! Say yes,” Jenny urged loudly. Mark snorted, pressing his face into his palm. “What, Daddy, I’m helping,” she called out with a pout.

  “Jenny, I told you to stay upstairs, this is a very private moment and--” Mark began.

  “Yes,” Jasmine interrupted him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt collar. He stared up at her through wide and disbelieving eyes.

  “W-what?” He stuttered out.

  “She said yes!” Jenny screamed, bolting into the kitchen with them. The young girl bounced on her heels, and Jasmine felt her heart swell with warmth at the sight. Mark’s cheeks grew flushed, and with the smile that he was giving her, she was certain her heart would beat out of her chest. He nodded his head once, slipping the ring on her finger. He rose to his feet, and a loud sniffle echoed through the room.

  �
��Jenny…? Are you crying?” Jasmine asked gently.

  “I’m just so happy,” Jenny giggled. “You’ll be my real mommy now! For real!” She said ecstatically. Jasmine nodded, feeling a strange stirring in her gut. Almost as if something within her were vying for attention.

  “I have a bit of news, myself,” Jasmine said carefully, and the man turned a curious gaze upon her. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before reaching out, capturing his hand in her own. In one swift motion, she pressed his palm across the expanse of her slightly pudgy stomach. He stared at her in confusion for a long moment, and both jolted away from each other to cover their ears as Jenny squealed louder than either of them had ever heard.

  “I’m gonna be a sister!” She screamed, rushing forward to rest her palm on Jasmine’s stomach. Mark raised a brow, looking at his daughter and his fiancée with a curious expression. The words struck him abruptly, and he surged towards Jasmine to gently touch her stomach as well.

  “You’re… you’re pregnant?” He asked, awe tinging his voice.

  “Yep. You’ll be a daddy again. And yes, Jenny, you’re right. You’ll be a big sister. It’s a big responsibility. Do you think you can handle it?” She said in faux serious tones.

  “Of course, I can!” Mark exclaimed, and the two females looked at him with exasperation and amusement.

  “She’s talking to me, daddy. Gosh,” Jenny huffed. Jasmine grinned but nodded her agreement with Jenny’s assertion. Mark reddened but kept his hand on Jasmine’s stomach with a look of sheer happiness. “I’ll be the best big sister in the world. And you two will be the best parents in the world…,” Jenny paused, looking at the two. “You already are,” she added with a small smile.

  The pieces having finally fallen into place, Mark scooped Jenny up in his arms and pulled Jasmine in for a warm embrace. The three, who had wanted for love in different ways, found themselves completed in the most magical way. A baby was on the way.

  Jasmine mused that it was funny how things worked out. It was a once in a lifetime experience, selling your virginity. She simply hasn’t expected it to end with her happily ever after.

  However, it did just that.

  Hope

  Chapter One

  Jack

  “Barnes, I told you, I can’t talk right now,” I said. “My flight leaves in an hour – I’m not even packed!”

  Barnes, my best friend, lawyer, and right-hand man since college, snickered. “Yeah, right,” he said with a roguish grin. “Like you ever travel with anything more than a toothbrush!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Very funny,” I said, snickering. “Just because I carry a spare doesn’t make me a bad guy.”

  “No, it just makes you a man whore,” Barnes said. He was sitting opposite my desk, lounging on the expensive leather couch I’d just bought for my office. After all – the CEO of Trident Gold needs to look presentable…and have a comfortable place for naps.

  I shrugged. “It’s not my fault that girls are always asking me to spend the night,” I said. “It’s just my charm.” I winked at Barnes, and he groaned.

  “Nathan, I swear to god,” Barnes said, calling me by my last name like he always did when he meant business. “If you fuck this up—“

  “I won’t,” I said quickly. “There’s no way.” With a sigh, I got to my feet and stretched, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. “Besides, I’m only going for a couple of days.”

  Barnes frowned. “Isn’t there a hurricane or something?”

  “A tropical storm,” I replied. “Way less dangerous. Rico said flying to Nassau wouldn’t even make him break a sweat.”

  “Jesus, how much do you pay that man?”

  I smirked. “I’m generous,” I said. “Don’t worry about that.”

  Barnes nodded. “Just be careful,” he said. “Those islands, you know, they’re not always equipped to deal with shit like that. Didn’t a few people die the other week?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a snort. “In Puerto Rico. No one cares about that country, Nassau is much nicer.” I smirked. “Trust me – I’ve been there before.”

  “God,” Barnes groaned enviously, getting to his feet and looking out the window at the snowy Boston weather. “I’d kill to get away – even if there is a fucking hurricane coming right for me.”

  I shrugged. “You can always come,” I replied. “I’m not taking anyone.”

  Barnes laughed. “What, did Alexandra wise up and dump you?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell Jack that Alexandra, my girlfriend of two weeks, had caught me mid-coitus with her stunning Russian roommate. “I just felt like a solo trip would be…more beneficial. After all, it’s not really a vacation. I’m meeting with shareholders the first day I’m there.”

  “Still, at least it’ll be warm,” Barnes said. “The winters here always make me wonder why I never moved back to California.”

  “Because it’s impossible to be a serious lawyer on the west coast,” I replied. “Everyone likes that stiff Boston upper lip of yours.”

  Barnes groaned again. “Tell me about it,” he said. “I swear – if I get one more high-dollar divorce client, I could probably retire at forty.”

  I winced. “I can’t believe I’m thirty-five,” I said, shaking my head. “It seems like yesterday that I was hauling you off the commons after a few too many keg stands.”

  Barnes grinned. Despite the threads of silver in his brown hair, he still looked exactly the same as he did on the first day we’d met – as freshmen, at Lager College. Lager is a typical private liberal arts school – overly priced, mediocre in academics, and with a reputation that precedes it by a hundred yards. Barnes and I had sniffed each other out immediately, and we’d been best friends ever since. It wasn’t hard to believe that we’d gotten along so well: we were both from the same kind of family. Rich, greedy fathers with trophy-wife mothers and no siblings. After she’d had me, my mother told my father she was done with children because I’d come perilously close to ruining her closely-guarded waistline. According to her, that was the moment my father had started stepping out with high-dollar escorts. But if you ask me, my old man was a dog from the start.

  That was just one of many things that Barnes and I had in common. We were both from old money families in upstate New York. He’d known he was going to be a lawyer since elementary school, much like I’d always known that I was going to inherit my father’s real estate development company. Dad started Trident Gold when he got his MBA, but I had taken the company to new heights when I took over right after college. Trident Gold had always been a luxury brand – my father saw seven new resorts build, in exotic locales around the world – but I’d doubled that, and I’d only been CEO for fourteen years.

  Life was pretty fucking great.

  “I know,” Barnes said, snapping me back to the present. “I can’t believe it, either.” He shook his head. “I feel exactly the same. But these damn wrinkles – I’m going to have to get injections again.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re so vain,” I teased. “You get more work done than the girls I go out with!”

  “Yeah, right,” Barnes replied sarcastically. “I’m guessing they go under the needle and knife just as much. The only difference is, of course, they wouldn’t admit as much to you.”

  “Well, not like it matters,” I said with a grin. “I never date anyone for more than three months, anyway.

  Barnes snickered. “And who’s fault is that?”

  “I prefer it that way,” I said archly. “It’s not like I’ve ever wanted someone hanging around for longer than that, anyway.”

  “You’re such a dog,” Barnes said, but his tone was light and affectionate. He whistled. “I just wish you’d send some of your leftovers my way.”

  I shrugged. “You’re welcome to them,” I said.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, glancing down at the screen. When I saw what time it was, I groaned.

  “I
gotta get moving,” I said, shaking my head. “Rico’s waiting for me.”

  Barnes snickered. “Must be nice,” he replied. “Must be nice.”

  I grabbed my toothbrush from my desk, along with a fresh shirt, boxers, and a pair of pants. Since I was only staying in Nassau for a few days, I didn’t need much. The hotel where I’d booked a room surely had laundry service, and they weren’t going to close down just because of a little thunderstorm.