Hot Seal Next Door_A Bad Boy Second Chance Romance

by Tia Wylder

  I frowned. “Let me make something to eat first, and then yeah, sure.”

  “You sure you don’t want me to make you something?” Jack frowned. “I could actually go for a pizza,” he said. “Want me to order one?”

  “Oh, god, no,” I said. “I can’t stand the idea of pizza right now.”

  Jack shook his head. “Tsk-tsk,” he said. “If only Lisa could see you now.”

  “Oh, she’d be happy,” I said, giggling. “That way she could have the whole thing to herself.”

  “Probably,” Jack said. He stepped closer and put an arm around my massive waist, pulling me close. As our lips met, I moaned softly. Jack nibbled my lower lip and slipped his tongue into my mouth. Arousal began to build in my lower belly, and I pushed my body against Jack’s muscles as our kiss grew more intense. I wanted him so badly, but something about sleeping with my husband while so hugely pregnant seemed…strange to me. Another reason for the baby to come, I thought as I reluctantly pulled away, nibbling at my lip. Because damn, do I miss the sex!

  “So, Mrs. Nathan,” Jack purred. “Feel like coming to bed with me?”

  I licked my lips. “As soon as this little one gets here,” I said, patting my stomach. “And then trust me, I’ll be all over you.”

  Jack grinned. “Good,” he said. “Because I don’t think I can wait much longer.” He stared longingly at my breasts. “And I miss you so much.”

  I flushed hotly. “I miss you, too,” I said.

  Jack kissed me again and sauntered out of the kitchen, humming under his breath. Against the brilliant white of his clean t-shirt, his muscular skin looked browner than ever. Living in Nassau had given us both permanent tans. I’d stopped complaining about skin cancer, as avoiding the sun was nearly impossible, but I was careful to always wear sunscreen. Jack, on the other hand, preferred living like a bronzed god.

  Not that I minded. He’d been sexy before, but now I found him more irresistible than I ever could have possibly imagined. It wasn’t just the pregnancy hormones, either – Jack and I had an intense, passionate connection that I was sure would never break. Loving him had given me a new purpose in life.

  As I looked around the kitchen for something palatable, I thought about how much had changed in just three years. After graduation, I’d taken over the company Jack had gifted me – Cerulean Skies. The work had been different than what I’d expected, but I’d adjusted quickly. Now, I had four teams of researchers combing the Caribbean for ways to improve the quality of marine and aquatic life. Plus, every year we held a massive fundraiser and donated all the proceeds to hurricane relief. I knew that without Jack, I never would have lived the life I was living…but I didn’t mind that as much, now. I’d worked hard to achieve everything I’d done, and somehow that alone was satisfying to me.

  Jack and I had moved to Nassau about a year after he proposed. I’d been reluctant to leave Boston and all of my friends behind, but after graduation, we’d all drifted. Lisa and I were still close – she’d even come to our wedding, at the Hotel St. Charles – but most of my other friends were off, doing their own thing. I was glad they were all happy…but I wouldn’t have traded my life for anything in the world.

  It truly seemed that things had worked out perfectly.

  Why don’t I have more of an appetite, I thought, frowning as I rested against the wall with both hands on my belly. The baby had been an active one, kicking and kicking (mostly during the nights!) but she hadn’t moved in a few days. Maybe she’s not hungry right now, either, I thought as I gnawed at my lower lip. Or maybe I should eat anyway, just to keep my strength up.

  I was only a few days away from my due date, but I was wondering if the baby would be early. My mom had told me that I was exactly three days early – when I was a kid, she’d joked about the experience had always made me so promptly. But whether my baby was early – or even just a bit late – I didn’t mind. I just wanted a happy, healthy baby in my arms…and out of my belly.

  Reluctantly, I walked across the massive kitchen and started making myself a sandwich with croutons, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff. Just as I was slicing into it, I heard a noise behind me that made me jump.

  “Oh! Miss Adele! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

  I turned around to see our cook, Grace, standing there with an apologetic look on her face.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make a mess for you. I’ll clean it up.”

  Grace clucked her tongue. “No, no, Miss Adele,” she said. “You go relax with Mr. Jack. I’ll take care of everything.”

  I nodded. Taking a bite of my sandwich, I chewed thoughtfully.

  “You should be eating whole foods, Miss Adele,” Grace said, wagging her finger at me. “You know that!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thank you,” I said. “But this is what I wanted right now.”

  Grace giggled like she knew something I didn’t. “Ah, you eat what the baby wants,” she said, shaking her head. “Baby must be coming soon, now!”

  “I hope so,” I said drily as I plated my sandwich and walked out of the kitchen.

  Jack was sitting by the smaller pool, adjacent to the deck of our master suite. He had his laptop out on the table, and he was clacking away furiously at the keyboard as I gingerly lowered myself down onto a chaise lounge.

  “Hey, baby,” Jack said. He leaned over and gave me a kiss, typing all the while.

  “Can you put that away? I’d like to have lunch with just my husband,” I said slyly.

  Jack flushed. “Of course.” He closed his laptop and slid it out of sight before reaching over and lacing his fingers with mine. “What did you settle on?”

  I showed him my sandwich. “I think it needs mustard,” I said, narrowing my eyes and staring at the odd concoction I’d put together. “Or maybe Worcestershire sauce.”

  Jack mimed gagging. “I think our kid is going to be anything but a picky eater,” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “What do you want for dinner? Feel like going out? Or should I tell Grace to make something here?”

  “I don’t know,” I said as I took another bite. “Just something good.”

  “Like tuna mixed with chocolate?”

  “Ew!” I burst out laughing. “That sounds gross, even to me!”

  Jack snickered. “Gotcha,” he said. He got up and sat at the foot of my chaise lounge, rubbing my feet. “I love you, baby,” he said. He leaned over and put a hand on my belly. “And I love you, baby,” he said to my huge stomach.

  I flushed. “How the hell did I get so lucky?” I asked softly.

  Jack didn’t answer. He leaned down and put his head on my stomach. As he listened to the kicking baby, I listened to the soft crashing of the waves in the distance. Our massive house was on the beach, and I could see the water from where I sat. Even as pregnant and uncomfortable as I was feeling, I’d never been so relaxed in my life.

  “Well, I guess you sailed to Nassau in the middle of a hurricane and found this handsome guy who was stranded at a hotel,” Jack said, rubbing my stomach. He sat up and looked into my eyes. Suddenly, the beauty of the blue sky and the ocean was nothing compared to the tenderness in his brown eyes.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I guess I did that, what a crazy thing for a woman to do.” I raised an eyebrow at Jack. “Hardly seems fair, really. Most people get to say they met on a dating site, or at a party.”

  Jack snickered. “I think ours is much better,” he said. He reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. “Adele, I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” I said. “I always will.”

  Jack lifted my fingers to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand, then turned my hand over and kissed my palm. A delicious, warm thrill shot up my arm. As we sat together under the bright Nassau sun, staring at our little slice of heaven, I knew that I was truly the luckiest woman in the world. I had it all – love, a great career, and I was about to become a mother.

  I couldn’t have designed a bett
er life for myself if given a chance to draw the blueprints.

  The End

  Fate

  Chapter 1

  Gianna

  I looked out of my bedroom window and narrowed my eyes. Normally, I loved autumn in Boston. Unlike the rest of the country, we didn’t just have leaves – we had “foliage,” and tourists came from all over the world to see it. But right now, in this moment, it bored me. The view out of my large bedroom nook had always been beautiful, but it had changed very little in my twenty-five years.

  “Gianna!”

  I frowned as my bedroom door burst open and my younger sister, Diane, burst in. Despite the four years between us, Diane was basically my twin. We shared the same long, golden-red hair and bright brown eyes with flecks of copper.

  “What is it?” I yawned, fanning my face with a bored hand. “You know you’re supposed to knock.”

  Diane snorted. “I don’t understand why,” she said crossly. “We’re sisters. We share everything.”

  I didn’t reply. Instead, I leaned against the cold glass and pressed my forehead to the smooth surface.

  “It’s dinner time,” Diane continued. “And Mom wants you downstairs.”

  “Yeah, because god knows what would happen if we didn’t have dinner as a family for just one night,” I muttered. “You’d think she’d give it a rest, right?”

  Diane didn’t reply. When I turned back to face her, she was biting her lip. “She’s in a bad mood,” she said. “That guy, whatever his name is, was supposed to come, but he canceled.”

  I grinned. “Good,” I said. I got to my feet and stretched. “I was worried he’d have the balls to finally show up.”

  “You know Mom and Dad only want what’s best for you,” Diane said. She narrowed her eyes. “Besides, he’s supposed to be richer than Croesus. I wish I could marry him.”

  “You’ve never even met him!” I said loudly, snorting and tossing my long hair. “He could be ugly, or old! Or bald, and wrinkled, and senile!”

  Diane flushed. “I’m sure he’s perfectly handsome and kind,” she said. “You know the Harringtons have been family friends of Dad’s for generations.”

  “Yeah,” I muttered, pushing past my sister and walking out of my room. “Trust me. I know.”

  Downstairs, Mom was bustling around the cheerful, bright kitchen. I watched as she tossed a handful of romaine lettuce leaves into a large wooden salad bowl and threw in a few tomatoes and onion. The sight was enough to make me snicker. Since as long as I could remember, we’d had a cook, Ceri, but Mom still liked for us to think that she’d had a hand in making our meals.

  “Mom, you don’t have to keep pretending,” I said, rolling my eyes and stepping forward. “I’m sure whatever Ceri made will be delicious.”

  My mother gave me an exasperated look – a difficult task, considering she’d just had her collagen injections and lip fillers – and put her hands on her hips.

  “Gianna, you know I do a lot for this family,” she said.

  Yeah, I thought. Like stay home all day doing nothing and looking the other way when Dad is out with other women.

  “Gianna!” Mom said sharply.

  “Yeah, sorry, I mean, I know,” I said quickly. “Do you need help with anything?”

  Mom nodded. “Yes, please,” she said. “Take the chicken out of the oven and set the table.”

  Grabbing two hot mitts, I took the roasting pan out of the oven. As usual, Ceri had outdone herself. The chicken was perfectly golden-brown and the skin looked succulent and crispy. The bottom of the pan was filled with fingerling potatoes, slices radishes, and carrots. A heavenly aroma filled my nostrils as I carefully set the chicken down on the table.

  “Is Dad coming?”

  Mom nodded. “He’s just finishing up a few things in his office. He’ll be downstairs soon.”

  I sat down at the table and started toying with the edge of my cloth napkin, wondering how painful dinner was going to be. Ever since I’d graduated high school, Mom and Dad had been nagging me to settle down with a guy and get married and start having children. But that had been almost seven years ago, and I still felt like a kid. They were starting to pressure Diane now, too, but she didn’t seem nearly as opposed to the idea as I. In a few minutes, my father came into the room and sat down at the head of the table. He grunted a greeting to me, then pulled out his phone and started looking down at the screen.

  Mom cleared her throat. “Carter,” she said. “Please, this is family time.”

  Dad sighed and reluctantly put his phone away. “Right,” he said, clearing his throat. He looked at me. “Gianna, how was your day?”

  I shrugged. “I bought some new clothes for the winter,” I said. “My friend Jessica is getting married in December, I thought I could have a few new dresses.” As soon as I said the word ‘married,’ I regretted it.

  Dad nodded. “Right,” he said. “Well, that sounds good.” He lifted his head up and looked at me for the first time since he’d come into the dining room. “Speaking of marriage—”

  “I really don’t want to talk about this right now,” I said, shaking my head. “Sorry.”

  “Barnaby is a perfectly respectable man, and he’s a dear friend,” Mom cut in. “And you haven’t even met him, Gianna! He’s perfect for you.”

  “If I haven’t met him yet, how can you possibly know that?” I asked sarcastically.

  Diane came into the room and sat down. “This looks good,” she said, looking at the roasted chicken.

  Mom and Dad ignored her.

  “Gianna, you’re getting older,” Dad said. “It’s not as if you’ll have these same options in five years, you know.”

  I could feel myself starting to get angry, but I forced myself to hold the anger deep inside. “I’m twenty-five, Dad, not forty,” I countered. “And you know I don’t want to marry him! You’ve been trying to push that guy on me for years! If he’s so great, how come he’s still single?”

  Dad narrowed his eyes. “Gianna, I’m disappointed in you,” he said. “Barnaby is a very busy, high-profile lawyer. He doesn’t have time to date.”

  “Then he won’t have time for a wife and family,” I replied, reaching my fork into the roasting pan and spearing a carrot.

  Mom glared at me. “You are being so disrespectful, young lady,” she said angrily. “And if you don’t change your attitude right now, you can spend the rest of your night in your room.”

  For a moment, I thought about standing up from the table and stalking out of the room. After all, at twenty-five, I was more than sick of being treated like some helpless pre-teen.

  “Gianna, did you hear your mother?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “I heard her.”

  “Good,” Dad said. “Because we’ve arranged for Barnaby to dine with us next week. You know we’re hosting the gala for my company, right?”

  “Right,” I said miserably. “But Dad, every time you’ve invited him over, he’s always canceled. Don’t you think that means something?”

  “It means he’s busy,” Dad replied. “And that’s exactly the kind of quality I want in the man who marries my eldest daughter.”

  I sighed. “I really, really don’t want to talk about this anymore,” I said, shaking my head. “At least not tonight.”

  “You’re meeting Barnaby next week, and that’s final,” Dad said.

  Diane looked at me from across the table and mouthed “It won’t be that bad.”

  I ignored her.

  As Mom started talking nonsense about her new favorite charity, I tuned out and picked at the chicken thigh on my plate. It was delicious – everything Ceri made was – but I wasn’t hungry anymore. All I could think about was the rest of my life. What if Dad was right? What if somehow, this time, I wouldn’t be able to get out of meeting Barnaby…and saying goodbye to my freedom forever?

  “Gianna? Are you okay?” Mom looked at me and squinted. “You’ve barely touched your chicken. Is it overdone? Should I tell Ceri?�
��

  “No,” I said quickly. “It’s really good. I’m just not very hungry.”

  Dad chuckled. “Barnaby does prefer women with a little meat on their bones,” he said. “You should eat up.”

  I shuddered. “You make me feel like I’m a cow heading to the slaughterhouse,” I said, biting my lip.

  Dad sighed. “I won’t have this kind of ridiculous talk at my table.” He got to his feet, grabbed a folded newspaper from the table, and tucked it under his arm before leaving the room. As irritated as he was with me, I had a feeling that he’d been looking for a chance to escape dinner more than a chance to reprimand his unruly daughter.