Seducing Sullivan

by Julie Elizabeth Leto

  Maybe today was his turn to trust.

  “You weren’t the only one with regrets about our past.” Jack closed his hand over hers lightly, afraid she’d pull away if he held on too tight. “I’ve wondered what if quite a few times myself. And I had more what ifs to answer. Chryssie and I were drunk. I was never even sure how far we went that night, but I knew we’d betrayed you and that I could never try to get you back. If you had found out—”

  Her fingers tensed. “You two must have sworn a pact.”

  “We never said a word to each other. After I took her home, I don’t think we spoke again. Ever.”

  Angela nodded. She knew the truth without doubt, and still the pain was dulled. Knowing that Dani resulted from their tryst eased the betrayal.

  “I guess hate and love walk a fine parallel line.”

  “Hate and lust,” he clarified. “Besides, I never hated Chryssie. She just got on my nerves because she was so close to you. I didn’t need her bad-mouthing me at every opportunity.”

  Angela chuckled quietly. “That she did. She insisted I couldn’t handle a cad like you.”

  “A cad? Interesting word. I think the tabloid press used it when they reported I’d dumped Lily Dee.”

  “Why did you dump her?”

  “I didn’t. That’s just what her publicist told the press. Lily left me shortly after she discovered she was pregnant.”

  The chill snaking up Angela’s spine had nothing to do with the cold air, already dispelling under the morning sun. Did Dani have a little half brother or half sister somewhere in the world? She’d never considered, never asked.

  “Don’t worry, angel,” he said, spying her wide-eyed stare, “I haven’t turned into my father yet. I’m not indiscriminately spreading my seed all over the Western Hemisphere.”

  She swallowed before she spoke. A protective numbness settled over her. “Then she wasn’t really pregnant?”

  He looked away, staring at the distant gravestones blankly. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he choked back a strong wave of emotion. His eyes flashed with renewed rage and well-rooted regret.

  “After she left, she wasn’t.”

  His gaze met hers straight on, and his implication was clear. Then the sadness she’d glimpsed slipped under the surface of his stoic expression.

  “Lily denied everything, so I’ll never know for sure. But suspecting was enough to convince me my life didn’t mean much. I loved my work, but not my life. I didn’t know what to do. Until I received an invitation to the reunion.”

  And he’d come home to an even bigger lie than the one he’d left.

  “I wanted to start over, find the kind of life I’d never had with my parents. A life based on loyalty, honesty and children.” He leaned back on the bench and raked his hands through his hair. “And all you wanted was to get me out of your system.”

  Frustration propelled her to stand. “I had to erase you from my dreams. You’d slept with my best friend.” Her words choked her. “I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous, holding on to puppy love.”

  “You don’t listen to yourself very well.”

  “No, I don’t.” She stopped before the anger churning in her stomach bubbled to the surface. Rationalizing didn’t help. Reminding herself that she loved him didn’t, either. That made it worse. He made her so damn mad.

  “You want to know why I pursued you even when I realized you might be Dani’s father? I weighed one problem against the other. If you were her father, I was going to have to make serious decisions about her future. I couldn’t be wrong. I told myself I wouldn’t be able to be objective about Dani if I still…”

  His expression hardened, along with the tone of his voice. “If you still what?”

  She hunted for a phrase, a powerful one, a grouping of words she simply couldn’t speak aloud. She loved him. Perhaps she always had. Yet for Dani’s sake, she couldn’t say it. The force of the admission could jeopardize her control over Dani’s future—something she was not yet willing to relinquish.

  “If I still desired you to the point of distraction.” She recognized his disappointment. Shifting uncomfortably, she sat and laid her hand beside his in an imperfect gesture of apology. “When the reunion came up, I devised my asinine plan. The minute I laid eyes on you, I knew I was in trouble. You never make anything easy.”

  “Nope,” he verified, twining her fingers with his. A pensive smile tilted the corners of his mouth, then disappeared. “I told you I wanted to see if we could cross the lines of passion together. What I didn’t tell you is that I knew from the start we would. That wasn’t why I made the challenge.”

  “Then why did you?”

  He released her hand with a reluctance that tugged at her heart. She moved forward on the bench, wanting to touch him, to ease away the deep lines creasing his face.

  “You didn’t trust me. You can’t love someone you don’t trust. I’ve learned that the hard way. Haven’t you?”

  ANGELA FLIPPED through the channels, barely registering the cacophony coming from the television. Her gaze never wandered from the portable phone on the table. Jack’s lawyer had called the day before, informing her the test results would be in this afternoon. They’d call Jack first, of course, but then he’d channel the information to her through the attorney. Only when she gave the go-ahead would Jack contact her.

  Communication between them had been sparse since they’d returned from California. After their discussion at the graveyard, Jack decided to head to Monterey to visit his father, though Angela suspected he simply wanted to escape. She returned the favor by absenting herself from the photo shoots for Whispering Palms. He needed time and space to think. She didn’t blame him.

  But she missed him.

  Angela tried to throw herself into her work, but found no pleasure in it, even after David Styler came crawling back. He’d heard she might be able to convince Jack Sullivan to photograph his next collection, which remarkably had a nature theme. She made no promises but took Styler’s account to motivate her staff, who’d been disappointed when she declined Davenport’s offer. She couldn’t help thinking how Jack would have been pleased—would being the key word.

  Turning off the television and tossing the remote control on the nearest pillow, she untucked her legs from beneath her and stretched. The hall clock tolled twice. She cradled her head in her hands. How much longer could she possibly wait?

  She hoped the news confirmed her suspicions about Jack. Not just because he’d be a good father but because she wanted him in her life. She almost didn’t care if he hated her so long as he felt something. She’d have to work from there.

  Whether or not they could salvage their relationship remained to be seen. She’d acted as any fiercely independent single mother would, with Dani’s best interests at the forefront. But her actions hurt Jack, and he was one to hold onto his wounds. He dealt with them well, but he never forgot them.

  The sliding glass door to the backyard slid open, and Dani slipped in, jumping when she spotted Angela on the couch.

  “Dani? Where’ve you been? I thought you were in your room playing your new video game.”

  Dani turned her oversize baseball cap backward and shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts.

  “I was. I mean, I went to show Christopher and Vincent. I learned how to get to a new level.”

  Angela nodded and sat against the cushions, wishing they would provide some comfort for her aching back. She considered taking a swim to relieve her knotted muscles, but she didn’t want to be in the pool when the call came.

  Dani took Angela’s silence as a dismissal, but she only walked to the threshold before turning back.

  “Mom?”

  The worried look on the child’s face evoked an increase in Angela’s already rapidly beating heart. “What is it, hon?”

  Dani took her cap off and laid it on the nearest chair, then climbed onto the couch beside Angela. Instinctively, Angela opened her arms and Dani curled into her embr
ace. She stroked the child’s blond hair, enjoying the feel of her in her arms. As Dani grew, these moments became rarer, though not as much as she imagined they would once puberty hit.

  “Do you love Jack?”

  Angela stopped her petting. “What makes you ask?”

  Dani shrugged. “I dunno. You haven’t been very happy since he left. I figured you missed him.”

  Tightening her hold, Angela tilted her head against Dani’s, breathing in the apple scent of her recently washed hair.

  “Yeah, I guess I do. Miss him, I mean.”

  “But you don’t love him?”

  She cleared her throat. She’d never lied to Dani before, and the question seemed too direct to ignore.

  “Well, honey, with adults, things aren’t always as simple as one person being in love with another person.”

  “I think he loves you back,” Dani assured her.

  “Oh, do you? And how do you know so much about love, huh?” She held Dani at arm’s length. “You better slow down, young lady. I’m not ready to see you off on your first date just yet.”

  “Gross.” Dani crinkled her nose like a coquettish kitten. “I’m not gonna have a date! But I think you could use some.”

  “Danae Hart Harris, have you been talking to Aunt Kelly?”

  “Not about dates.”

  “Then what made you think about this nonsense? You don’t have to worry about me or my love life. And neither do I.” She enclosed Dani in her arms again. “I have more important things to worry about right now.”

  “Like if Jack is my real dad?”

  The question stopped her cold. Dani broke their hug.

  “Who told you that?” Angela asked, her voice barely audible.

  “Nobody. I figured it out.”

  “I didn’t know you even wondered about your father.”

  Dani pushed her hair out of her face and dangled her legs over the edge of the couch. “I always wonder about him.”

  “Always?” Why hadn’t she realized?

  “I kept thinking he’d find me one day. And, well, I sort of look like Jack. I mean—” she dug into her pocket for a wallet-size photo taken at one of the novelty booths at Pizza Palace “—we look alike, don’t we?”

  Angela took the picture lovingly, cupping it in the palm of her hand and switching on the table lamp. Two pairs of eyes, perfectly oval and glittering green, stared at her. Though Dani did favor Chryssie’s coloring, she had Jack’s cheekbones and chin. Even the contours of their foreheads were similar. She tried not to compare the smiles, both equally broad and touching every inch of their faces. They’d only known each other for a couple of hours when the picture was taken, and still the bond between parent and child had begun to form. Angela knew the feeling. She’d experienced a similar one shortly after she’d first held Dani in her arms.

  “Yeah, honey, I guess you do.”

  “Then he is my dad?” The question was uncertain, unsure, as if she feared a negative answer.

  “The truth is, I don’t know. I’m waiting by the phone to find out. Jack took some tests. The doctors are comparing his DNA to yours, and that’ll tell us if he’s your father. They’ll call us when they know.”

  Dani eyed the phone and then nodded.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “What doesn’t?”

  “If he’s my dad. I mean, if he’s really my dad.”

  “Unfortunately, it does matter.” She handed the photo to Dani, who put it in her pocket.

  “To who? Not to Jack.”

  “And how do you know that?” Dani’s blush pointed Angela toward the truth. “Have you talked to Jack about this?”

  “Not about him being my dad, or not being. We just talked about you. I got tired of you looking so sad.”

  “I don’t look sad.”

  Dani rolled her eyes and smirked. “Hello? Yes, Mom, you do. And when I told Aunt Kelly yesterday, she said I oughta do something to cheer you up.”

  “So you called Jack.” She wasn’t surprised Kelly had a hand in this. Despite her reservations about Angela’s association with Jack, her sister was a born romantic. “How did you find his number?”

  Dani’s grin denoted guilt, but the twinkle in her eyes showed pride in her resourcefulness. “Well, you had his business card in your planner.”

  Grabbing her purse, Angela found her wallet. Before she could open the section where she kept her business cards, Dani removed the crinkled card from her pocket.

  “Danae, this is serious. You’re not supposed to sneak into my things.”

  “I know, but this was important. You love him, Mom. Even if he isn’t my dad, you love him. I can tell.”

  “So you snuck over to Aunt Kelly’s and called to tell him?”

  “Sort of, and to ask him to come over so he could fix whatever made you have a fight.”

  “Oh, Dani.” Angela pressed her hands against her forehead. “There’s so much you don’t understand, that you can’t understand.”

  “And why can’t she?” Jack asked, entering stealthily from the front hall. “She seems like a brilliant young lady to me.”

  Dani blushed again, and Angela’s heart slammed against her chest. She hadn’t seen him in nearly two weeks, and the minute she set eyes on him, she realized how she’d missed the sound of his voice, the compassion in his gaze, and the little half smile tilting the corner of his mouth.

  “Jack, I—” She stuttered and stopped, knowing the words couldn’t come.

  Dani slid off the couch and went to stand at Jack’s side. He ran his hand lovingly over the top of her blond head, and she smiled at him with a beam Angela had never seen before.

  Turning to her mother, Dani waited. At first, her smile lasted. But soon her look showed exasperation.

  “Mo-ther?”

  Dani shuffled over and grabbed Angela’s hand, pulling her from the couch. Only when she’d positioned her mother a few inches away from Jack did she back up to watch from the doorway.

  “Jack, I’m sorry about what I did,” Angela confessed, feeling an enormous weight lift from her heart. She glanced at Dani, and urged by her daughter’s brilliantly lit face, took Jack’s hand in hers. “I do trust you. I guess I was just afraid to trust myself.”

  Jack ran his palm along her cheek, then crooked his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face so he could gaze fully into her eyes.

  “We’re both afraid. But fear loves company, especially the company of the people you love.”

  “I do love you, Jack. I always have. That’s why I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I don’t think my finding you at the reunion had to do with any other reason.”

  He kissed her, unmindful of Dani’s girlish giggle or the beating of his heart or the chirping sound echoing in his brain. He knew nothing else but the sweet, soft feel of her lips pressed to his, needing and wanting him with no reservation.

  Only when Dani said hello into the phone did they both pull away.

  “Just a moment, please.” She turned and handed the cordless phone to Jack.

  He stood silent, then clamped his hand over the mouthpiece.

  “Marry me.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. She and Dani both said, “What?” at the same time.

  Jack’s grin spread across his whole face. He got down on one knee, balanced the phone over his thigh and took Angela’s fingers in one hand, Dani’s in the other.

  “The results of this test aren’t important. I want you to marry me. Please.”

  Angela looked into her daughter’s eyes, unable to speak as she caught Dani’s love for Jack mirrored there.

  She managed a nod.

  He kissed her hand, then Dani’s, and took the call.

  Angela took Dani by the shoulders, bracing herself and the child for the information to come. Then she relaxed and smiled, remembering the gentle sensation of his lips crushed against hers. He wanted her. Not just for one night or on
e weekend, but a lifetime. And even better, she wanted him, too.

  Jack pushed the button that disconnected the call and tossed the phone onto the couch with a whoop.

  “Looks like we have a match!” He slapped his hands together and opened his arms to Dani.

  Dani yahooed and leaped into Jack’s embrace. “Looks like I’ve got a dad!”

  He twirled Dani twice, and Angela could only step back and surrender to the tears spilling from her eyes. When they stopped spinning, Jack and Dani shanghaied Angela into their hug.

  Angela reveled in the giddiness of Dani’s laugh and the warm protectiveness of Jack’s arms locked around them both. They loved each other. He loved Dani. Dani loved him. In her deepest dreams, she couldn’t have hoped for more.

  She stepped back, though not out of the circle of their arms, and assessed them as a fat tear splashed down her face.

  “Looks like we have a family.”

  Angela pressed her face against Jack’s denim shirt, inhaling his woodsy scent and loving how her tears melded into his skin. When Dani squirmed from between them, Jack pulled Angela closer, sealing the gesture with a crowning kiss.

  “Aunt Kelly’s gonna love this!” Dani threw open the sliding glass door and raced across the yard without a backward glance.

  “You do realize she’s gonna be a handful,” Angela warned, snuggling her face so tightly to his chest, she felt the imprint of his buttons on her cheek.

  Jack lowered his hands from her shoulders to her hips, loosening his bear hug just enough to gaze at her with his devastating emerald eyes. The longing she’d come to anticipate, the need she’d come to crave, stared at her with unchained clarity. His eyes radiated love and passion—all-encompassing and all for her.

  Jack grinned. “I should be surprised? Her mother’s been a handful for as long as I’ve known her.”

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet, Sullivan.” Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed his jawline, flicking her smooth tongue over his rough stubble, blowing a cool breath against the lingering moisture.

  His chuckle rumbled like distant thunder. “Aren’t you done seducing me yet, angel?”