“Then you have been thinking about having kids lately?”
“Not just lately,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “For a long time now. You know that.”
“And you’ve never met anyone you thought you might like to settle down with?”
“Yeah, you.”
I’d walked right into that one, and my ex had never been shy about voicing the truth. “Besides me?”
“Nope.”
The air was charged with sadness and regret, but there was something else I couldn’t define. Hope, maybe?
Time to change the subject. “You know, if you’re looking for a short-term solution, I could use a business manager.”
He laughed. “What the hell do I know about running a business like yours?”
“You know how to run a business.” Truth be told, their club made money hand over fist because West had built the most exclusive gentlemen’s club in the city, attracting wealthy and powerful men who demanded discretion. “I imagine those skills are transferrable.”
“They are.” He seemed to consider my proposal. “What do you need help with?”
“Ugh,” I said, palming my forehead. “Everything. I live for the fieldwork, which means everything else somehow falls through the cracks.”
“I think I could help you out,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“Um, I couldn’t pay you anything close to what you’d been pulling in at the club, but—”
He chuckled. “I don’t need the money, sweetheart. Like I said, I’ve got plenty. I’m just looking for a new challenge.”
I wasn’t used to people helping me without an ulterior motive. In my experience, people always had an angle. “But would you do that? For nothing?”
“I didn’t say I’d do it for nothing.”
“Fine,” I said, bracing myself. “What do you want?”
“More time with the mother of my future child. A chance to get to know you better, your business, your friends… what your life is like now.”
“That’s it?” I asked, unable to hide my shock.
“That’s it.”
I bit my lip, wondering if I would be taking advantage if I took him up on his offer. “Fine, but we should set a reasonable term. Say, three months? If you can help get us on the right track, put the right systems in place, maybe I could hire an admin person to pick up where you left off. Then you could go back to doing whatever it is you plan to do next.” I wasn’t naïve enough to think a man like West, who craved challenge and excitement, would be content acting as the business manager for a small private investigations firm forever.
“Whatever you want.” He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin before balling it up and tossing it on the empty plate. “If you want, I can go home, shower, change, and meet you at your office later. We can go over the areas where you feel you need the most help.”
“Um, sure.” I’d planned to go into work later anyhow, but suddenly the prospect of having my ex there with me was daunting. Was I crazy to invite him back into my life? To invite him to work with me every single day for the next three months? Probably. “But we have to have a few ground rules before we start this.”
“Okay,” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “What are they?”
I stood, dropping my paper napkin on the table. “Well, there’s only one really. You have to promise you won’t fall in love with me.”
He barked a laugh and smacked my ass as I slipped past him. “You should be the one promising me you won’t fall in love!”
Only one little problem… I wasn’t sure that was a promise I could keep.
Chapter Four
West
So much shit had gone down in the past twenty-four hours, I needed to vent to someone who would understand why I was having such a hard time wrapping my head around it. After my shower, I passed by the club, hoping to catch my kid brother alone.
“Hey, man,” Ty said, looking up from the bar where he was stacking cash. “How’d your date go last night? I was expecting a text letting me know it had been a bust.”
“You’re not gonna believe it,” I said, going behind the bar to grab a bottle of water. “It was Shani.”
His jaw dropped as he slammed a wad of bills on the bar. “Shut the fuck up!”
I chuckled. “I’m serious, man.”
“Why would she wanna hook up with you again?” He raised a hand. “No offense, but when you guys broke up, it seemed like she was done with you.”
I rounded the bar and sat my ass in a leather club chair at one of many round tables. Everything about the club was upscale, including the décor. When we built the place, we knew if we wanted to attract the right crowd, we had to make them feel at home. That meant the right furniture, booze, cigars, and women.
“I guess I’ve got something she needs now.” I uncapped the water and brought it to my lips, thinking about how much I wanted to give her what she needed. A baby. Jesus, it was still hard to believe we could have made a baby last night.
“Uh oh,” Ty said, looking at me over his shoulder. “You’re not the type to let a woman use you. And come to think of it, Shani’s never been a user. So what gives?”
“She wants a baby.”
He turned around so fast, cash went flying in all directions, but he didn’t seem to notice. “She what?”
“You heard me.” I tipped the water back, watching him process my news. He looked as shocked as I’d been when she propositioned me. “And she asked me to… help her out.”
“Please tell me you said no.” He groaned when I didn’t respond. “You said yes? You haven’t nailed her already, have you?”
I wasn’t surprised by his reaction. Unlike me, Ty had no interest in being tied down. He loved the single life and questioned why anyone would willingly be with one person for the rest of their lives.
“I went back to her place last night. Let’s just say the timing was perfect.”
“Shit, West! What have you done?” He grabbed his head. “There must be some way to undo this. Were you drunk? Of course you were. Why else would you have agreed to this?”
“I want this.” I let that sink in before I said, “I’m serious, Ty. I’m ready to be a father. And who better to do this with than Shani? You know she was the only one who ever really did it for me.”
“Yeah, but she’s your ex! Have you forgotten that? You guys haven’t been together in what? Four years?” After I nodded, he continued. “That’s a hell of a long time. People change.”
“Sometimes for the better.” I considered how much I’d learned about her in the twelve hours we’d spent together. Some of it she hadn’t even been willing to share when we’d been a couple. “She’s not a cop anymore.”
“Seriously?” He leaned back against the bar, crossing his arms. “What happened?”
“Got shot again.” My stomach still flipped every time I thought about how close she’d come to losing her life. Even though I hadn’t seen her in a long time prior to last night, it was tough to imagine a world without Shani in it. “Force wanted her to get counseling, sit behind a desk ‘til she did. So she walked.”
“She’s that afraid of shrinks? She’d give up a career she loved just ‘cause she didn’t want someone poking around inside her head? That doesn’t worry you?”
“You know the deal with her family. Can you blame her?”
“I guess not.” He sighed. “So, what’s she doing now?”
“Private investigator. Works with women trying to nail their cheating partners.”
He laughed. “That’s perfect for her. I’m glad she figured things out. Even though she loved to bust our balls about this place, I always liked that girl.”
“Yeah, I know.” My family had all loved Shani. They thought she was the only one who could keep me in line. “Seems she’s doing well now. Successful business, good friends. I guess the only thing missing is a baby.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Ty said, looking thoughtful, “b
ut I thought she didn’t wanna do the whole marriage and kids thing. That was one thing we used to agree on.”
“She wants the kid. Still not interested in marriage.”
“Huh.” He looked at me a long time before he said, “She hasn’t been serious with anyone since you two split?”
“No.” Which made me a hell of a lot happier than it should have. “I guess that’s why she came to me. She has more history with me than with anyone else. She trusts me. She knew I wouldn’t let her down.”
“Still, this is huge. Why didn’t you tell her you needed time to think about it?”
“Because I don’t.”
“You’re that sure?” he asked, an eyebrow raised skeptically.
“Yup.”
He started collecting the scattered cash. “As long as you’re sure you know what you’re doing.” He grinned as he stood. “So you gonna try to get her back or what?”
A slow smile spread as I nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“How’d I know you had a plan?”
“I usually do.” I’d known as soon as we made love last night that I couldn’t let my baby, and the only woman I’d ever loved, cast me aside. Whether she knew it or not, Shani needed me. And not just to father her child.
“So how you gonna manage that?”
“For starters, I’m gonna be helping her with her business for the next few months.”
“No shit?” Ty chuckled. “How’d you get her to agree to that?”
“I told her I’m between opportunities right now, and she asked if I could help her out for a bit since I have a lot more business experience than she does. Apparently things are a bit of a mess because she prefers the fieldwork.”
“So what? You’re going to prove to her that you’re indispensable?”
“Something like that.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket when it buzzed. It was a text from Shani asking if we could push our meeting back an hour. She said she had something to take care of first. I told her to take her time and I’d see her later.
“You sure this won’t backfire?” Ty asked. “You two working together? You’re both pretty opinionated and you’ve got hot tempers. How do you know it won’t remind her of all the reasons she dumped you?”
“I plan to be on my best behavior.”
Ty laughed. “Yeah, right. You couldn’t tone it down if you tried.”
“With the right incentive, I could.” We exchanged a serious look before I said, “I want Shani back, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. If she’s having my baby, there’s no way I’m gonna let her do this alone.”
I thought of our deal, but I knew a few days a month wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me. She was willing to let me be a part-time dad, but I wanted more than that. I wanted to be her man again. With or without the rings, I wanted us to be a couple.
“You know I’ll support you whatever you decide.”
I stood and pulled him in for a half-hug. “Thanks, Ty. I guess I just needed to get it out there, you know? Talk it out. Get clear about what I want.”
“And now you know what you want?”
“Oh yeah. I know.”
***
Shani
My ex was a little appalled I didn’t have a business plan, but since I’d bootstrapped the business, I claimed it wasn’t necessary. He disagreed, and since he’d agreed to help me out without collecting a paycheck, I had to let him do this his way.
“Okay, what do you need to know?” I asked, watching him boot up his laptop.
He was sitting behind my desk, where he’d been going through my files to determine how profitable the business was. It was crazy that I’d turned everything over to him, including confidential files and passwords, without thinking twice. I wouldn’t have done that with anyone else. I guess I still trusted this guy even more than I realized.
“I’m going to use our old business plan from the club as a template,” he explained, barely glancing up. “Obviously yours will differ a lot, but it’ll give us something to start with.”
He was wearing faded jeans, black boots, and a long-sleeved black T-shirt pushed back to reveal powerful forearms. Judging by his physique, he still spent a lot of time in the gym.
He grinned when he caught me staring at him. “I know I’m nice to look at, but can we stay focused on business here?”
“You’re such an ass,” I grumbled, embarrassed at being caught ogling him.
He connected my printer to his computer and printed a few pages. I tried not to check out his ass when he got up to cross the room, but after last night, I was feeling all hot and bothered. If what I’d read was true and you could conceive the day before or after ovulation, maybe I should suggest we go a few more rounds today. As an insurance policy. Not because I was dying to get into his pants again.
He sat down beside me, pulling his chair a little closer to mine. “I’ll need a list of your expenses, including payroll.”
“Sure.” I tried not to breathe because he was wearing that spicy cologne I loved. The same one I’d bought him for his birthday one year.
“And we’ll need to talk about your long-range goals. The five-year plan.” He looked up at me, his eyes drifting to my lips. “You plan to, uh, add any more employees?”
“Maybe.” Oh God, my voice sounded breathy. He must have known how much I wanted him.
“A lot will depend on your…” He muttered a curse as he grabbed the back of my head, crushing my mouth under his.
No one else was in the office, but my door wasn’t locked and my girls often popped in after an assignment to check in with me. They knew I worked seven days a week, so the fact it was a weekend meant nothing. I pressed my palm into his chest and jumped up. He watched me turn the lock before I slowly unbuttoned my denim shirt.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, his smirk giving him away. “I thought we were supposed to be working?”
He knew how hard it was for me to keep my hands off him, the conceited SOB.
“I was just thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to try again,” I said, tossing my shirt over the back of the chair. I reached for the waistband of my black leggings and peeled them off, along with my tall black boots and socks. I was left with only a steel-gray bra with matching panties. I could tell he liked what he was saw by the way his eyes devoured me. “You know, in case it didn’t take last night. The day after ovulation can be a good time to get pregnant too.”
He chuckled as he moved to sit on the edge of my desk. “Never thought hearing that would turn me on, but it does.”
“Only because you know it means you’re gonna get some.” I moved between his legs, lifting his T-shirt over his head.
“Yeah, that might have something to do with it. Gotta admit, this baby-making thing is fun.”
“Oh yeah?” I reached for his belt buckle. “I’m glad to hear you say that, since if it doesn’t take this month, we might have to do it again next month and the month after that.”
He framed my face with his hands, bringing me in for a long hot kiss. “Guess it helps that I’m attracted to you then, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said, opening his jeans. “It would really suck to take on a project like this with someone who didn’t do it for you.”
“You’ve always done it for me.” His tone was serious as his lips moved along my jaw. “Since the first time I saw you.”
“You’re not the only one.” I was practically panting as I tugged off his jeans and boxers. “That night, after I left your club the first time, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” I leaned in, wrapping my arms around his neck as my hot breath teased his ear. “I got off that night thinking about you.”
He dropped his head back as my tongue skated over his neck, and I nibbled as I went.
“And you’re just telling me this now?” His gaze was hungry as I dropped to my knees in front of him.
I didn’t know why I was confiding in him now when I’d been too guarded to before. Maybe ther
e was something about trying to get pregnant that made a woman feel more vulnerable, like her partner held her heart in his hands.
I closed my lips around his shaft, humming as I took him deep. Curses fell from his lips as his hands fisted in my hair. I’d always been the kind of girl to give as good as I got, and this was no exception. I wasn’t shy about taking what I wanted, and I wanted him. In my mouth. Inside me. His tongue dueling with mine while I rode him. I wanted it all.
“Jesus, Shan.” His breath was coming hard and fast and I could tell he was barely hanging on.
I stood, trading places with him so my ass was planted firmly on the edge of the desk instead of his. “As much as I’d love to finish you off that way, that wouldn’t help us achieve our objective, now would it?”
His smirk was dirty as he grabbed my hips, positioning me right where he wanted me. “Right. I almost forgot our end goal. Not like we’re doing this for fun, right?”
“Right.” I could barely keep my eyes open, especially when he breached my opening, taking me hard and deep without warning.
His palms rested against my knees as he pushed my legs back, his gaze penetrating me along with his body. I braced my hands behind me on the desk, taking his powerful thrusts. This kind of sex with West I could handle. It was the slow and gentle that nearly did me in and made me think all kinds of crazy shit… like how cool it would be to have him there for midnight feedings or to dry my tears when I swore I was going to die from exhaustion. Not that I was a crier. He’d never seen me cry. And he never would.
“So fucking sexy,” he said, watching my tits bounce as his hand disappeared between my thighs.
I let my head fall back, my weight resting on my forearms as I concentrated all of my attention on the madness building between my legs. It was dizzying, the pleasure he brought me. It swirled in my core, spreading out to my limbs in the form of tingles that morphed into heat. My cry was raw and primal, coming from somewhere deep inside me as I let myself go while he did the same.
In Too Deep (The Exes #8) Page 4