On My Own: Book Three in the Who's Your Daddy series

by Rhonda Marks

  “You weren’t good enough for my daughter, and you’re still not even with all your millions.”

  “Dad, stop it!” Caroline hissed.

  “I get it,” Ty responded. “He’s gotten to you and you’re gonna turn your back on us.”

  By now, despite their efforts to speak quietly, others gave them some strange looks and Dirk clamped his mouth closed. He didn’t want anyone to get a whiff of any controversy, real or imagined. “We can hash this out some other time, okay.” He dipped his head in the direction of the film crew.

  “You’re damned right we’re not done.” With that, Ty returned his attention to the road and didn’t say a word for the rest of the trip. Caroline gave Dirk an I-don’t-know-what’s-happening look and settled back in her seat.

  What a way to dampen the mood. Dirk knew the man didn’t like him, but to actually say he wasn’t good enough for his daughter was a bit disconcerting. Yes, his family was not as well off as the Jacksons, or most other families in town as a matter of fact. They did the best they could considering his father’s physical disability. Mom worked two jobs most of the time to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Dad fought tirelessly for his VA benefits, appealing each time they issued a denial.

  Just thinking about how his father died at the beginning of his senior year in high school made his throat tighten. And for his dear, sweet mother to pass just two months before graduation almost put him over the proverbial cliff.

  Maybe it was the culmination of everything that happened to him his senior year that made him transfer colleges and head for the west coast and USC. He wanted to get as far away from the place where the most traumatic events of his life occurred. Even if it meant that he ultimately had to leave Caroline, the love of his life.

  But would he have left if he had known she was pregnant? Hell no! Even if it meant he had to hold down a job while attending college, he would have stayed and taken care of both of them.

  Lost in thought, he failed to notice they’d arrived at the stadium and the car pulling into a parking space. Ty immediately jumped out once he cut the engine and stormed off without a word to Dirk or his daughter. “I’m so sorry for my father’s behavior,” she gushed.

  “No problem,” he sighed. “I’m used to it.”

  “But that’s just it. You shouldn’t have to experience this, not in your hometown.”

  Dirk’s heart warmed looking into her face. He had a lot to make up for with her. And starting tonight he was going to give it his all.

  Caroline glared at her father’s retreating figure and for the first time in her life she felt ashamed to be Ty Jackson’s daughter. How dare he talk to Dirk like that! This was supposed to be a joyous occasion for all involved. Now all she felt like doing was returning home, going to bed and pulling the covers over her head.

  But that was not possible. A deal was a deal, and she needed to be available for this last public event for Dirk. Then she’ll have to hold up her end of the agreement and allow him to have contact with JJ. A shiver travelled through her body at the thought. Yes, he said he’d be happy with the proposed schedule she threw out yesterday, but what if he changed his mind and wanted more time?

  She trailed behind him as they entered the stadium, pausing along the way to accept congratulations from folks from Devinne and the fans of the opposing team. Maybe it was wrong for them to turn their back on him all these years? Better late than never, she supposed.

  But then she thought about her personal relationship with him. She had found out the day before he left town that she was pregnant. Instead of telling him immediately, she put it off, trying to come up with the right words. When he left town earlier than expected and failed to say goodbye to her, she lost it and closeted herself in her room. Nothing her parents said could console her, and eventually she made herself sick from crying.

  Dirk’s revelation that he did attempt to contact her before leaving made a lot of what ifs swirl around her head. What if she could have talked him into staying? What if she had left town with him? What if she had told him right away about the pregnancy? She shook her head and took her seat next to Dirk in the stands. What good did it do to think about how things might have been. She needed to live in the here and now, for her son’s sake.

  “Stop!” Caroline’s head whipped around to see a small gaggle of girls running in their direction, with a couple security guards close behind yelling at them. They were headed straight to Dirk, and the film crew diverted their attention from the action on the field to what was happening in the stands.

  “It’s okay,” Dirk said, holding out his hands, palms up. “They just want to meet me.”

  Warmth spread throughout Caroline’s chest, watching the way he greeted the girls and even allowed them to take some selfies. Soon a steady stream of people headed in their direction, and he took pictures with all of them until kickoff.

  “That was nice of you,” she told him after things settled down.

  “You sound surprised.”

  “Well, actually I am. I’ve seen so many famous athletes do everything they can to separate themselves from their fans.”

  “Not me,” he countered. “I love them all. Especially the young ones.”

  “That’s why you have the football camp every summer, huh?”

  “Yeah. It’s good to give back. I just wish I could have set one up back here.”

  “You can now,” she replied with a hitch in her voice. “Can I tell you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “For the past two years, JJ has been bugging me about sending him to one of your camps.”

  “That would have been so cool.”

  “Yeah, but it also would have caused problems.”

  “For who, Caroline?”

  She saw his jaw tighten and without thinking, she reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Dirk. If I had the power to go back in time and do things differently, I would.”

  He looked at her with a mixture of sadness and something else, and her heart melted a bit. “We can’t do that, but we can start fresh, right now.”

  Suddenly the crowd roared and their conversation came to an abrupt end. Devinne scored their first touchdown of the game and the stands on the home side of the field began to rock.

  Dirk threw his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Their gazes met and heat pooled into her center, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Eleven years to be exact.

  As the crowd continued to celebrate, Dirk leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Can you get a sitter for JJ tonight? I want you to come back to the hotel with me.”

  Her mouth dropped open at his request. The smart thing for her to do would have been to say no, loud and clear. But instead she found herself slowly nodding her head. A smile spread across his face as he caressed her cheek. So much for keeping her distance.

  Chapter Eight

  “Have you ever made love in a limo?”

  Dirk glanced at Caroline with hooded eyes as her face slowly reddened. He loved saying things that embarrassed her, just to see her reaction. When they were teens, it didn’t take much to make her blush. Looked like things hadn’t changed. Still the same, innocent girl he fell in love with years ago.

  “I’m not going to have sex here,” she said while scooting away from him into a far corner of the cavernous vehicle.

  “So, you’d rather wait until we get to my hotel room, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows and reached out to haul her back against his side. She made an attempt to move again, but he quickly threw his arm across her lap to still her.

  “I can see you’re not going to be a gentleman tonight.”

  He gave her a wolfish grin and bent over to place a kiss on the tip of her nose. “No, ma’am. What did you think I wanted when I asked you get a sitter for our son and invited you to come with me?”

  “I thought we’d talk about JJ and catch up on old times.”

  “Like when we used to sneak
out of town to that cheap motel and make love for hours? Or when we’d meet under the bleachers for a quickie?” He smiled when he felt her begin to squirm. She was not as immune to his sweet talk as she pretended.

  He lifted her and sat her onto his lap before she could voice any objections. In a flash, his lips covered hers and with a little prodding, she opened for him, allowing his tongue to reacquaint itself with her luscious mouth. She tasted like the cotton candy they shared at the game, so sweet. He couldn’t get enough of her, and angled his head to deepen the kiss. Her little moans spurred him on, and only when they needed a breath of air did he pull away.

  He dropped his head forward to meet hers while they both sucked in several breaths. His heart felt as though he just completed a four-second, forty-yard dash. Nothing had changed. Nothing. Caroline Jackson still had the power to push him over the edge.

  Soon, the car jerked to a stop and Caroline hopped out of his lap, onto the seat. He chuckled as she busied herself with straightening her clothing, all the while glaring in his direction.

  “Stop it,” she hissed as the driver opened the door and held out his hand to help her out the car. He slid across the seat and followed her, tipping the driver before turning his attention to Caroline. They had been brought to the service entrance, to avoid the media and any nosy guests. She stood by the door, her arms wrapped around her waist, looking lost. His breath hitched. It was the same expression she had on her face when he told her about his transfer to USC.

  He walked up to her, drew her into his arms and hugged her until he felt the tension ease from her body. “Let’s go upstairs.” Hand in hand, they headed for the service elevator and his penthouse suite.

  He allowed her to enter the suite first and watched as she headed straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows, a smile on her beautiful face. Lights on the downtown buildings twinkled, turning the business district into a magical place. When she turned to face him, fire spread throughout his body, heating him in all the right spots.

  “I really can’t stay long,” she started, her eyes darting around as if she expected someone to jump out from behind the furniture.

  “JJ is safe, right?”

  “Of course. He’s at my girlfriend’s house. You remember Tanya, don’t you? She graduated—”

  “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms, delighted that she didn’t resist. Her body molded into his and for a minute he simply held her, letting the moment sink in. Was he really back at home with the love of his life in his arms? His heartbeat tripled in speed at the realization that he still loved her, and always would. The fact that they had a child together made it even better.

  She looked up at him with a mischievous smile on her face. “Did you ask me to meet you here for a hug?”

  Heat surged through his body once more, turning his erection to beyond rock hard instantly. She must have felt it because her smile slowly slid off her face and was replaced by an expression he knew so well. The look on her face that told him she wanted sex just as much as he did. Her eyelids drooped and she slowly licked those kissable lips. Yeah, welcome home, Dirk.

  He slowly lowered his head until his lips covered hers again. Kissing her was just as erotic as intercourse for him. The way her lips automatically parted always gave him a thrill. His tongue dove inside her hot mouth and swept around, tasting her. And Caroline was not shy when it came to kissing. Her tongue boldly met his, and soon a competition broke out between them to determine dominance. This was a game he’d be glad to lose.

  He had not been celibate during their time apart, but there was something about this woman, his Caroline, that made him lose all control. Without breaking contact, he backed her into the bedroom and began to familiarize himself with her new curves. Motherhood and age had filled her out in all the right places. Her breasts more than filled his large hands. They both let out moans as he thrummed her nipples through her top. Not good enough. He slid a hand up and underneath her sweater and bra to touch one puckered nipple, then its mate. Caroline squirmed as he moved back and forth between the two, whimpering while pushing her chest forward, getting closer. He quickly whipped her top off, along with her bra.

  When she slipped a hand down into his pants and grabbed hold of his penis, he had to quickly step back, out of her reach. “What are you trying to do?” he panted.

  “I’m trying to make up for lost time,” she purred while eying his tented pants. His breath hitched and he pulled her back into his arms. Back in the day, she was quite shy in their lovemaking. Not so much now by the looks of things. Maybe that innocent Caroline had grown up.

  “Then let’s get to it.” He allowed her hands to roam over his body while he did the same with hers. With a practiced hand, he unzipped her pants and helped her shimmy out of them and her panties. Before taking off his pants, he knelt down and nudged her legs apart so he could taste her honeyed parts. He couldn’t help himself. His tongue lapped up her flowing juices, and he hardened even more listening to her little yelps. Over and over again, he licked and nibbled her inner lips until he felt her legs begin to give way. He quickly stood and held her while an orgasm ripped through her.

  “Wow,” was all she could say while leaning against him.

  “Yeah, wow.” Soon, they were both naked and standing next to the bed, their gazes locked onto each other. He reached over to grab his pants and fumbled a bit trying to pull out a condom. She snatched it from his trembling hand and smiled while slowly rolling it onto his iron hard erection.

  Slowly, he lowered both of them onto the bed, all the while worshipping her mouth with his. As much as he wanted to surge inside her body, he wanted to take things slowly and treasure this moment. With a twinkle in her eye, Caroline pushed him in the chest and reversed their positions so she lay on top of him.

  He lifted her hips and positioned her entrance over his penis, waiting for her signal. When she gave him a shaky nod, he let her body slide down and he entered her inch by tantalizing inch. Home.

  Once fully seated, she began to roll her hips, making his head fall forward and rest on top of hers. A shiver ran down his spine and he felt as though he was going out of his mind because of the myriad of emotions flowing through him. As she made her down stroke, he pushed upward, causing both of them to cry out in pleasure.

  A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and she reached up to tenderly wipe it away. Regret and loss rolled around in his head. And thoughts of what their life could have been made him choke up. But they had now, and he intended to make the most of it.

  Caroline began to tense up once more, on the verge of another orgasm. “Wait for me baby.” One, two more strokes and both of them tumbled over that precipice together.

  “I can’t stay,” she sleepily murmured while snuggling into his side.

  “I know,” he responded. But soon both of them were fast asleep, unaware of a brewing media storm.

  Chapter Nine

  Caroline smiled as she rolled over in her bed, recalling the hours she spent with Dirk in his hotel suite. After their nap, they awoke wrapped in each other’s arms and made love again. She thought there was no way the second time could be as magical as the first, but he proved her wrong in every way. It was almost three o’clock in the morning before the limo returned her home. He promised to call after practice and she couldn’t wait to hear his voice.

  Bam, bam, bam! Caroline’s heart leaped into her throat when she heard the pounding on her front door. She rolled out of bed and snatched the robe lying on a nearby chair. While stuffing her arms inside, JJ ran into her room.

  “What’s going on, mom?” His eyes wide open, he bounced from one foot to the other. “Why are all those people out there?”

  “I don’t know, baby.” She scooted over to the window and peered outside to discover her front yard covered with people. Most had cameras perched on their shoulders or large microphones in their hands. This was so not good. “Baby, go put some clothes on.”

  As soon as he sprinted o
ut of the room, Caroline tossed on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She then swiped a brush through her unruly hair and pulled it back into a puffy ponytail. Before she could leave the room, her cell phone rang. Her dad. Not even. Not now.

  As she approached the front door she took a fortifying breath, placed a hand on the door knob and said a prayer. With the door barely ajar, a reporter shoved a microphone through the crack and yelled, “So, is it true you and Dirk Benedict have a love child?”

  The question smacked her between the eyes and made her sway on her feet. She wanted to shut the door, but the reporter had strategically placed his foot there. Her first instinct was to slam the door, his foot be damned, but she heard a noise behind her. JJ stood a few feet away from her, his mouth gaped open. Not wanting her son to hear what was going on, she stepped out the door and closed it behind her.

  Caroline couldn’t believe how much the crowd had swelled since she first looked outside. In addition to the media horde parked on her lawn, her neighbors had joined the circus. Far in the back she spied her parents, and from the look on their faces, they were far from happy.

  But she was not concerned about them right now. JJ was at the top of that list. Somehow, word leaked that he was Dirk’s son and she needed to deal with the fallout. How to do so was the question. A “No comment” would probably cause the media to stay camped out here. The standard “Please give our family some privacy” would probably end up with the same result. She wished she could speak to Dirk. Warmth settled into her chest just thinking about him and their time together last night. Maybe he was right about them starting over and giving their relationship another try.

  Deciding that the privacy request was the better way to go for now, she opened her mouth to address the crowd. Before she uttered a word though, another reporter shoved some tabloid in her direction with a picture of Dirk and JJ on the cover. She immediately closed her mouth and covered it with her hand. How did someone take this? When? And hadn’t Dirk agreed to no photos? Her blood pressure spiked as she silently fumed.