Sweet Daddy: The Complete Collection

by Rachel Burns

“You sure do talk like a young lady. A naughty young lady,” he added.

  “Why do you think you can talk to me like that?”

  “Because I’m desperate to do and say anything that will help you do what you have to do to protect our child. I want to be the good guy, but you have to admit, you aren’t helping me to help you.”

  “I don’t have to admit anything.”

  Joshua took a deep breath. “Get into the bed, Eve.”

  Eve stomped over to the side of the bed she’d slept on last time. She got in and rolled away from him.

  “Eve, your hair is all tangled up. Should I brush it for you?”

  Eve sat up and looked at him. “What are you going on about now?”

  “I have two sisters, one is older than me, and one is younger.”

  “Thanks for sharing that. Good night.” Eve lay back down, completely annoyed with him.

  “The reason I mentioned it was because they combed and braided their hair before they went to bed at night, so it wouldn’t be snarly in the morning.”

  “So you want me to get up and braid my hair?” she asked him, sarcastically.

  “I could do it for you, so you can stay in bed,” he offered.

  “You can braid hair?” Eve was fighting not to smirk. The last thing she wanted was to end up liking him.

  “I could try,” he offered.

  “This I’ve got to see.” Eve sat up and looked at him. “My hair things are in my make-up box.”

  Joshua heard the challenge in her voice. He wanted to show that he wasn’t a selfish idiot. He picked up her make-up box and brought it into the bathroom. There he opened it and saw the largest collection of make-up he’d ever seen. It opened like a toolbox, showing hidden compartments. At the bottom, he saw a hairbrush and ponytail holders. He picked out two light brown ones and closed her make-up case again.

  He went back to her and lifted up the things in his hands.

  Eve rolled her eyes and nodded, letting him know that his choices were fine.

  Joshua was getting sick and tired of her attitude. He knew that his lifestyle had provoked his friends into doing what they had, but Eve certainly wasn’t making lemonade with the lemons she’d been given.

  Joshua realized that he was a lemon. He wasn’t the type of man she’d have chosen for herself.

  What had he said to get her to like him that night?

  Maybe she’d tell him one day, once she stopped hating him. He hoped that day would come eventually.

  “Move forward a little, so I can sit behind you.”

  “Will you let me go to sleep when you’re finished?”

  “Of course.”

  “No more odd requests?” Eve narrowed her eyes at him.

  “No. I’ll insist that sleep when I’m finished.”

  “If you tug too hard, you’re finished. I’ll never let you near my hair again,” she warned him.

  “I understand.”

  Eve moved forward a little, and Joshua slipped into the bed behind her. Gently he brushed through her hair. It went past her shoulder blade.

  “I remember that you had your hair up the night we met.”

  “You remember that?”

  “Yes. I have a picture of you in my head. My friends didn’t drug me until after we’d danced. I don’t remember dancing unfortunately.”

  “Why would your friends do that to you?” Eve emphasized the word friends.

  “I’d rather not say.”

  Eve frowned, thinking that she had to give up so much, and he wasn’t willing to share anything. “I think I deserve to know.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. They did it because they were worried about me. They wanted me to have a shock and then give up my bachelor ways.”

  “Your bachelor ways?”

  “I used to like to go out and pick up women.”

  “What does pick up mean?” Eve leaned back towards him a little. She liked the way he was carefully brushing her hair. It was calming her. It didn’t hurt, and his fingers swept through her hair to gather it into a ponytail so nicely.

  “I wish I could tell you that I was out to meet women, so I could convert them to my religion, but the truth is that I went out looking for sex.”

  “Are you a sex addict? We did do it twice, one time right after the other.” Eve was thinking aloud.

  “No, I’m not. I can go without if need be and I have since. Their plan worked. I was freaked out in the morning, so I haven’t been going out. I thought I had a drinking problem. I considered joining AA.” He laughed lightly, remembering it.

  Eve thought about that while he divided her hair in half.

  He pushed one half over her shoulder, so it was in front of her body. “Turn your head to the right, please.”

  Eve looked over at his side of the bed. Was he really going to sleep next to her? How could he when he couldn’t even remember her?

  Joshua loved her hair. It was so soft. He brushed through it several more times before he divided into three parts and started to braid it. He used the light brown hair tie to hold it in place.

  Joshua ran his hand along the braid. His heart was pounding like mad just because he was so close to her. His friends insisted that he’d told them that she was the one. Had he really fallen in love with a woman, gotten her to love him back and brought her home for a beautiful evening, made love to her twice, gotten her pregnant and then forgotten her.

  The truth was that he felt drawn to her. If he’d have seen her in a club, he’d have gone to her and tried to get her to dance with him.

  “I still don’t understand why your friends would do that. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Your right it doesn’t. They wanted to teach me a lesson. I guess they felt that it was time for me to grow up.”

  “Did it really work?” Eve asked.

  “Turn your head to the left.”

  Eve moved her head.

  “You changed me, not them. I told them that you were the one. They thought I said that every night, but the truth is I’ve never said that about a woman.” He brushed through her hair.

  “I feel something for you, Eve. Your important to me.” He divided the other half of her hair into three parts and braided it. “I’m finished.”

  “Because I’m the mother of your child.”

  “You’re more than that.”

  “Don’t say anything more.” Eve didn’t want to hear any lies about love. She wanted to believe him, because she loved him. She could clearly remember what happened, the flirting and the lovemaking. It had felt so real. So real that she wanted to believe they could rekindle what they had.

  However, believing him again would be idiotic. She’d already proven that she was a fool once. She didn’t want to do it again.

  Joshua got up, and Eve lay down and closed her eyes. She listened to him open a drawer and then close it. He went into the bathroom and showered, and then he brushed his teeth. The door opened, and he came back into the bedroom.

  Eve kept her eyes tightly shut.

  Joshua got into bed next to her and turned out the light. He lay on his side, so he could stare at her.

  It was his job to make her feel special and loved. Still, he longed to lay her superb body over his knees and give her several good swats to change her attitude.

  He reminded himself that she was in a mood because of him.

  On an impulse, he lifted up one of her braids and kissed it before he went to sleep.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning, Joshua was once again faced with a young lady who was in a bad mood. Eve was demanding that she be allowed to go home.

  Joshua rubbed his temples. He needed to calm down before he did something that he’d regret.

  “This is a kidnapping. I demand that you let me go this instant.” She stomped her foot to emphasize her point.

  “Maybe, you’ll feel better after you have breakfast.” Joshua was fighting to keep his wits about him.

  “I want to go home. You have no
right to keep me against my will.”

  “Eve, you’re a little moody because you didn’t get enough sleep. There was no reason for you to wake up at six. You’re going to eat something, and then you’re going to go back to bed.”

  “No, I’m going to leave now.” Eve packed her things together with tears in her eyes. She wanted to stay with him and pretend that everything was okay, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being dependent on a man who had no idea who she was.

  “I can’t let you.”

  “I need to be alone. I have a lot to think about.”

  “Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. After we eat breakfast, we’ll go down to the doctor’s office. If he says that you can go home, you may.” He took a step closer to Eve. “However, if he says he wants you to stay, you will.”

  Eve thought about it for a moment. “But I really want to go.”

  Joshua rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen. He got out a frying pan and started to make her a couple of eggs for breakfast. He had to stop what he was doing several times to yawn.

  Eve sat down at the table and waited for her food.

  “Do you have morning sickness?” Joshua asked her.

  “No, not yet.”

  “Maybe you’ll get lucky.” Joshua smiled at her, hoping that she wouldn’t be so crabby. It was clear that Eve was a little girl who needed her rest to be sweet.

  “I don’t know. I certainly don’t feel lucky,” she said, as snotty as she could

  “And of course that’s my fault.”

  “Whose else could it be? I was finally where I wanted to be with my career. I was getting offered jobs. Do you understand what that means in my line of work? They were coming to me. My next role would have been a lead role. If I wouldn’t have met you, I be starring in a show and I’d have insurance.”

  Joshua nodded along. This really was bad timing for her. “You’re right. You’ll never be able to forgive me. I really am sorry, but I’d like to point out that it takes two to tango. You aren’t completely innocent in all of this.”

  “I know. That’s why I’ll hate myself for the rest of my life.” Eve looked away from him.

  Joshua could see that she was trying not to cry. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad about herself. He worked on making her breakfast as he wondered if she could really want a baby. Because of the baby, she was stuck with him, and a baby who ruined the plans she made for her future and had worked so hard to obtain. It surprised her that she was able to love the baby so much.

  When he set a plate of food in front of her, she just picked at it. With all his heart, Joshua wished that this were a happy time for her.

  “How do you feel about divorce?” Joshua asked her.

  “What?” That got Eve’s attention.

  “The reason I’m asking is because I think we’ll need to get married.” The appalled look on Eve’s face made him continue to explain. “So you can have insurance, you and the baby.”

  “You’re lying, so you can get what you want,” she accused him.

  “No, I checked into it this morning. All the companies would insure you but only if the baby and birth are excluded. We need to get married, and then I can insure you over my existing policy, you and the baby. If you still hate me after the baby is born, we can get a divorce.”

  “I’d like to hear that from someone else. No matter what the doctor says, I’m leaving today. I have things that I need to take care of.”

  “I’d be glad to help you with everything. If you want, I’ll pack for you.”

  “I feel I’m capable of that myself. I won’t let you jabber your way into my life. You had your chance. The story with your friends is just a little too convenient. It wasn’t like you acted drunk or high. You were completely there. Right now, I need to listen to common sense. And common sense tells me that this is bull crap.”

  “Oh thank God. You’re going to listen to common sense. And here I was worried that you wouldn’t take the professional advice from a doctor.”

  “Being sarcastic isn’t going to help this situation. I feel like a prisoner.”

  “I feel like laying you over my knee and giving you a sound spanking, so you stop your pouting and complaining. I’m here, taking responsibility. Whatever you want or need, I’m willing to do it. Personally, I don’t think you have it all that bad.”

  Eve felt her nostrils flaring. “That’s just because you aren’t giving up anything.”

  “That’s right. I’m the winner in this. I got to have a wonderful evening with the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and I can’t even remember it. We made a child together, and the memory of that is also gone. You can at least remember what happened. I’ll envy you that for the rest of my life.”

  At first, Eve felt sorry for him, but then she thought about what she’d been going through and hated him again. “Poor baby,” she mocked him.

  “I guess I wasn’t that great because she didn’t contact me until a few weeks later.”

  “I guess you weren’t.” Eve couldn’t look him in the eye as she lied. He’d been fine. Okay, fantastic would be a better word.

  “Or did you like it with me.” Joshua was had a huge grin on his face. For an actress she was a terrible liar. On stage, she was amazing, but in one on one situations she couldn’t lie.

  “I left in the morning, so I didn’t have to go through the ordeal again,” Eve told him, meanly.

  “Odd, Mr. Johnson said it was because you had a matinee.”

  “I’m ready to see the doctor now,” Eve said ending the conversation.

  Chapter 16

  Eve frowned at the doctor, who was shaking his head at her. He clearly wasn’t pleased with her condition.

  “Did you sleep at all last night?” Dr. Kennedy asked, frowning back at her.

  “Not really. I don’t sleep well in strange beds.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Joshua told her.

  “Can I go home now? I don’t feel comfortable with Mr. Anthony,” Eve asked the doctor, sweetly.

  “No, you can’t. You need a lot more rest and relaxation. I’m sure Mr. Johnson could find someone to give you a massage.” Sebastian figured that the two of them needed some time together. Mr. Johnson had explained what happened. He was routing for them to get together. A child needed both parents.

  “I could give her a massage and warm bath beforehand.” Joshua stepped forward, thinking that this could be something that bonded them together.

  “Perfect, it’s all settled.” Sebastian told Eve that he’d like to see her again tomorrow.

  Joshua helped an angry Eve to her feet. “ Please go into the waiting room, darling. Can I have a word with you in private, Dr. Kennedy?”

  “Of course.” Sebastian couldn’t hide his smile. These two were clearly a couple.

  After Eve left the room, Joshua explained what happened; telling the good doctor what was wrong, and why he was acting this way. He told him how Eve was reacting, stating that she had every right to be mad, but also confessing that he’d love to give her a couple of smacks on her backside to get her to stop pouting.

  “So, to make sure that I understand you, what you’re asking is if it’s okay to spank your girlfriend while she’s pregnant?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

  “No, of course not. I mean – I know it’s not okay. I shouldn’t be bothering you.”

  “Over your knees, so her tummy isn’t getting squished and just use your hand.” Sebastian stepped out into the waiting room and called his next patient.

  Eve didn’t want to sit in the waiting room while Joshua talked to the doctor about her behind her back, so she went out to see if Mr. Johnson was there. She wanted to talk to someone friendly.

  Mr. Johnson spotted her immediately. “Good morning, Miss Temple. How are you feeling today?”

  “I’m still a little tired.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I have some good news for you. Maybe that will cheer you up.”

  “Really? For me?�
�� Her face lit up with excitement.

  “Yes, for you. I found a few men to help you move over here.”

  “Here?” She pointed down at the floor.

  “I beg your pardon, Miss Temple, but the doctor wants you to stay here for now. I feel it would be best if we could bring your things here, and then you could move them again once the doctor gave you the okay to do so.”

  “I wish I could go along. I wanted to sort through things and throw things away that I don’t want anymore.”

  “I could have my men pick you up on their way over,” Mr. Johnson offered.

  “That would be great. It would put my mind at ease some. But how did you find someone so quickly?”

  “They’re friends of mine. They’re retired. I believe the furniture in your apartment was also rented. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, you seem to know everyone and everything.” Eve was very impressed with him.

  “Buildings are my business, Miss Temple.” He pulled out his cell and called his friends.

  Joshua joined them and heard that Eve was leaving. He wasn’t happy about that.

  “Eve told me that it would rest her mind if she could go along and sort through her things. I’ve warned them that she isn’t allowed to lift a finger, and I’ll warn them again. This will give you a chance to go to work. You can get something done, knowing that Eve is in good hands,” Mr. Johnson assured him.

  “Of course.” Joshua figured that a break would be good for both of them. He was still digesting the fact that he had permission from the doctor to spank his Eve.

  The movers picked up Eve and Joshua warned them about the baby, telling them what the doctor said.

  They swore that they’d be very careful with her.

  When they pulled away with Eve, Joshua felt a tug at his heart. It was a new feeling for him. He was worried about her.

  Countless times, he’d said goodbye to a woman after a night of lovemaking, but he’d never thought about them once they were gone.

  He was in love with Eve, his precious Eve who still braids in her hair. Braids that he would put in her hair every night for the rest of their lives.