Page 17 of Secret Baby for the Bad Boy

“Yeah, but there's a… complication.” My pace slows as I thread through the crowd walking along the sidewalk. “Lara's the boss. Lara Mills.”

“The vacation fling Lara?” Her sharp intake of breath is audible through the phone and I nod, even though she can’t see me.

“One and the same.” I stop at a crosswalk, watching the traffic lights change.

“Goodness...” Mom goes silent for a heartbeat. “Do you think... maybe the universe has plans for you two?” She sounds hopeful, but I shake my head as I walk.

A cab honks nearby, breaking to avoid rear ending an unsure driver. “I’m not really into cosmic signs, Mom.”

Besides, Lara said no romance. The memory of those words still stings like alcohol in a fresh wound, even though I know they were necessary for us to have a good, solid, working relationship. I’m not about to tell my mom that, though. I don’t need to. She knows that being professional is important to me. I have a slightly smudged past to make up for, after all. Even though she has no idea how dark that smudge is, thankfully.

“Still,” she says, a hint of wonder coloring her tone. “Life is strange.”

“Life is unpredictable,” I say, crossing the street. “But that doesn’t make coincidences some plan the universe has laid out for us. And besides, I've got plans, and none of them involve rekindling old flames.” The words sound like a lie in my ears, but that’s not a productive thought, so I ignore it.

“Alright, honey. Just be careful, okay?” The concern in her voice has me smiling. I know she’s afraid I’ll get hurt, have my heart broken, and it’s a valid concern. One I share, if I’m being honest. Lara messed me up for a long time, but that was in the past. Hopefully, it stays there.

“I always am.” With that, we say our goodbyes and hang up. I pocket my phone as the office building looms ahead once more.

My future awaits, and this time, I'm playing by my rules.

Chapter Nine

Lara

How is it that after all this time, his stare – that’s somehow even more intense – has so much effect on me?

I thought I could be impartial, forget the past, but my body didn’t forget Lark.

Sunlight filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a golden glow over the marble floors of my office. He’d been sitting right there, across from me, so recently I can still smell the thick, piney scent of his cologne if I move just right.

I stand in the center of the room, surrounded by the proof of my incredible success, the millions in my bank, but things feel different.

“Whatever it takes,” I say to myself.

And I’d meant those words, spoken so many years ago in my bathroom right after learning I was pregnant with Lark’s child. Of course, that’s a secret I plan on keeping, now and forever. The people in my life know to guard that secret to protect my son.

But the Lark that showed up today… he wasn’t the same man. And as I take out my phone and check his social media, I see that he’s really cleaned up his image. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s less dangerous, it just means he’s learned to hide his dealings better.

As long as none of his trouble creates issues here at the company, I don’t give a damn what he does in his down time. That’s none of my business.

A sharp, insistent knock on the door has me glancing up from the computer screen on my desk. “Come in,” I call out, wondering who is at my office door and how I can help.

Shana pokes her head through the gap, her sleek brown ponytail swinging side to side. “So? How did it go with Lark?” The curiosity in her voice is mirrored by her big blue eyes. She walks in and sits down across from me, her pretty blouse shining under the lights of my office. Her pencil skirt is no-nonsense, and I think about how far we’ve come in five years, starting up this tech company together when so many people told us women don’t belong in this industry.

I lean back in my chair, fingers interlocking in my lap. “I hired him.”

Her eyebrows shoot up in both surprise and skepticism. “Really?”

“Really,” I say. I guess she didn’t expect me to actually hire him, no matter how good he looked on paper. Of course, he looks amazing in real life, too—I shut those thoughts down and continue talking. “He's qualified, intelligent, and an asset to the team.” But even as I list his professional attributes, doubt fills me. Not doubt at his abilities, but my ability to work with him and keep things strictly professional. The man makes me want him to do dirty things to me right here on my desk.

“And you think you can keep things... professional?” Shana leans forward, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

I nod, once, firmly. “Absolutely. I made that very clear to him.”

“Right.” She doesn't look convinced. Her lips purse slightly, eyes narrowing as if she's reading between the lines of a script I didn't know we were following. And I wonder if she remembers how much he affected me back then. How strong the pull between us was. Heck, I think I’d forgotten until I saw him again, but I need to keep that part of myself under control, because that’s the only option.

A memory fills my mind—the heat of a tropical sun, conversations and laughter, the magnetic pull of Lark’s gaze. The way his hands knew every inch of me, the raw power in those muscly forearms… I push the thoughts away. That was then. This is now. That part of my life – our lives – is over.

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