Page 22 of Sassy Surrogate
Shaking my head, I can do nothing else but laugh at her. She is so genuinely horrified to have spoken the words that I find it hard to be offended. Definitely a refreshing change from all the circling sharks who simper and say what they think I want to hear in an attempt to worm their way into my life, and bank account.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” I reply with a chuckle.
A brief glance down at my watch reveals this meeting has taken far longer than I had anticipated, and yet, weirdly, I don’t want it to end. Despite my reluctance, I get to my feet and hold out a hand to assist Danica to hers. “I need to get to the office. Please give my offer serious consideration?”
She hesitates for a moment before placing her hand in my mine. I feel her touch all the way through my body, a ripple of awareness. A desire to haul her into my arms and kiss her until neither of us can breathe slams into me; instead, we stand awkwardly staring at each other for a while, not saying a word.
Danica is the first to break the silence. “I– yeah, um, sure.” She’s nodding, but she’s fiddling with the hem of her T-shirt, avoiding eye contact.
She’s casually dressed in T-shirt and a pair of jeans that hug her generous curves. Her feet are bare, toes painted a fire-engine red. Exactly what I’d expect from this feisty woman. I can’t help but smile at that.
Despite being nervous about the outcome of this meeting, I’ve enjoyed it.
Extracting her hand from mine, Danica leads me to the front door. I can’t prevent my eyes from dropping to the sway of her ass. It’s fascinated me since the day we met. I jerk my gaze up as she stops abruptly just short of the door. The last thing I want is to be caught ogling her.
“Would it– er…”
“Would it…?”
I indicate for her to speak first.
“Well– er, would it be okay if I were to talk this over with Rebecca? She always gives the best advice.”
I should probably have seen the question coming. I’m not sure how I feel about my executive assistant knowing I want to pay her friend to incubate my baby. “I don’t mind you discussing it with her,per se. All I ask is that you don’t yet tell her that it’s me; I’d rather she not know unless you decide that you’re willing to take me up on my offer. Yeah?”
“I can live with that.”
“Thank you for your time, Danica.” I step out onto the porch. “You can reach me directly on the number I rang you from last night, at any time. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Okay.”
Kieran is standing beside the vehicle waiting for me. His face is smooth, revealing nothing of his thoughts as to why we’ve come here. Ignoring him, I finally give in to my urge to kiss Danica. Gently, I cup her face in my palms.
I lean into her space and lay claim to her lips. Tracing the seam of her mouth, I demand entry and, surprisingly, she doesn’t deny me. There’s barely a moment’s hesitation before she opens to me. It’s as if I’ve slipped into nirvana and have been granted permission to sip the nectar of the gods.
I get so lost in her the world around us fades away, and all I can see, feel, taste is her. It’s only with the backfiring of a vehicle nearby that I realise I’m mauling this poor woman out in public for all her neighbours to see.
Lifting my head, her cheeks still cupped between my hands, I gaze into her beautiful face, made all the more breathtaking by the colour riding high on her cheekbones.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to manhandle you on your front porch like that.” Without giving her an opportunity to reply, I turn and stalk down the path to where the vehicle is parked.
“Ready for the office now?” Kieran asks as he opens the back door, a tiny smirk lifting a corner of his mouth.
“Yep,” is all the response I’m capable of right then.
11
Danica
I’m hard pressed to remember a more bizarre discussion I’ve been a part of. When Heath called last night, I could never have imagined today’s topic of conversation. I’m thrown for a loop and have no idea what to say.
Could I be a surrogate? I mean, it’s not something I’ve ever contemplated. I guess I’m just different from all the other girls who’ve dreamed of their perfect wedding, the house with the white picket fence and the two-point-four children. But that was never me.
Then he went and blew my mind with his offer. Holy cow. Who knew being a surrogate paid so much? I certainly didn’t. I’m still reeling with shock when he informs me he has to get back to the office. Following him out onto the front porch, my mind still scrambling to process everything that’s happened so far this morning, I’m caught totally by surprise when he plants his lips on mine.
All I can do is open up to him, just as a flower opens up to the sun in the early morning light. The kiss immediately burns hot, making my head spin. Damn, this man can kiss. My tongue duels with his as I attempt to burrow into him. I get so caught up in him and his kiss it’s as if the outside world has ceased to exist.
Only when a car somewhere close by backfires, scaring the hell out of me, does he draw back. It takes me a moment to come back to myself before it dawns on me I’ve all but devoured this man on my front porch.
