Page 34 of Fourth Heartwarmers Trilogy
“Me? I thought you had something important on your mind.”
Jack chuckled. “Is that a leading question?”
“What? No. I wasn’t fishing. I mean it. What about me?”
“You mentioned that Jasmine was Maisie’s mother. Did you have an agreement so you could keep her?”
“Yes, Jasmine had a will drawn up with instructions making me the legal guardian of my godchild until she’s eighteen. After she was born, we decided not to take any chances.”
“Were you a couple?” In today’s world, these relationships were acceptable. He knew it. But his curiosity demanded he get the real facts before letting the sprouting tenderness for her grow.
“Huh? Me and Jasmine? No! What in the world makes you think we were? She was more like a sister. In fact, she lived with me and my folks after her own mother dumped her at sixteen. We were family. Who else would take Maisie but me?”
“Of course. Now it makes perfect sense. I wasn’t being nosy or trying to intrude. I have such a crush on the kid. I was interested in her background.”
Sensing his sincerity, Mia relaxed. “From the time she was Maisie’s age, Jasmine wanted to be a movie star. She had so much talent that with Mom and Dad’s financial help, we moved to Los Angeles. We all knew if she got a break, she could make it big. She constantly tried to bring a dose of reality to our dreams and even went as far as taking a Cosmetology course as backup in case her auditions didn’t pan out and no acting work flooded in.”
“Did they?”
“Turns out she knew better than we did. Oh, she did get a few jobs in the industry to begin with, but around that time she met this asshole in a bar, Earl Lane, fell in love, got pregnant, and gave up her career hopes.”
“Where’s he in the grand scheme of things?”
“Gone. Left her high and dry. Wham, bam, no thank you ma’am – I don’t want you anymore. Oh… and don’t call again.”
“Bastard.”
“Yep! Lots of men are just like him.” Not looking his way, Mia remembered other friends who’d been with losers and had to deal with broken hearts.
“Hey! Not that I’ve got any platform to stand on for the male race, but we’re not all brushed with the same tar.”
“Tarred with the same brush.”
“Whatever. I’d never give up a baby of mine, even if I didn’t love the woman. There’re ways to stay involved, to support and be in a child’s life without needing to be in a committed relationship. Let’s face it, one-night stands happen, maybe aren’t a real basis for marriage, but the resulting kid should never be the one to suffer for their parents’ irresponsible behavior.”
“Whoa! You can get riled. You should be in front of an audience with your views. You’ve made a believer out of me.”
Watching Jack become flustered, his face heating up, and his heart in his eyes, she could see him on a stage, in front of spectators, reeling them in. He’d convinced her. Actually, he’d attracted the hell out of her, and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and kissed him.
Chapter Thirteen
Jack felt like a complete idiot, ranting on about his opinions and sounding like a know-it-all. Truth was, he’d never been in a situation like Jasmine and Earl’s, so who knows what he’d have done.
Nah! His mind deflected that ridiculous argument. He did know what he’d have done. Never, ever could he walk away from his own child. A man had a responsibility to own up to his mistakes, pay fairly for his share and never desert those who needed him. Where he’d learned to believe these ideologies, he wasn’t sure. He just knew what he knew. It was about honor.
Before he stopped blathering, he saw the way Mia looked at him, with reverence almost, and he swelled inside. When she leaned over and kissed him, every cohesive thought in his head fled. All he could think of was the softness of her lips, the smell of her flowery hair and the feel of her close and yielding.
He reached to tug her over him and sighed with gratitude when she came willingly. Now her body lay over his like ablanket of temptation and he let himself drift in the sexual haze of need and want.
His hands cradled her head while he held her in place so his lips could investigate every area of her beautiful face, her cheeks, her forehead and her eyes. When she whimpered, he returned to seducing her lips.
Lordy, she was sweet! Allowing his tongue passage, he found hers playful – willing to invite and examine. Their dueling tongues started the flames, and her moans fueled them.
Soon his hands moved to her shoulders so he could cuddle her closer, stroke her bare arms and back. His legs had opened to allow her comfort and he knew his burgeoning excitement had traveled to all parts of his body, engorging the area most involved in what was about to happen. His hard neediness drove into her belly, and she wriggled against him to show her support of the situation.
Sensing her approval by her actions, he placed his hands on the cheeks of her ass and mashed her closer, letting her know how much he wanted her there.
All the while their mouths were loving each other, her hands were involved in the act of convincing him she wanted this to happen. Her fingers were slicing through his hair, caressing his head and when he sat up to get closer, they wrapped around his neck as she held on in her arousal.
