Page 12 of Baby Daddy Protector

It was only natural to want to handle this business properly, right?

A job well done, indeed.

“Are you okay, princess?” I asked after a while. She’d asked me not to call her by her title in public, but in here, with just the two of us, it felt like a special endearment.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice sleepy now. “I’m beyond okay, actually. Thank you.”

I raised my head slightly to look up at her, grinning. “My pleasure, princess. Believe me.”

“Mine too,” she said, then giggled.

I lay back down, scooting slightly to the side to spoon her instead, sharing body heat as we both drifted off to sleep. Hopefully, we’d created a new life tonight. If not, there was always tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after, and…

After all, SEAL motto number one was never, ever quit until the job was done.

EIGHT

“Don’t you look chipper this morning,” Taylor said. She was my stylist in DC and an old friend from college. Tall, auburn-haired and lovely, she could’ve been a fashion model. She chose instead to do what she loved—overseeing fashion and makeup for other people. Her Southern drawl was oddly comforting after the heated night I had spent with Z. “What’s your secret?”

I did my best to stem the tide of heat creeping into my cheeks and failed. “No secret.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Taylor shook her head and grinned, moving around my chair as she fluffed and primped and curled my hair to within an inch of its life. “I’ll get his name out of you eventually, you know.”

“How do you know there’s a man involved?” I continued flipping through the preview designer catalog on my lap, avoiding Taylor’s gaze entirely. We were doing a trial run on hair and makeup before the state dinner at the White House later on in the trip, and also choosing attire for the upcoming events on my busy holiday schedule. I cleared my throat and did my best to sound flippant. “Maybe there’s no man involved.”

Taylor gave a dramatic eye roll in the mirror. “Seriously? There’s always a man involved.”

True enough. I exhaled slowly and placed a hand on my stomach for the umpteenth time. Which was ridiculous. It had been one night, less than twenty-four hours since Z and I had slept together. Even if by some miracle I was with child, it would be impossible for me to know this early on. And yet…

A silly smile formed on my lips, and I glanced up to see Taylor watching me with interest.

“You know I’ll just bug you to death until you tell me what’s happening.” Taylor stood, hands on hips, a wicked pair of trimming shears dangling from her fingers. “C’mon. Fess up.”

I hadn’t planned on sharing my secret with anyone, but it was so hard and lonely not having anyone close by to talk to and share with. Most girls, I imagined, would share things like this with their mothers, but mine was gone. Taylor had been a friend for years, and I trusted her completely. And it would be so nice to have someone to confess my deepest fears and hopes to. “If I tell you, you must swear not to share this information with anyone.”

Taylor placed her hand over her heart to show her sincerity. “Promise.”

“I’m trying to have a baby.”

At first, Taylor just blinked at me, absorbing that information. Then a small frown appeared. “Say that again.”

“I’m trying to have a baby. I’ve always wanted children and now, with the way things are with my father and Silvester, it would be an opportune time and—”

“So, you’re trying to have a kid to save Prylea?” Taylor gave up any pretense of working and plopped down in the swiveling chair beside mine. “Is that a wise move? Kids are a lot of work. Believe me.”

Taylor was happily married and had three small children at home. If anyone would know about the work involved, it would be her.

“I know.” I clasped my hands in my lap atop the catalog. “But I’ve been over all the available options and this seems to be the most viable solution.”

“Hmm.” Taylor sat back and crossed her arms. “And who’s the lucky sperm donor?”

“Hey!” The heat level in my cheeks turned scorching. “It’s not like that.”

In fact, it was exactly like that. On paper anyway. But each time I remembered the feel of Z in my arms, in my body, his gorgeous face flushed and his strong muscles trembling with release, my heart fluttered anew, and my chest squeezed with tenderness. It took a lot of effort to shove those unwanted emotions aside and remind myself that this had nothing to do with intimacy and tenderness and everything to do with securing the safety and future prosperity of Prylea.

“Fine. Whatever.” Taylor gave a dismissive wave, clearly not believing me at all. “So, what’s his name? Do I know him?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I shouldn’t say anything. It’s against our agreement.”

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