Passionate Bid (9 page)

I will stay as far away as possible from the both of you. But I will send her cards, birthday money, and graduation money. I”ll even purchase her first car. For her college, I will set up a trust fund. I will talk to her online and we”ll see each other on the webcam. While growing up, I want her to know me, not as Doctor Ravenwood, but as her dad. And when she”s old enough, I will tell her the truth about us. She can then decide for herself if she wants me in her life or not. Those are my conditions. I”ll give you the money in exchange of my two weeks with Sam, Joanie.”

“For a doctor, you sound so stupid.”

“And if you”re not stupid like you said you are, you”ll accept my condition.

Listen, Joanie, I am not asking to split the week with Sam. Two weeks with her and occasional cards every year will be my only connection with her. I just want her to know I exist.” He chose not to press the issue of his seeing Sam more often at this point in time. And don’t get me started on Georgiana. I’m kissing my chance with her goodbye.

“Two weeks. What should I tell her when you”re gone? „Oh, your dad is not coming back, bug. He just wanted two weeks with you.” Her papa is gone forever and you will be gone after your dream two weeks with her is over. Have you any idea of the impact of your stupid selfishness is on her? What is she going to tell her friends? That she had her dad with her for two weeks? I had a husband for merely a day. You don”t know what it was like, Julian. You can”t just play with people”s lives. This isn”t a game.”

Julian pinched the bridge of his nose. Fuck. He”d thought his meeting with her would be easy. He underestimated her. She was right about the repercussions of his selfish idea, but she was being unreasonable, too. Why couldn”t she just sign the papers and talk about how he could help raise Sam. Vindictive, beautiful wench. He didn”t think she”d be one.

Just let her sign the papers, cut her a check, then leave. Simple. Walk away. Take your freedom. And you might get lucky. Georgina will come back to you, Julian. Don’t be a moron.

But what about Sam? Yes, his demand of two weeks with Sam would probably hurt her, but not having him in her life would hurt her even more. She was already a product of a broken home. As it was, they would have a long distance relationship, but she”d have a dad around. No, disappearing from her life was out of the question. He met Joanie”s stare. “My condition still stands. Two weeks for a hundred thousand dollars.”

A loud crack of thunder boomed he swore he felt the whole house shake.

Sam”s ear piercing scream followed.

Damn it. Taking two steps at a time, he beat Joanie to Sam”s room. Sam was already off her bed.

“Hey, love. Thunder scared you again, huh?” Julian asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“Don”t you worry, I am here now. Wanna go back to bed. I”ll lay down with you.”

“Okay. Promise you won”t leave.”

“I promise, love. I won”t leave.”

Hugging Sam tight against his chest, he lowered himself on the bed. The single bed dipped from his weight. Sam snuggled up against him. Her little rump pressed against his stomach. She said something but he caught only the words butterfly, purple dragon and butter.

Julian pressed his nose at the back of Sam”s hair and inhaled her scent.

Something inexplicable wrapped around him, like a blanket that made him snuggle tighter with Sam and caused heaviness in his chest.

When he saw the ring, wave after wave of shock slapped him. The revelation actually stunned him. He couldn”t react. No, he didn”t know how to react. How does one act when he learned he fathered a beautiful child?

He slid his hand beneath Sam”s and looked at how tiny they were compared to his. They were soft with dimples instead of knuckles showing. He rubbed the chubby part. At that moment, he knew he would fight for his rights as her father. If what I feel right now is love, then yes, I love my little girl.

God, how could he love Sam when he barely knew her?

“Yes. I love you, baby.” He kissed the back of her head, trying to fight the emotions that were locked in his chest, but now finally out and assaulting him.

What had he done and what was he going to do? Two weeks with Sam. What a fucked up deal.

Sam jerked in her sleep. “Come okay?”

“Yes, baby. I”ll come to your party.” Two times now, he made a promise with her. He hoped to God that he”d be able to keep his words.

Downstairs, the old grandfather”s clock struck eleven, which meant Joanie had been lying on her bed staring on the dark ceiling for hours. Normally, the sound of rain pelting against the glass window lulled her to sleep. Not this time.

Her mind and body were wide-awake, attuned to the man lying in the tiny bed in the room across from hers.

Two weeks of staying with them. What an idiotic idea! Had he any clue how awkward that would be?

Outside the wind howled. The tree branches creaked and whipped the side of the house. Damn it. They”d be screwed if a branch broke and landed on her paper-thin house. She threw her bed covers and got up. She stood by the window and peered outside, but it was too dark to see.

Cold air seeped through the sealants around the window. Joanie picked on the old putty. She had work to do around the house. Most of them involved money, which she didn”t have. At least, right now. If Julian agreed with her, she could have the money she needed. Then she could start with the important repairs.

Feeling the cold draft, she grabbed her robe and walked out the room to a peek into Sam”s bedroom.

Julian was on his back with his eyes closed. His feet flat on the floor. Sam”s belly was pressed against his stomach and her leg draped around his hip. He looked uncomfortable lying on the tiny bed, but the look on his face said otherwise.

He must have sensed her. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at her. For a moment, she let herself meet his gaze. She stared wordlessly across at him, her heart pounding.

Lordy, he’s one fine looking man. So pleasing to look at.

Their eye contact broke when Sam shifted. Her foot jerked, kicking Julian right on the groin.

“Oomphht!” He bucked and grabbed Sam”s foot.

“Are you okay?” Joanie mouthed in sympathy.

Julian nodded. Slowly, he scooted on the side of the bed. He adjusted the cover around Sam and kissed her forehead.

She watched him as he rose to his feet.

Julian tucked his hands deep into his pockets and stood silently. Frozen, she remained standing in the doorway.

“Meet me downstairs, Joanie.” With one last look at Sam, he squeezed by her and left the room.

Julian paced in the living room while raking his hair with his fingers, leaving his hair standing on ends. Obviously, finding out he had a daughter was too distressful for him. Did the unexpected news put a kink on his present plans?

A plan to remarry? Joanie wondered. An invincible punch hit her in the gut. Lordy, why that thought never failed to hurt her? Didn”t she move on already? Or she only made herself believe that? Whatever her feelings were, they didn”t matter anymore.

Sam mattered.

“I accept your condition to stay until Sam”s birthday. But you”ll have to agree with mine, of course.”

Julian stopped pacing and pierced her with a look that made her want to bolt and lock herself in a room. His fists were opening and closing. Joanie could imagine him thinking he was gripping her neck. She took a step back. Just a tiny bit and raised her chin. She wouldn”t be intimidated in her own home, especially by him.

“When do you need the money?” He practically spat the last word.

Soon. Right now. Pronto. It would be great if she could get the money soon. At least she could inform the buyer that the property was no longer for sale, and she could call the carpenter again for the estimate on the repair. “How soon can you give it to me?”

“Eager, huh? Care to tell me what you”ll do with it.”

She hated the sarcasm in his words. He said them as if she was a gold-digger, money-grabbing bitch. “No. It”s none of your business what I”ll do with the money.”

“On Sam”s birthday, I”ll give you the money.”

“Fine.” Two weeks. She could handle that. “I”ll sign your papers when you hand me the money.”

Julian nodded, his stare unwavering. Damn his blue eyes. If she continued with this stare-down, she”d find herself on the floor like Sam”s melted ice cream on a hot sunny day. Good grief, after all these years, he still had that same effect on her—mushed her brains.

The memory of him naked, standing in front of her flashed in her mind like a bolt of lightning.

Julian”s grandma had thrown a party to celebrate his graduation. Alcohol flowed like the Niagara Falls and Julian drank that night. Perhaps more than what his body and mind could take. She had been standing beside a potted fern trying to blend in and not get noticed by Julian”s boozy friend who started harassing her, urging her to go outside and see what he”d had in the trunk of his car. He was pulling her arm when Julian appeared and yanked the guy away, shoving him against the fern. The guy had fallen backwards and remained on the floor unmoving. She guessed the guy had fallen asleep, because those who witnessed what happed just laughed.

Julian had asked if she were okay. He hadn”t waited for her answer but grabbed her arm and told her to go upstairs where she should stay until the party was over. She said fine. Julian insisted on escorting her to make sure no filthy scumbag would grab her again. But he couldn”t find the stairs and swayed like a bamboo blown by a strong wind.

At that moment, she thought that it was Julian who should be in his room to sleep off his drunken state, before he passed out on the floor and hurt himself.

Without second thought, she took his arm and anchored it around her shoulder as she guided him upstairs.

“You smell good,” he said. “Like vanilla ice cream. I like vanilla flavor.”

“You smell like beer. I don”t like beer.”

He leaned heavily against her. “I know what you like. To read. To paint. To blend on the wall like some wallpaper.”

“You mean a wallflower.”

“This is not a place for someone like you.”

“Your grandma invited me to come.”

“Don”t know why. This isn”t your crowd. You won”t find another Browning fan here.”

They reached his room, and she was about to help him get to bed when he tightened his hold on her shoulder and asked the most absurd question, “Would you like me to kiss you?”

“What?”

“You like me, don”t you?”

“Yes, but—”

And then he kissed her. His mouth hot and his tongue probing. She tasted beer and something unique. Julian brushed his fingers against her breast and broke the kiss. They looked at each other and before she could say good grief, Julian lifted her blouse over her head and unhooked her bra with cunning familiarity. She remembered how his stare, like an afternoon sun kissing her exposed skin, warmed her whole body. Thrilled to be receiving his attention for the first time, she stood in the middle of the room while Julian took off his clothes. His ripped body, protruding dick, and wicked smile were exposed for her to gawk at. When he molded her breasts with his palms, she closed her eyes.

Julian breathed hard and fast while his hands traced her body from her shoulders down to her thighs and in between her legs. Then he cupped her pussy.

Heat rippled under her skin as her body recognized the sexual desire she”d felt more than once, while tangled in a web of an erotic dream. Julian chuckled when she shivered from delight as his fingers pressed on to find her clitoris. While his fingers teased her, his other hand massaged her breast lightly.

“Perfect,” he said then he lowered his head to suck her nipple.

The intense feeling of his mouth wrapped around her hard nipple nearly lifted her off her feet. She remembered tiptoeing, grabbing a handful of Julian”s hair, pulling him even closer to her breasts. It was delicious. But not enough. She wanted more. Her pussy throbbed for more.

“Open your legs, Joanie. That”s it. Fuck, you taste so good.” With the pad of his thumb, he continued to fondle her clitoris. But there was more. Julian dipped his finger in her wet vagina before penetrating her fully. At that moment, she thought she”d lose her mind. “You”re dripping wet, Joanie. Tight and fucking wet.

Have you been fucked before?”

The word “fuck” heightened her pleasure. She wanted to fuck, had dreamed about it since she”d met him. And it was finally happening.

“You can fuck me, if you want,” she said. She remembered feeling bold and embarrassed at the same time. But the moment was too good to pass. Julian had finally paid attention to her. It was her chance.

“And that”s what you want, right? For me to fuck you?”

“Yes,” she replied, enjoying the feel of Julian”s finger moving in and out of her. Probing, rotating. Oh, it was so good she didn”t want the feeling to end. For the first time, she felt firsthand how to get finger fucked. It was beyond what she had expected. She moaned and spread her legs wider. “Yes. I want this. You.”

“Good,” Julian hiccup the word, then walked her backwards until the back of her knees touched his bed. He lowered her slowly, then covered her body with his. The length of his cock felt wonderful pressed against her pussy. She raised her hips, seeking more pressure.

He must have known what it was she needed, because he lifted himself a bit to move his cock in position.

She didn”t wait long before his engorged head touched her wet opening. It was sweet and delightful. At least until she felt the sting when he pushed the tip of his dick deeper.

“Damn, you”re so tight. Spread your legs wider. I”m going to fuck you good.

Real good,” he said and then surged forward, breaking her hymen. Pleasure quickly dulled the pain as he started moving in and out of her.

Finally, her dream came true—Julian in bed with her with his cock sliding deliciously in her untried passage. She remembered smiling up at him, loving each and every slide of his slick dick deep inside her womb. Opening her legs wider, she welcomed his invasion. She loved the feel of him inside her. Each time he thrust, she clenched her muscles to grip him tighter.