Strollers & Stilettos: A Sexy Contemporary Romance (In Stilettos Book 4) (5 page)

Jaya raised a brow. “I was only kidding about the audience.” She lowered her voice. “Unless you’d rather revisit some of my Thirty Before Thirty list.”

His skin heated. That list was what had gotten them together. He’d insisted on helping her complete the items on her list of things to do before she turned thirty. Some of the most intimate things they’d ever done with each other had come from that list. He coughed. “No, I have something different in mind for you.”

He dragged her up the stairs then knocked on the security door. Tom, Caleb’s right hand man, opened the door. “Mr. Westhorpe, Mrs. Westhorpe.” He didn’t look surprised to find them standing there.

“Tom, I need the room for fifteen minutes.”

Tom didn’t even blink. He just cleared the room. “I’ve set the surveillance in here to dark. We’ll use the secondary tower for the rest of the night.”

Good man, Tom. But Alec anticipated it might take a lot longer than fifteen minutes to work past their issues. “Thanks.”

When they were alone, Jaya tugged her hand free. “Sex isn’t going to solve this stalemate.”

He pulled her closer. “How do we know until we try? Besides, this was your plan too. Or were you going to get me so worked up I’d give in?” He ground his teeth.

“I’m not manipulating.”

Fuck, he was doing this wrong. “Shit. I’m sorry, baby.” He pulled her in tight. “I know you’re not manipulating me. I’m on edge. I don’t want to fight with you. And I miss you.”

“I’ve been missing you too,” she whispered.

“Then we need to find a better way to see eye-to-eye because I don’t want to keep doing this.”

She sighed. “Alec, we’re going to fight. It’s normal.”

“To the point where we don’t talk?” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Sometimes. I guess. It’s how we go about resolving it that’s important, making sure we hear each other.”

“I heard you the other night.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, it didn’t seem like it at the time.”

He inhaled deeply. “My hands were tied. I don’t want to do anything that will call attention to this whole situation.”

“I know. I was only worried about the baby. Honestly.”

“I’m worried about her too. I’ve called a couple of times, and they still don’t have a permanent placement for her.”

“That’s what I was concerned about.”

“Well, I’m willing to concede that a foster home might not be best for her. But you have to concede that I did the best I could with the information I had at the time.”

Jaya looked down at her red and gold stunners. “I know. And I recognize I was being a little unreasonable the other night. I kept picturing you in the same position, and it broke my heart.”

He nodded, for a moment unable to swallow around the ball of emotion in his chest. “She’s not me. But I’m working on a semi-permanent position with us until Caleb can locate her mother or any other family. And it pisses me off how her mother is using her as a bargaining chip. I can protect her better if she’s with us. But whatever I manage to pull off, it would only be temporary. I need you to understand that.” He’d also be rushing a fucking DNA test. He had to settle that in his mind.

She practically vibrated as she clasped her hands together. “Thank you for listening to me.”

“Thank you for letting me figure it out.”

She smirked. “There is something else we need to resolve.” She gestured between them. “This tension. You feel it, right?”

He nodded. “I have a way to resolve this too.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, I’ll bet you do.”

Chapter Five

His wife was a force to be reckoned with.

But then, Alec had always known this. Once she decided she wanted something, nothing stopped her until she had it. After the engagement party, she’d made sure he made the arrangements for Alexa like he’d promised.

In less than twenty-four hours, they’d become temporary parents.
Temporary
. He hoped Jai understood the time limit on them playing house.

They’d picked up Alexa last night. And by the time Jaya had finally comforted the kid and put her to bed, they’d both been so exhausted they’d passed out without making love.

Alec rolled over in bed, and Jaya’s hips immediately shot back, seeking his warmth. She wiggled, and he considered waking her. He could slide under the covers, part her thighs, taste her…she’d come in no time. Maybe he could drive her half as crazy as she was driving him.

He itched to hold her, itched to be with her. His cock twitched, and he groaned. If he touched her, it was going to be a very late night. So instead of reaching for his wife like he wanted, he forced his body to roll out of bed.

Quietly, he pulled the covers over her shoulder, and she mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep, looking so contented and sexy.

He groaned. He had to get the hell out of here or he was waking her up.

He dragged on pajama bottoms and headed downstairs. He had a mountain of work waiting on him.

On his way to his home office, he passed the spare bedroom.
Alexa’s room
. His stomach pitched. Was this the right call? Foster care was a mistake, but he questioned the wisdom of moving her in with them. Of course, the moment he’d told Jaya he wasn’t leaving the baby in foster care, she’d wanted her with them. They’d agreed to wait a while on a family, but clearly she was champing at the bit. But he wasn’t ready.

Will you ever be?

Unable to contain his morbid curiosity, he opened the door to the spare bedroom. Right away he saw the stroller Jaya had bought yesterday. But he also saw a play pen, still in its box. There were baby shoes and clothes on top of a dresser. When had she found time to do all of this?

Who was he kidding? This was Jaya. She’d once put a wedding together with less than seventy-two hours notice.

Alec couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips when he saw the list on top of the dresser. That was his Jaya. Considering how he preferred to be spontaneous, he surprisingly loved her lists. They were this beautiful insight into how her mind worked.

Alec darted a glance at the scrap of paper, and his heart squeezed when two things jumped out. Number seventeen was: Get Alec thank you gift. Number twenty-two was: Assure Alec what a great surrogate father he’s going to be.

Or real father
.

Snuffling from the crib brought his attention to a sleeping Alexa. She’d turned onto her stomach again and curled into a fetal position with her bottom in the air. Jaya had made him watch a crash course in daddy hood, so he knew she needed to be on her back.

Trying to separate his emotions from the situation, he walked in and gently turned her onto her back. Alexa waved a chubby, dimpled hand in the air, and for a moment, he worried he’d woken her. But she shoved her thumb into her mouth and went back to whatever it was babies dreamed about.

The stab of emotion and the sudden feeling of claustrophobia were too much—he had to escape.

Holding his breath, he closed the door behind him. He didn’t breathe easy again until he was in his study, seated in front of his computer and a picture of Jaya smiling on the beach, blowing kisses at him.

He missed the easy connection between them. It didn’t help that he worked all the time and she was so busy starting her business and consulting for him that it barely left any room for
them
. And now they were playing house.

With a dry mouth, he opened the desk drawer and pulled out a picture of his parents. His birth mom and his father. In the picture, they were only a little bit younger than he and Jaya were now. They looked happy and in love.

But you know the real picture, don’t you
?

Despite the attentive, loving smile on his father’s face, the old man hadn’t been capable of the emotion.

Alec’s mother had been his father’s mistress, not his girlfriend or loving wife. Dear Old Dad had been dating several women. Adele was one of them. Once Alec’s mother had notified the old man of the pregnancy, he handed her some money and vanished from their lives. He’d eventually chosen to be with Adele.

You are not your father
.

Alec stared out his window. The fear and uncertainty made his stomach knot. There was no way that kid was his, but he couldn’t deny the family resemblance. Down to the dimple in her chin, she looked like him and his brother Max. And Max had been on an extended honeymoon with his own baby at the time of Alexa’s conception, so that ruled him out.

No matter how Alec looked at it, he came up with the same conclusion. Or rather, he clung desperately to the sliver of hope that maybe Alexa wasn’t his.

Maybe she could be
.

How the hell was he supposed to tell Jaya that it was possible? She hadn’t asked him once, but it was the elephant in the room that they didn’t talk about. He wanted to believe he wouldn’t have been so desperate that he’d slept with someone. After all, Jaya gave him serious tunnel vision. He’d only wanted her.

Alec ground his teeth as he stared up at the moon. The silvery light cast an eerie shadow in his office. Why the hell couldn’t he remember what had happened? Every time he tried to piece it together, all he got was an oppressive, gray emptiness. Back then, he’d tried to bury himself in the job. It hadn’t worked. He’d often wake up from a dead sleep missing her, wishing he’d been with her. Wishing he hadn’t been such a selfish prick.

Was it possible he’d gone home with someone and he didn’t remember? A shudder stole down his back. Was he like his father? Was that little girl his? An image of her smiling at him made his gut twist.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Jaya’s voice from behind had him whipping his chair around. “You should be asleep,” he muttered.

“So should you. It’s been a long night.”

He nodded. “But somehow I couldn’t.”

“Is it Alexa?” Jaya turned to leave, presumably to check on the baby.

“No. I already checked on her. She’s fast asleep. I found her with her little butt in the air, so I turned her onto her back and turned her stars on again in case she woke up.”

Jaya’s smile was soft. “See, and you were worried you wouldn’t be any good at this.”

He shook his head. “Jai, I need to tell you something.”

She strode over to him briskly and pressed her fingertips to his lips. “Shh, you don’t need to tell me anything.”

“I do. I—” Shit what did he say? “There was a night.” His vision clouded, and he blinked them clear. “I don’t remember much about it. I don’t think I did, but I was desperate for you. I could have slept with some random woman.”

“Alec. Stop. You’re making yourself crazy for nothing. I don’t believe that you did.”

He couldn’t be certain he’d heard her correctly. “I swear, I’m not—”

She planted her hands on both sides of his face. “Stop it. I know you’re not her father.”

He felt the vise around his heart squeezing tighter. “You’re so sure of me. Of what I’m capable of. What if I’m like the old man?”

“Of course, I’m sure of you. I love you. And not only that, I
know
you. Like into the dark, freaky recesses of your mind. BTdubbs, we need to talk about that nurse outfit fantasy, because I don’t think that’s feasible.” She winked. “You are not your father. And even if you did sleep with someone else, you’re a smart man. You would have used protection. You always took good care of me. She can’t be your daughter. I know you. You wouldn’t risk it.”

“I love you.” The words came out in a rush.

Her smile was soft. “And let’s be clear. You wouldn’t abandon some poor baby to her own devices. You’re a good man.”

“Jai—”

She pressed her fingers to his lips again. “If you can’t stop the ridiculous nonsense, then I’m going to find you something else to do with your mouth.”

Despite his dour mood, his cock jerked to life.
You’re so easy
. And he was. Any time anywhere—there was never a moment that he didn’t want her.

She sat on the edge of his desk and faced him. “Now, I know you don’t enjoy being project managed by your wife, but I think it’s time you kissed her.”

He pushed himself up out of his chair. “For instructions like that, I think I can handle a little bossiness.” He leaned in and kissed her deeply. He didn’t let her up for air until she moaned.

Eyelids heavy and pupils dilated, she blinked up at him before whispering, “Did I tell you where I wanted you to kiss me?”

* * *

Jaya hated to see that look on Alec’s face. The pinched-tight one where he thought he could carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he couldn’t. He needed to lean on her more.

And right now, he didn’t think she believed in him. There wasn’t much she could do to comfort him except show him that nothing had changed between them. She loved him like always, regardless of how stressed out they were or how insane their schedules had become. He was hers, and she knew he wasn’t the father of that beautiful baby.

But it wasn’t enough to tell him she believed in him. She had to show him she trusted him. That she always had. The only way she knew how was with her body.