Her Bad Boy Billionaire Lover (Billionai - By Bretton, Barbara Page 0,48
Jenny.
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Apparently the secret to talking with children was to concentrate on kangaroos and Crocodile Dundee. Jake told his joey-in-the-yard story five times and still the little girls clamored for more.
He glanced toward Jennifer who sat by herself under an orange tree, playing with one of those platinum blond dolls with centerfold bodies. She was going out of her way to make it obvious that she had no interest in kangaroos or sheep-shearing, although she did glance up when he described a real life Crocodile Dundee he'd met in Tasmania. There was a brittleness in the way she held herself, the obvious posture of a child desperate to join her friends but unwilling to compromise her pride.
There was no doubt that Jennifer was his daughter and Megan's. It was there in the set of her jaw, the line of her shoulders, the eyes that were as familiar to him as his own in the mirror each morning. He already knew the girl had Megan's stubborn streak and his own quicksilver temper. She loved her mother and didn't trust him one bit and he was glad of it. The last thing he wanted was a little girl looking up at him with trusting eyes, as if he were the hero in one of her picture books.
He'd never wanted to be anyone's hero. Or anyone's father, for that matter. A child was better off with no father other than one who was all wrong for the job. He knew that better than most people. His old man's take on fatherhood had been a combination of physical intimidation, booze, and disinterest. A boy could pick up and hit the road as soon as he was tough enough to hold his own. His sister had been stuck in that godforsaken shack, growing older and lonelier with every passing year spent caring for their father.
He shook his head, trying to banish the memories. His daughter was looking at him, her small features set in lines of pure stubbornness. But it was her eyes that drew him in. His eyes. His temper. His insecurities.
If push came to shove, he wasn't convinced he'd ever be able to make the right decision where she was concerned and he had the feeling she knew that as well as he did.
Don't look at me like that, he thought, meeting her eyes. I don't want to change your life. There was nothing he could offer her that could surpass the love Megan gave so freely. And he knew why there could be no room in Megan's life for him.
#
"Okay, everyone," Megan said as she placed the birthday cake down on the picnic table in the center of the yard. "Gather around while Jenny blows out the candles."
Jenny, cheeks pink with excitement, climbed up on one of the benches and leaned over. "Do I get to make a wish?"
Megan gave her a hug. "As many as you want."
Jenny took a deep breath then blew out all of the candles on the very first try.
"Now my wishes come true, don't they?" she asked Megan as she leaped down from the bench.
The words caught in Megan's throat. Jake stood a few feet behind Jenny, watching the proceedings. The expression in his eyes was unreadable but his intentions were clear. No matter how unwelcome she made him feel, he wasn't about to leave until he was good and ready.
Go away, Megan thought fiercely as she dished out ice cream and cake to the little girls. You don't belong here. He didn't have the right to stand there as if he were part of their lives, making her feel things she didn't want to feel. Couldn't he see what he was doing, the chance he was taking? The last thing she wanted was for Jenny to see him as her knight in shining armor.
By the time the little girls had been served and were seated around the folding tables set out on the lawn, Megan was ready to strangle him.
"Help yourself to some cake," she said dryly.
"Don't mind if I do." He cut himself a huge slice and placed it on a paper plate. "How about you?"
"I lost my appetite."
"This moral outrage of yours is getting old, Megan. I'm the one who just found out he has a kid."
"There's no point going over this again," Megan said, aware of Jenny's curious glance. "You know now." She paused for effect. "Same as I know about Tropicale."
"There's a big difference between hiding a kid and hiding a company."