Her Bad Boy Billionaire Lover (Billionai - By Bretton, Barbara Page 0,49

hide Jenny."

"The hell you didn't."

The last of her self-control snapped. "What exactly do you want from all of this, Jake? If you're even thinking of playing daddy at this late date, so help me I'll--"

"I don't want to be her father," he said bluntly.

She hated herself for the disappointment his words evoked. "Then we're in agreement," she said, forcing her voice to remain even. "You don't want to be part of Jenny's life and I don't want you to be."

"You have it all figured out, don't you? Blow my life out of the water and leave me behind, wondering what in hell happened."

"I didn't want you to know about her. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"None of this was supposed to happen." He'd wanted to get her out of his system. See her one more time and put the past to rest. He hadn't expected to want her the way he did. He hadn't expected that sleeping with her again would make his desire for her grow stronger. Yeah, he knew all about things that weren't supposed to happen.

"Just go," she said, a quaver in her voice. "Go wherever it is you were going to go and forget we even exist. We've been doing fine up until now without you."

"You're living in a rundown bungalow in a lousy neighborhood. Your clothes are out of style and you're driving a car that's older than our kid. You're drowning, Megan, and I'm the only one who can help you."

"We don't need your help."

"Give me a day with her and you won't see me again." He'd care for Jenny's financial needs and leave the emotional ones to Megan.

"Over my dead body."

"I'm her father," he said, the words sounding as strange as they felt. "One day out of six years isn't a lot to ask for."

"No."

"I can force the issue."

"You wouldn't dare."

"You know damn well there's nothing I wouldn't do."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I don't make threats, Meggie. I get what I want without them."

"She's mine," Megan said, her voice fierce, "and there's nothing you can do to change that."

"One day," he repeated. "Tomorrow. And you can be with her."

"We have plans for tomorrow," Megan said. "I'm taking Stace and Jenny to the mall for a puppet show. Maybe the day after tomorrow."

"I'm leaving tomorrow night."

Her relief was palpable. "Then the next time you're in town."

"That won't be for at least a year. I'm sailing out of Lahaina next month."

"Australia?" she whispered.

He nodded. His dream was finally within reach. He'd expected it to feel a hell of a lot better than it did.

An odd expression flickered across her face but vanished before he could put a name to it. "Jenny has her heart set on the puppet show," Megan said. "She wouldn't understand."

He thought of his own childhood where disappointment had been the air he breathed. "Then I'll go to the bloody puppet show with you."

"You'll hate it."

"You're probably right."

"She doesn't like you very much."

"I know," he said grimly. "I don't like her very much either."

All in all, they were off to a bloody awful start.

Chapter Nine

"I think he's cu-uu-ute," said Stace as Megan tried to wrestle her into her pajamas later that evening. Of course she was talking about Jake.

Jenny, already clad in her Little Mermaid nightshirt, turned a somersault on her bed. "I think he's dumb."

Megan fastened the last button on Stace's pajama top.

"We don't call people dumb, Jenny."

"He's pretty," Stace said dreamily, obviously in the throes of a major crush. "He could be a movie star."

Jenny aimed a withering glance in her friend's direction then looked at Megan. "Can we have pecan pancakes for breakfast tomorrow?"

"If Ingrid has pecans in the kitchen."

"My mommy always has pecans," Stace said. "She keeps 'em in the pantry in a big red jar."

"Then it's pecan pancakes tomorrow morning." Megan ruffled Stace's blond curls. "But now it's time for the two of you to go to bed."

"Can't I stay up late tonight?" Jenny asked. "It's my birthday."

"You've had a big day, sweetheart," said Megan, enveloping her daughter in a hug. "I really think you should get some sleep."

Jenny's lower lip quivered. "But it's my birthday."

"I could tell you a story," Megan volunteered. "But only if you two get into bed."

The two little girls scrambled beneath the covers of their respective beds.

"Cinderella," said Jenny. "Just like you told it last night."

"Hooray!" Stace piped up. "Cinderella and the handsome prince from Austria."

Megan didn't bother to correct her. She launched into a rollicking version of Cinderella complete with music and sound