Suddenly a Daddy: The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir / The Baby Surprise

“Of course.”

She lifted Mandy from the high chair and handed her to him. “Would you mind holding her while I wipe off the high chair and put it away?”

Jake had been too busy yesterday with the unauthorized moving of her things from the guesthouse to do more than watch her or Clara with the baby. It was time that father and daughter met officially. Besides, she needed to see how Jake was with Mandy before she agreed to him watching the baby.

He gently lifted Mandy to sit on his arm. “Hey there, Honey Bunny. I’m your daddy.”

As Heather watched, the baby gazed at him intently for several seconds, then giggling, happily slapped her tiny hand against his cheek. But it was the look of awe and complete wonder that instantly came over Jake’s handsome face that had her blinking back a wave of tears.

She wouldn’t have believed it was possible to actually see it happen. But right before her eyes, Jake fell hopelessly in love with their daughter.

Chapter 4

When Heather returned from her meeting, she practically burst through the back door of the mansion. She’d tried several times on her drive from the Downs to call Jake on her cell phone, but he hadn’t answered and with each passing second her concern increased. Searching the rooms downstairs, her heart began to pound hard against her ribs when she couldn’t find either of them. Why had she let him talk her into allowing him to watch her baby?

But her anxiety turned to mind-numbing fear when she hurried up the staircase and entered the bedroom where Jake had set up the crib. The two were nowhere in sight.

In a near panic, she raced down the hall to the master suite. “If he’s let something happen, I’ll never forgive…”

Her voice trailed off as she came to a skidding halt just inside the suite door and a knee-weakening relief washed over her. There in the middle of the king-size bed her daughter lay curled up on top of Jake. Both were out like a couple of lights.

Leaning against the door facing, her panic began to recede and as she stood there catching her breath, she couldn’t help but be touched by the moment. Heather knew for certain she’d never forget the poignant sight of her tiny baby girl sleeping so trustingly on her daddy’s wide bare chest. For the second time in a matter of a few hours, she found herself blinking back tears.

Quietly, so as not to disturb either of them, she gently lifted Mandy into her arms and, walking back to the bedroom where the crib was, placed the baby in the small bed. Turning on the monitor, she clipped the receiving unit to the waistband of her khakis and turning to leave, came face-to-face with a wild-eyed Jake.

“Dear God, Heather, why didn’t you wake me up to let me know you were taking Mandy?” he demanded. “When I opened my eyes and she wasn’t there, I—”

Heather placed her index finger to his lips to silence him when the baby moved restlessly and let out a little whimper. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed. She motioned for him to follow her out into the hall. “You looked like you might be a little tired from babysitting and I thought I’d—”

“Give me a heart attack,” he finished for her.

That’s when she realized that he’d been as terrified as she had when she’d been unable to find them. “I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Running a frustrated hand through his thick black hair, he took a deep breath. “I’ve never been that scared in my entire life.”

As they stood there, she couldn’t help but stare at his bare chest. Every muscle was well-defined and as her gaze drifted lower, she had an almost uncontrollable urge to reach out and trace her fingers over each one of the ridges on his abdomen.

“W-what happened to your shirt?” she asked instead.

“Oh, that.” He frowned. “Do you know how disgusting baby food spinach looks? And dear God, it smells even worse. But when it gets on clothes, it’s just plain nasty.”

She laughed. “It is pretty gross, isn’t it?”

“It’s horrible.” He made a face. “I thought I was going to lose it a couple of times when Mandy decided to take a handful and rub it in her hair.”

Heather couldn’t stop laughing. “Don’t tell me. You set the dish too close to the high chair.”

Nodding, he chuckled. “By the time lunch was over, she had more food on her than in her. And I’m positive our daughter could hold her own in a frat house food fight.”

“No doubt about it,” she agreed, smiling. “Any other problems? How did the diaper changes go?”

“When I finally got her to hold still it went all right. Up until then, it was a little hazardous.” He rubbed his flat stomach. “She’s got a hell of a kick.” His expression turned serious and he fell silent a moment before reaching up to touch her cheek. “Thank you, Heather.”

The back of his knuckles stroking her skin sent a shaft of longing all the way to her toes. “W-what for?”

“For today.” His voice took on a husky quality that stole her breath. “For giving me the chance to get to know my daughter.”

Without a second thought, she closed her eyes and leaned into his tender touch. She might have been able to resist had it not been for the sincerity in his tone and the genuine gratefulness in his amazing blue eyes. But no matter how much she tried to fight it, he was the man who had stolen her heart all those months ago and given her a precious baby daughter.

“I want to kiss you, Heather.”

His whisper made her feel warm all over. “Th-that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Oh, I disagree, I think it’s an excellent idea.” His firm lips lightly grazing the shell of her ear and his warm breath feathering over her skin caused excited little shivers to course throughout her entire body.

She was flirting with danger. This was Jake Garnier, player extraordinaire. But even as she tried to reason with herself, she swayed toward him.

Apparently, that was all the encouragement he needed because the next thing she knew he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She opened her eyes just in time to watch him slowly, deliberately, lower his head and when his mouth covered hers in tender exploration, she thought she just might melt into a puddle at his feet.

As his tongue stroked her lips apart, her eyes drifted shut again and the intensity of his kiss caused her head to spin. But when he coaxed, demanded and persuaded her to respond, every cell in her body tingled to life and Heather found herself holding on to him for support.

She should stop him. It wasn’t smart to kiss the man who obviously hadn’t wanted anything more to do with her until he learned that she’d given birth to his daughter. But the thought evaporated when Jake crushed her to him and she felt his hard muscles against her tightening nipples and his insistent arousal pressed into her lower belly.

Her knees threatened to buckle and a swirling hunger began to flow through her when he moved his hand to cup her breast, then chafed the hardened tip through the layers of her clothing. She wanted him with a fierceness that frightened her more than she’d ever thought possible.

Jake must have sensed the change in her because he slowly eased away from the kiss, but continued to hold her close. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

She could deny that having him kiss her, that being in his arms and having his body entangled with hers wasn’t what she wanted, too. But they’d both know it was a total lie.

“No, it can’t happen, Jake.” It was hard to be convincing when his large hand still covered her breast. But she couldn’t seem to find the strength to pull free of his arms.

“I’m not going to stand here and argue. Right now, I have to take a shower.”

As she watched him retreat to the master suite, Heather couldn’t help but wonder if she shouldn’t take her daughter and run as fast as she could back to the safety of the carriage house. It was obvious that no matter what she said, he wasn’t going to listen to her. And living in such close proximity was going to make resisting him extremely difficult.

But thankfully with the Southern Oaks Cup Classic only two weeks away and all of the activities that preceded it, they were both going to become very busy in a very short time. If she could just hold out a few more days, everything should be fine.

She was going to have to attend to Dancer seven days a week and make sure that he was ready to run the race of his life. And as the owner of the favorite to win the Cup, Jake would be away at the almost non-stop receptions and balls that were held to celebrate the annual event.

With her going to bed early in order to oversee the thoroughbred’s dawn exercises and Jake sleeping in after being out late with Louisville’s social elite, their paths probably wouldn’t cross more than a handful of times. And the few times they did, it would most likely be in a public setting for pictures and publicity for the race.

Then, by the time the festivities came to a close, Jake would no doubt be bored with the comparatively slower pace of Hickory Hills and more than ready to head back to his exciting life in Los Angeles. She and Mandy would move back into the carriage house and once again settle into their comfortable, familiar routine.

* * *

As Jake sat in the study thumbing through a pile of invitations to teas, receptions and balls being held in honor of the big race, he frowned. How the hell was he supposed to work things out and reconnect with Heather when he was going to have to attend a string of social events?

But staring at the elaborate print on one of the invitations, a slow smile curved the corners of his mouth. The words “and guest” had him rising from his chair.