Jackson His mouth twitched like he wanted to smile at her. She raised her hand and tried to appear like this wasn’t breaking her heart. If anyone was looking, they would think she was here for moral support and that nothing was wrong. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for joining me today. First, I’d like to address the vicious rumors going around that I am involved with a woman other than my fiancée. I want to state expressly that this is a bald-faced lie.” He paused and smiled around the room. “And I have proof.” Emma couldn’t help but gasp. So did several reporters. “If you’ll please turn your attention to the screen here,” Jackson said, motioning to a flat screen TV near him. He clicked a small button and the screen came to life. “This is security footage from a small sailboat in the dock. It was overlooked at first, but as with many good things, it warranted a second look.” Emma wondered if he meant something more by that statement, but didn’t have time to ponder it as the se
Emma “Welcome to Coffee Shack, Mrs. Johnson.” Emma greeted her next customer with a smile. “Your usual?” The woman in a suit nodded, barely looking up from her phone. That was typical here. The coffee shop was located on the first floor of a downtown skyscraper with all sorts of important businesses filling the offices upstairs. W&W BabyCo held most of the floors, but there was also an internet company and a well respected law firm in the building. Everyone who came for coffee was usually busy with some sort of important work. “Grande triple mocha with almond milk,” Emma called out, taking Mrs. Johnson’s money. Emma handed the card back with a smile that Mrs. Johnson hardly acknowledged before stepping to the side for the next person to order. Emma grinned as she realized it was her best friend. “Hi, Grace,” Emma said warmly to her friend. “Hi, Sammy,” she said, waving to the little boy on Grace’s hip. “What can I get you?” “I need an extra shot today, Emma,” Grace told her, hiki
Jackson “What in the hell were you thinking?” The sound of the newspaper hitting Jackson Weathers’ desk was almost as loud as Jane’s question. Jackson looked up from his work to see a very angry woman glaring at him. “Just what in the hell were you thinking?” Jane repeated, her voice low and dangerous. She motioned to the newspaper. “Do you know how hard I have been working to change your image? And then you go and pull this shit?” Jackson glanced down at the paper to see the headline: “BILLIONAIRE PUBLIC SEX SCANDAL.” He had made front page news. Again. “I don’t remember doing that,” he said, frowning and looking closer at the picture. The picture was censored, but it was clearly him balls deep in some blonde chick at a bar. “It’s not really a flattering angle.” “You bastard,” Jane whispered. She shook her head. Her normally neat bun was coming undone and gray wisps of hair framed her face. “I can’t believe you’d do this.” “Do what?” Jackson scoffed. “The woman was of age and
Jackson Jackson evaluated Jane for a moment before speaking. He hated that she was making sense. The only change in the market was the addition of a new player. Jessica Balboa’s Innocence Company was doing something he wasn’t. “So, you want me to get married and have a baby,” he repeated back. “What if that’s not what I want? I’m not exactly looking to change my ways. I rather like a different model or actress in my bed every other night.” “And I’m not telling you that you can’t,” Jane replied, standing up straight. “Once you have this set up and people trust you again, you can go back to being the bad-boy billionaire. Until then, you have to be the epitome of fatherly love and trust. And that means no screwing up. I don’t care if it’s in a private setting or not. This is all or nothing. You can’t accidentally slip up with this.” She pointedly looked at the newspaper. He would have to say goodbye to his fun for a while if he agreed to this. He could understand that. If he had a wi
JacksonJackson’s hands sweated. They were sticky and hot, and he wiped them nervously on his pants the entire way down the elevator.He hadn’t been this nervous since junior high.Asking out women was easy. He could smile and get any woman he wanted to hop in his bed for the night with hardly any effort. However, the idea of asking Emma to marry him and have his child to save his company made him nervous.So, halfway down to the lobby, he decided he wasn’t going to ask her directly. He was going to take her to dinner. That made his palms dry a little, but his heart still raced in his chest. She still made him nervous. She had turned him down before. She was one of the few women that consistently told him no.He didn’t know why she said no to him. As far as he knew, she wasn’t seeing anyone, and even if she was, he was fucking Jackson Weathers. No woman said no to him. The fact that she could say no actually made him like her more. She was unobtainable.Maybe that was why his hands sh
Emma She spun to see Mr. Weathers leaning against the window to the coffee shop entrance. He wore a jet black suit that fit his broad shoulders and lean waist. He looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ. His perfect blond hair was somehow more perfect as he walked over. “Hi.” She wished she had something clever to say, but the only thing she could think of was “Welcome to the Coffee Shack,” and somehow that didn’t feel appropriate. “You look absolutely stunning,” he told her. “I’m going to have the prettiest date at the restaurant.” She grinned, enjoying the compliment. “Thank you.” She smoothed the green satin of her dress. “This is amazing and so much more than anything I could have expected.” He grinned. “That’s kind of the point.” Her smile widened. No wonder women fell over themselves to be with him. “Well, thank you.” “Let me see you spin,” he requested. She slowly spun in a circle, loving the way the heavy fabric took the motion and swirled around her ankles when she
Emma Emma tried to keep her knee still. She tried not to bounce it up and down, but she couldn’t help but move it. She was nervous now as the car sped along the road to Jackson Weathers’ apartment and her knee couldn’t hold it in. Jackson had something planned for her. He wanted to discuss something, and she had no idea what it could possibly be. Plus, they were going to his house. Where he took all the women he slept with. Now that it was really happening, she was nervous. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. He kept up comfortable small talk the entire short trip back to his luxury high rise apartment. If she hadn’t been too busy thinking about the fact that she wasn’t wearing panties, she would have been able to admire the building. It was old and beautiful with a literal golden elevator to bring them to the penthouse suite. He scanned his thumbprint in the elevator and smiled at her. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?” he asked. “Maybe a little,” she said. “I’ve never b
Emma Should she marry a man for money? The question floated around Emma’s mind the moment she woke up. No. I shouldn’t, she decided as she made her coffee. I should marry someone I love. I should keep dating, despite my lack of success, and it’ll happen. I still have a few years before I need to worry about the biological clock. She sipped her coffee, pleased with her decision for a whole thirty seconds. Yes, I should, she decided as she ate her cereal. She liked Jackson. He made her smile and she could see a future with him. Plus, the money from being his wife would make her dream job come true. She could work with any marine animal she pleased. She could buy the freaking marine park. She took a shower, mulling over the pros and cons. No, I shouldn’t. I should love the man I have a child with. That was always the plan. Yes, I should. Jackson would love the child and provide for it unconditionally. This child would be better cared for than most children in the world. She would