Read Online The Good Girl's Second Chance (The Bravos Of Justice Creek 2) by Christine Rimmer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christine Rimmer
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back to my house? Be with me tonight?”
“Damn, Chloe. I was afraid you’d never ask.”
* * *
Her belly all aflutter with anticipation, her pulse a rushing sound in her ears and her cheeks feeling way hotter than they should, Chloe ushered Quinn in her front door and then turned to engage the lock and reset the alarm. “You can hang your jacket there.” She gestured at the coatrack. He hung up his jacket, and she grabbed his hand. “This way...”
But he held back, tugging her close, into the hard, hot circle of his arms. He kissed her, a slow one that had her knees going weak and a meltdown happening in her core.
However, when he lifted his head that time, his eyes were way too serious.
She frowned, suddenly struck with concern for whatever might be bothering him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He pulled her close again. And he whispered in her ear, “I want to take all your clothes off and see you naked. I want to kiss every inch of you.”
She sighed. “We are definitely on the same page about that.”
“But...”
She pushed him away enough that she could see his eyes. “Oh, no. There
is
something. What?”
“Don’t look so worried.” With his big thumb, he smoothed the scrunched place between her eyebrows. “It’s nothing bad. I just have some things I want to say first.”
Would she rather be kissing him? Absolutely. But then again, whatever he wanted to say, she wanted to hear. “So...coffee or something?”
“Sure.”
She led him into the kitchen and whipped him up a quick cup, pouring cream in a little pitcher because she’d watched him at dinner and knew he took cream.
“Aren’t you having any?” he asked.
Her tummy was all fluttery, what with wondering what kind of thing he just
had
to say to her. Coffee would only make it worse. “Maybe later. How about the living area? It’s more comfortable there.”
“Good enough.” He poured in the cream, picked up his cup and followed her to the sofa.
They sat down together, and he set his cup on the coffee table. She folded her hands tightly in her lap. He’d said it was nothing awful, but he seemed so intense suddenly...
Was there going to be drama? Oh, she hoped not. She’d had enough drama to last her a lifetime, and then some.
He said, “There are things about me I want you to know.”
Uh-oh. She gulped down the giant lump in her throat and gave him a nod to continue.
“First, about Annabelle’s mother.”
Chloe realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out slowly. Annabelle’s mother. Actually, she really wanted to know about Annabelle’s mother...
“Her name is Sandrine Cox. She’s an actress and model. We went out a few times. She got pregnant. She came to me, told me she was fairly certain it was my baby and she felt I had a right to know.”
Chloe studied his wonderful face. He seemed...relaxed when he talked about his little girl’s mother. Relaxed and accepting. “You believed her.”
“Yeah. Sandrine was always straight ahead about things. I believed that
she
believed the baby was mine. Then later, right after Annabelle was born, a paternity test proved Sandrine was right. Annabelle’s mine. And I knew from the moment Sandrine told me she was pregnant that I wanted the baby. Sandrine didn’t. She didn’t want to be a mom. She liked her single life and she had a lot of ambition, a heavy focus on her career. I made her an offer. I would pay her a large lump sum to have the baby and then she would sign over all rights to me.”
“And that’s what happened?”
He nodded. “She kept her end of the bargain. I kept mine.”
“You haven’t heard from her since Annabelle was born?”
“No. I doubt I ever will.”
“But with something as important as a child, Quinn, you never know. Someday Annabelle’s mother might regret her choice, change her mind.”
“Anything’s possible.”
“And if she did come to you, if she wanted to meet Annabelle?”
“Can’t say for certain. If
“Damn, Chloe. I was afraid you’d never ask.”
* * *
Her belly all aflutter with anticipation, her pulse a rushing sound in her ears and her cheeks feeling way hotter than they should, Chloe ushered Quinn in her front door and then turned to engage the lock and reset the alarm. “You can hang your jacket there.” She gestured at the coatrack. He hung up his jacket, and she grabbed his hand. “This way...”
But he held back, tugging her close, into the hard, hot circle of his arms. He kissed her, a slow one that had her knees going weak and a meltdown happening in her core.
However, when he lifted his head that time, his eyes were way too serious.
She frowned, suddenly struck with concern for whatever might be bothering him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He pulled her close again. And he whispered in her ear, “I want to take all your clothes off and see you naked. I want to kiss every inch of you.”
She sighed. “We are definitely on the same page about that.”
“But...”
She pushed him away enough that she could see his eyes. “Oh, no. There
is
something. What?”
“Don’t look so worried.” With his big thumb, he smoothed the scrunched place between her eyebrows. “It’s nothing bad. I just have some things I want to say first.”
Would she rather be kissing him? Absolutely. But then again, whatever he wanted to say, she wanted to hear. “So...coffee or something?”
“Sure.”
She led him into the kitchen and whipped him up a quick cup, pouring cream in a little pitcher because she’d watched him at dinner and knew he took cream.
“Aren’t you having any?” he asked.
Her tummy was all fluttery, what with wondering what kind of thing he just
had
to say to her. Coffee would only make it worse. “Maybe later. How about the living area? It’s more comfortable there.”
“Good enough.” He poured in the cream, picked up his cup and followed her to the sofa.
They sat down together, and he set his cup on the coffee table. She folded her hands tightly in her lap. He’d said it was nothing awful, but he seemed so intense suddenly...
Was there going to be drama? Oh, she hoped not. She’d had enough drama to last her a lifetime, and then some.
He said, “There are things about me I want you to know.”
Uh-oh. She gulped down the giant lump in her throat and gave him a nod to continue.
“First, about Annabelle’s mother.”
Chloe realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out slowly. Annabelle’s mother. Actually, she really wanted to know about Annabelle’s mother...
“Her name is Sandrine Cox. She’s an actress and model. We went out a few times. She got pregnant. She came to me, told me she was fairly certain it was my baby and she felt I had a right to know.”
Chloe studied his wonderful face. He seemed...relaxed when he talked about his little girl’s mother. Relaxed and accepting. “You believed her.”
“Yeah. Sandrine was always straight ahead about things. I believed that
she
believed the baby was mine. Then later, right after Annabelle was born, a paternity test proved Sandrine was right. Annabelle’s mine. And I knew from the moment Sandrine told me she was pregnant that I wanted the baby. Sandrine didn’t. She didn’t want to be a mom. She liked her single life and she had a lot of ambition, a heavy focus on her career. I made her an offer. I would pay her a large lump sum to have the baby and then she would sign over all rights to me.”
“And that’s what happened?”
He nodded. “She kept her end of the bargain. I kept mine.”
“You haven’t heard from her since Annabelle was born?”
“No. I doubt I ever will.”
“But with something as important as a child, Quinn, you never know. Someday Annabelle’s mother might regret her choice, change her mind.”
“Anything’s possible.”
“And if she did come to you, if she wanted to meet Annabelle?”
“Can’t say for certain. If
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