More laughter. “We didn’t say a word until we were around the corner from the supermarket, then we collapsed onto the curb and had a hyperventilating session. God, we were so young.” She blew out a breath. “The next week, we went back and put the money for the test in a charity box at the supermarket because we felt so guilty about stealing.”
Jake listened, learning of a part of Calypso’s pregnancy experience that he’d never before known. The nerves she must’ve suffered, the worry. Made a little better because of a friend who’d kept all her secrets, no matter how big or small. “When did she do the test?”
“That day. We found a public toilet in a nice mall—all clean and shiny. Calypso wouldn’t go into any of the public toilets in the parks or anywhere else.”
“Yeah, she never would.”
“I had to stand outside and guard the door just in case someone barged in while she did it. She came out with the finished test hidden in the box and stashed in her backpack, but I could tell the answer from the look on her face.” Juliet’s voice grew thick. “I gave her this big hug and told her that you wouldn’t abandon her.”
Jake went motionless at the echo of confidence in her voice. “Yeah?”
“You might’ve been a gearhead jock, but you took your responsibilities seriously.”
They lay in silence for several moments, the past weaving with the present. He thought if Calypso was up there, she’d be pleased to see them this way—she’d always wanted them to be friends. And if she wasn’t here to raise her daughter, then who better than the best friend who’d never let her down?
Such a leap from nemesis to lover to his woman, the one he’d trust to help him raise his child. It seemed too fast. But he and Juliet, they already knew each other in ways many couples never did. As Times Square blazed outside, he tightened his hold on her.
30
A Kiss in Times Square
The next day followed much the same pattern as the first, though he had fewer work commitments. After those were complete, they returned to the hotel for a rest. While Esme napped, he and Juliet turned on the music and danced together as they hadn’t at the wedding.
All slow and sexy and pasted together.
He left her only long enough to put on the sailor cap he’d bought from a novelty shop back home. “Couldn’t find the full suit,” he said, walking out of the bedroom. “How’s this?”
Laughing in open delight, she held up a hand as she backed to the door of the suite. “Five minutes.”
She returned in under that time wearing a knockout dress in dark pink, her feet in those skyscraper black heels he adored.
Bending her over his arm to re-create the famous kiss, Jake said, “You are the sexiest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Her lips parted.
He kissed her, tender at first, then all tongue and sex.
Since she was wearing a dress, he also got his hand on the bare skin of her thigh. She retaliated by cupping his growing erection. Drawing her back into a standing position, he glanced at the room where Esme slept before tugging her into his bedroom.
“Quickie?”
She shimmied out of her panties in response.
That was how Jake got to live out his fantasy of taking her pinned against a wall, her long legs wrapped around him. She came quick and hard around him, setting him off. They were still entangled when he heard Esme call out his name.
Groaning, he disengaged and went to get rid of the condom.
Juliet was in the living room cuddling Esme by the time he came out.
His heart didn’t stand a chance.
Then, a day later, his angelic little girl threw two uncharacteristic tantrums out of nowhere. Except he knew those tantrums weren’t out of nowhere. She was picking up on the growing emotional connection between him and Juliet.
Jake wondered if Juliet would react with dismay, but she took it in stride. Jake was so fascinated by her reaction that he mentioned it while Esme was stomping around in her room, refusing to talk to them.
She burst out laughing. “Jake, honey, have you forgotten who you’re talking to? I was the resident bad girl in high school. Esme can’t do anything I haven’t done a hundred times worse.”
As a result of Juliet’s calm and unfazed response—all of it backed up by hugs and affection when Esme came out of her room at last—his baby girl began to settle around Juliet in a way she’d never before done around someone who wasn’t a member of the family. She was starting to learn that whether she threw a tantrum or threw up over Juliet or refused to eat the food that she’d especially asked for, Juliet wouldn’t respond by rejecting her.
That night and the next, their final one in New York, Esme asked for good-night hugs from both of them. The three of them had spent that night out in the lights of the city—and though he had no sailor hat, Jake got to kiss Juliet in Times Square. He did it while Esme was momentarily distracted by watching fireworks high above. It felt as if they were inside him, tiny bursts of light and happiness.
“Be mine?” he whispered, then glanced down at the little hand she held in hers. “Be ours?”
Wide eyes, fear in them yet, but she nodded, her eyes colored in all the hues of Times Square. This time Jake kissed her while Esme was looking. His daughter cried out in glee, and they both had to go down and kiss her on the cheek, one on either side of her.
His girls. His heart.
Things went to shit the instant they landed in New Zealand. Jake took his phone off airplane mode as they walked along the air bridge, then tucked it into his back pocket. It began to vibrate over and over within seconds.
Frowning at the deluge of messages, he retrieved the phone while Juliet and Esme walked on ahead hand in hand, the two of them chatting animatedly. Esme had entrusted Juliet with Mr. Mouse but pulled her princess carry-on. Jake was pulling Juliet’s so she had an arm free for the stuffed toy, his own carry-on a team duffel he had over one shoulder.
The messages were from his family and from Thea Arsana. He opened one at random. It was from Sailor: Jake, that asshole Reid’s released an intimate shot of Juliet. He’s claiming it’s recent and was taken with her consent. Fucker.
Rage burned through Jake’s blood like fire. He clicked the link his brother had included, felt his hand bunch into a fist when he saw it was a relatively tame photo of Juliet in bed, the sheet pulled up over her breasts. She was leaning her head on her hand and smiling at the person taking the photo. All you could see were her bare shoulders and arms, and the slope of her hip under the sheet.
Her face, however, was as it was today, not the sharper and more angular version of her past with her ex. He skimmed the “article,” saw that Reid was claiming Juliet had been with him the week before the impromptu press conference where she’d blasted him to pieces. The bastard had pointed to the date stamp as proof. That date was the night Jake and Juliet had first kissed.
They’d reached passport control.
He waited until they were through and waiting for their luggage before murmuring to Juliet. Esme was busy looking out for their bags, so they had relative privacy.
“Jules, we need to deal with something.”
“Oh God, what’s he done now?” She went to get her phone, which he’d noticed she hadn’t glanced at while chatting to Esme.