His laugh carried over the field, and he took turns tossing ball after ball to the kids he'd send running long. The b.a.l.l.s were thrown gently, but, after over a dozen pa.s.ses, only one kid managed to catch it.

And Jack shouted as if it were the winning touchdown of the championship game.

"Run!" He sprinted down the field, cheering the boy as he ran at his side to the endzone. "Keep going! He's at the twenty! The ten...still at the ten, don't tie your shoe! Run!"

The little boy crossed the plain. Jack lost it. He hauled the kid onto his shoulders and did an endzone dance with him. I hoped he didn't plan to spike the boy in excitement, but Jack was too thrilled to do anything but celebrate.

The other kids went insane-like they never had so much fun in their lives. When their camp director blew his whistle and ordered them to the bus, most of the kids stayed at Jack's side, begging for another few minutes.

I grinned as Jack begged too.

He was a natural with them. He said he liked kids, but I hadn't believed it until I saw it. I snapped a few pictures of him playing with the children and posted to his social media. Within seconds, dozens of comments popped up. After five minutes, he was in the hundreds.

The public liked this version of Jack Carson. The gentle giant. The wholesome man. It was the side of him the media never showed.

He was right.

A baby would save his reputation.

He caught me watching and waved.

"Stay there!" He shouted. He turned to the kids. "Ready?"

They screamed in unison and scared half of the team. Jack punted the ball forty yards down the field to get rid of them. They sprinted away, and he jogged to meet me.

"Hey." He didn't try to kiss me, even though he loved making me squirm in front of his teammates. "I tried to call you last night-"

"You were right."

I didn't apologize for interrupting him. Instead I took his hand.

"I think we should do it."

"Do what?" His eyes widened. The blue almost looked innocent despite the intent of our proposal. His words hushed. "You...want to do it?"

"Yes."

"...Are you sure?"

"No, but I think it's exactly what I need to do."

His hand slipped to my cheek, entirely close and intimate. This touch was genuine, and his excitement pounded his heart so hard I could feel it in his palm.

"You're on board?" he asked.

"Yes."

His smile grew. "Do you want to do it now?"

I laughed, glancing over the field. "You're at practice."

"I'll leave."

"Jack."

"Okay." That smirk might have charmed my pants off right then and there. "You're serious though. This isn't a joke?"

I held his hand against my cheek. "Jack...let's have a baby."

Chapter Eight Jack.

For the first time in my life, I wanted something more than a championship.

I wanted Leah.

I wanted her on the bed. Legs spread. Fingers digging into my body. I imagined her panting, moaning, offering that wet little slit for me to pound and seize.

I'd fill her. Completely. As soon as I got her alone, I'd take her as a man was meant to have a woman.

And I'd f.u.c.k a baby into her.

I couldn't concentrate at practice, and I nearly got myself killed in the weight room. My head wasn't on the game. I already celebrated what I'd do to Leah. She'd love every f.u.c.king second I ruined her with pleasure and stuffed her with my c.u.m.

Seed?

Technically. Who cared what it was called as long as it pumped into her.

I headed to her apartment at her request, but we wouldn't be staying. No way was I keeping her in a one bedroom box with a bigger radiator than stove. She'd stay with me.

In my bed.

In my arms.

Full of my heat.

She opened the door, but I hadn't expected the cute little tank and sweatpants. I read the lettering over her tight little a.s.s as she waved me inside. She was as Sweet as her pants declared, but not now. Leah was all business, brandishing a variety of papers, folders, and brochures.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. "I pulled some information off the internet. I think I found a way to do this right."

She left me in the doorway. Not what I expected. I watched her bite the end of a pencil before furiously scribbling over her notes.

Why was she taking notes?

"You...uh, gotta research it?" I closed the door behind me. "I mean, if you need me to explain how this is done, we might have a bit of a problem..."

"Be realistic, Jack."

Leah snuggled onto the couch, clipboard in hand. She waved over the coffee table, meticulously organized with too many shiny papers and brochures. She color-coded something.

What the h.e.l.l needed to be color-coded?

From my experience, most of the important pieces fit together and...locked. I didn't pay attention in health cla.s.s, but did we really need note cards for this?

"This procedure isn't always foolproof," she explained. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Yeah, something hard to drink sounded good. At least until I could figure out what the h.e.l.l went wrong from this morning until now? She handed me a bottle of water from her fridge, but hadn't taken her eyes from the papers in her hand.

"What procedure?" I asked.

"It's complicated. And there's not always a great chance to conceive."

"So?" I thought that part was supposed to be fun. "You just do it again until it sticks."

Leah laughed. "It costs tens of thousands of dollars each attempt."

Did she charge by the hour? "I already offered to pay you."

And now I insulted her. She scowled, tucking in deeper to the sofa. "I'm not taking your money."

"Well, who the h.e.l.l is getting the thousands of dollars?"

"The fertility doctors."

"You're gonna f.u.c.k a doctor too?"

The clipboard dropped to the floor. "Excuse me?"

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

f.u.c.k if I knew anymore. "You wanted to make a baby."

"So did you," she said.

"So what's with all the paperwork?"

"I got information...In-Vitro Fertilization is a difficult procedure."

Just the word shriveled my b.a.l.l.s. I swore.

"Oh, Christ, Kiss. Only you could take all the fun out of making a baby."

Leah's expression twisted. She batted a wayward curl from her eyes, but her fingers tangled in her hair. She froze.

"Did you think we would...?" She stood, ducking from me and brandishing the paperwork like it'd save her from my intentions. "You're kidding."

And here I thought she didn't let me in on her joke. "I figured we'd do it the old-fashioned way. Tried and true."

"You wanted...to have s.e.x."

"You didn't?"

Her mouth dropped open. "That wasn't my plan at all."

"What? Were you just sitting here, fingers crossed, waiting for a d.a.m.n stork?"

"I didn't think..."

"That I'd f.u.c.k you?"

Leah exhaled, gathering her papers and reorganizing them all neat and tidy into a folder. "I...don't you think it'll complicate everything?"

"More than having a baby?"

"You're right." She lowered her head. I recognized that defeated sigh, the hesitation in her voice. She had the same reaction every time she pushed me away. "Jack, maybe we shouldn't-"

"Get changed."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"Get changed. I'm taking you out."

"Where?"

"To Diva."

Leah cracked a smile so s.e.xy I thought I'd only earn it with my head buried between her legs. "You're taking me to a nightclub?"

"We need...a new perspective." I flashed a grin. "Let me take you out. Have some fun. Get seen in the hottest club in the city. It'll convince people we're an item quicker than me kissing your cheek at an afternoon baseball game."

"Diva's the most exclusive club in Ironfield." She scoffed. "h.e.l.l, they won't even let Jolene and me inside. We get our clients on the list and they go alone."

"I can get you in."

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

"No tricks. I think you need a little more fun tonight, Kiss, and a lot less..." I waved to the brochures. "Planning. Get changed. We'll have some fun."

She glanced over her tank and tight sweats. I loved the look, but Diva was d.a.m.n fancy. She scolded me when I tried to follow into her bedroom. "Wait right here, Mr. Carson."

"Nothing I haven't seen before." My voice lowered. "I'd like to see it again."