Intense: A Dark Billionaire Romance Read online

I grinned at her. “That’ll do.”

  She took down my information, I paid the good lady, and off I went.

  Out in the parking lot, I found my car pretty quickly. It was the only electric blue Mustang in the whole place. I stood in front of it, grinning hugely.

  So much for not drawing attention to myself.

  I got inside and started the engine. It roared to life and I revved the engine.

  Nothing was fucking better than a fast car. I pulled out of my spot, drove down the airport road, and got onto the highway heading north toward Dayton.

  As I drove, I stopped off at the first gun emporium I saw advertised on a billboard. It was just what I needed: huge and impersonal. It took me ten minutes to walk in, select the pistol I needed, and purchase it. Shouldn’t have been so damn easy, but I felt much better with the loaded weapon’s weight in the waistband of my jeans as I got back into the Mustang and roared out toward Dayton.

  I was armed, dangerous, and driving a fast car. I felt a thrill run down my spine. I was elated. I lived for this shit, for danger and suspense and fucking action. The Network was here—I was beyond sure of that—and Tara was in danger. And I was going to keep her safe.

  Her and her baby.

  I wasn’t sure how long it took me to get out to Dayton, but one second I was blazing down along the fucking highway and the next I was pulling down the exit and riding along the quiet suburban streets.

  Dayton was like every other town in Indiana. The place was quiet, neat, and orderly, the last place you’d expect The Network to visit. There was nothing important in Dayton, nothing strategic or worthwhile, except for Tara. And, potentially, my baby.

  As I pulled up outside her house, I couldn’t let myself think about that. I might be meeting my baby for the first time, or I might be meeting some random child. Either way, I had to keep my head on straight. I was a trained SEAL on a mission to keep this girl safe. I couldn’t let this child distract me from that.

  I got out of the car and headed up the driveway. There was nobody around, though I was primed and ready. I stopped outside her door and knocked once, twice, three times before I finally heard her call out from inside.

  That was the voice I knew. She pulled the door open and I grinned at her. “Remember me?” I asked.

  She gaped at me like she was seeing a ghost.

  She looked fucking incredible, just like I remembered. Those green eyes, that long brunette hair, that perfect fucking body. It made my cock stir just seeing her again in the flesh and remembering what our bodies could do together, even if it was for only one night.

  “Yes,” she said, getting herself together. “Uh, yeah. Hi, Emory. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you.”

  “I’ve been looking for you. Everywhere. For months.”

  I frowned at that. “Why?”

  “You should meet someone.”

  Shit.

  So it was true.

  Fuck. I had a son.

  She half turned and nodded at me. I followed her inside and shut the door behind us.

  Her house was cute. She clearly lived with her parents, though, based on all the pictures. Plus, I couldn’t imagine a single mother could afford to live in a decent-sized house alone, even in Indiana. I followed her down the hall, through the kitchen, and into the living room.

  And there, trapped into a little bouncy chair, was a baby. A five-month-old baby. Right around the correct age, if I had knocked the girl up.

  “Emory, this is Mason,” she said. “Your son.”

  I gaped at the kid.

  “Are you sure?” I asked her.

  “I’m sure,” she said, laughing.

  “We used a condom.”

  “I know. Believe me, I’ve thought about that a million times.”

  He looked just like me, the same nose, the same eyes. It was like staring at a tiny, blob-like version of myself.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” she said again, “but you’re not easy to find.”

  “I know,” I said, distracted, staring at the kid.

  I’d never wanted to be a father, never wanted to have a kid. But there I was, facing my baby, while The Network probably moved into position to kill us all.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked again.

  “Came to see you,” I said, not wanting to tell her the truth.

  Not yet at least. She didn’t need to know that a deadly terrorist group might be watching her, ready to hurt her in order to get at me.

  “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “I have my ways.”

  “Emory,” she said, “I know this is a lot to take in.”

  I turned toward her. “You look fucking good,” I said.

  “Thanks.” She blushed a little.

  “Fuck, I get why I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that sweet pussy since I left you.”

  “Don’t say that. Not in front of Mason.”

  “The kid can’t understand me,” I said, laughing. “Plus, he’d be happy to know a man like me would want his momma.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing,” I said, changing the subject.

  She looked annoyed. “Look, I know this is weird, but you don’t need to come in here acting all cocky.”

  “Not cocky,” I said. “Just honest.”

  She made a face. “You know, I’ve been hoping for a long time that you’d show up. Now that you have, I’m not so sure I want you here.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. I didn’t blame her, but she had no clue what she was saying.

  “Don’t act like that pussy isn’t dripping wet,” I said. “The second you saw me, you remembered what I could do to that body of yours.”

  “I haven’t forgotten,” she admitted, “but you’re also still as arrogant as I remembered.”

  “I get it, princess,” I said. “You don’t know who I am or why I’m here.”

  “No, I don’t, but you are the father of my child.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Look at him. You look exactly the same.”

  I glanced at the kid again and frowned. I couldn’t deny it, at least not for long, but I couldn’t let myself get too distracted either.

  “All babies look alike,” I said, moving back toward the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be back,” I said. “I need to get a hotel room. I’m only in town for a little bit.”

  She bit her lip and stepped toward me. “You’ll come back, though, right? Spend some time with him?”

  “I’ll spend some time with you,” I said, “maybe see if we can’t keep a condom intact.”

  “Just come back,” she said.

  “I will.”

  I got out of there before I changed my mind. I needed to get out of that house and away from that baby and fucking process some of this shit.

  It wasn’t every day a guy found out that he had a secret baby somewhere out there.

  Plus, I did need to get a hotel room. And I needed to sweep the area and make sure nobody was actively surveilling her place, make sure she was safe.

  I checked my gun and then started to move around her house, checking the place.

  I was going to throw myself into my work. I had to distract myself from my reality for a while, at least until The Network wasn’t a threat anymore.

  I had a fucking baby, and his mother had made my cock fucking rock hard the second I saw her again.

  I might be fucked, and not in the way I wanted.

  5

  Tara

  I crossed and uncrossed my legs, nervousness flowing through my veins.

  I kept thinking back to the day before. One second I was totally freaking out for no reason, imagining people were following me around me, and the next Emory showed up at my door.

  I felt a hot flush tingle down my arms just thinking about him again. He was exactly like I remembered him, that cocky smile, that incredible, muscular bod
y, those piercing eyes.

  But it was totally bizarre the way he just appeared like that. He didn’t really even explain himself at all. And when I showed him Mason, his son, he seemed basically disinterested. The only thing he seemed to want to do was talk dirty to me.

  Which I didn’t mind exactly, but it was confusing. The man just found out that he had a son, and he was basically uninterested. He’d acted like he could really not care less.

  And then he was gone again. He got out of there so fast I almost didn’t believe he had shown up. I didn’t even bother telling my parents or Lindy about it since it felt like a dream. Maybe I was hallucinating and I really did just see a ghost.

  Except when my phone rang this morning and it was him asking me to meet him for coffee, I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

  I looked around the café and sipped my coffee. I was a little early, and the afternoon rush was just starting up. I was at a little table pressed up against the wall underneath a window with a nice view of the parking lot. Local art hung on the walls, and the whole café had a library-meets-bar vibe about it.

  I watched the people come and go, expecting to see him every time the door opened. I didn’t know what I was doing here or what he wanted, but I figured maybe now he was finally going to talk to me about Mason.

  Truthfully, I didn’t know what I wanted from him, either. I was just fine taking care of Mason myself, although it was hard. The only thing was, Mason needed a father figure in his life. Maybe Emory didn’t want to stick around in Dayton and change diapers, and I couldn’t blame him if he didn’t. Frankly, I didn’t even know where he lived or what he did for a job.

  But I hoped he’d be in Mason’s life somehow. I didn’t need him to drop everything in his life and stay here to help raise Mason, but I did want him to at least show up for birthdays, to give Mason a positive male role model.

  But maybe Emory wasn’t such a positive role model. I blushed thinking about the things he had said to me, the way he touched my body.

  And just as I began to remember that night, he walked in through the door.

  Tall and handsome, his eyes swept the room, seeming to take it all in at once. He spotted me and this grin broke out across his face. I stood up as he walked over.

  “Tara,” he said.

  “Hi, Emory. Thanks for coming.”

  He smirked. “You’re very welcome.”

  I extended my hand to him, wanting to try to feel at least a little familiar and normal. He looked at my hand and smirked. He grabbed it and pulled me closer to him. He kissed my cheek gently and then let me go.

  Chills ran down my spine.

  “Funny that you’d want to shake hands,” he said.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. “I mean, I don’t know what this is.”

  “It’s coffee. And just so you know, I don’t shake hands with women I’ve already fucked.”

  I smiled. “What about impregnated?”

  “Well.” His grin slipped a little. “Let’s sit.”

  We sat back down and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. I studied him, impossibly curious. He was wearing a loose black shirt and well-fitting jeans. His tattoos snaked up his arms, disappearing underneath his sleeves, and I vaguely remembered tracing them with my fingers once, a long time ago.

  “I’m sure this is strange for you,” he said, “me just showing up like this.”

  “Very strange,” I admitted. “How did you find me?”

  He just smiled. “I’ll get to that. First, I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner. I didn’t know about Mason. I may not be a fucking saint, but I wouldn’t ignore my own kid.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I tried to find you, but it’s like you don’t exist. Is Emory your real name?”

  “Yeah,” he said, grinning again, “it is. But you won’t find me under that name.”

  “Why not?” I asked, cocking my head.

  “What do you do for a living, Tara?” he asked instead.

  “I go to school. I want to be a nurse.”

  “Well, my job is a little more complicated.” He leaned toward me, speaking low. “What do you know about the Navy SEALs?”

  “Aren’t they, like, an elite special forces group or something?”

  “Exactly. That’s my job. In particular, I’m assigned to a team that fights a Pakistani terrorist group called The Network.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds fake.”

  He laughed. “It does, but I’m not lying.”

  “Okay, so I couldn’t find you because you’re a spy or something?”

  “Not exactly,” he said. “Our identities are protected because of the dangerous shit we do. I’m not in the public databases anymore.”

  I nodded slowly. “Okay. I guess that makes sense.”

  “It’s also how I found you. Being a SEAL team captain means I have access to some pretty cool fucking tricks.”

  “But if you didn’t know about Mason, why did you come find me?”

  I watched his face fall for a second before quickly gathering himself. “Do you remember the night we first met?”

  “Of course,” I said softly. I felt a thrill run down my spine.

  “You’re just as fucking sexy as you were that night,” he said softly.

  “Obviously,” I said, joking.

  “Some hard shit happened to me after that night, but all through it I kept thinking about your delicious little pussy.”

  “What sort of stuff happened?”

  “Just a mission. But you put a fucking fire in my veins, Tara.”

  “So you found me because you wanted to sleep with me again?” I asked, feeling slightly annoyed.

  “Would that bother you if it were true?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Probably.”

  He smirked that delicious smile and leaned back, crossing his arms. “I’m not the type of man to play games, Tara. If that was what I wanted, I’d take it.”

  “You can’t just take whatever you want,” I said, annoyed.

  “Sure I can. Especially when you want to give it to me.”

  “I don’t want to give you anything.”

  “Are you sure about that?” He leaned forward again, looking hard at me. “Are you sure you’re not dripping wet, squirming in your seat right now?”

  “Positive.” I stared back at him, my face hard, even though he was absolutely right.

  I was dripping wet. I didn’t want to be, but my body was totally betraying me.

  It didn’t matter though. I wasn’t going to give this cocky jerk an inch of what he wanted.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  “You haven’t answered my question yet,” I pressed. “Why are you here?”

  “I know I didn’t answer. I will eventually, just not right now.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Sorry, princess. It’s part of the job.”

  “So you’re here because you’re a SEAL?”

  “Not exactly.”

  I sighed, exasperated. “Try being a little more exact. I’m tired and I have a baby at home. Your baby.”

  “You’re tough, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t have time to be weak. I’m a single mother now.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get that. I don’t have time for weakness either.”

  “But you’re still dodging my question.”

  “How about this. When you give me what I want, I’ll give you what you want.”

  I sighed and crossed my arms. “And what exactly do you want?”

  “I want to see the look on your face as you slowly slide down my hard cock.”

  I sighed and shook my head, completely annoyed. “I am not sleeping with you just to get one stupid answer out of you.”

  “Your loss. I think you’d be getting the better deal.”

  “I doubt it. Apparently you came all the way here just to try to get in my pants again.”

  He laughed, grinning. “Okay, you go
t me there. That pussy is definitely worth coming across the country for.”

  I wanted to say something cutting, but he suddenly sat straight up. He was looking out the window with this strange look on his face, half intense and half angry.

  “What?” I asked him.

  “We need to go,” he said, without looking away from the window.

  “Excuse me? We haven’t talked about anything.”

  He looked back at me. “I promise we’ll talk more, but you have to trust me right now.”

  I stared back at his piercing eyes and felt something shift inside me. He wasn’t joking around anymore, and that cocky grin was gone, replaced with this intense stare and strange stillness, like he was completely in control.

  “Okay,” I said, and I didn’t know why.

  He stood. “Come on. Follow me. Stay close.”

  I stood up and he headed toward the front door. I followed him and we moved outside.

  “My car,” I said as we began to walk away from the building.

  “Leave it,” he said. “I’ll get it later.”

  I frowned but listened. We moved toward the back of the café and then down through the alley. He cut right at the end and we moved down a residential street. He kept looking around, his eyes sweeping the place.

  “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  “Just keep up.”

  He cut down between two houses and I followed. We moved down their lawns and came out on another street on the other side. He turned left, heading away from my house, walking, but at a fast clip. I had to walk fast to keep up.

  “I’m from Indiana too,” he said suddenly as we turned onto another street.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Sure. Small town, just like this one. I’m a Hoosier, born and bred.”

  “What is a Hoosier anyway?”

  “Nobody knows.” He turned down another street. I felt like I was going to get out of breath soon, but he seemed like this was nothing.

  “Did you go to school around here?”

  “High school,” he said. “I went to the Naval Academy for some college but dropped out to enlist in my second year.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “School wasn’t for me,” he said. “I was more interested in the action. I had top marks in school too, but I just couldn’t stand all that sitting around shit.”