Daddy by December (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo Read Free Book Online Page A

dressed in business suit and sensible pumps like she’d
been for their two previous meetings but in elegant wear that reminded her that
she was a woman.  And he was a man.  Going out on a date.  Not exactly what she
wanted to remember right now.
    “Shall we go?”  Drake
gave her a polite nod then waited for her to step past him.  His eyes had a
special twinkle to them and she could see that he liked what he saw.  He didn’t
say anything but somehow he didn’t need to.  The eyes said it all.
    Drake had chosen a
restaurant which was only fifteen minutes drive away from Meg’s home, the Phancy
Pheasant, one of her favorites.  How had he known?  It was an elegant place and
the food could only be described as exquisite.  And it was pricey.  Meg’s
visits to the restaurant had been rare but she’d enjoyed it immensely each
time.  After Greg’s death she hadn’t been back at all.
    As they entered the
lobby the memories, so bittersweet, came rushing back and Meg had to blink
rapidly to clear the mist from her eyes.
    “Are you all right?” 
Drake dipped his head to peer down at her.
    “I’m…I’m fine,” she
said in a choked whisper.  Then, determined not to break down in from of him
she sniffed, straightened her back and stepped ahead of him toward the hostess
who was coming forward to greet them.  To Meg’s relief she was able to regain
control of her emotions and, just to make sure Drake didn’t bug her with any more
questions, she gave him her brightest smile.  She was glad when he smiled back
and seemed to relax.  Danger averted.  Thank goodness.
    After the appetizer
they had a meal of the restaurant’s signature dish, pheasant in wine on wild
rice followed by chocolate mint and pistachio ice cream.  Meg was dying to
start questioning Drake about his conversation with Jessie but, not wanting to
be rude, she bided her time, waiting for him to bring up the subject.
    It was while they were
sipping after-dinner tea that he finally did.  Drake gave her a slow smile then
he rested his cup on the saucer and leaned back in his chair.  “I think I’ve
held you in suspense long enough,” he said with a wicked smile.  “I’m ready to
put you out of your misery if you’ll promise me one thing.”
    Meg sat back in her
chair and folded her arms across her chest.  “Oh, no, you don’t.  Don’t you
dare tack on anything else.  We had an arrangement.  I go out to dinner with
you and you fill me in on everything you and Jessie talked about.  That’s it.” 
    Drake chuckled. 
“You’re right.  Thought I could squeeze in something else along the way but you
caught me.”
    Now it was Meg’s turn
to give him a wicked smile of her own.  “Now start talking.  I'm all ears.”
    “Okay, Meg.  I hope you
can handle this.”  Drake sat forward, leaning toward her, and rested his arms
on the table.
    This sounded serious. Meg
held her breath.
    “Jessie told me about
her father and how he died.  She also told me about her wish to have a daddy.” 
Drake’s eyes so intensely gray, searched hers.  It was as if he wanted to gauge
her reaction.  “She tells me she doesn’t really remember her dad but she seems
to yearn for what she never had.  She wants a complete family, Meg – mommy,
daddy and baby.”
    Meg stared at Drake, at
his brows now furrowed, his face serious.  Strangely, he seemed genuinely
concerned.  “I know, Drake,” she said, her voice almost a whisper, “But, her dad,
we lost him...”  her voice cracked and she drew in a breath, “...we lost him
when she was just a baby.  All I can do is show her pictures and videos and let
her know how much he loved her.”
    Slowly, Drake nodded. 
“You’re doing the right thing, to tell her all you can about her dad.  But
she’s asking for more, Meg.  She wants a daddy, one who can be here with her."
    “But…but…” She was
stuttering now.  For him to even mention that was useless.  “What can I do
about that?