A Baby For Dana

JAKE

“So, what have you got for me, Allen?”

From behind his desk, Allen ushered Jake to sit in one of the other chairs in the room. “There is a woman who might be willing to help you out, Jake. A twenty-four-year-old Dana Jones.”

Jake grunted. “She must be pretty desperate if she’ll marry just for money.” When Allen didn’t return his grin, Jake shifted in the seat. “So, how ugly is this woman?”

Allen peered over his glasses. “I thought looks didn’t matter?”

Jake shrugged. “If I have to have some photos taken with her to make this thing believable, it’d be nice if she’s a looker.”

Allen returned to inspecting the paperwork on his desk. “I understand she’s quite lovely. But there is a small catch.”

Jake stood up and began pacing, his nostrils flaring. “I knew it. She wants more money, doesn’t she? How much?”

“No, Miss Jones is not after more money. Calm down, Jake.”

“Well, if it’s not more money, then what?” Jake stopped walking back and forth and stared at the man hunched behind the desk.

“Miss Jones wants a baby.”

“Have you lost your mind, Allen? I told you, I don’t want kids. Find someone else.” Jake grabbed his jacket and started for the door.

Allen’s chair scraped over the wooden floorboards as he jumped to his feet. “Hear me out. The woman doesn’t want to stay married or have the baby’s daddy in the picture.

“Get the girl pregnant, then you’ll never have to see her again.”

With one hand on the door handle, Jake bit his bottom lip. “This doesn’t sound right. What if she tries to extort me later in life?”

Allen waved away Jake’s protest. “The contract will be indisputable. She and the child won’t be entitled to any alimony or to even get in touch with you.”

Jake ran his hand over his chin. “Okay. Set up a meeting and I’ll check her out.”

Allen smiled and reached for his phone. “Send Miss Jones in,” he instructed his secretary.

“Wait, what? She’s already here?”

“You have to be married for at least a year to be entitled to claim the inheritance money. I figured you’d want to get a move on.”

Jake swallowed his annoyance. He didn’t like being blindsided like this. But Allen was right. This would save time. Better to get it over with.

He fell back into his chair and drummed his fingers on the armrest.

It was another ten minutes before Jake heard the door open behind him. He turned to see a slender blonde walking in.

Quite lovely indeed, he thought, ~and with a hot little body~.

Jake was usually drawn to taller women, but there was something about this Dana that grabbed his attention.

Her eyes were a striking blue, the color of the deep blue sea, and she had delicate features.

Or maybe it was her full, luscious lips or the shape of her neck.

A neck he could see himself kissing.

Allen went over to Dana and shook her hand. “Miss Jones, so glad you could make it. I’m Allen Clay and this is Jake Rayburn.”

When Jake stood, he towered over Dana, who had to look up to make eye contact. His hair was raven black, eyes a dark shade of blue, and skin a creamy bronze.

“You’ve kept me waiting for ten minutes, Miss Jones. That’s a quality I find most distasteful in people. I hope this isn’t going to be a habit with you.”

Dana’s soft gaze hardened. Giving Jake a look of contempt, she snapped back, “Excuse me, Mr. Rayburn, I arrived an hour ago. It’s you who has kept me waiting.”

Jake hissed through clenched teeth. “Some of us are busy and don’t have time to waste. Don’t be late again or this will be over before I even consider you.”

Allen cleared his throat to get their attention. “Jake, Dana, please take a seat. You are each other’s way of getting what you want. At least try to get to know one another.”

Jake stood firm until Dana rolled her eyes and moved to sit.

As she crossed one leg over the other, Jake let his eyes roam, taking in every shape and contour. With her dress being so short, he was able to see a great deal of thigh and was grateful for it.

Despite the stirring in his pants, Jake was determined to take charge, so he remained standing, perching himself against Allen’s desk. “Where do you work, Miss Jones?”

“I work at Millie’s Flowers.”

“Do you own it?”

“No, it belongs to friends of mine. Millie and Todd.”

A puff of air escaped the corner of Jake’s lips.

“What’s the matter, Mr. Rayburn? Is that not good enough for you?”

“Well, I can’t imagine I’m going to be in a rush to tell people at parties that my wife is only a flower shop girl.”

“Who says I’ve agreed to be your wife?” she snapped.

Jake ignored Dana’s remark. “You’re very pretty. Why don’t you go to a bar and pick someone up, sleep with him, and get pregnant that way? What’s wrong with you?”

He looked her over with a smirk on his face. “I’m sure you’re not hard to get into bed. Or does the thought of getting laid for five hundred thousand dollars turn you on?”

Dana jumped out of her seat, her cheeks flushed. “You son of a bitch. How dare you talk to me this way, like I’m some kind of tramp?”

Jake loosened his tie and nudged himself off the desk so he could once again tower over her.

“What would you call someone who wants to marry someone just for money and a baby? What kind of twisted gold digger are you?”

“You bastard!” Dana slapped Jake hard across his face before turning and fleeing the room.

When Jake turned back to Allen, the aging lawyer was slumped over his desk with his head in his hands.

“That did not go well, Jake. I guess I’ll keep looking.”

Jake rubbed his cheek where Dana had slapped him. “No need, Allen. She’s perfect. That’s the woman I’m going to marry,” he said with a grin.

“But Jake, that woman hates you.”

“Yes, I know. Which is just what I wanted to be sure she isn’t completely crazy and will make herself scarce at the end of all this. Now I just need to ask her to marry me.”

DANA

Dana stormed into the flower shop before slamming the door behind her. She found Millie sitting at her computer in the back room and collapsed in the seat next to her.

Millie raised an eyebrow. “I take it things didn’t go very well?”

“Oh, Millie. Jake Rayburn is the most obnoxious man I have ever met. There is no way I would marry a jerk like that, not even for one year.”

Millie started typing something into the computer, and a moment later, Jake’s image appeared. She gasped and pointed to the screen. “My God, Dana, is this him?”

Dana nodded and scowled. “Yes, that’s the jerk.”

Millie licked her lips. “Sweet mother, he’s gorgeous. If I weren’t married, I’d do him. Just think how beautiful your child would be if he were the father.”

She clicked a link and started reading. “It says he is one of the youngest criminal lawyers in New York and dates only the most glamorous and wealthy women.

“Hobbies are boating, shooting, mountain climbing, among other things.”

Dana scoffed. “I don’t care. I can’t stand the man, he’s insufferable. I could never get over the fact that he’s a jerk, much less sleep with him.”

Millie gave Dana a wicked little smile. “You don’t have to like the man to sleep with him. And isn’t it better that you can’t stand him? It will make it easier to walk away when the year is up.”

Dana turned to look at the handsome photo on the screen. “Maybe you’re right. I wouldn’t have to spend any time with him.

“And besides, with the money I’ll be getting, I won’t have to sleep with the man. I can wait for the year to be up and then pay for the fertility treatment.”

She put her face in her hands. “But I don’t think he’ll be calling me, not after I slapped him.”

Millie’s eyes lit up. “You did what?”