Power Play (Play Makers Book 4) (40 page)

“Good.” Her green eyes sparkled. “Like I
said, I kept almost everything. One lengthy change to the
post-birth agreement, and one minor tweak to the preliminary stuff.
I’ll start with the big change first.” She opened her folder and
paged through the contract until she found the checklist. “I’ve
kept almost everything, see? The diet. The exercise. I’ll keep
working during the pregnancy, so that’s not a problem either. And
I’ll take the million dollars because let’s face it, I’m giving a
lot in return.”

He chuckled. “Damn straight.”

She smiled. “The big change comes
after
the delivery. Under the old terms, the mom walks away
at that point. But I’m staying. Which makes the breastfeeding
protocol simpler, right? Because I’ll nurse the infant
personally.”

He forced himself not to respond. Was this
really her big change? That she wanted to stay involved during the
nursing stage? If she had suggested it originally, he would have
agreed without hesitation, knowing the child’s health could
benefit.

Was she actually saying she could walk away
as soon as the child was weaned? Or knowing Darcie, maybe she had
found a loophole and would breastfeed for eighteen years!

She seemed pleased by his silence and said
warmly, “I know you want sole custody, but
that’s
the fly in
the ointment, right? You can’t do it on your own. Whereas having
me
involved works for me, for the baby, and even for you
since you won’t have to rely on nannies when football season heats
up.”

He needed to clear his head, so he stood,
asked, “Is that beer still available? In the refrigerator, right?”
and then headed to the kitchen without waiting for permission. He
actually pulled two cans from the six-pack, one to cool his
forehead, the other to take back to the table.

Then he sat back down and eyed her sternly.
“You want to stay involved while you nurse the baby? How long do
you think that will last?”

“Every child is different. I’ve learned that
from watching Emily with her children. But it’s moot, because I
want joint custody from the moment that baby is born until he or
she turns eighteen.”

“Huh?”

“It’s actually the best part of this plan,”
she insisted. “Two parents at all times, both involved, both
available, backing each other up. The first year or two—let’s face
it—I’ll have possession because I’ve got the equipment. But you can
be there as much as you want. Even live at my place if that’s your
preference. After that we’ll share custody on an agreed-upon
schedule. But in an emergency? We bail each other out because it’s
our kid.”

Almost suffocated, he croaked, “How is this
different from marriage? No offense,” he added hastily. “But if I
wanted
this
I wouldn’t have gone the surrogate route.”

She gave him an indulgent smile. “It’s the
opposite
of marriage if you think it through. You’re
determined to have a baby. I want one too. I’m so ready, Wyatt.
You’ve shown me that. And you said it yourself: It’s tough finding
someone you can trust. Someone who will put the child first. Who
understands what a miracle a baby is. A gift from God, right? So
you want to have it with the right person. So do I. This gives us
that.”

“Darcie . . .”

“It’s not marriage, Wyatt. Once you read the
new provisions you’ll understand. You can date other women. Sleep
with them. And if by some miracle you decide to get married to
someone else, I won’t stand in your way. Why would I? I’ll have
what I want. Nothing can change that. We’ll still share custody.
Check out paragraph six of part three. Once we sign this agreement,
we can’t challenge the joint-custody arrangement for any reason. So
it’s not like you and your wife can steal custody. You can have
your own kids together, obviously. But ours? Joint custody all the
way.”

His head was swimming again. “So what you’re
really saying is,
you
can date.
You
can sleep with
other guys.
You
can marry some other guy and he’ll be my
kid’s stepfather.”

Immediately he regretted the words. Or at
least the tone. But she took it well, assuring him, “To be honest?
I don’t see that happening. The marriage part, I mean. Not for
either of us. You’re dead set against marriage even in theory. And
I’ll be in hog heaven, as Emily would say. Me and that baby? And
frankly, having you in the mix too? Such a great dad to my kid?
It’s priceless.”

Before he could digest even that, she
continued bluntly. “If you’re worried that I’ll steal your fortune,
think again. We won’t commingle our assets. So if something happens
to you, and you want to leave your estate to the baby in trust with
someone else—a reliable banker or friend or family member—that’s
fine with me. But at that point, I’ll have sole
physical
custody, make no mistake about it. Your mom and other relatives can
visit, but the baby’s upbringing is up to me.”

“What does my mother have to do with
it?”

“If you die under the original agreement,
she’d get custody, in my opinion. Under the revised agreement,
I
get custody. I know you love her but she’s not raising my
baby.”

“Geezus.”

“My hope is that you’ll trust Murf and Emily
enough in the future to let
them
raise the baby if something
happens to both of us. But I’m flexible. Your Aunt Jenny, for
example. So we’d amend those provisions over time. The important
thing is, if something happens to me, you’ll have sole custody with
my blessing. And vice versa.”

He almost couldn’t breathe. His mother
getting custody? Was that even
possible
under the old
agreement? He had been so focused on providing financially for the
child in case anything happened to him, he hadn’t even considered
who would get physical custody.

His commitment—to never neglecting or
hurting or deserting that child—had been so mindless, he had
forgotten the simple truth: Wyatt Bourne could die. Maybe even the
day the poor kid was born. Or a week later. A year later.

And then what?

Then he’d be with
Darcie . . .

For the first time since he opened that blue
folder, he understood what she was really saying. She had come at
this from such a different angle—not just as a mommy but as a
lawyer.

Until you go through the agony of law
school you aren’t qualified
 . . .

He knew his eyes must look damp but still he
fixed them on hers. “So you’re saying we’ll raise the baby
together?”

She nodded. “My baby deserves a father. And
I can’t think of anyone better.”

“Geezus.” He turned his attention to the
document. She had barely touched the first five pages. But the last
three? The ones paying lip service to Wyatt’s responsibility to
provide food, shelter, education and nannies? Those had been
replaced entirely with six new pages full of the joint
responsibilities of the co-parents, detailed provisions about
dispute resolution, and most of all, assurance that even if
something happened to one parent, the other could raise the child
without interference from well-meaning friends and relatives. And
if the worst happened? The agreement covered that too, leaving
nothing to chance. No bombshells to blow the poor kid out of the
water at age nine, or thirteen, or
seventeen . . .

To Wyatt, these were the most important
provisions of all. The ones he owed his son or daughter. And yet he
had been so focused on providing wealth and security, he had
completely forgotten what really mattered to a child.

“And you’d do this?” he asked hoarsely.

Tears made her green eyes even more
gorgeous. “Yes, assuming we can come to terms. You need to read it,
Wyatt. Suggest changes. It has to be perfect, right?”

He stared at her, completely transfixed. She
was so irresistible, so sweet, so brilliant. And she was in love
with him. He had known that for a while, but until now really
hadn’t understood what it meant. She would do anything for him.
Anything but let him make a mistake. And so she wouldn’t be his
surrogate. Instead she would be the mother of his child.

“Would we sleep together?” he asked through
his haze. “I mean, does this contract deal with that?”

“It’s not really relevant,” she told him
softly. “Except at the beginning.”

“What?”

“Remember when I said I made a big change to
the post-birth part, and a tweak to the pre-birth process?” Taking
his hand in hers, she explained, “If we can’t conceive, I’ll
consider IVF. But how would we explain to our child that we didn’t
even
try
to do it naturally? Plus, there’s the higher risk
of multiple births, and even though I’d love that on some level, it
would complicate things, right? At least for our first one.”
Scooting out of her chair and onto his lap, she insisted, “I know
you love being in control. IVF gives you that. I get it. But for
me, it’s a deal breaker unless we exhaust other alternatives.”

His brain exploded with what he wanted to do
to her at that moment.
Without
a condom. Rip off her
clothes. Make her moan his name the way she did when she was
coming. When
they
were coming.

He couldn’t think about contracts, or
custody, or babies. Nothing mattered but the sexy female in his
lap. He just wanted to have her. Now. Completely. Over and over
again.

If she could read his mind, she’d be
shocked. He barely recognized himself! In his thoughts he was
already pawing her. Devouring her. Penetrating her.
Owning
her. So he forced himself not to fondle her luscious body as he
asked carefully, “When?”

“Well, you need to read it, obviously,” she
said with a wry smile. “Suggest any changes. And when we’re agreed,
sign it. Then the timing’s up to you.”

Reaching past her, he picked up a pen and
scrawled his name across the top of the first page of his copy.

“Wyatt,” she protested uneasily.

“We start now,” he growled. Then he forced
himself to add, “Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed breathlessly.

“Damn. Let’s go.”

• • •

Darcie shrieked with nervous glee as he
half-danced, half-carried her to the bedroom, his mouth hot on her
neck. Once on the bed, he stripped off her yoga pants and panties
and kissed her amorously between her legs, toying with her
throbbing clitoris, getting her wild, then trailing his lips up to
her breasts, where he encountered the sports bra.

“What the hell?” he asked in teasing
frustration.

“Let me.” She stripped off her tunic and
bra, then pulled his head to her chest so he could keep the hot
vibes flowing via her erect nipples as she wrapped her bare legs
around him. Pulsing happily against his erection, she told him,
“Take off your pants.”

“No rubber, right?”

“Right.”

He stripped off his khakis, spread her legs
with his huge hands, and entered her with hard, sure thrusts while
he nuzzled her neck and groaned appreciatively. The feel of his
bare penis thrilled her, reminding her she had never before had
unprotected sex.

“I never did this,” she gasped without
thinking as her excitement built. “It’s insane.”

“Yeah, it’s amazing,” he agreed, pumping
more slowly to prolong her delicious agony.

“Wyatt, don’t stop.”

“You’re a wild woman,” he complained with a
chuckle, then his pace quickened and she pleasured herself
mindlessly on his hard shaft, only dimly aware that he hadn’t
climaxed yet. He almost seemed like he would pump her forever.

Not that she was complaining, since her
first orgasm had gone multiple, and so she moaned his name in
encouragement, begging him again not to stop. But he was coming now
too, cursing, breathing hard, savoring every last bit of sensation,
and then slowing down, this time for good as he murmured his
satisfaction in her ear.

“Geezus, Darcie, that was incredible.”

She pulled free and smiled. “This was
supposed to be a business meeting.”

“You sat on my lap.”

She laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t plan that
part. But I actually thought . . .” She quirked a
playful eyebrow. “I thought you’d fight me about dropping IVF and
going
au naturel.”

He chuckled. “Turns out it’s my favorite
part.”

“Apparently.” Sitting up, she studied his
hunky torso fondly. “I thought you’d fight me on
all
of it,
actually.”

“Why? It’s like you said. You fixed both
problems. Now it’s perfect.”

“Except we needed to
talk
first. For
one thing, you haven’t even read it.”

“I signed it. So case closed.” He pulled her
back into his arms. “I want this, Darcie. Don’t you?”

“In theory, yes. But you need to understand
it, line by line. Then raise any objections so we can make more
edits. And even then . . .” She tried to ignore the
sparkling of his deep cobalt eyes. “It’s a big step, Wyatt.”

“A done deal.”

“Except
I
didn’t sign it yet.”

“Huh?” He scowled. “Seriously? You’re the
one who drafted it. Sign it now, Darcie. I’ll go get it. And the
pen.
And
the burgers. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I had a big lunch. And I need a
shower.”

“Great idea.” Standing, he pulled her to her
feet and scanned her body with admiring eyes. “I still can’t
believe we’re doing this.” His hand cupped her right breast as
though he had just signed a lease for it. “Did you stop taking
birth control pills yet?”

“I left a message for my doctor. I didn’t
think there was a hurry since I didn’t think you’d just scribble
your name on it.” She smiled shyly. “According to the Internet I
can just stop taking the pills, but I wanted to check with her. In
case she wants me to finish out the month.”

“No hurry,” he agreed. “As long as we don’t
need to use a rubber. Come on.” He pulled her close, kissed her,
then herded her into the bathroom. “I’ll soap you up while you tell
me about your day.”