Hot Combat - Elle James

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together, all those years ago, she’d worn her hair in a perpetual braid to keep it out of her face.

      Her hips and breasts were fuller, even more enticing than before. Motherhood suited her. If possible, she was more beautiful and sexier than ever.

      His gut twisted. But who was the father? Lolly was small. Maybe five? Though he didn’t have a claim on Charlie, he never could stomach the idea of another man touching her the way he’d touched her.

      The fact was babies didn’t come from storks. So Charlie wasn’t the open, straightforward woman she’d been all those years ago. She probably had a reason for being more reserved. Having a child might have factored into her current stance.

      He straightened. “So, tell me about the threats.”

      “You’re not going away, are you?” Her brows drew together, the lines a little deeper than when she’d been twenty-two. She sighed. “I really wish you would just go. I have enough going on.”

      “Without me getting in the way?” He shook his head. “I’m only going to be here a week. Unless you have a husband who is willing to take care of you, let me help you and your family for the week.” He smiled, hoping to ease the frown from her brow. “Show me a husband and I’ll leave.” He cocked his brows.

      She stared at him for a long, and what appeared to be wary, moment before she shook her head. “There isn’t a husband to take care of us.”

      “Is he out of town?” He wasn’t going to let it go. The thought of Charlie and her little girl being threatened didn’t sit well with him. Who would do that to a lone woman and child? “I could stay until he returns.”

      “I told you. There isn’t a husband. Never has been.”

      He couldn’t help a little thrill at the news. But if no husband, who was the jerk who’d gotten her pregnant and left her to raise the child alone?

      His heart stood still and his breath lodged in his lungs. Everything around him seemed to freeze. No. It couldn’t be. “How old is Lolly?”

      “Does it matter?” Charlie spun and walked toward the door. “If you want to see the threats, follow me.”

      He caught her arm and pulled her around to face him, his fingers digging into her skin. “How old is she?” he demanded, his lips tight, a thousand thoughts spinning in his head, zeroing in on one.

      For a long moment, she met his gaze, refusing to back down. Finally, she tilted her chin upward a fraction and answered, “Six.”

      “Just six?” His gut clenched.

      “Six and a few months.”

      Her words hit him like a punch in the gut. Ghost fought to remain upright when he wanted to double over with the impact. Instead, he dropped his hands to his sides and balled his fists. “Is she—”

      “Yours?” She shrugged. “Does it matter? Will it change anything?”

      “My God, Charlie!” He grabbed her arms wanting to shake her like a rag doll. But he didn’t. “I have a daughter, and you never told me?”

      “You were going places. You had a plan, and a family wasn’t part of it. What did you expect me to do? Get an abortion? Give her up for adoption?”

      “Hell, no.” He choked on the words and shoved a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe it.” His knees wobbled and his eyes stung.

      He turned toward the back door. The little auburn-haired girl-child stood watching them, her features muted by the screen.

      That little human with the beautiful red hair, curling around her face was his daughter.

      Charlie walked toward the house. As she reached for the doorknob, her hands shook. Now that Jon knew about his daughter, what would he do? Would he fight for custody? Would he take her away for long periods of time? Would he hate her forever for keeping Lolly from him?

      Questions spiraled out of control in Charlie’s mind.

      Lolly stood in the doorway, watching the two adults. Had she heard what had passed between them? Did she now know the big man was her father?

      Up until Lolly had started school, she hadn’t asked why she didn’t have a father. Her world had revolved around Charlie. She didn’t know enough about having a father to miss it.

      Charlie pulled open the screen door, gathered her daughter in her arms and lifted her. “Hey, sweetie. Do you still have that brush?”

      Her daughter held up the brush. “Is the big man going to stay?” She shot a glare at Jon. “I don’t like him.”

      “Oh, baby, he’s a nice man. How can you say you don’t like him when you don’t know him yet?”

      That stubborn frown that reminded Charlie so much of Jon grew deeper. “I don’t want to know him.”

      Charlie cringed and shot a glance over her shoulder at the father of her child. Had she been wrong to keep news of his daughter from him? Would he have wanted to be a part of her life from birth?

      Jon’s expression was inscrutable. If he was angry, he wasn’t showing it. If Lolly’s words hurt...again, he wasn’t letting on.

      Then he smiled. Though the effort appeared forced to Charlie, it had no less of an impact on her. She remembered how he’d smiled and laughed and played with her when he’d been there seven years ago.

      She still had a picture they’d taken together. He’d been laughing at something she said when she’d snapped the photo of them together.

      Her heart pinched in her chest. No matter how much she might want it, they couldn’t go back in time. What they had was gone. They had to move on with their lives. How Jon would fit into Lolly’s world had yet to be determined, if he chose to see her again. Now that Jon knew about her, Charlie couldn’t keep him from being with her. She just hoped he didn’t break Lolly’s heart like he’d broken Charlie’s all those years ago.

      “Lolly, Mr. Caspar is going to be visiting for the next week. I think you’ll like him.” She stared into her daughter’s eyes. “Please, give him a chance.”

      Lolly stared over Charlie’s shoulder at the man standing behind her. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds and then nodded. “Okay.” Then she extended the hand with the brush toward Jon. “You can brush my hair.”

      A burst of laughter erupted from Charlie. She clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing it sounded more hysterical than filled with humor. Trust her daughter to put the man to the test first thing.

      Charlie set her daughter on her feet.

      Jon nodded, his face set, his gaze connecting with Lolly’s. “I’d be honored.” He took the brush from her and glanced around.

      “You can have a seat in the kitchen,” Charlie said. “I’ll make some coffee. Have you had breakfast? I’m making blueberry waffles.”

      She went through the motions of being a good hostess when all she wanted to do was run out of the room screaming, lock herself in her room and cry until she had no more tears left. With a daughter watching her every move, Charlie couldn’t give in to hysterics.

      She’d cried more than enough tears over this man. No longer a young woman on the verge of life, she was a mother with responsibilities. Her number one priority was the well-being of her little girl.

      Charlie rinsed the bowl in the sink, poured cat food into it and set it aside. Shadow jumped into the window again, startling her. “Cat, you’re going to give me a heart attack,” she muttered. “I’ll be back.”

      As she left the kitchen with the cat food, she watched Jon and Lolly.

      Jon had taken

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