Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
A couple of weeks later, I stood in the hallway, watching Jenna through the large glass window. She cradled a newborn, and my body ached with the desire to see our own child in her arms. The infant gripped her finger in its tiny fist, and she stared down at the boy with a look of pure adoration and wonder.
Seeing her with babies every day drove the Neanderthal inside me crazy. He wanted to hunt down his mate and breed her.
But no matter how hard it was on my self-control, I insisted that when Jenna arrived at the hospital after school each day, she met me at my office as long as I wasn’t with a patient or in a delivery. Then I walked her over to the NICU, and before I went to work, I spent a few minutes outside the room drinking in the sight of her through the window.
It was a stupid thing to do since I should have kept my distance, but this was the only time I had any excuse to touch her in any way.
The plan to let the staff slowly get used to me not being there as much had gone up in smoke since I was always around to watch over Jenna. Not that anyone but me knew the whole truth. Even on the days when I wasn’t scheduled to work in the evenings, I had plenty of shit to do so that I could watch her on the cameras until it was time to see her safely home.
I was going a little crazy at times when I didn’t have eyes on her, though. It had only been two weeks, and I was distracted during the day while she was at school and the weekends when I didn’t see her at all.
With Jenna having a cybersecurity genius for a surrogate uncle, no way in hell would I be able to spy on her when she was at home. However, I had my own connections, and a friend managed to get me access to the cameras at Jenna’s school. After one weekend, I broke down and hired private security to tail her and give me updates about her whereabouts and activities. I knew Justice kept security details on his kids from a distance, but since I was aware of it, my people could steer clear of their notice.
I’d sent her a neutral text from time to time, usually involving the condition of a baby she’d been cuddling. It gave me a connection to her but wouldn’t be suspicious if her parents checked her texts.
“How is she doing?”
I mentally cursed when I heard Justice’s voice from right behind me. “She’s a natural,” I replied as I schooled my face into a neutral expression before turning to face him.
“Yes, she is. Just like her mother.” He smiled fondly and nodded, folding his arms over his muscular chest, looking as intimidating as ever. Justice’s picture could be in the dictionary next to sixty is the new forty. Other than some graying at his temples, the man barely aged. He was also incredibly possessive and protective of his family. Most men would probably be running for the hills rather than lusting after his teenage daughter. Instead, I was planning on taking her, marrying her, and knocking her up as soon as possible after her birthday.
“The parents praise her constantly. She’ll make an excellent mother one day.”
Justice paled a little and gulped. “Far in the future,” he muttered. “I have no fucking clue how I’m going to let boys around my little girls.”
I almost laughed. Partly because he looked like he might throw up, but also because he would have to come to terms with the concept real fucking soon.
“Anyway, I was here to visit a friend and wanted to stop by because I haven’t had a chance to thank you for setting Jenna up as a volunteer yet,” he said, smiling as the color returned to his face. “She’s been on cloud nine.”
“Happy to help. She’s very special.”
Justice didn’t say anything at first, just observing me long enough for the moment to turn awkward. But I schooled my expression so that I didn’t give anything away, and he finally nodded.
“Yes, she is. She’s young.” His eyes narrowed so minutely that I almost missed it. “Very, very young. But Blair knew that she wanted to work with kids since she was a teenager, like Jenna, so I’m not surprised that my daughter is on the same path.”
“Like mother, like daughter,” I murmured, one corner of my mouth raising in amusement. Wasn’t Blair just a little older than her when you two were married? I almost gave voice to the thought, which would have been monumentally stupid.
“Well, thank you again. Let me know if there is anything I can do to repay the favor.”