Sherryl Woods - Natural Born Daddy

Friendship blossoms into romance in this reader-favorite Adams Dynasty story from New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods.

Jordan Adams proposed a marriage of convenience to single mom Kelly Flint because he thought it was time they each settled down with a perfectly compatible, always-dependable partner. After all, they'd both learned the hard way that love only leads to heartache.

But to his surprise, Kelly made Jordan feel that their marriage would be anything but platonic, and her little daughter kindled fond feelings of fatherhood in his heart. Now he had to convince Kelly that he was not only a natural born daddy…but also the perfect husband she’d been waiting for all her life.

Natural Born Daddy

Sherryl Woods

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Back Cover Text Friendship blossoms into romance in this reader-favorite Adams Dynasty story from New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods . Jordan Adams proposed a marriage of convenience to single mom Kelly Flint because he thought it was time they each settled down with a perfectly compatible, always-dependable partner. After all, they'd both learned the hard way that love only leads to heartache. But to his surprise, Kelly made Jordan feel that their marriage would be anything but platonic, and her little daughter kindled fond feelings of fatherhood in his heart. Now he had to convince Kelly that he was not only a natural born daddy…but also the perfect husband she’d been waiting for all her life.

Title Page Natural Born Daddy Sherryl Woods www.millsandboon.co.uk

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Copyright

“Hey, boss, the barracuda…excuse me, your fiancée is on line two,” Ginger Drake announced from the doorway.

Jordan glowered at his impudent secretary. “I’ve told you not to call her that.”

Undaunted, Ginger merely strolled into his office and perched on the corner of his desk, an act that hiked her skirt to midthigh. Jordan shook his head. If she weren’t the most efficient, most incredibly loyal young woman who’d ever worked for him, he would have fired her months ago for her tart remarks and her unrepentant intrusion into his personal life.

“You’ve also told me to be honest and truthful, no matter how much it hurts,” she informed him now. “That’s my job around here.”

“Your job is taking dictation and typing.”

“And keeping you happy,” she reminded him. She gestured at the blinking phone line. “ She does not make you happy. She is a b—”

“Don’t say it,” he warned, reaching for the phone.

Ginger shrugged. “Well, she is, which you could see for yourself, if you weren’t blinded by the size of her—”

“Ginger!” He pointed toward the door. “Out!”

“Just doing my job,” she said, and sashayed from the room with a provocative sway of her hips.

Unable to resist, Jordan watched that motion with an appreciative eye. If he hadn’t known that she was blissfully married to a linebacker for the Houston Oilers, he would have assumed that Ginger was trying to get his attention. Instead, he knew perfectly well that feminine provocation came as naturally and unselfconsciously to her as flirting with the opposite sex did to him. The difference was, he had tired of it.

Being named one of the city’s most eligible bachelors the past five years in a row had lost its charm. He was ready to settle down. The woman on the phone was the candidate he’d chosen six months ago from the string of female acquaintances who accompanied him to the various charity functions that made up the bulk of his social life.

“Hey, darlin’, how are you?” he said to Rexanne Marshall once Ginger was out of hearing range with the office door firmly shut behind her. “How was the convention?”

“Interesting,” Rexanne said in that deliberately smoky voice that oozed sensuality and, as she well knew, sent goose bumps dancing down his spine.

He settled back in his chair and asked, “Did you make any big deals?” Rexanne really got turned on by her deal making. He could practically envision their passionate reunion.

“You could say that.”

Jordan thought he heard something odd in her tone, a hint of strain that was rare for the supremely confident, highly successful owner of a small but thriving Texas cosmetics company. It was a company poised to make a major move into the national marketplace with his financial backing.

“Rexanne, is everything okay?”

“Jordan…”

He could hear her swallowing and suddenly his body went absolutely still. She had bad news. He could tell from that increasingly evident note of uncertainty in her voice. He sat up a little straighter.

“Whatever it is, just tell me,” he instructed. He’d meant to sound patient and concerned, but even he recognized the drill-sergeant command in his voice.

“Actually, it was the most amazing thing,” she began with a nervous little giggle.

Rexanne was quite possibly the most sophisticated woman he’d ever met. She never giggled. His suspicions tripled as he waited for her to go on.

“I ran into this man, an old friend, actually, from high school, as a matter of fact.”

Now the woman who never wasted a word was babbling. Jordan’s sense of dread kicked in. He stood and began to pace, phone in hand. “And?”

“Well, the truth of it is…Jordan, I’m really sorry about this, but…”

“Just spit it out, Rexanne.”

“Randall and I got married,” she blurted at last. “In Vegas.”

Rexanne and Randall? How alliterative, he thought with an uncharacteristic edge of sarcasm. Married? How considerate of her to give him fair warning. The same society page columnists who’d been gushing about their engagement would be gossiping about this turn of events for weeks. It was only one step short of being left at the altar. He didn’t like the prospect of being the subject of speculation and innuendo. He didn’t like it one damned bit.

“I see,” he said coldly. Not entirely sure of the protocol for the circumstances, he went with his gut reaction, which was liberally laced with more sarcasm. “Thank you so much for calling, Rexanne. Have a nice life.”

“Now, Jordan, please don’t be like that,” she whined.

Why had he never noticed that she whined? he wondered. Probably because he’d given in to her every request, showered her with gifts and never once in the months since they had announced their engagement exchanged a cross word with her. Of course, that was probably because Rexanne had tucked herself so neatly and cheerfully into his life, he’d had no reason to complain.

“Darling, I know it’s a shock and I wouldn’t have hurt you for the world, but this was, like, fate or something,” she said in a more familiar, smoky, cajoling tone.

“Fate?” he repeated numbly. “Yes, I suppose it was.” Fate had benevolently prevented him from having to listen to that whine for the rest of his days. She could ooze sensuality from now to doomsday and he would never stop hearing that whine. It would lurk in his memory like the sound of chalk squeaking across a blackboard.

“Darling, you can’t let this change in our personal status interfere with the business arrangement we have,” she protested. “You’re too much of a businessman. You and I are going to take Marshall Cosmetics to the top around the globe. We’re going to make a fortune.”