Chapter Eleven
Gavin
She was every bit as beautiful as I remembered her to be and my breath caught in my throat the moment I looked at her. Josie's auburn hair was longer now than it had been the last time I saw her. Now, it reached nearly to the middle of her back, and wasn't done up like she'd had it before.
Her natural curls were a bit wilder than the tame ones she'd sported last time, but I liked them better that way. She wore less makeup, which meant her true beauty shone through. Her freckles weren't hidden by concealer, and her clear skin looked clean and soft.
In most every way, she looked remarkably the same. And yet, something was different about Josie. I noticed it when she rushed into the bathroom. My first thought was that she'd put on a little weight. It wasn't until she was standing before me, though, that I noticed all that weight was centered in her belly. She had a bump. Now she was sipping water and avoiding eye contact with me.
I could do the math. If she was pregnant, the timing would mean it’d be mine. Unless she’d slept with other men around the same time. But I knew her better than that. The truth of the matter was that she’d been a submissive little virgin. I was the first and likely the only man she’d slept with during that time. Hell, I may still very well be the only man she’s slept with, period.
“Congratulations,” I remarked to her, my tone a little sharper than I’d intended.
I found myself angry at her. Had she planned to keep my child a secret from me? She looked over at me, her eyes growing large.
“What do you mean?” she asked lamely, speaking slowly.
“You know what I mean,” I said, trying hard to keep my cool.
“I don’t…” she stammered.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stood up, pushing the chair completely back from the table and it tipped backward onto the floor with a loud clatter. People turned to look, watching closely. Not one to create a scene, though, I took her hand and tried to keep things from escalating.
“Sh,” I said. “Sit down, Josie.”
I expected her to listen, as she was so submissive the last time I saw her. This time, though, she quickly pulled her hand back from mine and narrowed her eyes at me.
“I don't need you,” she hissed a moment before rushing away.
She hurried out of the restaurant, but I wasn't about to let her get away that easily. Not this time. I followed her out, chasing her down the corridor, calling her name over and over again. I knew she could hear me, but she refused to listen.
“Josie, listen,” I said, grabbing her hand just as she stepped into an elevator.
I stepped inside with her and pushed the Stop button. The doors were closed behind us, but we weren't going anywhere. She had to face me now. There was nowhere she could run.
“Stop, just leave me alone,” she cried, yanking her hand away from mine again. “Like I said, I don't need you. I don't need anyone.”
The sound of her voice cut deep into me. She sounded helpless and afraid, and my instinct was to protect her—to protect our child. I pulled her into my arms and found she didn't pull away. At least not at first. I calmed her down, speaking in calm, soothing tones to her.
“Josie, calm down,” I whispered. “I just want to talk to you, that's all.”
“I don't have anything to say,” she murmured.
Is it my child?”
I already knew the answer to that question. She was a good girl, not the type who slept around. What happened with me was not the norm for a woman like Josie, which was why I'd been drawn to her to begin with. We hadn't used protection, which was my fault. I honestly should have known better. But, caught up in the heat of the moment, I hadn't been using my head. At least, not the one sitting on top of my shoulders. Josie was a virgin and my instinct—my absolute desire—was to feel her from the inside out. And that had made me stupid. Careless.
Josie lifted her head, but wouldn't look at me. I could see the pain and torment in her eyes, though. I knew she was having a hard time coming to grips with this all on her own. I could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes and wanted to take it away from her.
She nodded. “Yes. You’re the only man I’ve ever been with.”
I nodded back at her. “I figured as much.”
I lifted her face, stroking her chin, and stared into her big, baby blue eyes. They were wet with tears, as were her cheeks, and it killed me to see her crying. I hardly knew this woman, but she was carrying my child. Suddenly, my world shifted. Not only did I fantasize about all the ways I wanted to fuck Josie, I suddenly felt like I'd walk through heaven and hell to keep her safe.
“But listen” she said, wiping her tears away and stepping back, “I mean it. I don't need anything from you. You don't have to provide for this child in any way. This is my responsibility.”
“Like hell I don't,” I said. “If it's my kid, I'm going to take care of it. What kind of man do you think I am, Josie? This is much my responsibility as it is yours. Maybe more so.”
She bit her lip. “Honestly? I hardly know you.”
“Well, that's about to change,” I said. “Because like it or not, we're having a kid together,” I said. “Which means, we should probably start getting to know each other.”
“Do you think we can go somewhere to talk? Somewhere more…private?”
“Of course,” I said, pressing the elevator button for the top floor of the cruise ship.
ooo000ooo
“You live here?” Josie asked as soon as we stepped inside my suite. “Like full-time?”
I shrugged. “Most of the time,” I said. “But I have a home in San Diego as well. I just prefer to live at sea most of the time.”
“I don't blame you,” she said.
She'd already seen my bedroom, but I brought her through the front entrance this time. She was getting to see my living and private dining area. My suite came outfitted with a kitchen, just in case I felt like cooking. It went unused most of the time, though. When you have some of the best chefs working for you, why bother?
My living area was mostly ornate wood resembling older ships of times long past. I had a fondness for such things. Bookcases lined two out of four walls, and one wall was open into the dining and kitchen area. The fourth had a fireplace and a flat panel TV above it. Again, not something that was used often, but it was there if needed.
A large, plush couch and an oversized chair were the only other pieces of furniture in the room. I chose them for comfort more than appearance, and from the way Josie ran a hand over the material and smiled, I could tell she appreciated the finer things in life as well.
“So do you work for the cruise line or something?” she asked. “Because it must be a darn good job if you do.”
I laughed and scratched the stubble on my chin. “Ah, well, I don't technically work for them. Most of them work for me,” I said.
“They work for you?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I own the ship.”
She stopped in place, and her smile drooped a bit. She stared at me wide-eyed with her jaw nearly on the floor. It was as if she was having difficulty processing what I'd just told her. Or maybe just trouble believing it.
“You're kidding, right?”
“Not at all,” I said. “I own this boat and I'm in the process of buying a couple of others for the East coast and the Caribbean. Figured that since this one was doing as well as it is, it was time to expand.”
Josie just stood there, staring at me with her gorgeous blue eyes, an inscrutable look on her sweet face.
“As you can see, Josie,” I said, “you don't have to worry about a thing. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my child. Providing for them. You too, of course.”
“You don't have to—”
“Yes, Josie,” I do,” I said.
I took a seat on the sofa and patted the spot next to me, inviting her to join me. She hesitated, then slowly sat down beside me, rather than taking the chair as I thought she might. It encouraged me a bit and I thought it was a good start.
There was no way I'd let the mother of my child struggle when I had the means to take care of both of them. My dad did that shit with my mother, and I've never forgiven him for it. My mom did well enough for herself, and did everything she could to see that I never went without. But, her life was harder than it needed to be. And I never saw my dad. He didn't contribute anything to our family.
And there was no way in hell I was going to allow the same thing to happen to my child.
Josie smiled at me, a warm, sweet smile. A genuine smile. There was a reason I'd sent those tickets to Lila, and now sitting there, looking at Josie, I was so glad I did. I gave myself a little pat on the back for my ingenuity.
Seeing her sitting next to me, and knowing about the baby—it just sealed in my mind what I already knew in my heart.
Josie Pierce would be mine. There was no question about it.