Free The CEO's Surprise Family by Teresa Carpenter Page A

saw the frantic wish to say yes enter his eyes even as he began to shake his head. “No. No pets.”
    â€œHe has fish.” Clay spoke up and nodded to the storybook on the coffee table in front of Lexi and Jazi.
    Jethro’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I have fish.” He picked up the book. “Do you like fish?”
    Jazi nodded and pointed at the book. “Fishies!”
    â€œI like colorful fishies.” He absently flipped the pages in the book. “I have some that are blue and yellow and orange and red.”
    â€œPretty.” Jazi climbed into his lap and began to turn the pages and point at the fish.
    Jethro froze. Lexi felt his whole body go still. But he didn’t panic. His hold gentle, his voice soft, he hoisted Jazi to a more secure position and began reading the book. Of course she was more interested in flipping the pages to the ones she liked, but he soon adapted and began pointing out fun things on the pages she stopped on.
    Across the way Mrs. Leslie nodded and rose to join Diana in the kitchen. Clay followed, giving Jethro some private time with his daughter. Except for Lexi of course. She’d leave too, except Jazi might freak out.
    She hid a smile. Jethro just might freak out too.
    After a few minutes, Jazi hopped down to get a new book. Lexi took the opportunity to assure him, “She likes you.”
    He let out a deep breath. “How can you tell?”
    â€œShe went to you with no urging. And she’s looking for another book for you to read. If she didn’t like you, she’d be tugging on my hand demanding I take her outside to play. It’s what we usually do when I’m here.”
    â€œShe’s so small. But she’s her own little person.”
    â€œYep, that’s the way it works.” Lexi checked on Jazi’s progress. She was still looking through the toy box for the book she wanted, so Lexi asked the question burning in her brain. “Why are you here?”
    He focused those unreadable, dark blue eyes on her. “I wanted to meet my daughter.”
    â€œSo I was right.” She lowered her voice. “Please tell me you’re going to let me adopt her.”
    The darkness flashed through his eyes again. Jazi ran up, black curls bouncing, to hand him a Halloween-themed book with five little pumpkins. He helped her climb into his lap. Over her head, he said, “We need to talk.”
    * * *
    Lexi paced Jethro’s office, from the beautiful wall of glass that overlooked The Strip to the plush seating area and then back again. What did he mean they needed to talk? He knew she wanted to adopt Jasmine. Hopefully he wasn’t stringing her along.
    But he could. He was her father. He held all the power.
    Lexi glanced at her watch, but barely noted the time. Where was he? After they all left Jazi, Lexi received a text from him telling her to meet him at his office.
    She was here. Where was he?
    His assistant, a pleasant African-American woman in her midforties, let Lexi into his inner sanctum and advised her he’d be along shortly. Twenty minutes made up a lifetime when her future was on the line.
    She plopped down in his big black leather desk chair and surveyed his massive desk made of ebony glass. Because she knew it would drive him nuts, she drew hearts around his laptop which sat in the middle of the pristine white page of his leather blotter.
    Twenty-three minutes.
    Next she rearranged the items on his desk. No pictures, of course. Just a fancy fountain pen—the most bomb pen she’d ever used—a letter-opener and a white marble paperweight in the shape of a tiger. No clues to his psyche here.
    Why had he been at Diana’s? Why had he spent time with Jazi, getting to know her, holding her, when he intended to give her up?
    It didn’t make sense.
    Please, God, she prayed he hadn’t changed his mind about wanting a family. Jazi belonged with Lexi. She loved her like her own daughter. Already a