Free Her Indecent Proposal (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo Page B

pressed
against his chest, she spoke again, her voice slightly muffled.  “They both
told me I was the problem.  And then…they got frustrated and left.  I
thought…it was all my fault.”
    Sloane made a sound deep in his throat, an unmistakable grunt of
disgust.  “The men in your life, they were nothing but jerks.  Sounds like they
didn’t even try.”  Then he wrapped his arms around her and lifted his hand to
stroke her hair.  “If you’re the problem, you’re definitely a problem I love to
have.  Did you know I get hard every time you’re around?”
    She pushed away from his chest and looked up into his face.  “No
way.  You’re lying.”  It was a sweet lie, but she didn’t want that.  He didn’t
need to flatter her.  With her slender body and fairly small breasts she was
never going to win a prize for ‘sexy’.  The fact that he wanted her when they
were in bed was more than enough for her.
    “I can prove it,” he said, his eyes never wavering as he looked at
her.  “Next time you want to test what I told you, wherever we are, whether at
home or away, just rest your hand right here and check what you feel.”  He took
her hand and placed it on his groin.  And he really was hard – or at least
semi-hard – even though they’d just made love.
    Melanie gave him a playful glare.  “Sloane, I can’t do that.  Not
out in public.  It’s…indecent.”
    He shrugged.  “Well, you asked…”
    She laughed.  “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.  I believe you.”
    He tapped her on the nose again.  “Never question that I want you.  You
should have no doubts about that.”
    And she didn’t.
    But she couldn’t help noticing that nowhere in his declaration had
he mentioned the word ‘love’.
    ***
     

 
    “Aaw, he’s so cute.”  Melanie knelt down and stretched out her arms
to two year-old D’Jean but he made no move toward her.  Instead, he clutched
his mother’s skirt with a tiny fist and popped the thumb of the other hand into
his mouth, staring back at her with big blue eyes.
    “Go on,” Jacqueline said, giving him a nudge.  “Go give Melanie a
hug.”  That only made him cling tighter.
    When Melanie’s face fell in disappointment, Sloane gave her a
reassuring pat on the shoulder.  “He’ll come around soon.  Just give him time
to get used to you.”
    “But what am I doing wrong?”  She turned confused eyes up to him.
    “Absolutely nothing.  Just be patient.  He’ll be bouncing up and
down on your knee in no time.”
    Melanie nodded but her tiny sigh and the slight droop of her mouth
told Sloane that the toddler's lack of interest really hurt.  He guessed she
was feeling sensitive, especially because she so badly wanted a child of her
own.
    “Hey, Thierry looks ready to play.”  He pointed to the brown-haired
boy throwing a tennis ball up into the branches of a tree, intent on hitting
the bird’s nest there.
    Melanie looked doubtful.  “Yeah, but he’s four.  Do you think he’s
into hugs and kisses?”
    “Definitely not,” Jacqueline said with a laugh, “but he loves
playing catch and D’Jean’s too young.  Why don’t you try that?”
    “Ookaay.” Melanie dragged the word, looking even more uncertain, but
she got up from where she was kneeling on the rug in the kitchen, crossed the
patio and went out onto the lawn where Thierry was peering up into the leaves. 
When he saw her his eyes lit up and he pointed to the object of his interest,
chattering excitedly, probably explaining what he’d been doing.  When Melanie
shook her head his face fell and the bright smile was replaced with a pout.  Then
he stalked off, climbed onto his tricycle and rode away, leaving Melanie
looking depressed.
    “Well, that went well,” Jacqueline said as she stroked D’Jean’s
head.
    Sloane laughed.  “She’ll recover, but I probably need to give her
some moral support right now.”  He was still chuckling as he walked out the
kitchen door and