Page 4 of Daddy's Babies: Johnnie's Story

Beyond him and Jesse, our brother Joe is twenty-five and finishing his master’s degree in architecture since that’s the part he loves most, and hell, none of us are going to deny him that or tell him that he has to join the company. Dad would never allow that, just as he never forced our sister Jennie to get a job after she graduated college. She’s almost thirty-five but has only been married for six years so she spent a lot of time doing a whole lot of nothing after college.

Beyond them, Jackie’s more gaga over her husband Ethan now than when they married, and loves all of her kids to death, the way Mom loves all of us. She’s almost thirty-two so no telling if they’re done having babies yet or not.

Jamison and Jasmine are twins, both twenty and in college, while Jordan will graduate high school this year. Jeffery is a junior and will be seventeen in a bit, and Jaime, despite not being the youngest girl, is Dad’s little princess. She’s fourteen now, a year older than Jillian is, but at least they get along better than Julie and Jennie did growing up.

Oh, they loved each other, but they loved to fight. Honestly, I think it was just Jennie not really knowing where she fit in with our other two older sisters until she met Troy. Julie was driven and Jackie wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother to her one.

Even Julie and Jennie have gotten closer since Jennie got married. Julie’s wife Serena might have played into that some as well, because while Julie is a boss lady for sure, she’s still got feelings and when Serena thinks they’ve been trampled on, heaven help us all.

Mom’s been dropping hints left and right to me and Jude that it’s about time for us to settle down, and while I never said I wouldn’t, Jude’s more adamant that he’s not going to join the family craziness—ever. I simply haven’t found anyone recently that was interesting enough to put effort into them, but now that I have my little bird, I know I was really waiting for her.

I’ve never had a type I stuck with before beyond female, but shit, my little bird’s curves are driving me insane.She’sdriving me insane, and it’s got to stop.

I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything since I first laid eyes on her. She’s pulled me back to her even when running projections that normally push all other thoughts aside, and I’m done letting her run. She’s mine, starting right fucking now.

“Who are you?” she asks me again as I toss my keys onto the table inside the entryway after locking down the elevator. She’s not running out on me easily this time.

“Johnnie Cartwright,” I state, moving directly towards her and it’s a relief when she doesn’t try to run, not even a step backwards as I move closer.

“Cartwright?” she murmurs mostly under her breath, and I know she recognizes the name, even if it’s not immediately coming to mind. In town it’s hard to find someone that doesn’t know the family name. Not when we employ more people than any other company, are known all over the western part of the country, requested to submit bids and land jobs even outside of town, and the state. Add in the way Serena’s home décor line has taken off with every major store wanting to stock it in recent years as well, and it’s not surprising the name’s familiar.

“What’s your name little bird?” I ask so she doesn’t continue to focus on the name but rather me. I want her attention fully on me, not how much money I have tucked away in the bank.

My family has money yeah, each of us kids has a trust that we can do whatever we want with, but every penny I’ve ever made has gone into investments, and it’s now to the point where I could sit back and do nothing for the rest of my life and still live with ease. I wouldn’t because that’s just not who I am, but it does mean I can take care of anyone that comes into my life—like my little bird.

She’s a bit confusing. Some of the clothes she’s worn were higher end, but mostly they’ve been generic ones that don’t appear to cost much. The lingerie from the store cost a pretty penny though. I know because Julie drug me in there one day while we were headed back to the office from a meeting to pick up something for Serena. I’d never bought a woman lingerie before, seen them in it yeah, but never bought anything, and the prices were surprising.

Now, I want to see my little bird draped in pieces like that, waiting for me, wanting me, needing me as much as I need her. I wanted it so much that I went back to the store the next day and bought every set in her size. They’re all upstairs in a closet, waiting for her. That’s how fucking badly I want her.

“Little bird?” she says, her mouth dropping open slightly, not telling me her name yet and a smile slides onto my lips as I close the remaining space between us.

“Yes beautiful, you’ve been like a little bird, always fleeing, flying away the moment I got too close,” I reply, lifting my fingers to rub over her glistening lips. She’s stunning wearing the makeup she has on now, but I honestly prefer the real her. The one I’ve seen enough to know every little freckle on her nose and cheeks. They’re pale, barely discernable. You have to be close to even see them, but I have, and I want to map every single one of them until I know exactly where they are even when covered with makeup.

“You walked away first,” she says before her lips slam shut, pressing tightly together and I can’t help but smile more.

“I did, because I thought you were too young for what I wanted from you,” I admit, making her eyes widen. “Pissed me off to think of never getting to press my body against the incredible curves I discovered when I pulled you back onto the sidewalk, let alone knowing that you weren’t taking care of yourself.”

“You don’t mean that…”

“I don’t lie to women, little bird. You’d have known that if you didn’t keep fleeing so fast every time, I’ve managed to see you since then,” I countered, pulling a little shake from her head.

“You sent me away this weekend,” she argues as I tilt her head back further, wanting to taste her lips but I want her name first.

“You were scared, little bird. I wasn’t about to jump on you when you were scared because of those assholes’ comments. So, I put you in the cab to make sure you were taken care of, rather than bring you home with me the way I wanted. You’ve run from me two more times since then, kept me from getting your name, your number so I could do this the right way, but seeing you outsidethatfucking club tonight…I was done. I don’t know what the hell you were thinking going to a place like that.”

“What do you mean a place like that?” she asks, her brows furling together, and all of my protective instincts kick into high gear. I drop my hands from her, running one through my hair, trying to ignore the way my cock pulses as her eyes watch my movements, hunger lighting her gorgeous green gaze.

I shrug off my suit jacket, then tug off my tie, before tossing them onto the dining table I never use, and pop open the top button of my shirt. Her eyes watch every movement I make, and I try to muffle the moan that slips into my throat seeing her nipples harden beneath her blouse. Fuck, I want to strip her bare and take her right here. The hell with anything else.

She lets out only a token of protest when I snatch up her hand, pulling her over to the living room, but she lets out a bit more of one when I guide her down into one of the chairs there and take a spot on the sofa away from her. She’s going to kill me before I even get her name but shit if I don’t like it.

“You don’t have the first clue about that place do you, little bird?” I ask, relief filling me when she speaks.

“I’ve never been before no.”

“Well, that’s a fucking good thing, because most people refer to it as Club Rape, rather than Club One,” I tell her, and the way her face pales tells me she really never has been there before.

“What? That can’t be…huh?” she flusters out and I crouch down in front of her, lifting her chin until those gorgeous eyes of hers are on me again.

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