This Time, Baby: BWWM Interracial Romance (A Bundle of Joy Book 5) Read online

  This Time, Baby

  By

  Roxy Wilson

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, businesses and incidents are from the author’s imagination or they are used fictitiously and are definitely fictionalized. Any trademarks or pictures herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks or pictures used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is coincidental.

  Editing: Leanore Elliott

  Cover Art: John Kennedy of Coverotic

  © July, 2015. Roxy Wilson

  Books by Roxy Wilson

  Newest Releases:

  My Guardian Vampire, Volume 1

  Just Gettin’ Started: BWWM Interracial Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch, Book 1)

  Stay With Me: BWWM Interracial Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 2)

  Ms. Perfectly Imperfect

  Other Books -

  Baby Wanted (A Bundle of Joy, Book 1)

  The Baby Proposal (A Bundle of Joy, Book 2)

  Baby, You’re Mine (A Bundle of Joy, Book 3)

  Secret Baby Seduction (A Bundle of Joy, Book 4)

  A Christmas Kiss (Holiday Happiness, Book 1)

  Second Chance Christmas (Holiday Happiness, Book 2)

  The Christmas Cupid (Holiday Happiness, Book 3)

  Mistletoe Miracles

  Loving St. Nick

  Work It Out

  The Right Kind of Love

  He’s So Into You

  Love in Black and White (Sam Crescent, Jamallah Bergman, Roxy Wilson, et al)

  BLURB

  All it took was one drunken night…

  Tasha Millien never gets drunk. Heck, she doesn’t do one night stands, either. But that’s exactly what she did when she attended her friend’s Christmas party.

  He should have known better…

  After barely getting over a divorce that took him totally by surprise, Heath Dawson knows that falling into sex with a perfect, yet beautiful, stranger is a definite no-no, but that’s exactly what he did.

  Sometimes the unexpected happens…

  When Tasha drops the bomb on Heath that she’s pregnant with his baby, will they part ways, or will they try to make things work out this time around?

  Get A FREE Roxy Wilson eBook!

  Hello Reader,

  Because I want to show you how much I appreciate that you supported me by purchasing This Time, Baby, I’m offering you a FREE copy of my sweet, BWWM romance, A Better Man.

  To receive it via email, all you need to do is Click here.

  Thank you, and I look forward to your continued support.

  Regards,

  Roxy

  Chapter One

  Christmas parties were supposed to be fun.

  Tasha Millien surveyed the scene that met her eyes. The usual crowd, a few drunken men and women, a number of couples swaying on the dance floor, along with the big white moon visible through the window, casting its silvery beams on the tree, festooned with bright ornaments. She should have been happy but instead, Tasha felt raw and sad. Even though she broke up with Jason four months ago, the pain of it often crept into her heart when she wasn’t braced for it.

  “Christmas is a lousy time for single people,” a male voice spoke.

  Tasha gazed into the most alluring aquamarine eyes she’d ever seen.

  Despite the glasses he wore, his piercing, blue-green gaze seemed to focus on her face to the exclusion of everyone in the room. The man was movie-star handsome with sienna colored hair cut short. A tall, lean frame, broad shoulders, a straight nose, and full lips. His jeans clung to his hard muscled legs and his shirt did little to hide the ripped body.

  A sudden desire to kiss him overwhelmed her. What the hell? She didn’t even know the man. “Yes, it is.” She glanced away before he could read the passion that probably glimmered in her eyes. What was going on? Was she so desperate for companionship that every man looked attractive?

  “Do you have family in Manhattan?” he asked as if they were in the middle of a conversation.

  The question seemed out of context. Tasha had all the reason to move away, especially because she could see the hazy glow of alcohol in his eyes. But what the hell? It was Christmas. “Yes, my mom. But my dad lives in Hawaii and my brother works in Paris.”

  “Ah! The love capital of the world,” he said in a sardonic voice. “My wife and I went there for our honeymoon. She was crazy about it. Me?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I couldn’t understand what was so romantic about the steel structure that defaced the beautiful city.”

  Shocked, she stared into his eyes. “You didn’t like the Eifel tower?”

  “Not dislike. That’s too strong a word. Let’s just say that it wasn’t romantic.” Pushing up his glasses with one finger, he peered at the incredulous expression on her face. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said something like that and destroy your illusion. I’m Heath Dawson, by the way.” He thrust out his hand. “Emily and I went to the same college.”

  Emily was the hostess of tonight’s party and Tasha’s childhood friend. The girls hooked up a year ago when Emily moved to Manhattan from Boston where she lived with her husband. The couple threw a Christmas party and invited Tasha. She didn’t have anything better to do, so Tasha accepted the invitation even though she knew it would be awful to be one of the singles in an affair usually meant for couples.

  It sucked to be single. Heath nailed it right on the head.

  She shook his hand. “Tasha Millien.” His touch shouldn’t have been so seductive but it was. Tingles of desire coursed through her veins. Maybe she had a little too much to drink. How many glasses of wine did she have? Four, or was it five? That’s it. She wasn’t having anymore. Tasha put her glass on a nearby table. “Your wife isn’t here?”

  He winced. “We got divorced. Three good years of marriage—or at least so I thought—and then wham...turned out she didn’t love me anymore.”

  Although there wasn’t any self-pity in his voice, she could hear the pain. Rejection hurt, no matter how strong a person might be. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m totally over her. Hurt like a bitch, but it was for the best. We had few things in common…” He tilted his head to the side and surveyed her from head to toe. “Why am I telling you this? Are you a shrink?”

  She laughed. “No, I’m an accountant.”

  “Ah! Shrinks generally get people to talk even if they don’t want to.”

  She pointed to the empty glass in his hands. “I think that might have something to do with your need to talk.”

  He viewed the glass in his hand as if he was seeing it for the first time. “I believe I’m drunk.” The expression on his face was comical.

  She couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her lips. He looked positively horrified. “Join the club.”

  After putting his empty glass on the table, he thrust out his hand again. “Would you like to dance with me?”

  After a moment’s consideration, she put her hand in his and allowed him to lead her onto the floor. Vaguely, she was aware that people watched them, but for once, Tasha didn’t care. To hell with everyone! Why shouldn’t she have a good time? As Heath twirled her around the floor, she settled into a rhythm. He knew some moves, and Tasha wasn’t half-bad either. As the music slowed, she rested her hand on his shoulder and gazed into his amused eyes. “You c
an dance. Lessons?”

  “For three years in college,” he admitted. “Well worth the time and money spent. The chicks dig it.”

  She laughed. Talking to him was easy and uncomplicated. Perhaps it was the alcohol that lowered her barriers, but Tasha never experienced such ease of conversation with another man she’d only just met. Usually, it took her time to open up, but with Heath, it seemed simple. Maybe because they both didn’t have an agenda. When the music stopped, he led her off the floor.

  “I still feel a bit woozy,” she declared.

  “Let’s get some fresh air.”

  She pointed at the window. Snowflakes were falling down. “It’s too cold outside.”

  He stuck out his bottom lip with the grave thoughtfulness of a drunken man as he considered their options. “Maybe we should head for the upstairs lounge. Less noise. My head is pounding.”

  That wasn’t a bad idea. The music was good but she needed some quiet. She tucked her hand under his arm. “This way.” All right, so she was more than a little drunk. But what the hell? If one couldn’t have a good time at a Christmas party, when was one supposed to let her hair down?

  “You’re right,” he announced as they reached the stairs and began to ascend. “I agree.”

  She giggled. “Did I ask that out loud?”

  “You sure did. Or maybe we have a telepathic connection. I can probably hear your thoughts.”

  At the landing, she observed him seriously. By God! He’s a handsome devil. Once more, she fought the need to caress his cheeks and kiss his lips. “Have you ever experienced such powers before?”

  He shook his head. “Never.”

  “Then I must have spoken out loud,” she reached the conclusion. “Come on, brave soldier. We have one more set of stairs to conquer.”

  Laughing like a couple of teenagers, they reached the upstairs living room and surveyed the scene. People were sitting on the couches and standing everywhere. The place was too crowded.

  “I didn’t know Emily had so many friends,” he said.

  “It's a couple’s thing. Singles have a hard time making friends, but couples...they attract each other like magnets,” she whispered. “The guest room must be free.”

  Since Tasha lived in this house with Emily for a while when her apartment was under renovation, she knew the layout quite well. After entering the guest room, she was happy to note that it indeed looked empty. Closing the door, she made her way to the mirror hanging on the wall. Tasha adjusted the strap of her aloe vera green, bodycon dress that clung to her body like a second skin. She looked good, but also a little tipsy from all the wine she guzzled down. She groaned. Tomorrow, she would pay for it with a bitch of a hangover.

  She flopped onto the bed. “It’s great to be out of that noise. I can actually hear my heart pounding.”

  He sat beside her. “What did you say your name was?”

  “Tasha,” she reminded him. “You know what? I like the build up to Christmas. But the actual event is usually very...” She struggled to find the right word.

  He turned to face her. “Boring? Disappointing?”

  “Something like that.” She gazed into his eyes. Giving over to the urge, she raised a hand and pushed back his dark brown hair from his forehead. Somehow, the reddish-orange undertone fascinated her. She slipped off his glasses, with nary a protest from him, and reached over to put it on the bedside table. She turned to look at him. “You have beautiful eyes.”

  “So do you.”

  Tasha had never had a conversation like this with a stranger, but this felt right. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but she didn’t care. While she gazed into the man’s eyes, she could identify the exact instant when the thought materialized in his head. “Are you going to kiss me?”

  “I was thinking about it.”

  She considered. She was single, and he was, too. “What the hell!”

  Their lips met and the heat seemed to be instantaneous. Slow and soft, but wild and passionate. His breath felt hot against her mouth and his skin warm. She could feel the slight stubble brushing against her cheeks. She inhaled the spicy, musky scent of the cologne he wore. Tasha had never before made love to a man she didn’t know. But everything felt different tonight. Perhaps it was the mood, or their mutual loneliness, or just that damned wine. Whatever it was, the effect was sharp and potent. Her hand strayed to his broad shoulders and she squeezed while their lips remained glued together.

  He raised his head. “We barely know each other.”

  She took a deep breath. “True. But does it really matter?” In some corner of her mind, it occurred to her that he was giving her a chance to back out, but just this once, the serious, the studious, straight-laced Tasha felt like doing something reckless and crazy.

  His fingers splayed on her cheek. “No, it doesn’t.”

  Clothes came off in a flurry of movements. When he climbed over her, his naked chest brushed against her nipples. She felt moisture bead into her warm center. Arousal was instantaneous. His mouth captured her sensitive nipple and she groaned, forgetting everything but the way she felt under his gentle assault. He sucked and caressed, fondled and kissed, until she thought she would die from sheer pleasure. The man was good. No doubt about it. As she writhed under him, her body a mass of quivering, trembling muscles, all thoughts escaped her mind. In the heat of the moment, it was only the two of them and the need burning through her gut. His lips trailed a line of kisses down to her torso. She sucked in air when his tongue dove into her belly button, eliciting feelings she didn’t know she was capable of. Her fingers speared through his hair pulling him back, so she could kiss him again.

  With his knee, he spread her legs open. The tip of him hovered for a moment, perhaps giving her one more chance to pull back. But Tasha was too lost to recover her sanity. All her senses were in overdrive. She wanted him inside her—and she wanted him now. When her hips arched up, his manhood dove into her. Tasha clutched his shoulders while he stroked in and out. Her breath came out in pants while her body moved to match his rhythm. How long they were wrapped around each other, engaged in the ancient, seductive dance, Tasha wasn’t sure. All she knew was everything felt so. Damn. Right. An orgasm rippled through her, making her squeal. Her toes curled. Her pores raised. Her back arched.

  A moment later, he spilled his seed and collapsed on top of her.

  Tasha rested a hand on his back. The alcohol-induced euphoria became enhanced by the hormones that spiralled into a storm after the intense lovemaking.

  A few, breathless minutes passed before he rolled off.

  Without a word, they searched for and put on their wrinkled clothes.

  It suddenly dawned on Tasha that they didn’t even bother to lock the door before they had sex. She shook her head at her uncharacteristic brashness. She sat on the couch. “That was weird.”

  Heath reached for his glasses. “In a good way or a bad way?”

  “I’m not sure.” After a brief moment, she nodded. “It was good.” She chuckled. “Oh! You’re good.” She pointed a finger at him. “But I’ve never done it before.”

  Befuddled, he tilted his head. “Ever?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t be silly. I meant I’ve never made love to a stranger before. But I’ve got to tell you this...it was memorable.”

  He smiled. “Yeah? Same here.”

  That seemed to be the end of their conversation. Slightly mortified by her behaviour, she got up, spared him a quick, backward glance and went downstairs to bid Emily farewell. Within minutes, Tasha hailed a cab and left.

  For the first few days after, Tasha thought of Heath and their one reckless, but passionate night. At times, she held the memory close to her chest, reliving the way he smelled, the way his slightly roughened fingertips grazed her body, the way he made her feel. At other times, she felt totally embarrassed by her behaviour. How could she be so brazen? What must he be thinking of her? Did he think she was a thot? Did he think of her at all? Days became weeks, and
slowly, she was able to put Heath at the back of her mind.

  Twelve weeks later, she stared at the two lines on the pregnancy test as she stood in the bathroom in her apartment, her heart beating a mile a minute. She was pregnant, knocked up, in the family way. And from this moment on, her life would be bound on a different track than the one she had planned.

  Chapter Two

  That incident was never far from Heath’s mind. Whenever he thought about the black-haired, brown-skinned beauty who left an impression on his mind, it was always with poignant nostalgia and a fond smile. He never drank much. That Christmas night was an exception, but certainly memorable. He often thought about the woman, even considered the possibility of tracking her down. If she could reduce him to that state after a few minutes, how explosive would be their relationship if they decided to have one? But once burnt, twice shy. Heath just wasn’t ready to delve into anything meaningful at this stage in his life. Truth be told, he was a little scared of the chemistry he experienced that night.

  What would happen if he saw her again? Would he act the same way and fall under her spell once more?

  It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

  Life went on smoothly. There were no more glitches threatening his peace of mind. So that is why, when the white sedan came to a halt at the entrance of the farm, Heath didn’t pay much attention. It could be a prospective buyer looking to buy horses, or perhaps someone who came to enquire about the horse riding lessons he conducted twice a week. Heath was standing near the barn door, lecturing his newly appointed stable hand on the correct way to muck stalls when she walked towards him. His jaw dropped. “You?”

  Her stare was haughty, serious. “I would like to talk to you for a few minutes.”

  What was her name? Thalia? Tamar? Ah, yes. Tasha. Heath thought his memory was exceptional, but one look at this beauty proved him wrong. She looked even more alluring than he remembered. Dressed in a cornflower blue business suit, with sensible, black pumps on her feet, her hair tied in a neat chignon, she looked as if she stepped out of her office. Also, there seemed to be a certain something that was different about her today. Was it how her chestnut-brown skin seemed to glow? Or had she’d put on a few pounds since he first saw her and it made her even more beautiful, a younger Tamala Jones kind of beauty? His fingers throbbed, needing, yearning to reach out and touch this woman. Tasha.