The Better Brother

“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.

Chapter Twelve

Josie

Gavin reached out and stroked my cheek with one of his big, strong hands. And despite doing my best to resist, I found myself leaning into his touch. I found comfort in his touch, a sense of belonging even. No man had ever made me feel the way he did. He made me feel safe. Protected. He made me feel wanted and even adored. When I was with Gavin, I felt ap

preciated.

Maybe it was because he was my first, and I was attaching all kinds of emotions to him that didn't actually exist anywhere but in my mind, but I didn't think so. I believed, deep down in my heart, that what I was feeling was true and it was real.

Getting to know the father of my child was nice, but part of wanted more than that. I didn't just want him to care for us financially—I wanted us to be a family. I wanted everything that came with that. I knew was probably naïve to even consider that. Especially now that I knew his secret. Knowing that he was wealthy and lived a nomadic lifestyle, not to mention all the women he undoubtedly had flitting in and out of his life, I seriously doubted that he wanted to be bogged down with a girl like me.

Even if he did want to care for his child, like he said he did, I assumed it was merely I guess, I had to be okay with that. At least providing for his child was something. Stepping up and taking responsibility for his child like that was a hell of a lot better than a lot of men did these days.