A Marriage of Convenience Read Online Free PDF Page A

commander’s daughter began chatting, Michael knew he’d lost Ayanna for the moment.
    He wanted to get this straightened out and then he wanted to make love to her. Over and over again.
    Michael made his excuses as soon as he could and drove to the address on the paper she’d given him. It wasn’t much to look at; the whole building needed work. He went home and waited until six when he hoped she’d be home from the park.
    Ayanna? His mind repeated her name over and over as he got out of his car and headed up the dark stairs to the number she’d written on the paper. He knocked on the water-stained door.
    “Who is it?” Ayanna’s voice reached him.
    “Michael.”
    He heard locks disengage before the door swung open. The light from behind her highlighted the dark auburn tint to her hair. Beautiful.
    “You came.”
    “You honestly didn’t think I wouldn’t come, did you? You have my son.” There was no menace in his voice, just fact. He looked over her head and smiled as he saw
Devon
playing with blocks on the living room floor.
    “Come on in,” she said. He walked past her and straight to where
Devon
was and knelt beside him. Michael heard the locks engaged but didn’t turn around. The big brown eyes that looked up at him struck him speechless.
    Devon
showed him a block and smiled. “Hi,” he said before turning his attention back to his toys.
    “Hello,
Devon
.” Michael reached for a block and turned it over in his lean fingers.
    “Peez.”
    Michael looked away from the block and saw
Devon
holding out his hand for it.
    “Peez.”
    “Oh, sorry.” He handed it back with a smile. The child babbled a toddler’s version of thank you while Michael looked over to the kitchen table with one chair and a highchair at it and saw Ayanna watching their private interaction with a nervous expression on her beautiful face.
    Pushing up from the floor, he walked over to her. “I think we should talk.” His gaze took in the books on the shaky table—all of them about Pharmacology.
    “You’re right.”
     
    * * * *
     
    “No. I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Ayanna shook her head. Michael’s suggestion didn’t feel right to her.
    He blew out an exasperated breath. They’d been going over this for the past two hours. A while ago,
Devon
had been put to bed then they’d continued arguing over the same thing. He didn’t like her and his son living here.
    “What isn’t a good idea? You need to get out of this place. I have room at my apartment. I can watch him when you’re in school or need to study. Let me help you.”
    “I just…” She let the words hang in the air.
    He shifted his weight on the couch and watched her, she’d opted to reclaim her seat at the kitchen table. “Look, I have a three bedroom townhouse.
Devon
can have his own room.” He licked his lips. “And so can you. Please, Ayanna. Let me help with our son.”
    “Why aren’t you more upset that I didn’t tell you?” she questioned, truly baffled. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t yelling at her.
    “Would that make you feel better? Do you want me to yell at you? I am furious that you didn’t tell me, but what good will yelling do for either of us? I want to be a part of my son’s life and not just by giving you money.”
    Ayanna ran her hands over her face. “I…I just don’t want you to be—”
    His jaw clenched. “Don’t you dare say inconvenienced. I could never be inconvenienced by my own son.”
    His son. Not her. Her heart sank before she could stop it. “Okay, we’ll give it a trial run. But I’m putting my stuff in storage in case it doesn’t work out.”
    Michael grinned. Standing, he moved to her side and tipped her head up. “We’ll get you moved in tomorrow. I’ll be here around seven. Does that work for you?”
    Ayanna couldn’t answer him. All it took was his touch and she was a bumbling mess of nerves. When a knowing grin touched the corners of his mouth, she found her words. “Okay,