The CEO's Surprise Family Read Free

perfect bow over a plump bottom lip. “Now I do hair at the spa. I just thought pampering a new mother totally made sense. I remembered how tired and stressed my roommate was after having my goddaughter, Jasmine.”
    â€œHmm. What’s your name?”
    â€œOh, goodness.” She laughed—an infectious sound that filled the back of the car. “We kind of skipped that part, didn’t we? I’m Alexa Malone, but you can call me Lexi. And of course you’re Jethro Calder. I read the article in the Pinnacle newsletter where it showed you and the other executives holding up the lifetime award of excellence for the Pinnacle game. That must have been exciting.”
    â€œYes, it was a nice acknowledgment for the success of the game.”
    â€œI should say so. A top ten seller for ten years, that’s awesome.”
    â€œIt’s actually been for fifteen years and more than half those years it was in the top three, but they wanted to have wiggle room for future awards.”
    â€œWhat’s it like working with Jackson Hawke?”
    He frowned. He got that question a lot, mostly from people trying to angle through him to Jackson. But there was nothing in her tone or demeanor to indicate anything other than simple interest.
    â€œHe’s a brilliant programmer, but he leaves the finances to me.”
    â€œOf course.” She nodded and pointed at him.
    She used her hands a lot when she talked. He couldn’t decide if he found it charming or annoying. Whether he found her charming or was just attracted to that luscious mouth.
    â€œWe all have our talents, don’t we? Mine is music. So, Jethro, where are we going?”
    Music, he noticed, not dance.
    â€œWe’re going to an event at Caesar’s Palace.” His phone buzzed and he read the text. “At least I am. I’m not sure what you’ll be doing.” He held up his phone. “Excursions doesn’t have your name on file. Who are you?”

CHAPTER TWO
    O OPS . L EXI BLINKED at Jethro. She’d been caught out. She shifted her gaze to the phone he held aloft as evidence of her culpability and her eyes went wide.
    The position of his arm caused his suit and shirtsleeves to slip down revealing his wrist and the tip of the birthmark. Enough for her to see it matched Jazi’s.
    The mark reminded Lexi of a dragonfly with a curled tail only kind of blotchy. She’d been stunned when she saw it on Calder’s wrist in the picture accompanying the article she told him about. The top execs of Pinnacle had all been holding the award aloft. Calder had been standing closest to the camera and there on his wrist was the same birthmark as her precious Jazi’s.
    Lexi had known instantly that he had to be related to the baby, most likely her father. When she’d read his stance on never having a family, she firmly believed it was a sign. With his help she could get Jazi back.
    Between the matching eyes and the birthmark, Lexi had all the confirmation she needed that Jethro Calder was Jazi’s father.
    â€œMs. Malone?” Fingers snapped in front of her eyes.
    She blinked and focused on the man next to her, staring into his unreadable features, into Jazi’s blue eyes. Thoughts of how important he was flooded her mind, crippling her with fear. If she blew this she’d never get Jazi back! And she was about to blow it. Big-time.
    Stop. Get a grip.
    She drew in a slow, deep breath, released it around a sheepish smile. She only had one option now. She looked him right in the eye and confessed. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I don’t usually work for Excursions.”
    A dark brow lifted at her easy admission. “So you were just at the restaurant to shanghai a date with me?”
    â€œOh, gracious, no.” Now his other brow lifted. Had she offended him? She half shrugged. Best to stick as close to the truth as possible without getting Excursions in trouble. “Today was