Read His Secret Child (Slade Security Team Series Book 2) for Free Online Page A

better workspace. She was making due with too many things around here. Now that Tayra was…
    Skipping past that thought, she glanced around. She’d packed up Tayra’s clothes and had donated them. She’d boxed up Tayra’s photos and personal items—Jason might want them someday. But there was room in the garage to set up a better office space. Maybe she’d get Slade to help her with that.
    She changed from sweats to jeans and a white, sleeveless blouse, and slipped on some white vans. She quickly dragged a brush through her hair and put on lipstick that doubled as protection from the summer sun.
    Heading into the living room, she found Slade and Jason on the floor, now both playing the computer game. He looked ten years younger, and an image flashed into her head of what he must have been like as a kid—tall, still, but thinner, maybe less serious. She wondered suddenly what might have happened if she’d gone to Tayra’s wedding and had met him then—would they have sparked, clicked, hooked up?
    She touched the tip of her tongue to her lower lip. She’d never know about what might have been. But she was hungry right now, and Jason probably was, too. She put her hands on her hips. “Hey, what about pizza?”
    Slade didn’t look away from the game. “We need to finish this inning.”
    She smiled. “You didn’t think I’d be ready in ten minutes.”
    Slade gave a groan, and Jason pumped a fist into the air. “Strike out!”
    Tossing the controller down, Slade stood. “I’m getting the stuffing kicked out of my team. Come on, buddy.” He reached a hand down for Jason.
    Bethany moved automatically to help, but Slade hit her with a glare and she froze. Face warm, she turned to grab her purse. Slade tossed the car keys to Jason. “Go open up the SUV.”
    Grinning, Jason headed outside. Slade held open the front door for Bethany. She locked up, and he said, “You’re too protective of him. He said he doesn’t go to school and you’re acting like he’s half-way crippled.”
    Bethany shook her head. “He’s not. But I’ve been homeschooling him. Tayra—she’d help out with that when she could, but I wanted to make sure he got a real education. He’s great on the computer, ahead of where he’d be otherwise in school. He’s also got a half dozen friends who share homeschooling with him. All of us take turns on taking the kids on outings, too.”
    He put a hand on the small of her back.
    Bethany’s face heated even more. The pressure of his hand warmed her skin, sending small tingles through her. Okay, it was a bad idea to keep him around , she thought. Or maybe she could use this attraction between them? Maybe she could convince Slade that Jason really was best off with her adopting him.
    She started into the details of everything that went into homeschooling—the hands-on education, the computer skills she was teaching Jason, the weekly outings they took to museums and also to tech companies in Portland. If that didn’t impress Slade, nothing would.
    ***
    Slade listened to Bethany’s sales pitch. He knew better than to tell her he already knew most of it.
    Travis had sent him a file this morning that contained everything there was to know about Bethany Simmons. Her medical history, which was almost non-existent. Her banking information, which showed she had enough to own a place in Portland and good savings. She didn’t have a passport, hadn’t traveled much, and had never gotten as much as a speeding ticket. She’d had a few relationships, was still friends with those guys, and pretty much lived for her work and for Jason.
    For the boy, there were fewer answers—a birth certificate with no father listed, type-O blood, which fit the background for most people, and a medical record of issues with his legs. Slade was going to let Bethany bring that up, too, but she hadn’t lied when she said Jason needed surgery. He did. No way was Slade going to let that boy go to a second rate doctor for that.