Make You Mine by Niobia Bryant Page A

that heated moment he knew they could have easily lost their minds again.
    He had hardly had enough Caress. Nowhere near enough , he thought.
    Still it was a line he would not cross. Things were way too complicated now…but that didn’t curb the desire he had for her. One sexy night was all he had to hold onto after all these months and he could remember every moment, which was more than he could say about women he’d bedded dozens of times.
    Julius shook himself to push away thoughts of how much fun it would be to bury himself deep inside of Caress. He looked over as the Doc lifted Caress’s printed hospital gown.
    Her stomach was exposed and perfectly round though small. She was just starting to show. He wanted to know if it was his child. The last thing he wanted was to stick around like some naive fool buying up a bunch of baby stuff and proclaiming his fatherhood all during the pregnancy…only to have the baby born and the blood tests done proving it wasn’t his. Hell, men had feelings too, and there were plenty of brothers hurt because of some woman lying about paternity.
    It was bad enough the woman—no matter how fine—was living with him rent-free. Hell, he already felt like he had a sucker sticker on his damn forehead.
    â€œThere’s the baby!” Doc Dillinger said excitedly, like it was the first time she saw a baby on an ultrasound.
    Julius’s eyes shifted to the screen to the distorted image of the baby moving inside Caress.
    â€œEverything seems normal for fourteen weeks gestation,” the Doc said as she leaned forward to study the screen as she pressed the gel covered probe over Caress’s stomach.
    Fourteen weeks gestation. The time matched up to that night. That still wasn’t a guarantee, but it damn sure seemed more likely than before. Likely but not definite. He moved forward slowly with his hands falling to his sides.
    â€œGirl or boy, Doc?” Caress asked.
    â€œEven with the 4D ultrasound, it’s too early to be anything but a guess that it’s a boy,” Doc warned, pointing to a spot on the screen.
    Caress smiled softly.
    Julius’s entire neck and face warmed at her words. It was a boy…clearly.
    Was that his son? His seed? His legacy for this earth? He couldn’t deny that it was possible and just that possibility caused emotion to clog his throat.

Chapter Seven
    One Month Later
    Julius was at his studio reviewing his schedule for the next couple of weeks when Dwayne knocked twice on the wall before pulling back the chocolate leather curtain. Julius looked up and had to blink twice to fully take in that Dwayne who was six feet tall, slender, and had broad shoulders, was now wearing his head permed and spiked. This was the first he had seen of his assistant this morning.
    â€œJordan Banks is on line one and I’m going to pick up breakfast. You want me to bring you something?” he asked.
    â€œYes, thanks.”
    Dwayne twirled dramatically through the curtain.
    Shaking his head, Julius dropped his pen and picked up his phone. “Holla at your boy, big time New York Times best-selling author. How’s Oprah?” Julius joked, leaning back in his leather swivel chair.
    Jordan laughed with him. “Real funny. Besides I haven’t seen O in months,” he joked back.
    Jordan Banks was a famous mystery writer who lived just blocks over from Julius in Newark. Like Julius and many other prominent Newark residents who remained loyal to the Renaissance city, Jordan also refused to believe the hype that Newark was some uninhabitable, savage city filled only with poverty and depression and nothing good.
    In truth, Julius looked up to Jordan. As a single man, Jordan had adopted five children and raised them alone for many years until he met and fell in love with his wife, Mia. She was just as special to take on a ready-made family of five kids and then give birth to their biological son. After thirteen years