A Midnight Kiss to Seal the Deal
Page 18
‘I think Sphea has far more important things to be taking care of...’
The way he mimicked his daughter’s pronunciation of her name had her entire insides turning to mush and she opened her mouth to agree but nothing came out.
‘Unless, of course, that is not the case?’
He turned to pin her with that far too astute gaze. ‘Then you would be more than welcome this evening, as a thank you for finding my little runaway.’
Sophia looked from him to the little girl staring imploringly up at her, eyes the colour of her father’s, and erupted in a nervous giggle which she abruptly quit as her eyes caught sight of Andrew in the open doorway. He was positively beaming, reading whatever he fancied into her crazed behaviour. Great.
She would sort that, just as soon as she turned down Mr McGregor’s very kind and far too appealing offer. But how exactly could she turn down their most lucrative customer without causing offence?
Stick to work—something he’d understand...
* * *
What are you doing, Jack?
Looking down into the alluring blue gaze of Sophia Lambert, he really had no idea. She was the hotel manager, not some new friend his daughter had taken a shine to. He blamed the crazy suggestion entirely on Lily of course. If she hadn’t put the idea out there, he certainly wouldn’t have thought of it and he definitely wouldn’t have found it as appealing as he did.
Hot off the back of the little display that had greeted him when he’d first entered the conference room, he wasn’t so certain he was thinking with his brain either. Two slender calves, a pair of stilettos and the knowledge that the woman had got down to his daughter’s level, no airs and graces, tugged at him even now.
Sophia blinked, and blinked again, her cheeks a delightful shade of pink as her eyes adjusted to some unknown thought and then she drew in a breath and crouched down to Lily’s height.
His view was reduced to her auburn hair, knotted high, her escaped curls that brushed over the creamy skin at her nape and the dusting of freckles that disappeared into the high neck of her navy dress. He cleared his throat, surprised to find his mouth as dry as the Sahara.
‘It’s so kind of you to offer, Lily,’ she said softly, ‘but I’m afraid I need to work.’
‘Now you sound like Daddy.’
He cringed inwardly as Sophia sent him a brief look. It wasn’t how he wanted to be; it was how he had to be. You didn’t get to run a billion-pound company taking it easy. You didn’t get to provide a financially stable home without putting in the hours. Lily had so much more than he’d ever had, and his work saw to it she always would.
‘Well, you see this big building—this hotel?’ Lily nodded at her. ‘If I don’t work, then this place doesn’t work. I make sure important guests like you are taken care of and have a good time.’
‘You’re the boss lady?’
Sophia laughed, the sound reaching all the way inside him and teasing at the edges of his mouth.
‘Yes, I’m the boss lady.’
‘One day I want to be the big boss lady...on the moon.’
Sophia laughed again, her hand reaching out to stroke Lily’s cheek. ‘Then remember what I said about your maths and your reading.’
‘Maths and reading?’
Sophia nodded and Lily looked up at him. He was waiting for the eye roll; instead she hooked her tiny hand through his and looked back to Sophia with a firm nod. ‘Okay.’
‘Good girl.’ She ruffled Lily’s hair before rising up, her eyes finally coming back to his. They were still bright, but her cheeks had calmed, only a hint of pink remaining beneath the delicate sprinkling of freckles.
‘I trust you have everything you need in your room,’ she said smoothly, the difference in her marked. She was in work mode now and he found himself wanting the other version back, the version that had just spoken so kindly to his daughter.
‘But if there is anything at all that you require, please don’t hesitate to call down.’ She gestured for them to leave the room. ‘Shall we, Mr McGregor?’
‘Jack, please.’ Normally formal terms of address didn’t bother him; he was used to it. In her case, though, it seemed he couldn’t let it go.
He was treated to another flush of colour in her cheeks, something he was fast becoming attached to, and she cleared her throat. ‘Jack.’
Better. Much better.
Her eyes evaded him now as she sought out her assistant manager. ‘Andrew, could you see Jack and Lily to their room, please, and relieve Marie.’
‘Of course.’
Jack looked to the elderly gentleman and knew who he’d rather be escorted by. Perhaps his lack of interest in the dating scene was taking its toll. It wasn’t as if opportunities didn’t present themselves but what had first been an avoidance of women, especially in the months following Elena’s death, had now become a habit. Life was far less complicated when it was just him and Lily to think about. Him, Lily and work.
‘It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr—Jack, and Lily. I hope you enjoy your stay.’ She turned and swept from the room, no backward glance. And he wanted one.
‘Daddy?’ Lily tugged on his hand and he looked down at her.
‘Yes?’
‘I think you should change her mind.’
He laughed, but inside he completely agreed with his little girl.
And what was that about?
He had no idea.
But the desire was there, all the same.
Copyright © 2021 by Rachael Stewart
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ISBN-13: 9781488073595
A Midnight Kiss to Seal the Deal
Copyright © 2021 by Sophie Pembroke
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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