by Terri Lane
“Sophia!” Kai’s voice called my attention to the left. He was waving me over, away from the thick of the fight. The number of Hunters were quickly dwindling around us. “I think we can make our exit now,” he said. He yanked me behind him, then shot one stray Hunter, trying to sneak up on Case. We still had our full fighting force and it was down to twelve Hunters. An easy mop up. I laced my fingers with Kai’s and we ran.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“There’s a trail nearby and a truck waiting for us,” he said.
“Sneaky,” I said with a smile. “You planned our getaway.” Kai laughed.
When we made it out of the forest and to Kai’s truck, I let out a relieved breath.
“We did it,” I said.
“Yeah, and relatively unscathed,” he said, studying my arm.
“It’s just a graze,” I said. Kai cupped my face in his hands and kissed me deeply.
“To the future?” he asked. I smiled and nodded my head.
“To the future.”
THE END
= Bonus Book 5 of 20 =
Charming Single Dad
Julia stared out of the window of her small, but luxurious townhouse. It overlooked the neighborhood park—prime real-estate, and Julia was lucky enough to have it all to herself. Lucky. Her heart throbbed in her chest and she stared down again at the letter in her hands. Maybe, just maybe, if she wasn’t living here all alone, then she would have someone else who could help with the living costs—living costs which seemed further and further out of her reach.
Only a few months ago, she had been living what had seemed to be the perfect life. Julia had a job at the local college, teaching as a professor there. She had studied and worked long and hard to get her PHD, and it was finally paying off. She taught education and she absolutely loved it. It was rewarding, enjoyable, and engaging and she loved the campus.
She was fortunate enough to work on a number of different projects with the undergrads, as well as doing her own research. Julia’s record was perfect, not a black mark to her name and she prided herself on this, striving to achieve excellence in everything that she did.
It was long work, tiring work, but deeply satisfying work. Also, it afforded her comfort. She was by no means wealthy and she doubted that she would ever be wealthy in her profession, but she was comfortable. A nice townhouse, a well-working car and extra money to play around with for food and clothes and other luxuries that she, strictly speaking, didn’t need. It was a good life and one that Julia enjoyed immensely. She was content where she was and was hoping to continue along these lines, gaining success in academia, seniority status among the lecturers and a solid pension.
It was a simple life, but one that she enjoyed, and one that she did not want to give up. She had had a slew of bad relationships in the past and she told herself that she did not want that from life. She told herself that she was happy on her own and that there was nothing missing from her world.
And on long, lonely nights, she could almost, but not quite, make herself believe it. But these nights were fleeting and Julia preferred to concentrate on her work, like she always had. It brought her comfort and joy and she was happy to lose herself to it.
It wasn’t until a few months ago that her world had come crashing down spectacularly. She shivered at the thought, feeling sick. It had come out of the blue, blindsiding Julia completely. She had been accused of falsifying results on one of her research projects and the college was taking it very, very seriously.
It rocked her world to the core and suddenly, the future that she had dreamed of no longer seemed so certain. She was suspended, with pay, during the investigation. Julia was innocent, and she didn’t know where these terrible rumors had come from, but she soon learned that someone was out to get her.
The results of the investigation left her under suspicion. Julia appealed, this time without pay, and she was still waiting for the results. Feeling sick to her stomach, Julia waited day in and day out for some news—for her name to finally be cleared.
She was not allowed to work or teach during this period, and she was certainly not allowed to do anything with her research, so she stayed in a terrible sort of limbo, terrified about what this would mean for her career.
A black mark like this would make it almost impossible to be hired again. It would make it even harder to get published, and her career in academia would be finished, would be destroyed with little hope of it ever being restored. It made Julia shaky, as she sat in her little townhouse and read the letter over and over.
So dismissive, so formal. It made her stomach churn as she tried to think who she might have offended. Another member of staff that she had unintentionally snubbed? A student who she had failed on a test? A senior member of staff or admin who had some grief with her?
Julia couldn’t think of anyone. She kept her head down, she was polite, respectful, and friendly, and her students didn’t have any power over the review committee, so she doubted that it would be them.
The anxiety had been swirling around her in a terrible, unending cycle that refused to give her rest, give her peace. There was so much that she needed to do, but it was hard to take the first step. Just appealing the decision had been difficult, almost impossible to finish, the anxiety making her sick.
But now, now there were so many other things that she needed to consider, like confronting the horrifying realization that her career might be over and she would have to start all over again. All those years, wasted. All the time and effort down the drain, along with her good name.
Julia had it all, and now she felt like she was losing absolutely everything, even her very name, the reputation that she had. Her family was too far away to help and she didn’t want to call them and admit defeat. Her friends were few and far between—her dedication to her work had always been her focus.
She had no partner, or even close male friends, and the people she did know at the college had turned their backs on her after the initial review. Julia felt very alone, and for the first time, she was struck by the fact that she was so lucky that she didn’t have kids.
She had felt the longing for a family, just like most people eventually did, but the thought of not being able to take care of her children made her awash with relief at her decision. She had made the right choice, even though she ached, even though she didn’t know it at the time.
However, children or not, she still needed to feed herself and pay her rent. She needed somewhere to live, she needed a stable position, even if it was just in the meantime, and she needed something that wasn’t right in the middle of academia. This meant that she needed a position different from all the positions that she had held in the past.
She needed something that would utilize her skills, but not a job at a research institution or at a school of any kind, be it tertiary or not. This was a problem. She couldn’t think of many jobs that she had done in the past. Even in her youth, babysitting was about the most that she had ever done.
Julia was being careful with her money, of course, but a resume that consisted entirely of babysitting and research at a college left a lot of gaps that needed filling. Still, she wasn’t about to give up. That just wasn’t Julia’s style. Even though she felt like giving up, she was determined to make it, determined to hold her own and not let these terrible rumors ruin her.
So, she had begun applying to positions around town. She had applied to every hospitality job that crossed her path and had jumped on the administrative positions too, hoping to find something that paid a little more than waiting tables. She was hopeful that she would find something to help her stay afloat, even if it was just a small job that had her scraping together every penny.
But when she had received no interviews and her savings were steadily beginning to dry up, Julia had made a crazy bid by applying for a position as a live-in nanny. Babysitting experience was preferable, and they wanted someone who was able to tutor too. Legal clearances were a must.
&n
bsp; Well, Julia met all those requirements, so she had gone for it, more on a whim than anything else, but it was still worth a shot. She had very little to lose at this point. Besides, the pay was really good and she would not have to worry about electricity and water bills while she was working there.
When Julia got a call back for the interview, she was stunned. She had frantically thrown together her most polished and professional outfit, doing up her hair in a neat up-do, and grabbing a copy of her resume as she went.
When she arrived at the address, her breath was taken away. It was a gorgeous building, a mansion flanked by beautiful iron gates. It spoke of old money, and it made Julia’s heart flutter. Living here, even as a live-in nanny, would be spectacular. Walking up to the doors, her heart had been racing in her chest as she nervously fixed her hair and smoothed down her skirt, her shoes clicking against the cobblestones.
After knocking on the front door, she did not have to wait for long. A man had opened it with a smile. “Ah, you must be Julia. I’m James. Please, come in.”
Julia’s stomach felt all fluttery. He was gorgeous. It was terrible to think that right before an interview, but he truly was. Dark hair trimmed into a neat, but fashionable style, a smile that slid onto his face with practiced ease and dark eyes that flashed as they looked at her.
He was in jeans and a neat, black polo shirt, and Julia could see the curves of his muscles, tight and well defined. He looked so at ease, so confident that Julia had not known what to say. His smile widened as he stepped back and gave her access to the house, and Julia caught the faint scent of his aftershave, something smooth and spicy.
The rest of the interview went well, once Julia got over the sight of him and started talking business. He was very professional and she felt at ease the entire time, until he politely walked her out. A gentleman, intelligent, confident.
A single father looking for someone to care for his eight-year-old daughter, as he worked long hours at his company. Julia had found herself longing for the job, wanting to be a part of this before she even knew what she was saying.
The drive home had been a thoughtful one, with Julia wondering why she wanted a position as a nanny this badly, when her real career was at stake. Deciding it was the desperation talking, Julia settled back into her routine of applying for work.
She was broken out of her reverie about the past few months when her phone rang, a sharp sound in her pocket. Fishing it out quickly, Julia answered it easy, “Hello, this is Julia speaking. How may I help you?”
“Julia.” The voice on the other side of the phone was smooth and warm. Masculine. Julia’s heart seized in her chest. “This is James. Have I caught you at a good time?”
“Uh, yes, of course.”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “Julia, I was wondering if you were still interested in the live-in nanny position?”
Julia felt her heart stop, catching in her chest, hope fluttering in her stomach. “Oh, yes, definitely.” She internally cringed for sounding so desperate.
“That’s great. How soon could you start?”
“I could start today if you wanted,” Julia laughed, trying to ease her own tension.
“Wonderful. I get off work at five. Does that suit you?”
“Five is fine,” Julia found herself agreeing with him.
“Fantastic. See you then. Thank you, Julia.” His voice, like melted chocolate, echoed through her head as he ended the conversation.
“See you then.” Julia clicked off the phone, surprise coursing through her, feeling a little stunned. She had gotten the job!
Elation flooded through her. She had the job! It might not be a college teaching position, but it would pay the bills and she wouldn’t be left stranded, tail between her legs, while the college undertook her review.
Julia felt like crying with relief. Instead, she flopped down on the couch and let out a deep sigh. Fantastic. She was getting somewhere, and it was better than a crappy little waitressing position. No offense to waiters, it was an honorable profession, it just didn’t pay a heck of a lot.
Julia gave herself a moment to revel in the enjoyment of her success, letting it flow through her like a healing balm after the weeks and weeks of stress that she had been through. Finally, she had gotten a break. She found herself thinking about James, and she blushed.
She could not have a crush on her employer. That was a sure-fire way to lose her job and she was not about to let that happen for a second time. She was going to hang onto this job no matter what, and she was not going to mess this up.
And first things first, she needed to start with a good first day on the job. She needed to look her best. She glanced at the clock. It was a little past two, and she had plenty of time to get ready, pack her things and make her way to the Monroe residence.
With a blissful sigh, Julia made her way to the bathroom. She smiled as she undressed, turning on the shower to a warm spray. It had been a while since she had splurged, but she decided that today was a great occasion to take good care of herself.
She started by slathering a mask into her hair, letting it really sink in and moisturize the strands, keeping them silky and soft to the touch. She also wiped her face with a warm cloth and massaged a mask onto her face as well, wanting to look radiant, instead of exhausted and stressed. That was not a good image when starting a brand-new job.
She stepped under the warm water, lathering up her skin and enjoying the floral smell of the soap. She took her time, really washing her skin, before she decided to go the whole nine yards. Grabbing her razor, she took the time to shave her skin until it was silky smooth and feeling radiant.
A long scrub was the next step, and it left Julia feeling so much fresher than when she started. She rinsed off the hair mask and the face mask, conditioning her hair and rinsing that out too, before turning off the shower and wrapping herself up in a soft robe.
It didn’t take her long to dry off and moisturize her skin before she moved on to styling her hair. She blow dried it, running styling creams through it and giving it a quick flick with the curler, just to keep it from getting frizzy.
It tumbled down her back, and she thought that it looked a lot less severe than the up-do which, while professional, was not welcoming for a child. Wrapping herself in a soft robe, Julia looked through her clothing, hauling a suitcase from under her bed. After a quick look through her closet, she decided to pack mainly clothing that was comfortable, professional, and easy to move in. A few elegant dresses and tops went along with this, as did a few pieces of casual wear.
She packed this all carefully, before selecting a dress to wear today. She packed one pair of heels—the rest were all flats. It was impractical to run around after a child in sky-high heels, after all, and she needed to keep this in mind. She packed some toiletries in a bag and decided that she was finished.
With a smile, she closed her case and checked the time. She had just enough time to get dressed, do some simple make-up, and still arrive a few minutes early. Perfect. She smiled, finally feeling a little more optimistic after the horrible weeks before.
She stepped into her dress first, making sure it was clean and tidy. It was a simple, dark blue wrap-around dress. It fit her very nicely and was long enough to come just above her knees, almost level with them. Professional, clean-cut, with sleeves, and a neckline that was not too plunging or revealing. It was also comfortable.
She paired it with a subtle belt and low, kitten heels. Her make-up was simple and clean. A fresh look for her complexion, a brush of color to her cheeks, a touch of balm on her lips and some eyeliner to make her eyes really pop.
Eyeing herself in the mirror, Julia decided that she looked polished, well put-together, friendly and professional. Perfect! It was just what she was going for. Also, if Julia was being completely honest, she wanted to look put-together in front of James. Yes, he was her employer and there would never be anything between them, but he was an attractive man and she didn’t want to lo
ok sloppy around him.
Nerves jumped around within her stomach, making her feel jittery and sick. Oh, she hoped that this went well, that the first day was a success. She really needed this job to go well. Taking a deep breath, Julia grabbed her case and made her way to the door. She shut all the lights off, as well as the heaters and other electricals, unsure if she would be back tonight or not. She stepped out, shutting the door behind herself and taking her suitcase to the car.
The drive there was uneventful, but Julia’s stomach kept doing flips. She bit her lip and took a deep breath, reassuring herself that everything would be just fine. She parked herself outside of the gates, steadied herself and got out of the car, walking up the drive and towards the huge doors.
This was it. Make or break. And Julia hoped that it went according to plan.
***
When James opened the door, he looked as dashing as before. This time, he was in a blue business shirt, with an open collar. He wore neat dress pants that looked as if they were part of a suit. He smiled at her, and it seemed to light up his whole face.
“Julia. Thanks for coming.” He stepped back to let her inside and she obliged.
“Sorry for the short notice—I’d just like to have someone here for Penny as soon as possible.” He smiled, almost apologetically, but there was warmth in his gaze that was enough to make her melt. “I hate having to send her to after school care.”
Julia smiled, feeling a little bit tongue tied. “It’s no problem at all.”
James smiled again. “Let me show you around the house.”
He took her through the maze of rooms that seemed to make up the home. There were so many passages and rooms that it was really difficult to keep up with it all. Julia had thought that it was a mansion before, but she had not even seen the half of it from the front.
James moved with an easy grace, through every hallway with practiced ease. It was clear that he had grown up in this house, and he had no problems showing her around every inch of it. It truly was a beautiful home.