Secret Dad

by Victoria Pinder

  He parked his car in her driveway. Liz unfastened her seatbelt. "I liked Belle."

  "She seemed nice.” He turned off the engine and pulled out the key. “There was a ship in the area so I'm hoping we find her, but that's just for your ears, okay?"

  He stepped out of the car. Liz immediately hopped out as well and went to the backseat for Brandon. Rafe walked around the front and then kissed Jennifer's cheek as hello. "Jen, what are you doing here? It's late."

  Liz backed right into Jen as she carried Brandon. Jen bounced, but continued the conversation. "Peter told me you are moving in here."

  Rafe put his hand on Liz's back. "Yes, temporarily, to protect Liz and Brandon."

  "I'm sorry I walked into you." Liz nodded as she stepped in sync with him toward the front of the house.

  Jen shrugged her shoulder and then her gaze returned to meet his, then Liz and the baby. "Of course. Liz, Rafe is one of the best detectives and protectors out there. He always has my back."

  Liz didn't say anything. She walked in front of them and opened the front door, so Rafe grabbed the diaper bag and followed her with Jen on his heels. "Why did you wait for us?"

  Jen stepped closer to him and he was overwhelmed by her designer flowery perfume. "I need to talk to you, Rafe."

  Once inside the foyer, Liz locked the door after them, bouncing Brandon on her hip. "I'll leave you alone for a few minutes. I should call the therapist to confirm tomorrow’s appointment anyhow."

  His gaze followed her as she sashayed down the hall. He wanted her to stay. "Liz..."

  She turned and smiled. "It's okay Rafe. After the call, I'll get Brandon ready for bed. It's getting late. You can join us when you're ready."

  Her blue eyes had the call of a siren. He wanted to follow her. Instead he shouldered the diaper bag and nodded. "I'll be there to help tuck him in."

  "Sounds good." She turned around to continue her walk down the hall. The way her hips moved fascinated him.

  Jen poked his arm and he turned away. "You're going to tuck the baby in, Rafe?"

  No, he'd not tell Jen that he had a family, right here. This wasn't the place or the time. He put the bag on the couch and stepped away from her. "Yes, Jen. He's a cute kid."

  "He kind of looks like you, and for you to take a leave of absence? You clearly care a lot." Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she followed him into a sitting room. She sat down on the couch. "Anyhow Rafe, I need your advice."

  This was about Peter Morgan. He plopped himself in the seat opposite Jen and shook his head. "If it's about what to do to win Peter back, then I can't help you. I work for Morgan Security and it's my job to report to him now."

  Her lips pouted as her brown eyes misted. "You'd choose your job over me? I don't believe you'd betray my confidence."

  Jen was clearly practicing her acting skills. He kept that to himself even as his mind buzzed, trying to figure out who might hurt his son and how he might stop them. Whatever Jennifer had to say was going to be a distraction he couldn't afford, but if he ignored her she'd make a bigger fuss. "It's not about betrayal. It's about being honorable which is what I recommend. You should tell him the truth about that night."

  She shook her head furiously. "I can't."

  "Why not?" The truth was Jen didn't want to change anything in her life right now. She came to him for a lecture that one day might help her, but she wasn't ready to move on. She'd been like this since the day he caught her cheating on a physics test in high school and probably long before that moment.

  She scooted closer to him, placed her hands on his shoulders, leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "I implied my period was late."

  Lies were never good. His entire face felt hot as he slipped out of her grip. She’d had tough breaks, but this was far too much. He shook his head. "Jen, don't do this."

  She pouted her lips again, but kept her voice low so that Liz didn't hear her. "Look. Peter is my best chance to make a better life for myself and I'm not going to make the same mistakes again."

  A child wasn't something you played games with. A child changed everything. She hadn't gone that far yet. With hope in his heart, he lowered his voice so he'd keep her confidence. "He's still mourning the loss of the woman he loved."

  "He is still a man and in need of companionship." He hadn’t expected her to agree. Then she clicked her tongue against her teeth. "I'm not asking for permission. What I want to know is what would you do if a woman showed up at your door pregnant with your child?"

  Or he showed up at her door, not that he'd tell Jen that she had it backwards for him. He took a deep breath and heard Liz's gentle footsteps in the hall. "I would protect my family and that includes the baby."

  She crossed her arms. "Peter has an honorable streak, like you. I think it's my best bet."

  So he hadn't convinced her. Caro would tell him that helping Jennifer was a lost cause. Her current life choices made him wonder if his sister was right. Or perhaps he was tired of Jennifer’s unsolved issues and would rather spend more time with Liz. They could figure out where they fit in each other's lives. Brandon had to take priority. "Jennifer Gonzales, life isn't like one of the stories you portray on the television."

  She stood up without warning and swung her hair, like she was in one of her dramatic scenes. "No, in real life you either play to win or play to lose. There is no innocent or villain. We're all just going for what we want and do whatever we can to get it."

  Once in a while she hit on a point that made him cringe but that he couldn't argue. He stood as well. "Jennifer..."

  "You answered my question." She twirled around as she headed for the door. Then she nodded into the hallway. "I'll leave you to go tuck the boy in with the very pretty Morgan girl that I think you like. Dating a Morgan isn't a bad thing Rafe. They are people with a lot of money, but they are just people."

  Dating Liz was something he'd never do, even if Liz's light smell of vanilla mixed with sunshine filled his lungs. He followed Jen to the door and held it open for her. "Bye Jen."

  She grabbed her pocketbook and placed her sunglasses on her face as sunset near the water held a bright reflection. Then she kissed his cheek. "See you soon."

  He kissed Jen's cheek and closed the door.

  Liz glanced away and wouldn’t look at him. She rubbed her arms as she walked to where Jennifer and he had just sat seconds ago. Once she reclined, she gave him a small smile. "What was going on with Jennifer that she needed you, Rafe?"

  Right now he'd not face the moral issues that Jennifer Gonzales brought. He stood over Liz and looked down at her. "I'd rather not discuss Jennifer."

  "Fair enough. The therapist will be here tomorrow at ten.”

  "Sounds good. Once we put Brandon to bed, can we get a glass of wine and relax on the couch?"

  She held up her hand for him to help her stand. "Now that sounds like fun. Are you sure we're safe to let down our guard?"

  His heart pounded as he caught a twinkle in her blue eye, but then he considered her question. “There’s been no follow-up from the ransom demand. With your security system and me here, yes, we'll be fine."

  The rest of the evening was the first time they were truly alone. Once they tucked Brandon safely to sleep, they could relax. No one would get to them tonight. He was here and wouldn't allow anything to happen.

  He glanced at her curvy hips. He'd not take her into his arms for a kiss, though his imagination clearly ran much further than that. He kept his thoughts to himself. Lust for a woman with the last name Morgan was too much fire in his life and he didn't have nearly enough water to put out the flames. He'd be smart if he avoided her all together.

  Chapter 12

  Rafe brought Liz a glass of Pinot Grigio, setting it on the coffee table in front of her; he stared at her so hard she wondered what he thought. The deep frown on his face didn't match the guy who earlier suggested they have a drink. Something must have changed in his mind.

  He swallowed and held up his glass,
then waited for her to join him. As long as it wasn't new evidence about the threat she’d received, then they would be fine. Something inside her whispered his mood wasn't about Brandon. She raised her glass as he said, "To our first night."

  “Our first night.”

  His shoulders were tight as he sat opposite her with that sour expression on his face. She leaned forward, smiled and hoped he'd get in a better mood, fast. So she winked, channeling Vegas Liz. "Well, technically, we had a night before, but this time it's just talking. Relax."

  He sucked in his breath. "I meant under the same roof, as a family."

  She clutched the end of the couch to hold herself still. He thought of them as a family. If so, then maybe she could share what had bothered her about today. Sharing was always good. She sipped her wine, licked her lips and then once she swallowed, she lowered her gaze. "Rafe, I'm happy you're here protecting us, and I'm happy we're getting along..."

  "But?" Her gaze met his fast.

  She bit her lower lip and nodded. "I get a sense you're torn and I don't think it's about the threat to Brandon. Did something happen earlier with Jennifer?"

  His entire body was so tight she wondered if he'd snap. "Nothing happened with Jennifer."

  "Are you sure?" Her eyebrows lifted as she stared at his reddened cheeks. She’d hit a nerve. Nothing changed except Jennifer visited and they spoke alone for a few minutes. "Are you interested in Jennifer romantically and she's choosing to go after my brother instead?"

  Her stomach churned at the thought, but she had to ask.

  "No. Absolutely not. Jen and I were high school, but never past then. Now we're friends, like I told you." He gulped his wine then set the glass down as he leaned forward. "She asked my advice about something that she won’t listen to. That's all that happened. I don't want to think about her. I'd rather have a chance to spend the evening alone with you."

  Was he in love? Liz wasn't stupid. He was upset. So either it was whatever he talked about with Jennifer that was on his mind, or maybe he was jealous of Peter. She sipped her wine again, tried to figure him out, and then she placed the glass down. She sighed. "Okay, but I assumed your mood was about her visit."

  He leaned forward. "Why? What mood?"

  “Judgmental.”

  “You’re observant.”

  "My father, the late Mitch Morgan, who never once told me he was my father the entire time he was alive." Rafe sat on the edge of his chair as she spoke. She swallowed and then continued, "He was a huge issue for you and I don't blame you. He kidnapped my mother and hid Luke, Matthew and me away like we weren't important enough to even be raised as a family. So I grew up watching other people’s families and wishing I was part of them."

  "Your father made it clear when I was a boy that his sons, your older brothers John and Peter, and I were in different worlds. The House of Morgan does not associate with the plebeians." His eyes seemed haunted. He picked up his glass and finished his wine. Once he was done, he shook his head. "If I knew in Vegas who you were then we'd have never spent a second alone."

  "I didn't know my own real identity! How could you? Besides we both agreed to no last names that night." Her initial thought to lighten the mood should have remained her plan. Rafe hid more in the shadows of the night. She took a deep breath. "And so what? We can't change the past and I don't want to. I love Brandon and being his mom. My only regret is not finding you sooner."

  He stood and joined her on the couch. She took his hands. Rafe said, "I'm glad we have him. Your father paid my mother well but he saw the Soliz family as servants. It is hard knowing that you're his daughter."

  "Don't give him that power over us,” Liz said. “He died and from what I can tell, no one mourned him."

  "Fair enough."

  He tried to smile, his thigh next to hers, side by side. She closed her eyes and let the whiff of his oak aftershave wash over her. Then she opened her eyes. "So, are you willing to accept my last name? I can't pretend to be someone I'm not."

  He picked up her wine glass and shot out of his seat fast. Perhaps she had pushed too much, but then he refilled both their glasses and nodded at her. "And you're okay that the son of the maid is the father of your child?"

  “Very.” She accepted the second glass he offered her." All that matters to me is that you're here and I need you."

  "She's there, even now, ensuring that the House of Morgan is clean." He rested beside her on the couch. “My mother.”

  "Why? I thought she was retiring."

  "She thinks of Peter, John and Victoria as her own responsibility and she wants to ensure they are all okay. If that means running the household staff, then that’s what she will do."

  "And she's now more friends with my mother."

  "Not friends. They are employee and employer."

  "No. My mother knows your mother stayed and watched over the older children. She is grateful to Pilar and considers her to be a friend."

  "I don't know." He stared at the ground and not at her.

  Perhaps this conversation wasn't the best at getting to figure him out. Her mind flashed to Jennifer again and she wondered if he lived in Coconut Grove to impress her.

  She swirled the wine in her glass. "I'm more curious about you. How do you afford the place you live? You live in a multimillion dollar building. Did you speak to your mother about the trust fund?”

  "No. I’ve not talked numbers with Mom yet. The market was in a downturn and the price was cheaper when I bought. Now it's my retirement fund, though my mother helped with the down payment as you're right, it was slightly higher than I thought I could afford."

  He shrugged and drank his wine. She stared at his Adam's apple as he swallowed, until it stopped. She remembered tasting the oaky-ness of his skin as she licked his throat that night. "I brought the papers in my bag that my mom gave me. I'll read them soon. You have me curious about the small trust fund she set aside for me."

  The answer didn't sound like it had anything to do with Jennifer. In fact, she'd prefer if they never discussed the woman. She sipped her own wine and decided to change the topic, again. She studied Rafe's profile. "How long have you been friends with Jose?"

  "He dated my sister for two summers, but we weren't friends then." Rafe then counted on his fingers. "He joined the force three years ago and we became friends later. However once Caro chose to date your brother, he's been acting off. I think he's jealous. Why?"

  She'd not mention that she was avoiding conversation about Jennifer. Instead she stared into his big brown eyes. "In getting to know you, I find myself curious about you. Your friends.”

  “I’ll always be here for you and Brandon.”

  "I'm glad you're here. You seem so different from the man I went to a hotel room with that night. I thought the man I met that day was fun and carefree." She stared at his shoulder, wanting to lean against him. “You are so much more.”

  "You too. You were on a date if I remember correctly, when you first started talking to me."

  "One of my brother's movie star producer types was at the table. He was the worst. Josh something.” She wrinkled her nose. “I knew you weren't after my money as you didn't even know I had any."

  "That's for sure." For a moment she was breathless and waiting for him, hoping the memories stirred him to kiss her right now. She swallowed. “You lost every hand at the table.” Then he shrugged. "In Vegas you were magnetic and fascinating. You were far more interesting than the bachelor party I went there for. Who knew we'd end up like this?"

  Her eyebrows arched. "No one goes to Vegas expecting to create anything long term or meaningful."

  "Yet both our lives changed." His voice deepened and she knew his lips would taste better than the wine. She winked as she finished another sip. "I like how you say both."

  His sexy shoulder gently brushed against hers. "Are you asking questions because you're interested in me, or are we just flirting?"

  She held her wine glass tight in her fingers. She really had
n't meant to offend Rafe. Until Jennifer stopped by, she had assumed they were both interested in getting to know each other. But then again, she could have read the situation all wrong.

  Right now she needed him to stay and protect Brandon until he figured out who threatened her. "You like to skip over the fun parts, like when you helped me escape Josh and we ran to play slot machines?"

  His face went grim again even as he sipped his wine. She'd have wondered if it tasted bitter as his expression hardened, except that hers tasted just fine. "I’m just trying to figure out what you want from me."

  None of this was necessary. She was a big girl and would let him live his life wanting another woman. She refused to ever chase a guy. So she shrugged. "I want you to keep Brandon safe."

  He nodded his head. "That is why I'm here."

  She ran her hand through her hair as she stared into his eyes. She hadn't chased him, ever. She’d walked away once. She could do it again if she had to. With that thought strengthening her resolve she set her empty wine glass on the coffee table. "Why are you so surly tonight then? It was your idea to share the wine."

  "The truth is I'm torn. I like you Liz, and I could be interested in you. I'd like you better if you weren't a part of the House of Morgan. But it's dangerous and that trumps almost everything else."

  "Finish your thought." He liked her. Did that mean as a friend or as more? He’d have to get over her last name; it didn't matter to her. "So?"

  "You're right. Your father made it clear that my job in life was to ensure your family had whatever it wanted. So I think its best if we keep our relationship platonic and find a way to share Brandon once this is done."

  "Is it really my last name or Jennifer who just came by?"

  "Huh? The Soliz family serves the House of Morgan. I know we said I’d let this go, but it’s hard for me."