Secret Dad

by Victoria Pinder

  Jen joined him at the door, "Peter..."

  Rafe interrupted. He'd not let Jen lie. He took a step toward Liz and held open his hand. "Liz, I told Jen about Brandon."

  Liz's hand covered her lips. "I thought we were keeping it quiet. We agreed."

  "She figured it out on her own and I didn't deny it." Once they were alone, he'd beg for forgiveness. He should have discussed it with her first. He nodded his head and then lowered his voice. "Can we let our mothers know, Liz?"

  "I guess." Liz's face was still white but she dropped her hands to her side. He'd have to explain the whole truth. As they walked toward the veranda and left Jen and Peter to follow behind them, Rafe's heart beat twice as fast.

  Peter called out, "What are you telling them?"

  "One minute." Liz slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. Rafe's body heated but this time, it was all Liz.

  The moment he opened the door, his mother stood with playing cards in her hands and her eyes widened as she gazed at his face. "Mi’ja, what's going on?"

  "Mom. Mrs. Morgan." He nodded his head at Liz's mother, Isabelle. Then he turned toward his mother again. "I wanted to formally introduce you to your grandson."

  Isabelle Morgan held the boy in her lap and ruffled his hair. "I already know Brandon. Are you his father?"

  His mother's eyes watered as she turned toward Isabelle. His mother had warned them against ever involving their family with the Morgans. His body tightened as he looked into the sky. "Liz and I met in Vegas."

  Pilar went toward Isabelle and picked up her grandson. Then as she held him and stared at the boy, she nodded her head. "Mi’ja, Brandon has your eyes. You have to make this right for him. You know what it's like to grow up without a father."

  Yes, he understood. Their father had disappeared. He'd never do that to his own son. He had sworn that to himself, long ago. Liz deserved his loyalty and devotion. He nodded his head. "I will, Momma."

  Liz's eyes lightly misted as she hugged Peter and her mother. Then she picked up Brandon and turned toward him. "Rafe, let's go home. We have a lot to discuss."

  Yes, they did. He had to tell Liz about Jennifer's lies and stay in Liz's good graces. With Brandon, he had a son and with Liz he had a family. They mattered the most to him.

  Chapter 17

  Elizabeth Morgan was no one's second prize. With Rafe, she might wish for more but she'd settle on friendship, if she must, and work out time for Brandon. Nothing else. She swallowed as he led her, the nanny and Brandon down the small path that returned to her home. As soon as the shadow of Peter's mansion was far enough away and she was sure that Jennifer wasn't close, she lowered her gaze and asked Rafe, "What happened? We agreed and then you make that announcement without talking to me first."

  Rafe placed his hand on her arm. She glanced up and saw he nodded. "I'm sorry."

  Sorry was a good start. "Why did you?"

  His hand held hers but his gaze stayed on the Intracoastal beside them. "I made a mistake and it slipped out with Jen. I knew she'd tell Peter and our mothers. It was better coming from us."

  She opened the door to the house and waited for the nanny to take Brandon down the hall. Once they were alone, she slipped her shoes off and left them at the door. Rafe did the same. "You told Jennifer accidentally? How did that happen?"

  "Yes. We’ve known each other forever and despite all her faults, she depends on me." He led her to the living room. At least he wanted to talk to her, she thought. She'd listen to his apology, knowing that it was sincere.

  Perhaps she might help him accept that he’d lost out on Jennifer. If it wasn't a deep love, then Liz had a small shot in the future. Her heart soared.

  She pointed toward the couch, but Rafe settled into a chair. She took the seat beside him. "So what did you find out about the wedding?"

  Rafe scooted closer. "It's Jennifer's wishful thinking. I hope I find more information concerning Belle soon and then her hopes are dashed. She needs to move on to someone she might fall in love with without having to convince them they care."

  "Like you?" Electricity buzzed in her veins.

  "No. That ship sailed long ago. We're friends, only."

  She lowered her lashes and told herself that she deserved a man who might love her and only her. Her skin was cold as she said, "We're friends too, are we not?"

  "Right. Friends and parents." His hand reached out across the space between the chairs. "I owe you my loyalty, not Jennifer."

  Loyalty wasn't love and his heart was taken. Bitterness swelled in her throat as she felt her soul grow small inside her skin. "Do you wish for more than friendship, Rafe?"

  He let go of her hand. "I shouldn't."

  The space between them rose like a mountain. She had to place value on herself. One day she might find a guy she'd care about half as much as she did Rafe.

  She couldn't change the past or the future. Goosebumps grew all over her body as a chill raced through her. "Shouldn't means neither of us gets to be happy then.”

  “I’m happy with you.”

  If he thought about more than friendship with her, she needed him to tell her. She adjusted her necklace. “All my life I've known loneliness and isolation. Unlike you, I've never had a family that cared what I was doing or not doing. Everything here is so different now, and it's trippy. I have brothers, a sister, a mom. The one I love most is my son, and the one I depend on is you."

  He scooted his chair next to her and took both of her hands. The voltage that pushed through her turned her on and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. If only his heart was free. "It's hard when all my life I've been assigned to work for the House of Morgan. I've never had the right to ask myself what I want when it came to your family. You are so beyond my world that I can't imagine my feelings lasting for long."

  The pulse of that arrow caused her lips to part. "You have a sister, Caro, who is going to marry my brother. We have our son. This connection will last for the rest of our lives.”

  “I believe you.” Rafe’s fingers brushed against her cheek.

  She reached across the divide and touched his forearm. ”But I want to know if you can offer your heart."

  "I'd rather spend all my days with you and Brandon, but first I need to get back to tracking who is after you. You're not safe yet, and that is my first priority."

  Perhaps he put his job first as a way to protect his heart. "I get that but you said we're safe in the house."

  "Yes, your security system is top notch and I would protect you with my life.”

  She and Brandon were not a secondary prize, then? Liz wanted to believe him. Her brain screamed that she deserved love, and so did Rafe. They had a shot, if he could get past his upbringing. She stood and pulled her hands out of his. "The nanny is putting Brandon down for a nap now. I should go to the gym."

  It was time to work off thwarted desire.

  "Liz, wait." He stood and followed her.

  The space between their bodies was minimal. She pushed even closer, though she knew that skin-to-skin contact this close was dangerous. She wanted to believe him that his heart was free. She lowered her gaze and stared at his lips. "There is nothing more to say."

  She refused to force anything between them. “The therapist thinks Brandon was taken care of but happy to be home with you.”

  “I can only pray your right. Good night.”

  “Wait.” She stopped fidgeting when his hand brushed against her face. She lifted her stare and met his eyes as he said, "I spend every second of my day with you or thinking about you. You drive me crazy with the possibility of what might happen between us."

  How he brushed against her hair sent a rush through her that she hadn't expected. Her body ached for more. "I need to know that my father isn't standing in our way from his grave. You are a good strong man who I could fall hard for."

  She probably had already, not that she said that. She turned, but his hand dropped to her shoulder as he said, "You're wrong."

  "I
'm not."

  "Why?"

  "Because your world and mine are in a different category and love isn't enough of a bridge."

  "Could you admit that you want me?"

  "That's not the point."

  Yes it was. She had no in between when it came to him and she'd have no safety zone of indifference if she opened her heart toward him. She had to be right.

  “I want you, Liz.” She turned her head to process what he said as he whispered into ear, "Let me prove it to you."

  Yes. If there was a way for him, then she'd love to be his. Her gaze returned to his full lips. "How?"

  "I’m willing to take a chance. We'll start with this." He pressed forward and claimed her lips. With a sigh she brushed her hands in his thick coarse hair.

  Cells she never knew existed lit up as the spark sent waves through her body and made her come alive. His kiss sent her into overdrive. She pressed her body closer to his. Nothing else in the world existed.

  As his lips broke from hers and they both breathed the same air, she whispered, "Rafe?"

  "Yes." The word choked out of him. The sound alone made her lose her doubts. Perhaps he could fall in love with her.

  "A kiss isn't enough." She pressed her lips to his and sighed as he took control. Longings forgotten surged through her.

  His hands traced her spine as he tugged at her dress slightly. When their kiss ended he whispered in her ear, "Then let me do more."

  "Please." He didn’t need to ask if she wanted this, but at his core Rafe was a good man. She felt safe with him.

  His hands caressed her body; she burned for him. They had a chance, if he let them. She kissed him harder. Then she sighed as her hands slipped under his shirt.

  Nothing could stop them. She had to have him. His hands squeezed her bottom and fire coursed through her blood. Yes, this was what she wanted. She needed him, right here, right now. She'd been with no other man since him.

  She slipped her hands further up his shirt and felt his hard muscles. Her fingers traced his abdomen as she circled her grip around his waist. He felt solid and strong and could protect her. No one else ever made her feel stronger just from being next to him. Rafe Soliz was all muscle, and nothing about him was scrawny or small.

  Energy coursed through her and felt like it jump started her soul. Her body was ready for him. Rafe's hands went lower and he lifted the bottom of her dress. She nodded her head. "Yes."

  "We should go to the bedroom."

  "No, don't stop. No one will come in here." She had locked the door. If she didn't have him right now, she might evaporate into a pile of needy mush. She couldn't risk moving or waiting one more second.

  She lifted her dress, but then he helped pull it off and threw it onto the coffee table. She sighed and lifted his shirt. His muscles quivered at her touch. Once she undressed him, she threw the shirt next to her dress. Her lips pressed against his Adam’s apple that shook with desire. He wanted her too. Her hands slipped lower and she unbuckled his belt.

  His eyes widened as she slipped her fingers in his pants and his lips met hers again. His kiss drove her wild and she needed to feel him inside her.

  He took control as he quickly undid his pants while directing their kiss backwards. She followed his lead and the moment he let his clothes slip on the floor, her thighs brushed against the couch and his hard muscles.

  No, she didn't want the softness. He was hard and her body needed him. She ran her hands through his hair and tugged him close.

  They'd not make it to the couch and it didn't matter. She pulled him toward the floor and wrapped herself around him. Without waiting, she pushed herself on his shaft and moaned as the world went black. Rafe was everything she ever wanted.

  Chapter 18

  Rafe's weight on top of her felt like a blanket and the spicy scent of the woods made her body ache in places that he’d just sent waves of energy through, waking every inch of her. She pressed her body into his and sighed.

  He lifted his weight off her slightly, robbing her of his warmth. His eyes opened and he brushed her hair off her face. "Are you comfortable?"

  Even his strong hand was gentle with her. A warm tremble washed through her. She reached out and tugged him closer again. "Don't let me go, Rafe."

  He hugged her. "I won't. At least this time you didn't run away from me."

  She opened her eyes she hadn't known closed and met his searching stare. "I didn't run."

  His lips brushed against hers and her body ached for far more. "I woke up to an empty room."

  "Vegas wasn't the best side of me." She licked her lips as she wished for a much deeper kiss.

  His eyelids lowered and he stared at her breasts then he returned her gaze with a wink. "I saw all sides of you and liked everything." His hands brushed the sides of her breasts as a smile grew on his face. "You're even more gorgeous than the siren in my memory."

  A giggle escaped her. She hadn't giggled like that, well ever. She sat up which meant he had to let her go. Then she readjusted both of them so she lay next to him on the carpet. She pushed his shoulder with one finger so he was beside her. "You're just saying that because I'm completely naked."

  Her hand covered his chest. For a long time neither of them said anything. She listened to his heart beat and let her eyes drift closed. Everything about Rafe was perfect. She never wanted to move off this floor.

  Then Rafe's hand massaged hers. He kissed her fingers and whispered, "Liz, you deserve a prince or someone worthy of you."

  The bubble she was in burst around her. She then blinked, sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Rafe, don't do that. You're who I want."

  He then sat as well. “Really?” He released a held breath. "I thought I filled a need."

  "What?" The thought left her cold and her stomach twisted. What if he truly wanted to spend his life with someone he felt his equal, like Jennifer?

  It was true that though she’d just joined the House of Morgan, she had never been poor. Perhaps that wasn't it. Rafe had a nice condo similar to what her friends growing up would call home. This back and forth in her brain was like a ping-pong game that never ended.

  Rafe turned as she picked up her bra to cover herself with. "You said you hadn’t dated anyone since Brandon."

  Easy had never been her, but then Rafe was the exception. He couldn't know he was the exception if she didn't explain. She pressed her lips together and decided that she had to tell him. "That doesn't mean..."

  "Liz, I'm a cop. You're a Morgan. Our worlds are different."

  So it was only her last name, again. This wasn't an issue for her, and he had to let it go. "They don't have to be."

  "They should be."

  The strain in his voice confused her. She blinked and scooted closer to him. "Who said? We get to make our own rules Rafe."

  She studied his face and saw how his shoulders slumped. There was something else. She quietly asked him, "What's really going on?"

  “I don’t want to let you down.”

  “Money doesn’t guarantee good parenting skills and Brandon adores you.”

  He closed his eyes and rested his hands on his face, like he wanted to cover himself. She placed her hand on his thigh and waited. Finally, he said, "My father's “missing” because he saw what your father did to your mother the night Isabelle tried to escape—he hasn’t been heard from since. I became Caro's makeshift dad when I was barely old enough to button my own shirt."

  "I'm sorry." She had no idea what else to say. Then she swallowed as she saw how the edges of his face fought to hold his emotions. She whispered, "If our roles were reversed, I'd hate everyone with the last name Morgan."

  He shook his head and then dropped his hands. Then he glanced around the living area. His gaze stopped on a framed painting of a ballerina. "Harder to do when you have almost every class in school next to Peter Morgan, you play football with John, your high school girlfriend was best friends with Victoria and your mom works as the maid."

  "Do you really b
lame me for that? I grew up not knowing who any of the Morgans were and let me tell you, summers alone in boarding school when I only saw my brothers Luke and Matthew for two days a week, wasn't exactly a picnic. You had everything I ever truly wanted. Love." Everyone she now called family and he knew them all. "My siblings didn't hurt your father."

  "I know." He glanced at her naked body. A warm breeze rushed through her as he let out a small smile. "I actually always liked them, but part of being a cop was to stop men like your father."

  She pressed her other hand on his chest, near his heart. "I wish you had arrested him then."

  "Me too." He nodded.

  "None of this matters to me."

  His eyes widened. "It should. I became a cop because of your father."

  Perhaps that was why his mother saved every dime of her money for him. "I bet your mother wants you to quit. She gave you a trust fund of sorts. Did you ever ask about it?"

  "No, I didn’t ask. I'm afraid I'll bring darkness into your world that you don't deserve."

  He must be joking. He’d returned Brandon to her when no one else could. "You're my rock. I had lost everything until you came through my front door."

  He pointed toward a bronze sculpture of a couple. "I can't offer you houses like this."

  Money never mattered. Even when she thought Mitch was simply her banker and not her father, she understood money could never make up for a lack of family. Christmas spent alone in a boarding school as teachers took turns away from their families to watch her replayed in her mind. Brandon would never experience that. "This is mine. I bought it already as I wanted a place near my family and my mother wanted to be near her old home. We can both stay here."

  "I'm only here until we solve the threat against Brandon."

  "Only..." Her words drifted off. She had no idea what to say. She sucked on her bottom lip and then said, "Rafe, I'm offering more."

  His hands brushed against her sides. She reached out and hugged him as his skin was warm to her naked body, making her feel vulnerable. His hands brushed against her hair and back as his chin rested on her head. "Liz, you and I are complicated, but I will always be here for you."