The call from Pippa had brought his life sharply back into focus. She was clearly at the end of her rope. While he wanted more time with his children, he didn’t want to get it this way.
And this certainly wasn’t how he’d envisioned kicking off his day with Alexa.
Glancing back over his shoulder at her in the doorway, he said, “You can come in now.”
He’d sensed her there halfway through the conversation with his ex. Strange how he’d become so in tune with Alexa so quickly.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” She stepped deeper into the room, a barefoot goddess in her flowing purple dress with a flower behind her tousled hair.
Gracefully she sank down to the floor in front of the babies and a pile of blocks. He took in her effortless beauty, her ease with his kids. She was his dream woman—who’d come into his life at a nightmare time.
Right now, he couldn’t help but be all the more aware of her strength, the way she met challenges head-on rather than running from her troubles. She’d rebuilt her entire life from the ground up. He admired that about her. Hell, he just flat out liked her, desired her and already dreaded the notion of watching her walk away.
“The conversation wasn’t private.” He shoved up from the chair and sat on the camelback sofa. “Olivia and Owen were just talking with their mother. Raising a baby is tough enough. The added pressure of twins just got to her. She’s wise to take a break.”
She glanced up sharply. “Even though she left them unattended on the airplane?”
“I’m aware that the way she chose to take that break left more than a little to be desired in the way of good judgment.” He struggled to keep his voice level for the kids. For Alexa, too. He couldn’t blame her for voicing the truth. “I’ll handle it.”
“Of course. It’s really none of my business.” She gnawed her bottom lip, stacking blocks then waiting for Olivia to knock the tower over. “Why don’t I take the kids for a couple of hours? Give you some time to—”
“I’ve got them.” He watched his son swipe his fist through the plastic blocks with a squeal of delight. “I’m sure you want a shower or a change of clothes.”
In a perfect world he would have been joining her in that shower. As a matter of fact, in his screwed up, imperfect world he needed that shower with her all the more. What he would give for twenty minutes alone with her under the spray of hot water with his hands full of soap suds and naked Alexa. He swallowed hard and filed those thoughts away at the top of his “to do” list.
Although to get to everything on that list he would need more time. A lot more time.
“Really, it’s no trouble.” She patiently stacked the blocks again in alphabetical order while Olivia tried to wedge one, the w, in her mouth. “I’m getting good at balancing them on both hips. They can run out some energy on the beach while you finish up last minute busi—”
“I said I have them. They are my children,” he snapped more curtly than he’d intended, but the discussion with Pippa had left him on edge. Wrestling for control was tough as hell with anger and frustration piling up inside him faster than those blocks made a Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Hurt slashed across her face before she schooled her features into an expressionless mask. “I’ll change then, and take care of my own packing. How much longer until we leave the island?”
“We’re flying out in an hour.” Not that he intended to let that stop him from pursuing her. As much as he’d hoped to win her over during their trip, he now realized that wasn’t going to be enough. He needed more—more time with her, more of her. While his relationship with Pippa had been a disaster, he was wiser for the experience now. He could enjoy Alexa in his life without letting himself get too entangled, too close.
Staring at his babies on the floor, he listened to the echo of tread as she walked away. Thought harder on the prospect of her walking away altogether.
Away, damn it.
He was going to lose Alexa if he didn’t do something. He was fast realizing that no matter what his concerns about bringing a new woman into his children’s lives, he couldn’t let her leave.
“Alexa?”
Her footsteps stopped, but she didn’t answer.
God, for about the hundredth time he wished they’d met a year from now when this would have been so much easier. But he couldn’t change it. The time was now.
He wanted Alexa in his life.
“I’m sorry for being an—” He paused short of cursing in front of his children. “I’m sorry for being a jerk. I know you didn’t sign on for this, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to make it up to you.”
She stayed silent so long he thought she would tell him to go to hell. He probably deserved as much for the way he was botching things with her right now. Her lengthy sigh reached him, heaping an extra dose of guilt on his shoulders.
“We’ll talk later, after you have your children settled.”
“Thanks, that’s for the best.” Problem was, with Pippa, he wasn’t sure how or when things in his life would ever be settled. All the more reason to keep his emotions in check when dealing with either woman in his life. Starting now.
Because, their island paradise escape was over. It was time to return to the real world.
Riding on the ferry out to the king’s private airstrip, Alexa gripped the railing as they neared Seth’s plane on the islet runway. The twins, buckled into their safety seats, squealed in delight at the sea air in their faces as they waved goodbye to the tropical paradise.
She feared she was saying goodbye to far more than that.
Her eyes trekked to Seth, who was standing with the boat captain. Not surprising, since Seth had all but shut down emotionally around her since his conversation with his ex-wife.
Alexa twirled the stem of a sea oat in her hand, then tickled the twins’ chins with it. They were cute, but it would be helpful if they spoke a few more words so they could hold up the other end of a conversation. There was no one else to talk to. Javier and his wife had opted to stay on the island for a couple of extra days. Alexa envied them. Deeply. The time here with Seth before that Skype call had been magical, and she wanted more.
As smoothly as the ferry moved along the marshy water, her mind traveled to dreams of extending her relationship with Seth. Could what they’d shared be just as powerful under the pressure of everyday life? A daunting thought to say the least, especially when he had begun pulling away after his conversation with Pippa.
Thinking of that call, Alexa reached for her own phone. She should check for messages from Bethany. She’d turned her cell off last night and let it recharge—and, yes, probably because she didn’t want interruptions. The way she’d made love with Seth on the beach…the way he’d made love to her afterward…
Heat pooled inside her, flushing her skin until she could have sworn she had an all-over sunburn.
Her phone powered up and she checked… No messages from Bethany, but the expected nine missed calls from her mother. Just as she started to thumb them away, the phone rang in her hand.
Her mom.
She winced.
Was her mother’s perfectly coiffed blond hair actually a satellite dish that detected when her daughter turned on her phone?
Wind tearing at her own loose hair, she considered ignoring that call altogether as she had the others. But Olivia giggled and Alexa’s heart tugged. If she felt this much for these two little ones so quickly, how much more must her mother feel for her?
Guilt nudged her to answer. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Where are you, Lexi? I have been calling and calling.” Laughter and the clank of dishes echoed over the phone line. Her parents had taken what little cash they had left and bought into a small retirement community chock-full of activities. How they continued to pay the bills was a mystery. “Lexi? Are you listening? I took a break from my ‘Mimosas and Mahjong’ group just to call you.”
God, why couldn’t her mother call her Alexa instead of Lexi? “Wo
rking. In Florida.”
Crap. Why hadn’t she lied?
And was the island even part of Florida? Or was it the royal family’s own privately owned little kingdom? She wasn’t sure and didn’t intend to split hairs—or reveal anything more than necessary to her mother.
“Oh, are you near Boca? Clear the rest of your day,” her mother ordered. “Your dad and I will drive over to meet you.”
“I really am working. I can’t just put that on hold. And besides, I’m in Northern Florida. Very far away.” Not far enough at the moment.
“You can’t be working. I hear children in the background.”
She hated outright lying. So she dodged with, “The boss has kids.”
“Single boss?”
Not wading into those waters with her mother. “Why was it that you called?”
“Christmas!”
Huh? “The holidays are months away, Mom.”
“I know, but we need to get these things pinned down so nothing goes wrong. You know how I like to have everything perfect for the holidays.”
And that need for perfection differed from the rest of the year how, exactly? “I’ll do my best to be there.”
“I need to know, though, so we have an even number of males and females at the table. I would just hate to have the place setting ruined at the last minute if you cancel.”
So much for her mother’s burning need to see her only child. She just needed an extra warm body at the table, a body with female chromosomes. “You know what, Mom, then let’s just plan on me not being there.”
“Now, Lexi, don’t be that way. And wipe that frown off your face. You’re going to get wrinkles in your forehead early, and I can’t afford collagen treatments for you.”
Deep breaths. She wasn’t her mother. She’d refused to let her mom have power over her life.
But control seemed harder to find today than usual after she’d lowered so many barriers with Seth last night.
Her mother had her own reasons for the way she acted, most of which came from having a control freak mother of her own. Holiday photos were always color-coordinated, perfectly posed and very strained.
But understanding the reasons didn’t mean accepting the hurtful behavior. Alexa had worked hard to break the cycle, to get well and make sure that if she ever had a child of her own, the next generation would know unconditional love, rather than the smothering oppression of a parent determined to create a perfectly crafted mini-me.
Her eyes slid down to Olivia who was trying her best to stuff her sock in her mouth. God, that kid was adorable.
Alexa’s hand tightened around the phone, another swell of sympathy for her mom washing over her. She could do this. She could talk to her mother while still keeping boundaries in place. “Mom, I appreciate that you want to have me there for the holidays. I will get back to you at the end of the month with a definite answer one way or the other.”
“That’s my good girl.” Her mother paused for a second, the background chatter and cheers the only indication she was still on the line. “I love you, Alexa. Thanks for picking up.”
“Sure, Mom. I love you, too.”
And she did. That’s what made it so tough sometimes. Because while love could be beautiful, it also stole control, giving another person the power to cause hurt.
As the ferry docked at the airstrip and Alexa dropped the phone back into her bag, her eyes didn’t land on the kids this time. Her gaze went straight to Seth.
Eight
Her stomach knotted with each step down the stairway leading from the private jet. Back where she’d started in Charleston a few short, eventful days ago.
The flight hadn’t given them any opportunity to discuss what they would do after landing. The kids had been fussy for most of the journey, not surprising given all the upheaval to their routine. Seth had been occupied with flying the plane through bumpy skies.
And all those pockets of turbulence hadn’t helped the children’s moods. Or hers for that matter. Her nerves were shot.
Alexa hitched Olivia on her hip more securely. The early morning sun glinted off the concrete parking area of the private airport that housed Jansen Jets. She saw Seth’s world with new eyes now. Before she’d viewed him and his planes from a business perspective. She’d seen his hangars at the private airport and his jets, and thought about what a boon it would be to service his fleet. Now, she took in the variety of aircraft, in awe of how much he’d acquired in such a short time.
From her research on him she’d learned that about ten years ago he’d purchased the privately owned airport, which, at that time, sported two hangars. Now there were three times as many filled with anything from the standard luxury Learjets to Gulfstreams like the one she’d flown in today. In fact, one of those Lears taxied out toward the runway now.
As she looked back at the hangars, she also saw smaller Cessnas. Perhaps for flight training like he’d done back in North Dakota? Or was that a part of the search and rescue aspect he obviously felt so passionately about?
There was so much more to Seth than she’d originally thought.
An open hangar also gave her a peek of what appeared to be a vintage plane, maybe World War II era. Not exactly what she expected a buttoned-up businessman to own. But a bold, crop-dusting North Dakota farm boy who’d branched out to South Carolina, who’d built a billion-dollar corporation from the ground up? That man, she could envision taking to the skies in the historic craft.
She’d wanted to get to know more about Seth, to understand him, at first to win his contract and then to protect herself from heartache. Instead she was only more confused, more vulnerable, and unable to walk away.
Her feet hit solid ground just as she heard a squeal from the direction of the airport’s main building, a one-story red brick structure with picture windows. An auburn-haired woman raced past a fuel truck toward the plane, her arms wide.
Pippa Jansen.
The beauty wore the same short-sleeve sweater set she’d had on during the Skype conversation earlier. She raced toward them, a wide smile on her face.
Olivia stretched out her hands, squealing, “Ma-ma, Ma-ma…”
Pippa gathered her daughter into her arms and spun around. “I missed you, precious girl. Did you have fun with Daddy? I have your favorite Winnie the Pooh video in the car.”
She slowed her spin, coming face-to-face with Alexa. A flicker of curiosity chased through Pippa’s hazel eyes. The Learjet engines hummed louder in the background as the plane accelerated, faster, faster, swooping smoothly upward. Owen pointed with a grin as he clapped.
Her son’s glee distracted her and she turned to kiss his forehead. “Hello, my handsome boy.”
His face tight with tension, Seth passed over his son. “I thought we were going to talk later today?”
“I decided to meet you here instead. After I heard the children’s voices this morning, I just couldn’t stay away any longer. I missed them too much, so I flew straight home. Your secretary gave me your arrival time since it related to the children.” She kissed each child on top of the head, breathing deeply before looking up again, directly at Alexa. “And who might you be?”
Seth stepped up, his face guarded. “This is my friend Alexa. She took time off work to help me with the twins since I had an out of town business meeting I couldn’t cancel. Your note said you were going to be gone for two weeks.”
“The weekend’s rest recharged me. I’m ready to be with my children again.” Her pointy chin jutted with undeniable strength. “It’s my custodial time.”
He sighed wearily, guiding them toward the building, away from the bustle of trucks and maintenance personnel. He stopped outside a glass door at the end of the brick building. “Pippa, I don’t want a fight. I just want to be sure you won’t check out on them again without notice.”
“My mother’s in the car. I’m staying with her for a while.” She adjusted the weight of both babies, resettling them. “Seth, I’m going to take you up on
the offer to hire extra help when I’m with them, and I’d like to write up more visitation time into our agreement. They’ve been weaned for a couple of months, so the timing is right. Okay?”
He didn’t look a hundred percent pleased with the outcome but nodded curtly. “All right, we’ll meet tomorrow morning in my office at ten to set that in motion.”
“Good, I’m so relieved to see them. My time away gave me a fresh perspective on how to pace myself better.” She passed Olivia to Seth. “Could you help me carry them out to the car? You’ll get to see my mom and reassure yourself.” She glanced at Alexa. “You won’t mind if I borrow him for a minute?”
“Of course not.” It was clear Alexa wasn’t invited on this little family walk.
Seth slid an arm around Alexa’s shoulder. “This won’t take long.” He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the glass door in front of him. “You can wait in my office space here where it’s cooler.”
An office here? Jansen Jets Corporate was located downtown. But then of course he would have an office here as well.
“I’ll be waiting.”
He dropped a kiss on her lips. Nothing lengthy or overtly sexual, but a clear branding of their relationship in front of his ex. Surprise tingled through her along with the now expected attraction.
Pippa looked at her with deepening curiosity. “Thank you for being there for my babies when Seth needed an extra set of hands.”
Alexa didn’t have a clue how to respond, so she opted for a noncommittal. “Owen and Olivia are precious. I’m glad I could help.”
Stepping into the back entrance to Seth’s office, she crossed to a corner window and watched the couple carrying their children toward a silver Mercedes sedan parked and idling. Pippa’s older “twin” sat behind the wheel. Her mother, no doubt.
A sense of déjà vu swept over Alexa at the mother-daughter twin look. It could have been her with her own mom years ago. More than the outward similarity, Alexa recognized a fragility in Pippa, something she’d once felt herself, a lack of ego. Having rich parents provided a lot of luxuries, but it could also rob a person of any sense of accomplishment. Her parents bought her everything, even bought her way out of bad grades…which had been wrong.
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