Noble Brit

by P. T. Michelle

  “Yes, little Josi was the life of the neighborhood. She kept giving her candy away to the other kids passing by. It was pretty adorable, Grandad bias aside. Maybe you can convince her to keep more than she gets tomorrow night. Next year you’ll have to come and dress up.”

  “You dressed up?” I ask, snickering my surprise.

  “Not tonight, but Helena’s really campaigning for me to do it next year. We’ll see.”

  “I know it’s getting late, but is Josi awake so I can say good night?”

  “She is. She’s looking through your old books for a story for me to read to her.”

  Happy tears spill at the idea of my father reading stories to Josi. How I wished he had done that with me more than the couple of times that I remember. I’m thankful he’s making up for lost time with my daughter. “I wonder which story she’ll choose?”

  “Helena knows your favorites, so I’m sure—ah, here she comes now. Josi, your mom’s on the phone.”

  “Mama?” Josi says, her little voice filling my heart.

  “Hey, baby girl. Did you have fun tonight?”

  “Uh, huh. Candy! Grandad said ‘only two,” she says on a pout.

  “That’s so you don’t get a tummy ache,” I say, grinning. “If you eat it all up, there won’t be any more left. You want to make it last.”

  “No! Eeeeeeeeat it aaaaaall,” she mimics her favorite cookie eating monster voice.

  Laughing at her sense of humor, I brush away the tears on my cheeks. “Okay, you little monster. Enjoy story time with Grandad. You’ll have to tell me about it tomorrow. Love you, Josi-Bean. Hugs and kisses.”

  “Huuuugss and kiiiiiiisses, Mama,” she continues in her monster voice before she hangs up.

  Just talking to Josi lightened my heart so much, that I smile as Den walks back downstairs. “Josi had a great time.” Chuckling, I continue as I set my purse on the island and pull out the mail I’d brought with me. “She’s such a character. I don’t know where she got her sense of humor from.”

  “I know exactly where,” he says, giving me a knowing look.

  “Me?” Shaking my head, I sift through my mail. “Not likely.”

  “You’re a bright light, Mina. Challenging, smart, and you make me laugh.”

  When I look up, my heart filling with love for his compliment, he continues, “While Ben stitched up my eyebrow, he told me a hot bath will help with your sore muscles.” He glances toward the stairs, bending at the waist. “Your bath awaits, Lady Mina.”

  “Aww, thank you, Den.” My fingers snag on a small bubble wrapped envelope in my mail and I quickly rip into it. When a set of earplugs lands on the counter, I laugh. Still chuckling, I slide them across the counter toward him. “These were intended to drown out your sexy accent, but maybe you’ll need them tonight. I have a tendency to sing while in the bath. Since you walked in on my terrible voice today, you know my singing isn’t pretty. ”

  Den folds his arms and frowns deeply. “Not funny, Mina.”

  “Too soon?” I respond to his serious countenance.

  He sighs, his severe expression slowly melting into amusement. “Like mother, like daughter. Off you go before the water gets cold.”

  A half-hour later, I feel so much better after my bath, my body is all warm, my skin supple. Even the angry red marks on my wrists and neck aren’t burning any longer, just a bit sore. After I towel dry my hair, I step into my underwear, then walk into Den’s room and pull out a clean white undershirt from the tall dresser.

  Slipping into his shirt, I walk down the stairs to an empty living room. The sound of water running in his other bathroom tells me he’s taking a shower, so I take the time to clean up my mail and tuck the important papers and bills away in my purse along with my notepad.

  When I turn off the kitchen light, the only light in the room is from the fire. Den must’ve turned it on while I took a bath. The mantel is still mostly dark. Did he notice the picture frame I’d set there? I walk over and flip on the spotlight above the fireplace, then step back to admire the photo of his family. I really do love how the frame turned out, but now that the stakes are higher between us, my stomach tightens with worry. Will he be angry that I did this? Will he think I overstepped my bounds? I straighten my spine, not regretting it for a second. I’d do it again if it helps him embrace his past so he can move forward toward his future.

  Den steps into place beside me in a fitted soft t-shirt and lounge pants. His hard body is radiating the warmth from his shower and smells of woodsy leather and bergamot. All I want to do is wrap my arms around him and inhale deeply, but I pause when I see he’s staring at the frame, his gaze unreadable. What is he thinking?

  “I found it while looking for your car keys,” I say quietly. “You have such a beautiful family, Den. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought they deserved a place of honor in your home, to be cherished for the time you had together.”

  When he swallows a couple of times, I worry that I overstepped, but if we’re going to make this relationship work, I need to be fully me. “Are you okay with this?”

  Den turns and walks over to my purse. Pulling out my notepad, he flips the pages, then folds the pad open and leans it against the mantle, saying, “Only if you promise to frame this one too and put it beside it.”

  I stare at the picture I’d drawn of Josi on Den’s shoulders from that day we picked her up at church. It’s the only drawing I’ve completely colored in and one of my absolute favorites. I didn’t even know he’d seen it.

  My throat tightens with emotion as I nod. “I’ll be happy to.”

  Den looks down at me, his golden gaze searching mine. “I meant what I said to Sebastian. I love you, Mina Blake. You brought sunshine into my life. You and Josi.” He takes my hand and lifts it, touching the dented bird on my bracelet. “I’ll replace the willow.”

  I turn my hand for a better view. “I don’t know, Den. The bird might’ve originally just been a means to an end, but with all those scratches, dents and dings, it makes me think of us now.”

  “It was never a means to an end, Mina,” he says, clasping my fingers between his to turn my hand. “But you’re right, now it’s truly unique to us. Are you saying you want to keep it?”

  “I do. Even the tracker. Just like you promised, I want you to always be with me.”

  Nodding, he releases me. “I was going to wait a little bit for this, but I came too close to losing you today. Life’s too bloody short to worry about timelines.” Capturing my hand once more, he slides an antique, art deco style ring on my finger. “This was my mother’s. A gift from a woman who inspired hope in the masses to the woman who inspired hope in me.”

  Tears stream down my cheeks. My heart swells at his sentiment and the connection of honor he made to his mother. I wish I had known her. I’d love to thank her for creating such a wonderful man.

  When he kisses the round center stone surrounded by a cushion-shaped halo of diamonds and says, “I believe it’s a fitting ring for a Lady,” my heart stutters several beats and my eyes widen.

  “Are you…asking me to marry you, Sir Barasa?” Folding my fingers around his, I huff. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were a knight!”

  He stares at me for a beat, surprise in his gaze. “How do you know that about me?”

  “Oh, you know, it’s no biggie,” I say, shrugging. “While you were out getting dinner, the Queen called to ask you to come home.”

  Barking out a laugh, he pulls me close, his golden eyes flashing with amusement. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Mina Blake? Where, among other perks, you will officially be addressed as Lady Barasa when you visit the palace to meet the Queen.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you did to deserve a knighthood?” I ask, smiling.

  He laces his fingers at the base of my spine. “Maybe you can convince me to tell you…after we’re married. I’m waiting on an answer, Mina.”

  “Ugh, I shouldn’t have to wait to learn the
story.”

  “Me either. Want to elope?”

  I flatten my hands on his chest, where the ring captures my attention. “This ring is gorgeous. Thank you for honoring me with such a special piece of your family history. And yes, I will marry you.” Tilting my head, I tease, “Maybe you can convince me to run away with you…after you tell me about how you became a knight.”

  “Hmmm, this sounds like a circular challenge I’m up to, Lady Mina.” Before I can react, he quickly tosses me over his shoulder and bolts up the stairs, making me sound like a squawking chicken with my crackly squeals of terror.

  The moment he sets me down in the bedroom, I wrap my arms around his waist, my excitement sobering. “My family will flip if we elope.”

  “We can have a celebratory party later.” He smiles and cups his hand on the back of my neck, rubbing his thumb along my jaw. “I just want to enjoy time with you and Josi all to myself.”

  “We will need an engagement period. Not for me, but for Josi and the rest of my family to get used to the idea of us being engaged. Then, we’ll talk about the other.”

  Den cups my face in his big hands, all teasing gone from his expression. “If you want a big wedding with all the trimmings, we’ll do that. Just don’t make me wait forever for you to move in with me.”

  My heart jumps all over again. “You want us to live with you here?”

  “Absolutely.” Pulling me close, he wraps his muscular arms around my back. “I have plenty of room. There’s a great park close by. Josi will love it. But I do want you both to go to London with me as soon as possible. And before you answer, just know that I might have to be there for several weeks. There are business things that I need to attend to, but my first priority will be to make sure Edgar gets the punishment he deserves.”

  “Yes, we would love to go with you.” I nod, then grimace when I think about a couple upcoming projects I need to work on. I hope it’ll be possible to do them remotely. “And if we need to come back before you can, we will.”

  Den frowns slightly. “I don’t want to be separated. But if you need to come home for whatever reason, I’ll fly back with you.”

  “We’ll make it work,” I say, smiling. “I’m looking forward to seeing London through your eyes.” Raising up on my toes, I start to wrap my arms around his shoulders, but wince at the tightness in my muscles.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, gently pulling my arms back down.

  “I have an idea.” Clasping his hand, I give him an impish smile, then pull him into the bathroom and turn on the shower.

  While steam fills the room, he tugs his shirt off with an anticipatory smirk. “What do you have in mind, my sexy little minx?”

  I pull him in with me, directly under the warm spray and push up on my toes to whisper against his jaw, “This time, I want you to hold me under the water for an entirely different reason, Sir Barasa.”

  A sensual smile tilts his lips as he runs his fingertips over the wet shirt already sticking to my nipples. Pinching the sensitive tips with just enough pressure to make me gasp for more, he rumbles his approval. “Now that I can get on board with, Lady Mina.”

  As his hands slowly explore my body, plastering the soaked material to every curve, dip and hollow so he can see all of me, I relish his warm touch and savor each white-hot moment between us. I return the favor with his lounge pants, until I can tell every bit of what he has to offer. Water dripping off his face, Den’s breathing heavily by the time I’m done, and as he moves to grip the hem of my shirt, I press a kiss to his jaw and nip at his sexy scruff. “You’re going to have to do all the heavy lifting in here, I’m afraid.”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” he rasps and yanks my panties right off me. As I snicker at his impatience, he quickly lifts me up. Pressing my back against the shower wall, he chases away my gasp at the cold tile on my skin as he imprints every inch of his impressive, clothes-soaked erection against me.

  The pounding water enhances the delicious heat and friction of his hard body hitting all my erogenous zones. I moan and press my mouth to his, accepting the thrust of his tongue as his hands spread over my ass. Den grinds his hips against me, his grip tightening, spreading me for his entry.

  I pull back slightly, my breathy laughter echoing in the shower. “You um, need to take your pants off to complete this transaction, Sir.”

  He nuzzles my throat, nipping his way to my jaw. Rolling his hips aggressively, his accent is an arousing rasp in my ear. “A lady should know how to disrobe her man, no matter the circumstances. Show me just how inventive you can be.”

  When he kisses me with intense passion, it’s hard to concentrate, but I take advantage of the support his hands provide and dig my toes into the low-slung material at his hips. It takes extra muscle power to move wet clothes, but Den doesn’t let me get very far. The moment the tip of his cock is free, he moans his need and pulls me down on top of him, letting the weight of my body strip him free of his pants as he thrusts deep.

  Setting me back against the wall, he begins to move, his possession a powerful claiming, not only of my body but also my heart. This man has stolen my soul. My vision blurs, and all I can do is cling to his slick, muscular body, willingly riding the emotional roller coaster between us until waves of ecstasy vibrate all over my body again and again.

  I’m on such a high, I don’t want to come down, until I hear Den’s deep groan of satisfaction. And even then, I never want it to ever end.

  “I love you, Dennet Barasa,” I pant against his cheek. “Don’t ever let me go.”

  He nips at my throat, then kisses me hard, his breathing just as labored. “Not now. Not ever. You’re all mine, Little Willow.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Den

  “Hugh is an excellent guard, Talia. He’ll keep you and Joey safe while I’m gone, but you’ve got my number, so don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

  Talia surprises me when she steps around her desk and gives me a hug. “I’ll be fine, Den. Don’t worry. Have a wonderful time in London.”

  Before she can pull away, I hug her back and whisper in her ear, “Hugh’s truly great, but don’t let your guard down. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “So has Hugh hired himself on to BLACK Security too?” Sebastian mutters from the adjoining doorway between his and Talia’s office.

  I release Talia and shrug. “Only if you find his work up to your standards.”

  “Oh no…I’m holding him to your standards.” Sebastian's eyebrows pull together as he strolls into the room. “Which means I’ll be shadowing him to make sure he’s as good as you say he is.”

  “We trained together,” I say. “Hugh knows the stakes, but I’d do the same as you until I felt comfortable.”

  As Sebastian grunts his agreement, Mina lets out in irritated huff, then starts typing fast on her phone.

  “What’s wrong?” Walking over, I rest a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently.

  “Ugh, Derrick just sent me a text saying he’s not sure about me taking Josi to England." Her brown eyes snap to mine, full of worry. "Now he wants to ‘talk’ about it. We’re leaving tomorrow. I can’t believe he’s doing this!”

  “He gave up his rights, which is why his name isn’t even on her birth certificate,” Sebastian says, frowning. “The guy’s full of hot air. Just ignore him.”

  Jerking her gaze to her brother, Mina says, “As much as I would like to do just that, I don’t want to give him a reason to suddenly decide to petition to have parental rights reinstated. I—” Her phone starts ringing and she sets her jaw, gritting out, “I don’t even know how to respond to this.”

  “May I?” I say, holding my hand out for her phone.

  Sighing, she hands me the phone and says in a low tone, “Be civil, Den. He will be a part of our lives.”

  Nodding, I answer the phone. “Hello, Derrick. Mina’s not available at the moment, but I saw your note.”

  “Look, bodyguard, I don’t
know why you think it’s okay to answer Mina’s phone, but this is between my ex and me.”

  “Actually, it’s about Josi. Mina let you know they were going to London. She didn’t have to, but she did. At the time, you didn’t have any issues, but the day before she’s supposed to leave, you suddenly express concern?”

  “I can change my mind if I want to,” he snaps. “Just like I can have my parental rights reinstated and file for half-custody.”

  Mina’s staring at me with wide eyes, her hands clutched tight around her purse’s shoulder strap. My fingers cinch around the phone. “Is that what you’re planning to do?” I grate out in a cold tone.

  “I’m her father. Why am I even explaining this to you? You’re of no consequence. Just have Mina call me immediately.”

  “Let’s just have a chat about what that choice will mean for you, shall we?”

  “I’m not talking to yo—”

  “You will immediately owe Mina back pay of forty grand, which is half of what it has cost to raise Josi so far. The full amount up until she’s eighteen will be three-hundred-and-sixty-thousand.”

  “Are you insane?”

  “It might even go up a little if she decides to play sports or other extra curricular activities in the area,” I say, talking over him. “And let’s not forget about college. Josi’s a very smart little girl. I see an Ivy League school in her future. Columbia runs sixty-thousand a year for tuition and fees alone. Your half, once you add in food and housing, will be roughly one-hundred-and-eighty thousand for her four years there.”

  “What the hell? I shouldn’t have to foot half her astronomical college bill!”

  “In the state of New York, you’ll be legally responsible for Josi until she’s twenty-one,” I barrel on. “And as bright as she is, my guess is she’ll probably go to college at seventeen, which means, you’ll be on the hook for her full, four-year college experience. Being a parent means also sharing the financial burden. So is that what you want?”

  “I can barely afford my rent. No way a judge will tell me I owe back monies or even the crazy amounts you’re quoting.”