“I don’t want to impose on you.”
Thrace waved a hand. “It’s no imposition. We’ll wait while you pack and then we’ll get you settled into a hotel room for the night. If you’d like, we could meet for dinner and you could get to know Lily a bit better. Although, it seems she’s quite taken with you. She’s never been this quiet for such a long stretch of time before.”
“She’s a sweet baby,” Avelyn said. “And if you’re sure it’s no trouble, I would be delighted to go back to the hotel with you. Just give me fifteen minutes to pack everything. I’ll need to drop the key off with leasing company though.”
“We’ll take care of it on the way.”
She reached to place her hand over his. “Thank you, Thrace. I mean it. You’re taking a chance on a complete stranger, giving me the opportunity to improve my life and put Las Vegas firmly in my past. Not everyone gets a fresh start in life.”
“Well, they should.”
With another smile, she got out of the limo and went to pack her things.
Chapter Two
Thrace spent a good portion of his morning watching Avelyn and Lily. Looking at the two of them, you’d think they were mother and child. His daughter had taken right to the human female, and he couldn’t blame her. At least the child had good taste. Avelyn’s golden blonde hair caught the sunlight and shone like spun gold, making Thrace wonder if it was as soft as it looked. He loved the way her blue eyes twinkled with merriment when she played with Lily. And he’d have to be blind not to notice her curves. He wondered what they would feel like pressed against him.
Maybe hiring her as a nanny wasn’t such a great idea. She was a temptation that he might not be able to ignore, but he couldn’t express his interest in her as a bride, not when he’d offered her a job. It wouldn’t be right, and he would hate to chase her away, especially considering how good she was with Lily. His daughter adored her new nanny, and Thrace had to admit that he rather adored her as well. The more he knew about her, the better he liked her. She was strong to have escaped such a male as her ex, and yet despite what she’d been through, she always had a ready smile on her face.
The jet had touched down two hours ago and they were now safely ensconced in Thrace’s suite. After he’d adopted Lily he’d thought of purchasing a home, but he hadn’t found the right one just yet. He’d called from Las Vegas to have his suite at the hotel upgraded to a three bedroom so Lily wouldn’t have to be with Avelyn all day every day. Their things had been moved while they were on the way to Kentucky. He figured his new nanny could use a break every now and then, which made him wonder about days off. He only worked four days a week, so he supposed Avelyn could have the other three days to herself. But how would that work if they lived in the same suite? Maybe he should have purchased a separate room for Avelyn and given her nights off too. There was no reason he couldn’t get up to take care of his own child at night.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there,” Avelyn said as she eased Lily down into the playpen across the room. “Are you having second thoughts about bringing me here? Lily is so well-behaved; I don’t see why you needed a nanny.”
“No. I’m not having second thoughts. She’s so well-behaved because she loves her new nanny. She tolerates me. I’d thought after the last several months of us being together that she would have warmed to me, but she fusses with me more than anyone else. It’s almost insulting.”
Avelyn laughed. “She doesn’t mean anything by it. Maybe she just missed having a woman’s touch. You did say her mother abandoned her. Perhaps there wasn’t a male in her life before you. She may just not know how to interact with you.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Do you mind if I take a few minutes to unpack while she’s occupied?”
“Not at all. Don’t feel like you have to hover over her, Avelyn. She knows how to play with her toys. Besides, I’m right here if she needs anything. I don’t expect you to jump every time she fusses, even when I’m not here. I read a book on babies that suggested it was good for them to comfort themselves sometimes.”
Avelyn smiled. “Yes, it is. I’ll try not to scoop her up every time she cries, but it won’t be easy. I already can’t stand to see her upset.”
“At least when she’s upset, you know it isn’t because of you. I’ve questioned several times whether or not I should have adopted her, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of her going to some intergalactic group home until they found a family for her, if they found one. Not everyone will take a Drelthene into their home. The males can be rather vicious when they get older, but little is known of their females. It’s rare to see one away from their home planet.”
“She’s lucky to have you, Thrace. And I think she knows it, she’s just confused. Maybe having a woman around will settle her enough that she’ll start to bond with you like she should have done by now.”
“Go take care of your unpacking. Lily and I will be fine on our own for now.”
Avelyn nodded and stepped into her room, shutting the door behind her. Thrace blew out a breath and wondered how he was supposed to survive the upcoming months or years. Maybe if he had a mate he wouldn’t feel the pull toward Avelyn, but at the moment, he couldn’t conjure a single attractive female in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d gotten to him, and in very little time. He wondered what she thought of him.
No, he wouldn’t torture himself with those thoughts.
He got up and moved across the room to peer down at his babbling daughter. She’d pulled a foot up to her mouth and was nibbling on her toes. He winced when one of her fangs pricked the skin, but she didn’t cry. Reaching into the playpen, he pulled her out and held her against his chest, smoothing her curls away from her face. She smiled up at him, a genuine smile, and the first ever to be directed at him. It lightened his heart and gave him hope that maybe their future wouldn’t be so bleak after all. Well, not as long as Avelyn was with them. What would happen though, if she ever decided to remarry? What if one of the Terrans at the station caught sight of her and decided to woo her away from Thrace? He knew they wouldn’t poach if they thought he was contemplating her as a bride, but as his nanny? She’d be fair game to them, and he didn’t like it one bit.
“What are we going to do, little one?” he asked Lily. “I can’t change the terms of her being here, and yet already we’re dependent on her.”
Lily babbled a reply and Thrace wished he could understand her.
“You like, Avelyn, don’t you? I think you like her more than me, but that’s okay. I don’t blame you for liking Avelyn. She’s sweet and funny, and she’s very good with you.”
Lily wrapped her fist in his hair and tugged as she babbled some more. Thrace carried her across the room and settled on the sofa with her in his arms. He loved holding her, especially when she was agreeable like this. Thrace had always enjoyed being around small children; he’d just despaired of ever having one of his own. He wanted more of them, a house full, but in order for that to happen he needed a mate, or a very understanding nanny, who wouldn’t mind if he adopted a few more children of different alien races. It would make for an unusual household, but Thrace knew if he had more than Lily in his home, he’d never find a mate.
He flicked through the channels on the television until he found a program he thought Lily might like. It was one of those learning cartoons he’d heard about. There was a lot he still needed for Lily. She had some stuffed animals and baby toys, but he didn’t know if he’d bought the right ones. From what he’d read, a baby’s development was very important, and he wanted to make sure he gave her everything she needed. He hoped Avelyn could help with that.
He sighed. Avelyn. The more he saw her interact with his daughter, the more he wanted to keep her, and not just as a nanny. She would be a perfect mother. He wondered if she’d ever be open to the idea. What if she got attached to Lily? Would it be enough to make her agree to become his mate?
Thrace wasn’t sure how long he dozed on the sofa, but he felt Lily’s weight shift and he tightened his embrace only to have small hands pry the baby out of his arms. He opened his eyes and found Avelyn leaning over them. She cradled Lily in her arms and pressed a finger to her lips.
“I’ll go put her in her crib,” she whispered.
He got up to follow and watched as she tucked his daughter in, tenderly brushing her fingers through Lily’s curls. It was a touching scene, and one that he wanted to remember for a long time to come.
Avelyn tiptoed out of the room and Thrace followed her, pulling Lily’s door shut. There was a baby monitor in there if she woke up. He watched his new nanny stretch, admiring the way her breasts strained against the material of her sleeveless top. He felt himself harden in his leather pants and willed his cock into submission. The last thing he needed was for her to see him with a raging hard-on. That was the surest way to run her off, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“If you want to go out for a while, explore the town, I’ll arrange for a limo to take you wherever you wish to go,” Thrace offered.
She sank onto the sofa and beckoned for him to join her. “I was hoping that maybe we could just relax around here today, and then if you don’t have to work tomorrow, maybe Lily and you could show me around.”
“I have to work in the morning, but I may be able to leave early. They want me to report at five o’clock, but Lily and you could come meet me for lunch if you’d like. You didn’t get a chance to see the Terran station here. I could introduce you around. That way, if you ever need me and can’t reach me, you’ll have people you can turn to.”
“That makes sense. We’d love to have lunch with you. Is there a certain limo I need to use?”
“There are always drivers waiting in the lounge area downstairs. Just tell them you’d like to be taken to the Terran station and one of them will gladly take you. And there are always limos at the station, waiting to return us to the hotel. We haven’t been cleared by your government yet to drive cars ourselves, so we have to rely on the drivers. Since we tend to be rather large males, it made sense to hire a fleet of limos instead of relying on those small yellow cabs.”
“I have a lot to learn, not just about Lily, but about how life works for Terrans on Earth. I don’t want to say or do something that I shouldn’t and have it reflect badly on you.”
Thrace smiled. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m sure everyone at the Terran station will make allowances for you until you get the hang of things, especially since you’re taking care of Lily. No one around here wanted that job, not even the daycare at the station. I took her for a few days and then they told me to never bring her back again.”
“How horrible!” Avelyn narrowed her eyes. “They shouldn’t be allowed to work with children if they can’t handle one crying baby. Lily is sweet. She didn’t mean to disrupt their day; she just wanted to communicate with them. It wasn’t her fault they weren’t listening.”
Thrace thought his heart melted a little at her words. She sounded so fierce, protecting his child. Yes, she would make an excellent mother. He just wished he could make her Lily’s mother, but he couldn’t figure out how to dig himself out of the hole he’d dug. She’d become angry with him if he asked if he could court her, after bringing her here as a caregiver to his child. She might think he’d brought her here under false pretenses.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.
“No. I like that you’re protective of Lily already.”
“I can’t imagine not wanting to hold her and love on her. I don’t see how anyone could have called her a problem and told you not to bring her back.”
“Well, it worked out for the best. If they’d agreed to keep Lily, then I wouldn’t have brought you home with me.” Thrace smiled. “And Lily seems to really like you. I think it will be good for her to be home with someone who obviously cares about her. I know they say it’s good for a child to be around other children, and to learn how to socialize, but I think there’s plenty of time for that.”
“With the way things are going between the humans and alien races, I imagine it will only be a short amount of time before the human daycare and parents-day-out facilities begin accepting children like Lily. When that happens, you can send her to parents-day-out for a few hours a day twice a week so she can learn to play with other children, but still be home most of the time.”
“You’ve thought of everything.” Thrace fought the urge to reach for her. He wanted to touch her so badly he ached.
She smiled wistfully. “I did a lot of research when I found out I was pregnant. Now I can use that knowledge to help Lily.”
“Until you have a child of your own.”
She gave him a startled look. “I can’t have children.”
Thrace thought he’d misheard her. “What do you mean you can’t have children? You said you were pregnant before.”
“When my ex pushed me down the stairs, and I lost my baby, there was internal damage that couldn’t be repaired. The doctor said it was very unlikely that I will ever carry another baby. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. And if I do get pregnant again, there’s a good chance I won’t carry to term.”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “You’re so good with Lily. I can’t imagine you not being a mother.”
He watched as tears gathered in her eyes, but she quickly dashed them away.
“Thank you. That’s the kindest thing someone has ever said to me.” She gave him a weak smile. “Being a mother is all I’d ever dreamed about, and because I was too afraid to leave, I’ve lost that chance forever. Maybe it’s for the best. What kind of mother keeps her child in an abusive situation?”
“You were doing what you thought was right, Avelyn. Don’t be so hard on yourself. The important thing is that you did get out. You saved yourself and now you’re here with Lily and me, and we’re very glad you’re a part of our lives.”
“That’s so sweet of you to say.”
“I mean every word. Lily already is attached to you and it’s only been a day. From the moment you took her in your arms, she’s been fascinated with you. She loves your hair; I’ve watched her smile when you smile, and she’s quieter for you than anyone else. It’s almost like you belong together.” Just like I think you belong with me.
“Lily is a very special, very sweet girl, and I’m honored that you’ve entrusted her care to me. I promise I won’t let you down, Thrace. I know you didn’t have to bring me here and give me a job, but I really appreciate it. And I know it’s probably too soon to say it, but I think I love Lily already.”
He smiled. “She loves you too, Avelyn. Anyone who sees the two of you together can’t deny it.”
And it was true. It was almost as if Avelyn was meant to be Lily’s mother, and Thrace had screwed it all up by asking the woman to be a nanny. If they’d had more time, if he’d gotten to know her before employing her, then maybe he could have asked for a different situation. Maybe he could have found the courage to ask her to be his bride instead of his nanny.
What was he supposed to do now?
Chapter Three
Avelyn lifted Lily out of her car seat and set her down in the stroller. As much as she loved holding the little girl, she didn’t want Lily to think she would be carried everywhere they went, especially as she grew. Once she w
as buckled in, she waved to the driver, who had promised to wait for them, and hurried inside. The station was set up a little differently from the one in Las Vegas, but the reception desk remained the same. She approached, pushing Lily in front of her.
“May I help you?” the woman asked, scanning her from head to toe.
It made Avelyn a little self-conscious; she smoothed her ponytail and pulled down the hem of her knit shirt. She’d dressed for comfort, but now she wondered if maybe she should have gone for style. Not that she had many nice outfits. She hadn’t been able to scavenge anything her ex had bought her and had purchased most of her clothes at secondhand shops.
“We’re here to see Thrace,” Avelyn said.
The woman peered over the desk at Lily and her eyebrows shot up. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her quiet before. Did you drug her?”
“Of course I didn’t drug her!” Avelyn had never been more affronted. As if she couldn’t handle one little baby without resorting to medication. The nerve of the woman! And to imply that Lily was a horrible baby. Avelyn wanted to reach across the desk and smack the woman. She clutched the stroller handle tighter so she wouldn’t give in to the urge.
The woman shrugged and picked up a handset. “Thrace, please come to reception,” she said over the loudspeaker.
Avelyn glared at the woman and pushed Lily off to the side in case anyone else needed assistance while they waited for Thrace. They didn’t have to wait long, but she noticed that he had paused when he saw them. He had asked them to come, hadn’t he? Had she misunderstood? No. She remembered clearly that he said they could meet him for lunch.
“What’s that fierce expression for?” Thrace asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I’m contemplating murder.”
His eyebrows climbed into his hairline.
Avelyn and the Alien Daddy (Intergalactic Brides 3) Page 2