by Ana E Ross
Close to one o’clock, Erik pulled off the highway and headed toward a picnic area. He was pleased that the only other people there were a middle-aged woman and a boy about ten years old.
Michelle and Precious helped unload the car and they spread a quilt on a patch of green grass under the shade of a willow tree, a good distance from the woman and child.
Precious dropped down next to her father on the quilt. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a whole horse and a pony, too.”
“Thought you didn’t like horses,” Erik said playfully, as he leaned back, supporting his weight on one elbow.
“Daddy, I don’t like riding them. It’s just an expression.” She spread her hands in impatience. “People don’t eat horses.”
Well, not in this country. “Sorry. My bad.”
“You are bad,” Michelle murmured, opening up the picnic basket.
“You have no idea.” He sent her a sizzling smile over Precious’ curly head.
She rolled her eyes and handed him and Precious a sandwich each.
He grinned as he opened his up. “So how many books have you read so far this summer?” he asked Precious as they began to eat.
She squinted her eyes and chewed on her upper lip, just as her mother used to do when she was in deep thought. His heart did a double take at the simple memory.
“Seven…no… eight… yeah… eight!” Precious said, beaming.
“So when you finish the one you’re presently reading, it will be nine?”
“Uh-huh. Belinda’s only read five, Daddy. She told me when we talked on the phone yesterday.”
“Well, she’s been on vacation in Maine visiting her grandparents. Belinda is Precious’ best friend,” he told Michelle. “She lives a couple streets over from us.”
“Oh, I know all about Belinda,” Michelle said.
“Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read and do other productive stuff,” Precious said around a bite of her sandwich.
Erik caught and held Michelle’s gaze. Up until a month ago, he would have agreed with his daughter. After all, keeping the mind busy was the principle he’d been instilling in her for the past two years. But thanks to Michelle, he’d come to understand the value of relaxation and leisure time again. Like the way it used to be before...
He smiled at his daughter. “Well, Muffin, sometimes our minds need a break from reading and—uhh, productive stuff. Sometimes we need to put away the books, take out the ball, and play.”
Play seemed to be the trigger word his daughter needed to hear, Erik thought as he watched her drop a half eaten apple on the quilt and reach for a plastic bag of crumbs from the picnic basket.
“Can I go feed the ducks, Daddy?”
“Okay, but don’t get too close to the edge. I don’t want to have to fish you from that filthy water,” he said of the pond some fifty feet away where ducks clucked loudly.
“I won’t.” She jumped up and took off.
“You’re a good father,” Michelle said, taking a sip of water from a bottle.
“Ha. That’s not what you thought a month ago.”
“I never thought you were bad, just a bit too demanding.”
Erik studied her thoughtfully for a moment. “I’m glad you came along when you did. Precious had two other nannies and neither of them challenged me even though they must have known that I’d been asking too much of her. Why weren’t you afraid of me?”
She shrugged and plucked a grape from a bunch. “I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve ever had in this life. Robert taught me to stand up for myself ever since I was a little girl. He told me that even when I’m afraid to never let it show, never let my enemy know I’m quivering inside. If I see someone I love being taken advantage of, especially if that someone can’t speak for herself, I advocate.”
“You do love my daughter, don’t you?”
“Yes.” She popped the grape into her mouth and glanced off to the pond where the ducks clucked happily as Precious fed them the breadcrumbs.
Erik followed her gaze as he slowly sipped his iced tea. It was just like old times, he thought as he put the empty bottle in the basket. Feeling relaxed and very much at peace for the moment, he stretched out and closed his eyes.
With Precious gone, and Erik relaxing beside her, Michelle raised her face to the sky as a jet engine hummed high and far above them. A light breeze rustled through her short stresses and caressed her face. She smiled and pulled her legs up under her. Hugging her arms around them, she rested her chin on her knees as her thoughts filtered back to last night and the sweet tender moments she’d shared with Erik and his daughter in their home. Not once did he make her feel like a nanny, or an outsider.
Now that she thought about it, she was happy that he hadn’t done the expected and made love to her, even though he’d admitted that he wanted to. It showed that he respected her, thought of her as more than a sexual object. She’d never had that from a man. She liked it.
Michelle glanced at Erik lying supine on the quilt next to her. His knees were bent and his hands were clasped behind his head. The steady rise and fall of his chest suggested that he might have fallen asleep. For the first time, she noted how thick and long his lashes were and how they curled against his cheekbones as he slept. A potent and magnificent man he was, Michelle thought, as her whole being seemed to fill with wanting.
She drew in a long, silent breath, pulled her eyes away and focused on Precious who was talking with the little boy who’d joined her at the pond. Michelle tried to keep her mind off of the irresistible man lying next to her, but as the moments slipped by, her desire to curl up next to him and throw her arms about him, grew more and more intense. She was about to push to her feet to go join Precious and the boy when she felt a firm grip on her arm.
“Running out on me, Sweet Brown Sugar?”
She looked back to see his sexy lips spread into a grin. Turning all the way around, she perched on her knees. “I thought you were sleeping.”
He rose up on an elbow, gazing at her through hooded eyes. “It’s kind of hard to relax with a drop-dead beauty sitting next to me and not be able to do what I want to do to her.”
“What do you want to do to me?”
“I want to do a lot of things to you, Michelle Carter, and none of them are decent.”
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“I want to hold you, kiss you, and feel you melt under me like I know you would. I want to make love to you here, under the blue sky, with the warm breeze brushing our naked skin. I want to hear husky little moans coming from your belly as I caress and kiss my way down your lean soft body. I want to gaze deep into your fiery eyes as I enter you for the first time and feel your slick hot flesh grip my big hard—”
“Erik...” It was a tormented whisper, full of wanting and hoping.
“Excuse me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Michelle jerked around at the sound of the intrusive voice. She tried to catch her breath as she looked up into the freckled face of the woman they’d seen when they first arrived at the pond.
She had the worst timing. And God, she didn’t know Erik could speak so…. so, uncouthly. It was so darn erotic. Her panties were soaked; her breasts ached with craving, and her nipples, hard now, tingled with anticipation. She was ready to explode.
“I couldn't help noticing you,” the woman said in a friendly voice.
Michelle shook the sensuous thoughts from her head.
“You make such a beautiful couple and your daughter is gorgeous,” she continued. “It’s good to see young people so happily in love.”
“Thanks for the lovely compliment, but we’re—”
“Your young man seems like a fine lad.” Erik climbed to his feet, holding his hand out to help Michelle up, giving her a silencing wink of the eye. He enveloped her left hand in his right.
The woman gazed at the children as they tried to catch a mallard duck that kept eluding them. She placed wrinkled, age-s
potted hands on her hips. “That’s my grandson, Justin. His parents are divorced and live three hundred miles apart. Justin lives with his mother, so I’m taking him to visit his father, my son, for two weeks. Divorce is so hard on children.” She looked down at Erik and Michelle’s entangled fingers. “Your little angel would never have to worry about losing either one of you. Watching the two of you together is like watching a summer sunset splattered across the horizon. The love you share is rich, deep and colorful, and long after the sun is gone, the iridescence remains. You will have a long and happy life together.”
“You talk like a poetess,” Erik commented, looping their joined hands around Michelle’s waist as the woman’s words permeated his brain. She’d confirmed what he’d felt in his bones, but hearing it from a stranger somehow brought the foggy images to a full circle of understanding. He kissed the top of Michelle’s head, wishing he were free to make her truly his.
“Oh, I’m no poetess. I just know love when I see it.” The woman gazed off over the pond. “I’d better be going. I have another two hours of driving, and you two lovebirds look like you want to be alone. Enjoy the great weather.” She walked back to her picnic table, calling out to her grandson.
Michelle pulled away from Erik, crossed her arms, and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “Why did you let that woman think I’m your wife and mother of your daughter?”
“It was simpler than giving a long explanation of the truth,” he replied, bending down to gather the remains of their lunch and pack everything back into the basket and cooler. “I’m tired of people expressing their regret about my dead wife. Besides, you are like a mother to Precious. You do everything a mother does for her. More than some, actually. Furthermore, you just admitted to loving her.”
“I’m not your wife, Erik. You shouldn’t go around telling people that I am.”
“No one got hurt and the old lady went away with a happy feeling in her heart. What’s wrong with that?”
“You’re giving me hope where there may not be any. This morning you admitted your physical attraction to me, but you also told me you weren’t ready for a commitment. Then just now before we were interrupted… What was all that about? Don’t set me up, okay? We don’t know what lies ahead for either of us. I don’t want to have my heart broken.”
“I’m sorry,” Erik said, picking up the cooler and basket off the quilt and placing them on the grass. “I didn’t mean to upset you. And I definitely don’t want to break your heart.” He gazed at her, trying not to think of how utterly sexy she looked. He would love to pull her behind a tree and kiss her. “Forgive me?”
“Just don’t do it again.” She picked up the quilt, folded it with two swift twists of her wrists, and headed for the car.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Erik said, following her.
“Is your father expecting me?” she asked as they put the items in the trunk.
“I told him I was bringing Precious’ nanny along.”
“He’s probably expecting some old lady with grey hair, a couple of missing teeth, and a mole on her nose. That’s the kind of nanny you were looking for, right?”
Erik laughed. “You’re no Nanny McPhee, Michelle Carter.”
She chuckled. “If he’s anything like your mother, he’ll probably take one look at me and draw his own conclusion, anyway.”
“How do you know what Felicia thinks about us?” He hoped his mother hadn’t told Michelle about Cassie’s wish for him to fall in love and marry again. Wanting to make love to Michelle was one thing, but thinking about marrying her was entirely different. He didn’t want Michelle harboring that kind of hope in her heart. Just moments ago, she’d expressed her wish not to have her heart broken. He could break it, quite easily.
“The day she met me and realized I was Precious’ nanny, she couldn’t stop laughing. I guess she thought you’d cornered yourself.”
“She’s a meddling old hag. Don’t let her get to you. My father is nothing like her. He minds his own business.”
“Good,” she said on a big sigh of relief.
Erik was about to close the trunk when he saw the stuffed rabbit crammed into a side pocket of Precious’ backpack. He glanced at Michelle, then back at the brown rabbit.
Michelle’s eyes followed his gaze. It was the tag bunny Precious had told her about this morning. The little girl had pulled it from the back of her closet and explained how she and her parents used it to play tag. Michelle hadn’t even realized Precious had brought it along.
“Oh, no, you’re not,” she said, backing away as he reached into the trunk.
He grabbed the rabbit and threw it at her. “Too late. You’re It.” He took off toward the pond and Precious, his laughter blending with the noise from the quacking ducks.
Michelle growled, picked up the rabbit, and chased behind him.
“Run, Precious,” he bellowed. “The tag bunny is coming. Run!”
Precious squealed, abandoned the ducks, and took off.
Love filled Michelle’s heart as she watched father and daughter running away from her. The carefree, playful family man Mrs. Hayes told her had disappeared after Cassie’s death was back.
Had she done that for him? Had she healed him?
***
As soon as Erik stopped the car Precious bolted out and ran toward the man descending a flight of stone cut steps leading up to a gorgeous hillside mansion.
“You grew up in this house?” Michelle exclaimed, her eyes popping as she took in the surrounding courtyards, gardens, and fountains. The views of lakes and mountains in the distance provided a magnificent backdrop to the estate.
“Yes.”
“Wow. I though your Amherst house was grand, but it looks like a woodshed compared to this.”
“Well, thank you,” he said.
“Oh, you know what I mean.” She slapped him playfully on the arm.
Grinning, he got out of the car, and walked around to her side to open her door.
Michelle felt suddenly uneasy as she watched Erik LaCrosse Sr. walking toward them, bouncing Precious in his arms. He was about an inch shorter than his son, with thin, firm lips and a high-bridged nose. His hair, the color of rich gold, was seasoned with silvery strands. His eyes were the same color of Erik’s, just not as piercing. She noted the light of approval on his slightly wrinkled face as he took a good look at her.
He set Precious on the ground before gripping his son in a bear hug, and kissing both his cheeks. “It’s good to see you, son.”
“You too, Dad,” Erik said, with a lot less enthusiasm than Michelle expected from him.
Erik Sr. turned to Michelle and gave her wide smile. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a friend along, son.”
Precious giggled. “Michelle’s not Daddy’s friend, Grandpa. She’s my nanny.”
The poor man was clearly taken aback. “This is Michelle?” he asked, blinking in confusion. “Michelle’s the nanny? Felicia told me you’d met a beautiful young woman. She didn’t tell me she was the nanny.”
“Yes, Dad, this is Michelle Carter. Michelle, my father, Erik LaCrosse, Sr.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. LaCrosse.” Michelle offered him her hand.
“The pleasure is mine. You are very lovely, my dear. My son has always had exceptional taste,” he said with a warm smile as he gave her hand a hearty shake.
“Thank you, Mr. LaCrosse.”
“Please, it’s Philippe. As a matter of fact, why don’t you just start calling me Dad?” He gave his son a hearty slap on the shoulder. “Good job, my boy. Good job.”
Erik growled beside her.
“Let’s get inside where it’s cool. It’s a sauna out here.” Philippe turned and followed Precious who was already racing back up the steps.
Michelle slammed the back of her hand into Erik’s stomach, and knew it hurt her more than it hurt him. “Thought you said he wasn’t anything like your mother. He’s worse. He just told me to start calling him Dad.”
Erik groaned. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Well, consider me scared.” Michelle walked toward the trunk to get the bags.
“Michelle, the servants will take care of the bags,” Erik said to her.
Servants? They had servants?
“Come on, let’s go.” Erik held his hand out to her.
Michelle took it, wondering how she was going to survive the weekend in a house filled with servants and Erik’s father’s speculating eyes watching her every move. And what the heck had Felicia told him about her and Erik? Lady friend? Really.
Philippe showed Michelle to her room, a spacious chamber on the west side of the house that overlooked tennis courts and a green wide meadow. The room was decorated with antique French furniture, like most of the other rooms she’d passed on the first floor.
Her room was separated from Precious’ by a bathroom, just like in the Amherst house. Only this marble bathroom was three times as big and came with a Jacuzzi and sauna. Erik’s bedroom was two doors away, with a library and a sitting area separating it from Michelle’s. Yasmine wasn’t going to believe it when she told her where she’d spent the weekend.
Michelle unlaced her sandals and dropped them on the Victorian rug at the side of the bed. She stretched out on the embroidered linen bedspread and stared up at the cathedral skylight ceiling. Everyone was meeting in the family room in twenty minutes before going in to see Danielle who was presently napping.
She wondered about the bizarre love triangle between Philippe, Felicia, and Danielle. When Erik had mentioned his father this morning, Michelle had sensed a subtle recklessness in his voice. She had no doubt that the love between father and son was mutual, but seeing them together, she had to admit that there was a concealed aloofness in Erik’s eyes when he looked at his father.
She supposed it stemmed from the circumstances surrounding his birth. She wondered if he resented his father for choosing Danielle over Felicia all those years ago. Or maybe it was the doubts about the method of his conception that bothered him. Since the situation was so ‘twisted’ as he’d called it, he had a right to question how he was conceived. But she was sure he would never ask his parents if they’d slept together, carried on a secret adulterous liaison with Danielle’s permission, just so they could all share a child together. That was just… She shivered at the whole affair.