FIRST LOVE_A Single Dad Second Chance Romance

by Scarlet Wilder

  The new nanny, Helena, was friendly and warm, although I think she was more than a little puzzled by the arrangement. I couldn’t blame her. More than once I caught her looking at me with Lizzie, her head cocked to one side, trying to figure out if I really was the little girl’s mom or not.

  The rest of the housekeeping staff knew. That much was clear. I loved Joanna, the housekeeper, who called me Miss Elle even though I told her time and time again that she didn’t need to be so formal. I liked the fiery French chef, Alain, who yelled at the eggs when the yolks broke too soon and who infuriated Joanna by whistling in the kitchen when she scolded him for bringing bad luck for doing so inside the house.

  My favorite, though, had to be Edward, the butler. He was the Alfred to Liam’s Bruce Wayne, the steadfast, unflappable butler who never had a hair out of place. He was there from the second I woke up to the second I went to sleep, and never broke character. He refused to sit with me while I ate my breakfast alone, saying that he was there to serve. He picked up the phone whenever I called him for something, and he was there in an instant.

  But when he held Lizzie, something transformed him. Usually so formal and professional, he became a soft, squishy grandfather, and he loved to cuddle Lizzie, picking her up and grinning at her. Sometimes, he didn’t know I was watching him; I’d lift my head from my sketchpad to see him look down at her with so much love in his eyes.

  Lizzie was beautiful. There was no denying it. She was nearly two month’s old and had already begun to smile. She concentrated on my face as I looked down at her in my arms, taking in every inch of my expression, and then suddenly, her deep focus turned into a beautiful grin and my heart melted. I’d been sitting with her in the nursery while Helena was at the store. I cried out so that Edward came immediately and together we sat and made her smile for a good thirty minutes. I took a video and sent it to Liam.

  He didn’t reply.

  She was growing so fast and he was missing it. Before long, he was going to finally turn around and see that she was already walking, already talking, already on her way to school. He needed to make a choice; either give Lizzie the attention she needed or find someone else who could. Otherwise, she was going to grow up with every toy and fad and pony money could buy, but it wasn’t going to make her happy.

  Later that week, as I sat in the studio and idly sketched out another design, I decided to call Colin. The phone rang three times before he finally answered. “Hello,” he said, breathlessly. “Are you okay?”

  “What are you up to?”

  “That cat of yours has shredded the wig for my new play,” he said. “That damn feline-ninja. Don’t be surprised when you see him next and he has a milky eye and only one ear! The little shit ripped a good chunk out of my wig. I’m going to go on stage with people thinking I’ve got alopecia.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “Sorry,” I said, between laughs. “He’s probably missing me and wants attention.”

  “Attention? He’s been plonking himself on my lap whenever I sit down, and he literally sleeps on my head. Believe me, he’s just acting up because he’s a little prince.”

  “Guilty,” I said. “Sorry.”

  “Anyway, what’s wrong? Everything okay?”

  There was no point in trying to play it cool with Colin. He knew me so well that even the slightest difference in the tone of my voice was enough for him to notice if something wasn’t right. So, I told him everything. About how my life had changed so much for the better, but that I still wasn’t completely happy.

  “It must just be me, being ungrateful,” I said. “I guess I want to have my cake and eat it too, right?”

  “I don’t think it’s as easily explained as that,” Colin said. “I was gagged when you told me about the two of you bumping uglies that night, and I’d have put money on you calling me to tell me you guys were actually getting married for real.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that,” I said, hurriedly. “And maybe that night was just a one-off, after all. But, I’m so confused. When he sees me, he’s wonderful to me, and not just when people are watching. That night, in the car together, he still wanted to hold my hand on the way home. He tells me how beautiful I am every time he sees me and the way he looks at me, Col. It’s like he wants me, for God’s sake. And yet, it’s been nearly three weeks since then and we’ve barely seen each other. I know things are crazy at work for him, now, but he barely sees Lizzie, too. I just thought he’d be around a bit more. Ugh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ve made the wrong choice in coming here? It’s just different than I thought it would be.”

  “So, talk to him,” Colin said. “And remember, he’s said you could leave at any time. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Have a conversation with the man.”

  “But what if I don’t really want to leave?” I asked, in a small voice. “I’m not unhappy, exactly. Oh, I can’t explain it. I sound like a damn brat.”

  “Maybe you do,” Colin said. “And maybe you don’t.”

  “That really doesn’t help me right now, you know.”

  “Look, all I’m saying is that your feelings are justified, because they’re your feelings, but they’re not necessarily right. You need to talk to him. See where his head’s at.”

  “I don’t even know where mine’s at,” I wailed. “Shit, Colin. How did you ever put up with me?”

  “Oh honey, please. Every day was a ray of sunshine.”

  I laughed again. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” Colin said. “I really do. We have to get together, now that I’m back for a few days. I’ll be leaving for the next leg of the tour soon. But seriously, if you want to get mad, then get mad. Only get mad at him for the right reasons.”

  We hung up, and I sat and thought about what he’d said. Maybe he had a point. Maybe I was justified in being mad at Liam. For being too busy to spend time with his own daughter, for one.

  Yes, that was it. That was exactly what I was going to say to him.

  I opened my huge closet and found a black pants suit Lesley had given me as a Christmas bonus one year. It had always felt far too opulent for me to wear for work, but now seemed like the perfect time. I coupled it with a silk camisole and a see-through cream blouse. I might as well look presentable while I see him at his office. I didn’t want to confront him here at the house, in front of the staff, especially since they’d all been so nice to me.

  As I was coming down the stairs, ready to leave, I spied the keys to the Range Rover. I was feeling daring, so, I scooped them up and made my way towards the garage. Just as I was about to get in the car, though, I heard the crunch of gravel behind me and looked back to see a sleek Mercedes coming up the drive. I hadn’t seen the car before. It wasn’t one of Liam’s.

  Out stepped a man I’d met just once. It was Larry, Liam’s lawyer. I’d seen him leaving the study a few days after I first arrived, and I could have sworn he’d looked at me with contempt, but I’d dismissed it and figured he was just squinting to get a look at me.

  As he stepped out of the car now, he saw me and seemed to frown. Then he got his briefcase out of the back and slammed the door, locking the car with a press of his smart-key. He began to walk over.

  “So, this is the famous Sarielle Evans,” he said, and I don’t know why, but it unnerved me to hear him use my full name. It meant he’d done some digging because I knew that Liam would never call me Sarielle. I used to like my name until Catherine Wilde had made it sound like something to be ashamed of.

  Larry was in his fifties, and he wore a gray suit that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the early nineties. He had large glasses and greasy-looking hair. He immediately made me feel uneasy, but I forced a smile and I was the one to hold out my hand first. He took it. His palm was warm and clammy, and I dropped it as soon as I could.

  “Nice to meet you properly, Larry,” I said.

  “Taking one of Liam’s cars out for a spin?” Larry asked, and I could hear the sneering edge to his voice.r />
  “I’m on my way to the office to see Liam right now, actually,” I said.

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. He’s not here. He’s at work.”

  “I just came by to pick up some signed papers,” Larry said. “I often come by when he’s not at home so that I don’t disturb him when he’s working hard, making all that money other people just seem to love to spend.”

  “Well, I’m sure he appreciates it,” I said, forcing a smile, and Larry’s smile in return was just as fake. We’d sized each other up, and we didn’t like what we saw. I turned to leave, but to my surprise, Larry grabbed me by the arm.

  “I saw the photographs of you two at the dinner the other night,” he said. “I’m guessing Liam’s getting more than just a pretty girl hanging on his arm in public, right?”

  I was horrified. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Come on,” Larry said. “He’s been pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing. I can see why he chose you, though. But, I’m sure he’s getting what he’s paid for.”

  He dropped my arm and held up his hands with a sleazy grin. “Hey, I’m only saying he made a great choice,” he said, backtracking. “Have a great day, Miss Evans.”

  And he walked away and left me standing there, feeling even more furious than I had been before. I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. Driving up to the main entrance, I gripped the steering wheel and put my foot down as soon as I turned the car onto the road.

  What the hell was being said behind my back to have Larry say such despicable things to me?

  Was Liam silently in agreement with this and could that be another reason for his absence? Was that the way he now saw me, too?

  Boy, was he going to be sorry he was seeing me today. I wasn’t about to play nice.

  24

  ________

  LIAM

  “Things picked up in the second quarter of last year, but going into this year, they’ve taken a dip. Look at these numbers. Margins are getting thinner and the sponsors are getting cold feet.”

  I indicated to a section of the graph on the screen with a laser pointer. “This shows how advertising revenue has been slashed by seventy-five percent in the last five months. That’s not a good sign. However, the product itself has real promise. I just don’t think they’ve got any idea how to run this thing, and that’s where we come in.”

  There was a knock at the door and my assistant, Jennifer, popped her head around. “Sorry to interrupt, Sir,” she said, “but Miss Evans is here to see you.”

  I was surprised. “Elle’s here? Well, show her in.”

  I turned to the rest of the nine meeting attendees. “Thanks, everyone,” I said. “But we’ll have to finish this a bit later. When my fiancée comes all the way over here to see me, then it must be important.”

  There were a few murmurs as laptops were closed and chairs pushed back, but I wasn’t about to apologize. The business was going well once more, and things were looking up. If it meant that I had to push back what we all knew was a boring meeting for a couple of hours, then so be it.

  As everyone was filing out, Elle marched in, barely acknowledging a single person who walked past her. “We need to talk,” she said. Jennifer ran in after her and apologized.

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” she said. “I asked her to wait…”

  “Don’t worry about it, Jen,” I said, and I motioned to her in a way that we both knew what it meant. It was a sort of secret code, a litany of hidden gestures that my assistant knew to look out for. I rubbed my earlobe, and she knew that meant to hold all my calls. I didn’t want to be disturbed. By the looks of things, Elle was mad.

  She was also very, very sexy. In her tightfitting pants suit, she looked like she was the pissed-off executive, and I was the ignorant little intern, about to get a dressing down. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

  As Jennifer left, Elle turned around and put her hands on her hips. “Interrupt an important meeting, did I?” she asked, and I sat on the edge of the large boardroom table and folded my arms, a little amused.

  “All my meetings are important,” I said. “But as you can see, you’re even more important than a meeting.”

  “Bullshit,” Elle said, and at this, I frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did something happen at the house? Why do you look so mad?”

  I wasn’t about to tell her that, for some reason, mad suited her. It made her look as tempting as hell, and although I was concerned that something was wrong, and I wanted her to tell me what it was, I was also enjoying seeing her so furious.

  “Come on,” I said. “I don’t want you to be upset. I’ll be home in a little while and we can talk then if that makes you feel better?”

  “Home?” she asked. “You’re coming home? When? Next week? Next month? Nobody’s seen you at the house in nearly three weeks, apart from when you come home to sleep, or change your clothes, or have a quick breakfast. We barely see each other. And, do you realize you’ve got a newborn baby in the house? A baby who needs her father at the most crucial time?”

  “You’re concerned about Lizzie? Why? Isn’t Helena doing a good job with her?”

  “Helena’s fine. She’s great. She’s wonderful. But your daughter’s first word isn’t going to be daddy at this rate, Liam. It’s going to be merger.”

  At this, I wanted to grin, but I hid the smile by putting my hand over my mouth and looking concerned. “It’s been a crazy time,” I said. “And you’re right. I haven’t been giving my daughter enough attention. I’ve just been fighting fires from all angles these past few weeks, but it’s slowly coming back under control again. Believe me, being away from Lizzie this much is killing me, but things are changing and I’m going to make it up to her. Just remember that this is all new to me, too. I’m still figuring stuff out as I go along. Just give me a bit of leeway.”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. You’re right,” she said quietly.

  Then she perked up again. “I met your lawyer today. Larry. He doesn’t seem to have the best opinion of me and I was just wondering about that.”

  “Larry’s a lawyer, Elle. He’s suspicious of everyone. Don’t let him get to you,” I said, not thinking too much about it. I’d yet to meet anyone Larry wasn’t suspicious of, so her comment came as no surprise. “Anything else on your mind?” I asked.

  She looked a bit deflated. “No, that’s all I wanted to say, I guess. I’ll get going.”

  She turned to leave, but I stood up. I knew there was more to this and wasn’t about to let her off so easy. “Wait. Was that really the only reason that brought you all the way over to my office today? Surely, it could have waited until I came home tonight, or you could just as easily have picked up a phone, you know.”

  “Um, yes,” said Elle. “But Lizzie is important enough for me to have made the trip. So, I said what I came here to say, and now I’m going.”

  But I wasn’t about to let her leave. She reached for the door, but I stopped her from opening it, placing my hand on the door and pulling her back against my body.

  “Why don’t you just admit it?” I whispered against her ear as I lowered my head to press my lips against the soft skin of her neck. God, how I missed her. She felt so good against me, the roundness of her ass pushing against my hips.

  She trembled slightly and her breathing became airy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Admit what”?

  I smiled, enjoying teasing her and I knew that this was only going one way. My way.

  “So, you came all this way, looking like this, smelling like this, just so you could tell me my daughter misses me and Larry is a prick?” I said. “Come on, Elle. Tell me you missed this.” As I said it, I brought my hand up to cup the roundness of her breast and I groaned into her ear.

  She sighed and turned around in my arms. “No, you’re wrong,” she said and tried to push me away, weakly, with little real intention behind it. “You don’t owe me anything, Liam,” she
said. “Certainly not your time. I came here for Lizzie. That’s all.”

  But I kissed her neck, catching the slightest groan in her throat as I did so. “Just for Lizzie?” I whispered.

  “Yes,” she said. “Just for Lizzie.”

  “Bullshit,” I said, and I traced my lips up her neck to her face, and I couldn’t resist claiming her mouth, pulling her close to me.

  She pulled away, staring into my eyes. “Someone might come in,” she said.

  “I don’t give a fuck,” I said, grinning. “Now stop resisting this.”

  Her mouth was set in a frustrated pout, but as I kissed her again, and again, she slowly melted. “God damn it,” she whispered, as though chastising herself for giving in, but she put her arms around my neck.

  Bingo.

  That was all I needed. I grabbed her ass, hungrily kissing her mouth, and I tore off my jacket, before pushing hers to the floor. I walked forward, moving her backward to the wall, and then I pushed her against it, holding her arms over her head. I kissed her neck again, moving down to her cleavage, but her blouse was in the way, so I tore it open and heard a button hit the floor.

  Neither of us cared. Her silky soft cami brushed against me, and the sensation made me hard. She looked good, she smelled good, and by God, she felt good. I immediately unbuckled my belt and her fingers fluttered by my fly, so I took my hands away.

  “Take my cock out,” I instructed her, and she did so without hesitation so that I sprung out of my pants in eagerness, and she grabbed the shaft and started to stroke it.

  I groaned, hard, pressing her against the wall, pushing my dick through her fingers as if fucking the palm of her hand. She had me wanting her so much; she’d had me that way since the second she’d stepped into the boardroom. It might not have been the most romantic place in the world, but I didn’t care, and if the noises Elle was making in response were anything to go by, she didn’t care, either.

  The thrill of having her here, in my boardroom, was undeniable. My hands went up her camisole and stroked her skin, moving up to her breasts, which I held and caressed while she continued to stroke my cock. Then with one hand, I pulled at the tie around my neck, so it slid open in a long strip, and I held it up and placed it over her eyes.