by Morgan James
She held a large piece of plastic in one hand and a roll of duct tape in the other. She shrugged. “Fixes everything, doesn’t it?”
I quirked a grin at her. “Damn near everything.”
We remained that way for a long moment, each of us absorbed in the other. A throat cleared from behind Lydia and she jumped, breaking the moment. “I’m sorry, I’ll take that.”
She extricated the vacuum from the other woman and set it aside. “Gwen, can I borrow you for a second?” Her gaze flicked to me. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”
I dipped my chin at her. “Take your time.”
Lydia led the other woman around the corner, her voice hushed as she gave instructions, and I turned back to the window. There was still something between us, some indefinable quality that tethered her to me. The feeling had awoken the moment I’d laid eyes on her four nights ago, and it refused to let up.
The papers I’d brought with me burned a hole in my back pocket. I’d brought them somewhat out of obligation, but now I prayed I wouldn’t need them. I couldn’t bear to leave whatever was between us unexplored. I’d fallen hard in lust with her two years ago, and it seemed I was on the same track now. I wasn’t ready to let go of her.
I applied the last strip of tape to affix the sheeting to the window frame, then turned to find Lydia watching me. She chewed that full bottom lip, looking unsure as hell as she reluctantly met my eyes. “Thank you for doing that.”
“It was no big deal.” I shrugged. “Didn’t take much effort, and it’ll at least get you by until someone gets out here to fix it.”
“Well, um...” She shifted nervously, and I chanced a tiny step closer.
“Can we talk?” She opened her mouth, but I cut her off. “I know you’ve had a crazy morning. Tomorrow, maybe?”
“I suppose,” she hedged. “I might be able to make time in between appointments...”
She said the words like they had to be pulled from her, and I barely managed to bite back my smile. A victory was a victory, no matter how small. At this point, I’d take whatever I could get.
“Perfect.” I stepped forward, bringing myself to an arm’s length away. “I’ll bring us lunch.”
“Oh, no, that won’t—”
Her mouth snapped shut as I reached out and brushed a single strand of loose hair from her cheek. She seemed so uptight, everything perfectly in place, as if nothing dared defy her. Each time I’d seen her recently, she’d been buttoned up, her hair pulled ruthlessly away from her face. Even on her date, she’d been dressed primly, almost businesslike—not the way most women dressed, in my experience. Most tried to show off their tits and legs to their advantage; not Lydia. She was confident exactly the way she was, and I fucking loved that about her.
The sleek chignon she now wore showed off those gorgeous cheekbones and luminous eyes, but I wanted to see it down again. I remembered the way her hair had fallen in tousled waves and draped over my chest after we’d made love, the sexy tendrils tickling my skin. I wanted to run my hands through the long, silky strands and wind it around my wrist, bending her to my will as I made love to her mouth.
My gaze dropped to her lips, slightly damp from where she’d run her tongue over them, and my groin tightened in appreciation. Fuck. I shoved away the dirty thoughts tickling the back of my mind and dropped my hand away. “I’ll see you tomorrow around lunchtime.”
She nodded jerkily, and I could feel her eyes on me as I made my way to the front door. I risked one last glance as I exited and met her gaze. Pretty gray orbs narrowed on me as I shot her a wink, then hopped down the few steps and strode to my truck, humming softly and debating just how to win my wife over again.
Chapter Fifteen
Lydia
The ringing of my phone on the bathroom counter made me jump, and I swiped mascara off the bridge of my nose. Glancing at the screen, I slid my thumb over it to answer the call. “Morning, Darlene.”
“Lydia? I’m so sorry to do this to you, honey, but I can’t watch Alexia this morning.”
It wasn’t her words so much that worried me, but the tone of her voice, laced with worry. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“George was having chest pains, so I called the doctor. He’s worried George is having a heart attack; they’re taking him to the hospital.”
On cue, I heard the faint peal of a siren from outside. “Oh, my gosh, of course! Do you need anything, or want me to come with you?”
“No, no, dear. We’ll be fine. And I’m so sorry—”
I cut her off. “Don’t you worry about a thing. You get George taken care of and let me know what the doctor says.”
We hung up, and I quickly finished my makeup, then scrambled to get a diaper bag together. Tossing in diapers and a couple changes of clothes, toys, and baby food, I gathered Alexia. “Come on, sweetness. You’re coming with me today.”
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d come to the salon with me. The women all loved to play with her in their spare time, but it was exhausting trying to keep a one-year-old occupied while running my business. Today, though, I couldn’t summon the energy to let it bother me. All that mattered was that George would be okay.
As soon as I got to the salon, I got Alexia settled in the back. We had a changing room right off the alterations room that was carpeted and surrounded by mirrors. The alterations room also connected to my office, so she could easily be relocated if we had any incoming clients. The ladies and I took turns watching her and playing with her over the next few hours.
Around noon, I pulled my phone out for the hundredth time, checking for any update on George. I couldn’t turn off my worry. The bell rang as a customer strolled through the front door, and I barely managed to swallow a moan when I saw who it was. Oh, God. I’d completely forgotten about Xander coming for lunch today. His gaze narrowed on me like I was the only person in the room.
He stepped close, much closer than I was comfortable with. “Is everything okay?”
After everything else that had happened this morning, I wasn’t ready to deal with him just yet. I still hadn’t heard anything from Darlene, and Alexia would be waking up from her nap soon. I’d been keeping on eye on her using the video baby monitoring system that connected with my phone, but she’d been snoozing away in her pack and play for the past hour.
Oh, God. Just the thought of Xander and Alexia—the daughter he knew nothing about—in the same building was almost enough to make me hyperventilate.
I bit my lip. “This really isn’t... It’s been a bad day. Can we reschedule?”
“Have you eaten yet?”
Food had been the last thing on my mind today. “No, but—”
“Come on.” His voice was soft and convincing, tempting me to just let go and give in to this ridiculous feeling flaring between us. “You need to eat something.”
I worried my lip, debating. I needed to get him out of here, but... I also needed to talk to him. I at least had to make plans to see him later. I prayed that, if I was at least accommodating, our next conversation wouldn’t go so badly. I would just have to allude to Alexia’s presence, tell him that there was something he needed to know. And wasn’t that the understatement of the year?
“Just... just give me a second.”
I hustled to the dressing room where Gwen was just finishing up an alteration consult, and I pulled her aside. “Can you do me a huge favor and take Alexia to the park for a little bit? I hate to ask.”
“It’s no problem at all. We’ll head right over.”
“I really appreciate it.” This would buy me half an hour at least. Anxiety gnawed at my stomach. I hated deceiving him, but this was the only way. I took my time walking back to the front of the store, giving Gwen plenty of time to get Alexia and escape out the back door.
Xander still stood at the counter, and guilt sliced through me as he turned a smile on me. God, I was such a terrible person. My heart was beating so hard, I was sure he could hear it from where he stood sev
eral yards away. The stress of the day was going to kill me.
Steeling my spine, I pasted on a smile and gestured with one hand. “We can go to my office.”
He nodded an affirmation, and I turned, acutely aware of his gaze firmly fixed on my back.
“Lydia?”
I turned at the sound of Brenda’s voice. “Yes?”
“I have Ms. McCoy on hold. Apparently there was a mix-up with one of her bridesmaid dresses.”
I slapped a hand over my forehead. “Damn. Yes, I completely forgot.” I turned to Xander. “Can you find your way back by yourself? I’ll be there in just a moment.”
“No problem at all.”
I smiled gratefully. “It’s the plain white door on the back wall. Can’t miss it.”
“I’ll find it.”
I threw a glance over my shoulder and watched as Xander made his way to the back of the store. By now, Gwen should have Alexia outside, and Xander would never know the difference. Worst case, he would just see a woman carrying a baby outside. No big deal. Crisis averted.
My heart raced in my chest, and I pressed a hand over it as if I could physically will my pulse to slow. I was furious with myself for letting him affect me so deeply. I couldn’t deny that I was still attracted to him—too much, in fact. I hadn’t really taken the time to study him during our last two encounters, but I did now. He walked with a confident swagger, a man who had no qualms about who he was. He seemed larger than life, completely out of place in my feminine boutique.
He was bold, rugged manliness, from his broad shoulders down to the thick, muscular thighs encased in his dark jeans. The bag of takeout food swung at his side, and my heart fluttered a little bit at the sight. I thought he’d been joking when he alluded to a lunch date, but to see that he’d actually brought food touched me. It was a genuinely sweet gesture, and I deeply appreciated it. It also made me feel even more guilty about what I was about to do.
I bit my lip. Honestly, I didn’t have a good plan for this. Even after agonizing over the past four days, I still hadn’t devised the best way to tell him he had a daughter. I wanted to have a private moment with him, but part of me also longed for the safety of a public setting. I knew without a doubt, though, that I couldn’t do it here. That conversation was not going to go well, and I didn’t need a battle raging in my place of business. And there was no doubt in my mind that that was exactly what would happen. Xander was a military man; he undoubtedly believed in honor and integrity above all things. I’d done him a horrible injustice by withholding information from him.
My cheeks flamed as I turned around and caught Brenda watching me, a tiny smile playing on her lips. I knew I looked as guilty as a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, because Brenda let out a little laugh as I made my way around the counter.
“It’s okay to look. Hell, girl, everybody else is doing the same thing.” I noticed with a little pang of jealousy that she was right. The eyes of my salesgirls and the ladies seated around the dressing rooms followed Xander as he meandered through the shop. Brenda bumped my shoulder conspiratorially. “Boy has nice assets.”
She emphasized the word ass, and I lightly backhanded her arm. “Be good before I have to fire you for sexual harassment.”
She laughed. “If you’re going to fire me, I’ll at least make it worth my while. Did you see his biceps? They look like boulders.” I nodded. Unfortunately, I knew from experience just how hard he was all over. Almost against my will, memories of that morning in Vegas came flooding back, and heat raced through my veins.
Pushing the thought away, I turned my attention back to Brenda. I found what she was looking for and handed it over with a smile. “Do me a favor and let everyone know I won’t be available for the next half hour or so.”
Smoothing one hand down my skirt, I pulled my shoulders back and prepared to face Xander by myself. I walked with purpose toward the back of the store but stopped short as I rounded a corner and saw Gwen. My eyes widened, and hers did the same. It took me less than half a second to realize that Alexia wasn’t with her. And if Gwen and Alexia hadn’t left yet, that meant...
I raced toward my office, Gwen on my heels.
A soft voice floated down the hallway toward me, and I recognized Xander’s low, deep rumble. Except it was softer, somehow, almost as if he were talking to...
Oh, God.
Chapter Sixteen
Xander
Lydia was impeccably dressed in another dark suit, hair pulled back, looking elegant as ever. Still, something didn’t feel quite right. I took in the set of her shoulders, the tight lines of her expression. Despite her well put together appearance she seemed... frazzled.
My mind immediately jumped to the worst. I noticed that the window had been fixed, so I assumed someone had been out first thing this morning. Had something more dire happened in the meantime, or was she still concerned over yesterday’s incident?
I pondered her demeanor as I wandered to the back of the salon, easily finding the door to her office. I set the brown bag of food on the desk, then glanced at my watch. Just after noon. Settling into the chair by Lydia’s desk, I propped one ankle on the opposite knee. Last night, I’d thought a lot about exactly how to proceed. Lydia obviously didn’t trust me, though I couldn’t say I blamed her. Two years ago, we’d done things all wrong.
Leaning back, I laced my fingers together and rested them on my stomach. I could hear the faint voices coming from the salon, punctuated by the occasional laugh. I hoped to hell Lydia would hurry up so we could get on with it.
A soft scuffling noise drew my attention to the connecting door, and I waited to hear the sound again. A second later the door handle jiggled. Perplexed, I stood from the chair and headed straight to the door. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I gave it the slightest twist and found it locked. I really shouldn’t open the door since it was Lydia’s space. But someone was obviously trying to get in, and if they were trying to do so without her knowledge, I was going to find out who it was. Leaning closer, I pressed my ear to the door but heard nothing from the other side. The person on the other side was being extremely quiet, and my instincts flared.
One hand on the knob, I used the other hand to flick the lock. In one smooth motion I unlocked the door and threw it open. Surprise rooted me to the ground when I saw nothing—until I dropped my gaze. A tiny toddler cowered behind the door frame. I glanced inside the attached room full of dresses but saw no one. Maybe she had escaped one of the brides from the salon. I was sure someone would be looking for her soon.
Dropping to my haunches, I lowered my tone and spoke soothingly to her. “Hey, little one. How did you get back here?” She peeked one eye around the doorframe, and I gently coaxed her out. “Come here. I won’t hurt you.” After a moment, she took a tiny step toward me. I held out my hands and waited. “I’ll bet someone’s missing you.” Tentatively, she took another step closer, inspecting me with a wariness only a baby could manage, before apparently deciding I was safe enough. Her tiny hands stretched upward, and I carefully lifted her into my arms.
“You lost, little one? I think we should go find your mama.”
The baby reached out with jerky, uneven motions, grabbing for my face, and her mouth tipped up in a huge smile. I knew nothing about kids, except for the fact that I eventually planned to have some of my own. A handful of teeth dotted her mouth as she grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. How old were kids when they got their first teeth? I figured she was maybe a year old or so, since she could walk.
“Who do you belong to, huh?” The baby tugged at my ear, and I grimaced as her tiny nails dug into my skin. As gently as possible, I extracted them and clasped her hand in my own. I felt a little silly carrying on a one-sided conversation with this tiny little girl who probably didn’t understand a damn thing, but I loved the smile it put on her face. From out in the salon area, I could hear the rapid approach of footsteps and voices, one of which I recognized as Lydia’s. The other I assu
med belonged to the baby’s mother.
I smiled down at the little girl in my arms. “Not gonna answer me? That’s okay, I think I hear your mama now.”
My eyes swept over her delicate, tiny features. Pale blonde hair, straight as a pin, capped her head, and icy gray eyes bore into my own baby blues. My gaze narrowed just as the office door swung open and I came face-to-face with a breathless Lydia. Fear and another emotion crossed her face when she saw the baby in my arms. I glanced between her and the infant, cataloging their features.
Lydia’s assistant popped around her seconds later and immediately began to apologize. “I’m sorry. I looked away for two seconds, I swear...”
“It’s fine.” Lydia didn’t even bother to glance at the younger woman, just kept her gaze fixed on me.
The assistant wrung her hands together for a moment, then started toward me. “Here, let me take her.”
Some irrational anxiety had me tightening my hold on the little girl, who squirmed within my grasp. I reluctantly passed her to the young woman. “I’d like to speak with Lydia for a moment. Alone.”
Lydia’s eyes flared at that word, and her muscles went rigid with tension. The assistant hesitated, then finally bobbed her head and turned to leave the room, the baby on her hip cooing and babbling incoherently. Lydia reached out a hand and stroked down the baby’s spine before turning her attention back to me.
For a long moment, I just stared at her. There was an explanation for this. There had to be. Fury and anticipation warred within me, the emotions threatening to bubble to the surface. My body flushed hot, then ice cold, rendering me numb. “Whose little girl is that?”
“Mine.” She looked tired, defeated. And scared. There was no mistaking the fear in her eyes.