This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, DECEMBER 2019
Copyright © 2019 Relay Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Katie Knight is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.
Cover Design by Mayhem Cover Creations.
www.relaypub.com
Blurb
Cora Caspian has been nanny to adorable triplet girls since the day they were born. But when their parents die in a tragic fire, she’s more than a bit stunned when their will dictates that a particular former Navy SEAL become the girls’ co-guardian with her. She’ll be in charge of the girls’ health and happiness…and William Royce will keep them safe. Of all the men in the hired security firm, William seems to her to be the least likely to take care of three toddlers. He’s all alpha male, muscle, and military might—not at all what the girls need. And certainly not at all what Cora needs—even if he is the sexiest man she’s ever seen. Having been raised as a military brat, she knows what it’s like to grow up in a home with a man who puts duty first and feelings last—just like William. Turns out, though, William is nothing like her father. He takes his job seriously, but he’s good with the girls in a way she never could have anticipated. And when he’s alone with Cora, good doesn’t begin to describe how he is…
As an orphan with no idea how to be part of a family, being named guardian of three toddlers just might be William’s worst nightmare. Even worse is sharing a home with their stunningly attractive nanny-turned-mother, who’s made it perfectly clear she thinks he’s the wrong man for the job. But when it becomes apparent someone’s trying to harm the triplets, William’s protective feelings get riled up. Cora is riling up feelings too, ones he can’t ignore. Suddenly, being part of a real family may be what his lonely life needs—even if it’s only temporary.
As the danger to the triplets grows, William realizes all the warm and fuzzy feelings are getting in the way of his duty. To protect the triplets, he’ll have to put up a wall between the new family he’s built, but losing Cora and the triplets might just destroy him.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
End of The SEAL’s Unexpected Triplets
Thank You!
About Katie
About Leslie
Sneak Peek: The SEAL’s Baby Deal
Also by Katie Knight
One
Cora Caspian uncrossed her legs and scooted a little closer to the desk in front of her as if the proximity would make the older, but still intimidating, man on the other side understand her better.
“Mr. Boswell,” she addressed the head of Alert Security. “I think this is all unnecessary. The Lawrence triplets aren’t in need of a protector.”
“That’s not what their parents believed, Miss Caspian.” Mr. Boswell was polite but his words were clearly meant to put her in her place.
And they did. Cora had admired her employers, Bob and Jeanie Lawrence, who had died a month before in what had been ruled an accidental fire. The couple left triplet daughters virtually alone in the world, other than Cora, their nanny, who had been given guardianship of the girls. Cora didn’t want to let the Lawrences down, but these terms determined by the Lawrences before their deaths seemed so unnecessary and extreme. She couldn’t imagine that anyone would wish to harm their children.
“Perhaps you could just have periodic drive-by security, or we could establish a system where I check-in with your office,” Cora suggested.
“Not the kind of service we do. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence specified a live in, full-time protector. They’d even interviewed and selected someone prior to their deaths.”
“Yes. I have his name, but I wasn’t able to find out anything about him.” She’d searched the internet and come up completely dry. It was as if William Royce didn’t exist, a fact that didn’t sit well with her since she wanted to know who was going to be interacting with the girls.
“He’s recently been discharged from the Navy,” Mr. Boswell explained. “This will be his first assignment with the company.”
“I see.” A military man. She felt a wave of misgiving. She was certainly familiar with the breed since her father was a Marine Colonel. Unfortunately, in her case familiarity bred contempt and the knowledge to make a few informed assumptions. Since Mr. Royce didn’t exist in the world of social media, she could guess that he’d either been special forces or had a very high security clearance…or both.
“The triplets’ parents felt he was the right person for the job. Had they lived, he would have become part of the household. As it stands, we’ll honor the contract drawn up prior to their deaths. They even added a codicil to their will regarding Royce’s employment.”
She was aware of that. The same codicil named her guardian of the girls until their eighteenth birthday. She was happy to accept since she would have been heartbroken to be separated from Paige, Melody, and Haley Lawrence. The girls’ welfare was her primary concern, which was why she’d asked for this meeting.
“Mr. Boswell, the girls have been through a very difficult time. Anyone with daily contact with them has to be…” she trailed off when the door opened.
“Royce, glad you’re here.”
Cora’s gaze shifted to the man entering and her sentence finished in her head, not like that man. Her guess hadn’t been off at all. Even without the Navy SEAL tattoo on his right arm, she’d have known what he was by his bearing, the set of his strong jaw, and the way his dark eyes swept the room. He could have been on a recruitment poster with his aloof attitude and the chiseled body that was obvious even covered by his polo shirt and pressed khaki trousers.
Not that she was the least interested in him or his physique.
“This is Cora Caspian,” Boswell introduced her, “nanny to the Lawrence triplets.”
“Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand.
“Mr. Royce.” Reluctantly, she slid her hand in his. His grip was strong, but not crushing. His masculinity, however, was overwhelming. At well over six feet tall and with a muscular frame, he was born to intimidate, which was probably why the Lawrences had wanted him.
His presence in the house—somewhere in the background as a silent protector—might have been fine before their deaths, but the situation had changed. He was to have contact with the girls, stay close so as to protect them, much more than he would have if their parents had lived.
“Call me William,” he said.
“Cora, then.” She sat again, turning to face Mr. Boswell and trying to shake off the impact of the man who sat next to her. She definitely didn’t want him in her home, not because she found him attractive, but because she knew the type all too well. He wouldn’t be good for the girls.
“I was sorry to hear about the Lawrences,” he offered.
She acknowledged his words with a nod and addressed William’s boss. “As I was saying, the girls are my primary concern, and I don’t want them to be upset by any more change. They need to adjust to life without their parents.”
“It’s fortunate then that they have a constant in you,” William commented from her left. “According to what I’ve read, you’re staying.”
“I won’t leave them,” she said fiercely, not sure how to take William’s words. “I love them and want them to be happy.”
“So you wouldn’t want anything to happen to them,” he suggested.
“Of course not.” She hesitated, the possible meaning of his words hitting her. “Are you accusing me of—?”
“He’s not. He’s making a point,” Boswell interrupted.
“What point is that?” To insult her?
“Their parents felt the kids needed protection,” William answered. “In light of what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, it’s a legitimate concern. By trying to refuse security, you’re putting the girls in jeopardy.”
“I would never do that.” She stopped herself, working to control her tone and not come off as shrewish or irrational. The exhaustion of dealing with three children who had lost their parents was catching up with her. The past weeks had been a waking nightmare as she strove to cope with the girls’ and her own grief. The girls had stolen her heart when she first saw them as infants, and she hated seeing them upset.
She took a breath. “What I’m saying is that I don’t want anyone in the house who isn’t dedicated to caring for the girls.”
“That’ll be your job,” William said flatly.
“They would have daily exposure to you. Do you have children?” She noted no wedding ring but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
“No.”
“And what experience do you have with children or family life?”
“None,” he replied bluntly.
She looked at Mr. Boswell. “If someone must be in the house fulltime, perhaps he should have different qualifications. Someone more fatherly and less…” She had no idea how to finish the sentence. Less overtly masculine? Less intimidating?
“The Lawrences selected me,” William countered.
“I doubt your level of skill is necessary.” She meant it as a compliment in a way, the man seemed overqualified to her, but his eyes flared dark at her.
“Are you aware you’re being watched?” William asked.
“Excuse me?” What was he talking about?
“I followed you to an appointment yesterday. Pediatrician?”
“Yes, the girls had a checkup.” A spark of anger shot through her followed by concern that she hadn’t noticed. “Why were you following us?”
“To see if anyone else was. Do you want to know what I discovered?” His tone was a tad smug. “A vehicle came out of your neighborhood after you and made every turn you did.”
“Perhaps they were going to the same place,” she said primly, tugging down the edge of her skirt.
“None of the neighbors own a vehicle that matches, and no one went into the building from the car. They parked on the street, watched you get the kids inside, and probably would have trailed you home if they hadn’t seen me watching them.”
“Shoddy work on your part, letting yourself be seen.” She couldn’t resist the dig.
“It was intentional.” There was that smug look again. “I wanted them to know you had protection.”
“Is that little story supposed to scare me?” She had pivoted in her chair to face him and was on the verge of jumping to her feet.
* * *
He’d made Cora Caspian mad. It had the unexpected bonus of bringing some needed color to her cheeks. She was beautiful, but William could see the toll of grief and fatigue weighing on her. Snapping at him had her straightening up and her icy blue eyes glared at him, sparkling with life and energy. She looked like she wanted to tear him apart.
And not in the good way a woman can do that to a man.
A brief flash of a wrestling match in a bed jolted through his mind and body before he suppressed it. If he took this job, which was a big if for him, she’d be off limits. He avoided entanglements with women, and she looked the type to tangle a man up.
“I’m not trying to scare you—I’m trying to make you understand what you’re up against,” he said. “Since they inherited the family wealth, even if it’s held in trust for them, the triplets are the next likely targets. Someone’s got a problem with this family, and you want to trust their fate to some under-skilled dad-type?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going.
“That guy might read them bedtime stories, but he won’t know the first thing about protecting the kids, establishing and maintaining a perimeter, evaluating risks, and the hundred other things I’ve been trained to do.” He’d been known on his SEAL team as the one who was always prepared due to his ability to think through multiple scenarios and figure out how to counter them. The safety of his fellow men and the success of the mission had depended on his preparation more than once.
“You’re—”
He cut her off to describe a potential situation. “What if you’re out for a walk with the girls and a car pulls up next to you, three masked thugs jump out, grab a kid each and abduct them before you can even yell for help? They might take you, too, or make it so you can’t identify them.” He visualized the scene as he spoke. His last image was of Cora lying on the sidewalk bleeding. He didn’t like it. “What’s your family man going to do then?”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m cautious,” she insisted, losing none of her fire. “I’ve cared for the girls since they were born. I love them like they’re my own, and I won’t have them exposed to someone who isn’t invested in caring for them emotionally and physically.”
“You prefer to risk their lives?” William asked.
“How dare you suggest that I would let harm come to the girls? They’re everything to me.” Her face was flushed with anger, but he could tell that she spoke the truth about her concern for her charges, so he went for the kill.
“Then make the right choice for their sakes,” he said.
With that, William swung his head toward his supervisor, leaving her fuming. Boswell sat behind the desk, leaning forward on crossed elbows, smiling. Son-of-a-gun, William realized in a flash, he’d played right into his boss’s hands. William had just spent the past five minutes fighting to keep an assignment that he’d repeatedly insisted he didn’t want.
He’d voiced his objections to Boswell when he’d first been interviewed by the Lawrences. This wasn’t the kind of work he wanted at Alert Security, a place where he hoped to make a career now that he was out of the SEALs. He’d felt adrift without his tightly-knit special forces team, but at the elite security firm he thought he could find a home, a place to belong. He’d hoped he could feel the sense of family he had gotten in the service. He didn’t want the real kind of family that living in the Lawrence household would mimic. He had no experience with that, and he was damn sure it wasn’t in the cards for him.
William shot a look at Cora. Her posture was now perfect as she perched on the edge of the chair. William intentionally relaxed into his seat, forcing calm through his body, to contrast with her rigidity. He even stretched his legs out, feeling the usual twinge in his left ankle, a reminder of his last mission and the reason he was no longer in the Navy.
“Despite your differences,” Boswell began, “the situation is clear. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence selected Royce. They thought he was the right man for the job, and I
agreed with their choice.” He placed a paper in front of each of them, “I know, Miss Caspian, you are the girls’ legal guardian and can make decisions on their behalf, but this one has already been made. Until it’s clear that no threat exists, or the threat is neutralized, Royce is part of the household.”
“So that’s it?” Her voice rose on the last word, showing her frustration.
William scanned the document before him. It wasn’t one he’d already studied in the dossier. Scanning the heading, he realized that this had been in the Lawrences’ wills, laying out the job requirements and the measures to be taken to prove William’s suitability if the parents did not survive. He gravitated to the first point.
“Royce does have to pass a test if you’ll note condition one.” Boswell pointed to where William’s eyes had been focused. “William Royce must meet and have a successful interaction with the children as determined and supervised by a social worker from the county’s children’s services office prior to employment.” Boswell leaned back, eyeing the two of them. “Barring that, he’s a go.”
William turned his head in time to note a slight, but triumphant smile on Cora’s face. She thought he’d fail this test. Her certainty fed his determination. He might know nothing about three-year-olds, but he didn’t fail at anything.
“The playdate is set for tomorrow morning at ten. The address is on the paper.”
William took Boswell’s words for the dismissal they were and rose, almost bumping into Cora as she stood quickly. He held himself in place while she picked up her purse and strode to the door. He followed her through the outer office and into the hallway. In the quiet corridor, she whirled around, putting a hand on his chest. Her blue eyes were dark in the dim lighting, and he prepared himself for the rant he was sure was coming.
The SEAL’s Unexpected Triplets Page 1