Chapter Four #3
“Excuse me.” A man I didn’t noticed walks over to Nick. “I’m the electrician. The guys said to speak to you about porch lights?” The guy points to the playhouse, which has mini light fixtures on either side of the front door.
A squeak escapes my throat, and Nick has the good grace to wince before facing the man. “Tom is the contractor,” Nick says. “He’s the guy in the baseball hat. He’ll work with you on whatever you need.”
“Thanks.” The man strides across the lawn to find Tom.
I glare at Nick. “Inside, now.” Without waiting, I spin and walk around front so I can let myself in.
He follows and once I turn off the alarm, I put my purse down on the couch in the family room. I try counting to ten and back, but it doesn’t make a dent in my fury.
Doing my best to remain calm, I turn to face him, finding him way too close. It’s difficult to really let into him when all I want to do is grab him and kiss him senseless.
“Nick, I said to buy her a plastic playhouse, not an actual house that needed construction!”
He nods. “I get that. I do. But every little girl would love a place like that to play in.”
I open my mouth to argue but he holds up a hand and I let him continue.
“Soon enough, Leah is going to find out I’m her father. I’d like her to know I didn’t just bring any old present but something special.” He looks at me with pleading eyes.
I sigh, understanding his need to make up for lost time but this isn’t the way to go about it. “You’ve seen Leah. She’s an easygoing kid. She already likes you, Mr. Nick .” I can’t help the grin lifting my lips.
He laughs. “You’re right. I’m just nervous I’m going to screw things up, so I figured a grand gesture would hide my flaws.”
Dammit. Just when I work up a healthy, well-deserved dose of anger, he has to open himself up and let his vulnerability show. I sigh. “You don’t need a grand gesture, and you definitely don’t need to buy her love. She’s going to be thrilled just to have a father.”
That is definitely true. Kindergarten has been fairly easy on me.
Mark helps me out now and then, and there are other children at school with different kind of families.
There have been one or two awkward events where I asked one of my brothers to step in—the daddy/daughter picnic for one—but overall, I’ve managed.
“You’re saying I went overboard. But since the playhouse is already up…” Nick says in a tone that all but begs me to let the house stay.
“Yes, Nick. You went overboard.” I burst out laughing, mainly to keep from crying.
Just as I thought, Nick Dare is going to be impossible to control.
***
Nick
I figured giving Leah a real playhouse might be risky. But hell, I had to pay through the nose to have it delivered and installed in a ridiculously short period of time. Still, it’s worth it. It isn’t every day I get to make a first impression on my daughter.
Or my daughter’s mother.
The sight of Aurora, in her black slacks that narrow to sexy high heels and a beige camisole that outlines her full breasts, hit me harder than I could believe. I fell for the young girl in jeans and a tee-shirt, and am equally attracted to the woman in the designer clothes .
I step closer, the heat of her body calling to me. “I can’t believe we have a daughter.”
Her eyes grow damp. “I know. I’d have told you if I’d known how to find you.”
I nod. I’m not angry at her. “I wish I’d been there for you through it all.”
She manages a smile. “Well, you’re here now, so I guess we’ll have to make the most of it.”
Reaching out, I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she shivers at my touch. “Does that mean the playhouse stays?” I ask.
Her light laughter causes warmth to settle in my chest.
“Yes, the playhouse can stay.”
“I appreciate it. And I’ll make sure I come to the party early to help you out.” Leah might not know I’m her father yet, but I am, and it’s time for me to step up.
Her surprised gaze meets mine. “That’s sweet, but I hired a company to bring tables and chairs. They’ll take care of setting up. But I’m sure I’ll be able to put you to good use.”
Unfortunately, I’m leaving tomorrow for a pre-planned trip to L.A.
to surprise the manager there who has been dropping the ball lately, so I won’t be around to offer that much help.
I’m not sure how to tell Aurora about my plans but I figure she’ll understand I need to work.
And I intend to be at her place early, the day of the party.
“How many people are you having that you need that kind of set-up?” I ask.
She laughs and I love the sound. “Are you forgetting how big my family is?”
“Right. Crazily enough, mine’s even bigger.”
Those words hang between us in a way I didn’t plan.
“Nick, I’m sorry. I’m sure you want them here, but we need to go slow. For Leah’s sake.”
“I get it.” I nod, agreeing with her as much as I hate the fact that it will be another year before my family can celebrate my daughter’s birthday.
“Thank you.” Her gaze meets mine.
We stand within kissing distance, her head tipped towards me, and the urge to close the gap and fasten my lips over hers is strong. One wrong move could tip the scales. I could bring her closer or scare her away.
While an internal war wages inside my mind, my body knows what it wants.
Instinct has always served me well, so I slide my hand behind her neck, pull her close and seal my mouth over hers.
Her lips are soft and part immediately, allowing me to slip my tongue inside.
Pleasure and desire mix, consuming me, and confirming this woman belongs with me.
And now, I just have to prove it to her .
I rub my tongue against hers and a low moan escapes her throat. The sound goes straight to my cock, but doing anything about that would be acting too soon. If I take advantage of our desire now, she’ll have plenty of second thoughts later.
“Mommy! Is that playhouse for me!”
Aurora jumps out of my arms just as Leah comes bounding in through the front door.
“Hey, honey! What are you doing here? I thought you were with Mimi.” Her cheeks flushed, Aurora takes another step away from me.
“She saw all the commotion outside and insisted on coming home to find out what was going on.” Mark, the douche neighbor, walks in behind Leah. A little girl with long brown hair, who I assume is his daughter, skips in beside him.
“Mr. Nick!” Leah yells.
“I think asking her to use her inside voice is pointless at the moment,” Aurora says to me, her eyes lighting up at the sight of our daughter.
I grin at the bouncing ball of energy. “Hi, Leah.”
“Is the house mine, Mommy?” She stares up at Aurora with hopeful eyes.
Aurora looks to me and nods. “It’s a birthday gift from Nick, honey. What do you say?”
“Thank you!” she yells.
Aurora rolls her eyes. “Okay, now that the surprise is over, how about you lower your voice, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. Can me and Mimi go play in it?” she asks much more quietly.
I shake my head, visions of her getting hurt on the pieces of wood and scattered nails flashing through my mind. “You need to wait until the men finish putting it together. Right now, it’s not safe to play in.”
I feel Mark’s heavy stare. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I stand and glare back.
“Girls, why don’t you go play in Leah’s room?” Aurora suggests, obviously not missing the tension in the room.
The two kids run out, leaving the three adults alone.
“That’s some gift,” Mark says, glancing between Aurora and me.
I narrow my gaze, assessing the man. Aurora said Mark is nothing but a neighbor, but his jealousy is obvious. I set my jaw, determined not to piss off Aurora by getting into it with the other man.
“Yes, it is.” Though ‘ It’s a present for my daughter, asshole ,’ is what I really want to say.
“Especially from an old friend ,” Mark says.
I narrow my gaze. “Your point?” I want nothing more than to inform this neighbor that I am Leah’s father, but it’s Aurora’s decision who to tell and when.
Aurora steps forward, putting herself between the two of us. “Whatever this male bullshit is…” She gestures between us. “Let’s not do it with the girls in the other room.”
God, her take-charge attitude turns me on, but I can’t help being glad that her anger isn’t aimed my way.
She steps back and glances at Mark. “I don’t think Nick’s gift is anyone’s business but his.”
The other man’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. “I just meant…” He shakes his head. “Never mind.”
“Thank you for picking up Leah and keeping her at your house this afternoon,” she says, her voice taking on a sweeter tone that has me grinding my teeth. “Mimi is welcome to stay for dinner.”
Mark shakes his head. “I promised her we’d go out for pizza. I’ll go grab her and we’ll get going.” He stalks off in the direction the girls went.
Knowing when to shut my mouth, I remain silent until Mark and his daughter leave and Aurora has shut the door behind them.
Since it’s quiet, I assume Leah is still in her room and use the time to corner Aurora. “I didn’t mean for things to get awkward.”
She sighs. “I’ve never seen Mark act like that before.”
“Has he ever had male competition before?”
She sucks in an audible breath. “That’s not…not wh at you are…or what he is,” she says, wringing her hands and obviously flustered.
“Oh, I beg to differ.” The man wants Aurora, and he lives next door. And that makes what I’m about to tell her even harder. But I know better than to push her. Early days, I remind myself.
She shakes her head. “It’s too quiet. I should check on Leah,” she says, changing the subject.
“One second. I need to tell you something first.”
She raises her brows. “What is it?”
I shove my hands into my front pockets. “I’m going to be away for a few days on business, but I’ll be back in plenty of time to help you get ready for Leah’s party.”
Upon hearing the news, she freezes, her body stiff before shaking off whatever is bothering her. “Oh. Okay. Good to know.” She steps back. “Like I said, I need to check on Leah. Can I let you out so I can lock up first?”
“Yeah, sure.” I’m uneasy as she leads me to the door. Before she can grab the handle, I turn to her. “Aurora, I am coming back.”
“So you said.”
“But you don’t believe me?” Her sudden stiff demeanor tells me my leaving has hit a nerve. I know she’s had a tough life but obviously I need to learn more so I could understand her triggers better .
She steps away from my touch, and I feel the loss. She is nothing like the woman who just melted in my arms.
“I believe you,” she says. “And I understand that you have to work. All I ask is that you don’t make promises to Leah that you can’t keep.”
If I didn’t already have a good idea of how deep her distrust runs, I would be insulted. “I wouldn’t do that.” But her history obviously taught her differently.
If I am going to reach her, I need to find out more about her past. Was it foster care that made her so wary or something more? I need to get her to confide in me, to trust me. And once she does, I hope I’ll manage to break down the walls she keeps so high.
She steps aside and opens the door. “Have a safe trip.”
I brush my knuckles over her cheek, ignoring the sheen coating her eyes. Oh yeah, I definitely brought up some deep-seated issues. “I’ll be calling. Facetiming and texting you, too.”
She treats me to a brittle smile. “I’ll let Leah know.”
“It’s not all about Leah,” I say in a serious tone. “Have a good week. You’ll be hearing from me.” Knowing she needs space, I open the door and force myself to walk out.