Chapter 9
“We have a problem,” Edward announced as soon as Sean and Antonio joined his conference call.
Immediately, his friends and business partners perked up. “What’s going on?” Sean asked, alert as he bounced Declan on his knee. The little guy had grown over the past year. At almost two years old, he was gripping a crayon with both hands, his tiny tongue poking out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated on drawing something.
Antonio shook his head. “I think before we get into the issues, we need to discuss the elephant in the room.” His Spanish accent made the words melodic, but the man’s tone didn’t allow for argument.
Even Declan looked up, blinking his blue eyes curiously at the computer monitor. He turned to his father and whispered loudly, “Is that my brother?”
All three men chuckled, and Edward patted Kyle’s diaper-clad bottom, soothing the cranky boy as he sat in his office.
Sean shook his head. “Not your brother,” he told his son, ruffling his dark hair. “But we’re going to find out how the mean man got a baby!”
“Please tell me you didn’t steal that baby,” Antonio chimed in teasingly, because he and Sean knew that Edward would never stoop so low.
“Damn, mate! I know ye’re English, but I thought you were one of the good ones!” Sean teased, the Irish and English rivalry coming into the conversation.
Edward rolled his eyes. “I didn’t steal the baby,” he grumbled. “However, I met a woman a year ago and…well, I wasn’t as perfect at…” he paused, looking at Declan’s curious features, “uh…protecting…the…uh…”
“You got her pregnant,” Antonio finally finished for him.
Sean laughed and Declan turned his head, looking up at his father. “Momma’s pregnant too!”
Edward chuckled, still doing the butt-patting thing. “You are correct, mate,” he finally replied. “You remember Macie Meyers?”
“Astra’s assistant that you stole away from me? The computer genius who streamlined our shipping systems? Absolutely!” Antonio praised. Then froze. “Don’t tell me…?”
Sean grinned, understanding in his eyes. “I’d heard she’d been out of the office on maternity leave. But no way did I connect the dots back to you! Good grief, the woman has miserable taste!”
Edward chuckled. “I will refrain from providing you with the appropriate set down since there are innocent ears, but yes,” he continued. “Macie gave birth to our son about three months ago. This is Kyle.” He sighed and patted Kyle’s back. “Which brings me back to my original comment. We have a problem.”
Quickly, he explained what Macie had gone through over the past few weeks, the end result was her showing up on his doorstep.
“That definitely sounds like trouble,” Antonio commented.
Sean called out and, a moment later, a very pregnant Kennedi stepped into the camera’s view. “Hey sweetie,” she cooed to Declan. “Can you come help me make cookies?”
Declan hesitated, obviously interested in the mystery being discussed on the computer screen. But the allure of cookies was too much to ignore. “Yep!” he said, and bounced off Sean’s knee. Right after he was out of camera range, he yelled, “Dad, I want to know how to help Macie!” then they all heard his little feet racing down the long hallway of their Georgia home.
Sean stared after the duo for a moment. Antonio and Edward gave him that space because they both understood. A few days ago, Edward would have been impatient to get back to business. But now that he had Kyle and Macie in his home, he got it. The need to savor precious moments was new, but still profound so he waited until Sean’s attention returned to the call.
“So, what’s the plan?” he asked.
Sean leaned forward, his gaze intent as he said, “Henry Vister is the district manager in Philadelphia. Why don’t I fly out and have a chat with him? I can talk to him, ask him for a tour of the warehouse facility. Once I speak with him, I’ll know if he’s involved in any way. If he’s not involved, then maybe we can loop him in as we develop a solution.”
Antonio nodded his agreement. “While you speak with Henry, I’ll fly up to Frankfurt and do the same with Ralph Ministra. As head of our largest European division, he may have some insight into any shipments that were included in the ship manifest, but were mysteriously removed without appropriate documentation.”
Edward agreed. “When you’re done in Philly and Frankfurt, why don’t we all meet here in Bristol to discuss our findings? Then we can form a plan. Maybe by then, Macie will have been able to track down more shipments, or at least get an idea of where the shipments are going.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Sean replied. “I’ll also check in with some of the club members. I know Davey Marjunas and Phil Putman, both of whom run airlines. I’ll see if they have heard anything about illegal shipments.”
Antonio nodded sharply. “Maybe you should speak with the wait staff at the club too. We all know that they hear snippets of conversations that might not make sense until we give them more details.”
“Good idea,” Sean replied. “Anything else?”
“Be careful,” Edward warned. “Illegal arms dealers aren’t known for their sweet, fluffy, personalities.”
The men laughed then they moved on to more minor issues before ending the call.
Macie stared out at the grey skies, but she didn’t see the trees or the pastures with the beautiful horses munching on grass. She didn’t smell the fragrant lemon and ginger herbal tea or even notice the heat emanating from the mug in her hands.
Her thoughts were completely focused on last night. She’d slept deeply and had woken up feeling wonderful. Better than she had in so long, she’d actually forgotten what it was like to wake up without the immediate fog of sleep deprivation.
Edward had woken up with Kyle in the middle of the night and fed him a bottle, put on a fresh diaper, then rocked their son back to sleep. Edward had even woken up this morning when Kyle had demanded attention. Macie had no idea what time either event had occurred because she’d been sound asleep.
Edward had selflessly taken care of Kyle. There hadn’t been any complaints. No grumblings. No questions about what to do. He’d just figured it out.
Yes, she was amazed he’d done that. And yes, she realized how silly it was to be impressed that a man, any man, had done exactly what was needed to care for a child without instruction – other than watching videos online. Every woman who had given birth to a baby had done exactly the same and none of them received accolades for their efforts. But when a father does the same thing that a mother accomplishes every day, everyone is amazed and impressed.
It was yet another aspect of the gender inequality that was rampant in their world. However, knowing this intellectually didn’t negate her gratitude for the extra sleep. Edward had simply figured out how to care for their son, exactly as she’d been doing for the past three months.
“Not the issue!” she whispered to herself, then wiped the window when her warm breath caused condensation to form on the chilled glass.
“What’s not the issue?” Edward asked.
Macie spun around, startled. Her free hand flew to her chest as if the gesture could somehow slow down her heart. “How long have you been behind me?”
Edward moved closer, finally without Kyle in his arms since the little man was napping in his new bassinet. “Long enough to see the worry in your eyes,” he admitted, then bent down to lightly brush his lips against hers.
Macie closed her eyes, all the better to savor that kiss. Not just the kiss, but the silent message behind the sweet gesture.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Like a…” she stopped, glancing at the bassinet in the corner of the room, then turning back to him with a grimace. “I was going to say ‘like a baby’, but I’ve come to understand over the past three months that babies don’t sleep very well.”
Edward laughed, nodding his head in understanding. “I agree.” He eyed Macie again. “But you slept well?”
She smiled and looked down at her tea. “Yes. I feel much better.” When she looked up at him, she tried to see the fatigue in his eyes. “I’ll get up with Kyle tonight.”
He shrugged and Macie wondered why this conversation felt so…awkward. After last night, she’d been hoping, stupidly apparently, that they could maybe make something work between them.
But she was reminded of his caution a year ago about how he didn’t “do” relationships. Something about his parents and…yeah, she felt the same way. His parents had been brutal to each other and…well, neither she nor Edward had good role models growing up.
Perhaps that’s what was going through his mind? Maybe he was remembering his parents or…maybe he was trying to pull back because he didn’t want more than just one night?
The man was completely confusing!
“I usually only sleep four or five hours a night, so there’s no need to disturb your sleep.” He shifted slightly, which told Macie that he felt the awkwardness as well. “Besides, I really enjoy spending time with him. The darkness is so peaceful and he’s cute at night. I like the nighttime feedings.”
Macie’s jaw literally dropped at this statement. After a long moment, she shook her head. “Said no parent…ever!” Then she laughed. “If you enjoy that time with Kyle, far be it for me to take it away from you. I will enjoy the sleep until we are able to,” her voice cracked as pain slashed through her at the thought of not seeing him every day, “figure out what’s going on with the arms shipments.”
Edward stared at her. He wanted to ask her to stay forever, not just until they figured out who was shipping illegal crates of military equipment through his company.
But the sparkle in her beautiful green eyes dimmed and he knew she didn’t want that. She’d said it before they’d even made love for the first time a year ago. Hell, he’d warned her that he didn’t do long term relationships! He’d been the ass to not realize Macie was different.
“Right,” he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around for something to do. In that moment, he heard Kyle squawk through the small baby monitor.
“I’ll get him,” she said, and immediately turned to the small bassinet in the corner of the great room. The bassinette was small enough that they could move it around so that he was close by, but not close enough that their conversations would disturb his sleep.
“I can–”
“It’s okay,” she told him, holding up a hand as she hurried over to where Kyle was starting to wake up. “Hello, my wonderful boy!” she crooned as she bent over to scoop Kyle into her arms.
Edward watched, feeling like a monumental ass when he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Macie’s butt. It was a very nice butt. She could stand to gain a few pounds though. She’d lost too much weight, although she hadn’t lost anything in her breasts! In fact, they were larger than he remembered. He knew that was because she was nursing and, sure enough, as soon as she lifted Kyle into her arms, he started nuzzling her chest, obviously hungry for his next meal.
Jealousy towards his son was ridiculous, but Edward couldn’t deny what he was feeling. Kyle was kissed and snuggled for a moment while Macie carried him over to a chair, unbuttoning the snap on her maternity bra. He moved, wanting just a small glimpse of those magnificent breasts before….
Nope, Kyle was too fast. His little mouth clamped hungrily over the offered nipple and started feeding. Little brat!
Edward almost laughed at how sad his life had become. He was jealous that the woman he ached to hold was feeding their son! How ridiculous was that?
“Does it always rain this much in Bristol?” she asked, looking out the window as she tried to push a pillow under her arm for support.
Edward glanced out as well and mentally sighed. “Not usually. We get a lot of rain, but normally, it doesn’t rain for three days straight like this.”
“Is there any sunshine in the forecast?”
More awkward conversation. Perfect. Even worse, their interactions had devolved to discussing the weather.
Still, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the weather information. “Tomorrow should be nicer.” He tapped the screen. “We might even get some sunshine this afternoon.”
“That will be nice,” she replied, her tone and words formal.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Macie shook her head. “No, I grabbed a cup of tea though.”
He looked around and spotted the cup. “Here,” he said, and walked over to grab it, then set it on the table beside her elbow. “Do you need anything else?”
“No,” she replied and offered him a small smile.
Edward knew that he shouldn’t stare, that he should probably walk away and give her some privacy. They might have been completely open and intimate last night, but apparently, that intimacy didn’t transfer to the morning.
But he couldn’t seem to make himself walk away.
“Does it hurt?”
Macie’s eyes widened at him. “I’m sorry?”
He jerked his head towards her. “Nursing. Does it hurt?”
“Oh!” she whispered, then looked down at Kyle and smiled gently. “It did at first. It was really painful. But eventually, Kyle and I figured it out.”
“What does it feel like?”
She looked up at him, and Edward sat down on the ottoman in front of the chair, watching as Kyle fed, his tiny hands kneading Macie’s breast.
She stroked his fuzzy head and pale cheek before answering. “I guess it sort of feels like…” she stopped and looked at him. “I can’t really describe it. Maybe like there’s a lot of tension in my breasts and when he starts feeding, that eases the tension. When I don’t nurse, it becomes painful because my breasts fill up with milk on his personal schedule.”
For the next half hour, Edward asked her questions. At first, his curiosity was merely a ploy to give him time to stay with her, to hear her voice. But after he started asking questions, he realized that he truly was curious. He wanted to know what she’d gone through, what it had been like nurturing their son through her pregnancy.
“Do you want more kids?” he asked, startling himself more than Macie. He’d never wanted kids before. But holding Kyle, seeing the way Macie held him, and finding absolute joy in every tiny thing that Kyle did, Edward realized that he truly wanted more than just one child. A little girl would be amazing!
Still, he waited, watching the expressions flit over her features. “I don’t know,” she said, but he heard the wistful tone in her voice. She did!
Edward stored that tidbit of information away for future use. He wasn’t exactly sure how he could use it, but he would figure that out.
“What would you like for breakfast?”
She looked up at him, startled. “Are you going to cook?’
He laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve already enjoyed the full extent of my culinary capabilities. So unless you want a grilled cheese sandwich, then I’ll just pass along your request to Ms. Kealy.”
Macie glanced towards the kitchen and he could see the longing in her eyes. But she shook her head. “I don’t want to bother her with any special requests. A bowl of cereal is fine.”
He chuckled at the idea of “bothering” his housekeeper with a meal request. “I guarantee that the only thing that would bother Ms. Kealy is if you didn’t ask her to fix you something. She loves to cook and enjoys a challenge. How about pancakes?”
Macie considered that for a moment. Finally, she looked up at him hopefully. “With maple syrup?”
He laughed, but nodded. “I’ll go buy some at the store myself if there isn’t any in the house.”
“Oh, don’t do that!” she gasped, sitting up and accidently dislodging Kyle. He squawked a moment before latching on again.
Macie’s face turned beet red when she noticed that Edward was staring at her breast. “Edward?”
He looked up, his jaw clenching tightly. He looked into her eyes and…yes! It was still there! Last night hadn’t abated their passion for each other. It had actually intensified his need. Apparently, she felt the same way.
“I’ll go ask Ms. Kealy for pancakes,” he announced, then abruptly turned around, heading towards the kitchen.
Macie stared after him, her skin tingling with awareness after that heated look. Could he…was he still…? “Edward!” she sighed, leaning back as she held Kyle gently in her arms, trying to get the idea of another round of sex with Edward out of her mind.
Henry rubbed his hands together, eagerly anticipating the next order. “When do you need it shipped?” he asked.
“The shipment needs to arrive in Frankfurt by the twentieth. My men will pick up the crates at the airport in Germany as soon as it lands. We have a way of getting the crates off your planes and skirting the inspections officers.”
“Please give me tips on that,” Henry said with a laugh, only half joking.
There was only silence on the other end. Henry cleared his throat and tried to think of something to say. “So, when will the crates arrive here at my warehouse? I need to inform my guy so that he’s ready to receive them.” He wanted to add that he also had a way of skirting the inspections officers, but didn’t think the man would be interested. The mysterious person on the other end of the line only wanted results. He didn’t want details.
“The crates are on the way to your warehouse now. Be sure Gilly,” he sneered the warehouse manager’s name, “is prepared to receive them. There will be ten crates. You can handle this large of a shipment?”
Henry literally saw dollar signs in front of his eyes. It was like a comic strip and definitely pathetic. Remembering that the contact wanted confirmation, Henry pulled himself together. “I’ll see to it personally.”
“Excellent. I’ll pass your personal reassurance on to my boss.” And then call ended.
Henry wanted to tell the man to go to hell, but there was too much money involved.
Turning, he faced his window and gazed out at the Philadelphia airport in the distance. But he wasn’t seeing the planes landing and taking off. Henry was thinking about the blond beauty that would replace the nagging wife that constantly bothered him. Loretta, his wife, was a lawyer and relentlessly nagged him to lose weight, head to the gym, stop drinking, eat less red meat. Blah blah blah!
Just because she went for a run or headed off to the gym every damn morning, didn’t mean that everyone enjoyed exercise! He looked down at the paunch that was hanging over his belt. He poked at his stomach, then chuckled at the vanity.
“I look fine!” he told himself. “She’s just a raging bi-”
“Sir, your meeting with the Tokyo office is waiting.”
“Damn it!” Henry growled. He looked up to find his administrative assistant standing in the doorway. “Thanks, Vivien,” he called back, sitting down at his desk. “Tell Howard in Tokyo that I’ll be with him in a minute.”
Vivien hesitated and Henry snapped, “Was there something else?”
Vivien’s lips thinned with disapproval at his tone, but Henry wanted the woman gone from his office. He wanted just two minutes to revel in his anticipated wealth. No, not just his wealth, but he couldn’t wait for all of the young, nubile beauties that would flock to him because he’d be rich! And he could kick Loretta to the curb.
Maybe not the curb. His wife, soon to be ex-wife, would sue him for half of their property. But maybe with his newfound wealth, he could convince a judge that his wife was crazy and vindictive. He chuckled at the thought. Yeah, that would be deserved justice for all of the nagging she did every damn morning! “I only say this because I love you!” she’d say every time she urged him to lose weight. “I want to live a long, wonderful life with you!” was another one of her annoying sayings. Or the worst was, “I can’t wait until we both retire and we can spend more time together!”
As if he wanted to live with a woman who constantly nagged him! Loretta was just a royal pain in the ass!
Soon though, very soon, he would be surrounded by blond beauties that would provide a blow job whenever he ordered one. They would get down on their knees and…!
“Sir?”
“What?” he snapped.
Vivien blinked, but seemed unfazed otherwise. “I was saying,” she emphasized that last word, implying that she’d been speaking while Henry had been fantasizing about getting three or four blow jobs every day for the rest of his life. “…that Sean Byrne asked for a half hour of your time after your meeting with the Tokyo staff.”
Sean? Damn, not that guy! As part owner of Linx Airlines, Sean was an intimidating man! He was abnormally tall and had muscles in places that only Vivien would appreciate.
But, as Henry’s boss, there wasn’t much that Henry could say about the requested meeting. “Absolutely!” he replied with fake enthusiasm.
Obviously, Vivien wasn’t fooled. The woman nodded, then backed out of his office saying, “I’ll let him know that you will speak with him right after the meeting.”
The door closed with a snick and Henry glared at the door for a long moment. What the hell was Sean Byrne doing here? He was supposed to be in Georgia! Henry had enjoyed carte blanche here in Philadelphia with the three controlling partners in different parts of the world. Edward, “The Duke” as everyone around the company called him, lived in Bristol, Great Britain. He had been here in Philadelphia last year and hadn’t bothered to step into the Philadelphia headquarters after that. Antonio del Campo, some Spanish Marquesso, now that his father had been killed in prison a few months ago, remained happily ensconced in his ancient castle with his wife and new baby. And Sean Byrne, the bastard son of an Irish earl, preferred hanging out in Georgia. Although, why anyone would want to was beyond Henry’s understanding. They didn’t call it “Hotlanta” for nothing. The summers in Georgia were brutal!
So, what the hell was going on?
Maybe it was just a routine visit. The three partners were wealthy beyond anything Henry could imagine. The three were wealthier than the billionaires that flaunted their wealth, traveling into space in a giant vibrator or buying up social media sites. No, the owners of Lynx Airlines were billionaires many times over, but were content to fly under the radar.
Which only made them scarier!
Henry tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, swallowing past the panic. “Everything is okay,” he whispered, trying to convince himself. “He’s just here on a regular visit to touch base.”
With that rather unconvincing argument lingering in the air, he turned to his computer and logged into the Tokyo meeting. The meeting had already begun and Henry glanced at the time in the bottom of his computer monitor and sighed. He was fifteen minutes late.
That was fine, he thought. Let the underlings think that he’d had something important to deal with. He wasn’t going to tell anyone that he was fantasizing about oral sex from buxom blonds. He didn’t consider his fantasy to be “prostitution”. Yeah, he’d be paying for the woman’s expenses, but she’d fall in love with him. He was a great catch! Who wouldn’t love a man with power and authority, not to mention money?