Live-In Position (37 page)

“What’s wrong?” I walked toward him.

His brow furrowed.

“Get dressed,” he ordered.

“Wha-where are—”

“Victoria,” he sighed out and dropped his head.

My eyes widened. No more words needed to be said. I dressed quickly. I couldn’t find my underwear so I opted to dress without them.

“What happened?” I demanded an explanation as I slid my bra straps over my arms.

“She is waiting for us to pick her up.” He slid his hand through his hair with a sigh and then rubbed his face.

I glanced to the clock next to his bed.

“It’s not time for her to get picked up yet.”

Collin walked from the room, and I followed him quickly.

“Collin, what is going on? Who was that on the phone?” I grabbed his arm as we reached the first floor.

“That was the police,” he growled, and anger flashed in his eyes. With a yank of the front door, he stood waiting for me to exit first. I slipped on a pair of flip-flops and rushed out the door.

I yanked the car door open and climbed in. I was practically bouncing in my seat with impatience. Collin climbed into the driver’s seat and quickly started the car.

“What the hell happened? Where is Grace? How did the police get her?” I was spewing endless questions at him without giving him a chance to answer. When he didn’t respond, I looked over at him. His face was hard and his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. I reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

“She’s okay?”

He nodded.

“That’s all that matters.” I kept my voice soft and, hopefully, soothing.

His disposition did not change, but when I pulled my hand away, he quickly reached out and grabbed it into his. He held on tightly for the rest of the drive.

As soon as he parked the car, I was out of my seat and rushing up the station steps. Collin quickly caught up with me. We burst through the double doors, and I scanned the room for Victoria.

“I am here for my daughter, Victoria Bishop.” I looked to my left and saw Collin speaking with a police officer behind a large desk.

“Ah, yes, she is right this way.” He motioned for Collin to follow him.

As soon as I saw the top of her red curls, I was finally able to breathe again. Tears slid silently down my cheeks as fast as I could wipe them away. At the back of the room at a large wooden desk, she sat spinning in a chair with a bottle of soda in her lap and a large smile on her face.

“Oh, thank God.” Collin fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. I saw his shoulders relax while she hugged him.

Victoria peeked over his shoulder at me.

“Sophia!” She released him and ran for me. I scooped her up in my arms. Collin climbed from the floor and looked to the police officer standing behind the desk.

“How did this happen?” he questioned sternly.

“Sir, a woman found her wandering around the park, crying. When she couldn’t find her mother, and the mother did not come back, she called us.”

Collin quickly looked at Victoria.

“Where did Grace go, Victoria?” His voice was harsh and she flinched. I squeezed her tightly to comfort her. I knew that he was just upset and didn’t mean to take it out on her, but she didn’t know that.

“She… she…” the tears started to soak her face, “she told me to play on the swing while she talked to someone. She told me not to move.” She started sobbing and struggled to tell us what happened. “But I got tired of swinging, and she didn’t come back. I waited there for so long, but she never came back. I got scared and tried to find her.”

“Shh…it’s okay.” I rubbed her back, and she buried her head in my shoulder. I looked to Collin. “We need to get her home.” I walked out of the office. As soon as I reached the main lobby, Grace appeared through the door.

“Oh, thank God, there she is,” Grace exclaimed and rushed toward me. She held her arms out for Victoria. I yanked Victoria away from her and took a few steps back. Grace’s face contorted in anger. “Give me my daughter,” she demanded. Victoria gripped onto me.

“You can go to hell,” I spat.

“You little tramp. Give my daughter to me.” She took a step toward us, and I took a step back.

“Grace,” Dr. Bishop’s voice echoed through the lobby. Her head snapped up to look at him with wide eyes. He became a barrier between us. “That will be enough. I believe that your visitation is over for today, and if my lawyers have anything to do with it, it will be your very last visitation ever.” He reached around, taking Victoria and me into his arms, guiding us through the exit doors.

“Oh, my lawyers will have enough to battle you with,” Grace screamed after us, “especially in regards to your nanny.” We both froze. I heard her evil laugh, “Oh, that’s right, Collin. I know all about it and I’ve got the pictures to prove it. I can’t wait to show them off in court.”

Dr. Bishop held us tighter and walked us to the car.

“Everything will be fine,” he whispered into my ear. He obviously felt the tension in my body. “She doesn’t know anything.” He tried to calm me down.

The excitement of the day had exhausted Victoria, and she was fast asleep by the time we arrived home. Dr. Bishop carried her to bed and tucked her in. I headed to my room.

“Sophia?” I turned at the sound of his voice. He was walking toward me with a quickened pace. His arms came around me.

“She’s home and she’s okay,” I whispered and rubbed his back.

“What if—”

I stopped him from finishing that thought.

“No ‘what ifs.’ She is here and fine, that’s all that matters.” His arms flexed tightly for a moment and then relaxed. I felt his warm breath on my neck before his lips touched my skin. I bit my lip.

“Daddy?” Victoria’s voice sliced through the lust-filled haze wrapping around us.

He whirled around quickly, and my face flushed.

“Why are you kissing Sophia?”

C
hapter
T
wenty

-TWO

LOCKED MOTIONLESS IN shock and shame, I couldn’t look at Collin.
How could we have been foolish enough to let her find us like this?

“I thought you were sleeping?”

I dropped my hands from my face and looked at the side of his head.

Really, Collin? That’s your response?

“Are you going to get married?” Her face lit up.

“What?” I coughed.

“Are you going to have a baby? Can we get a baby sister?” She was practically bouncing.

“What? No!” I gasped out. He chuckled and I glared at him.

The smile on his face was wide and relaxed. His head turned toward my gaze with a look of ‘I told you so’ plastered all over it. I glowered.

“How can you be so calm?” I hissed.

He shrugged and pulled me toward his side.

“But I don’t want a brother,” Victoria whined. I looked back to her. “Please, please, Sophia, can we have a girl?” She pouted her lips.

“Whoa, wait, Victoria, we’re not having a baby sister or any other baby for that matter.” Her happiness deflated. I knelt down to her. “Are you okay…with this?”

“Do I get to be the flower girl?” She eyed me from under her lashes as a sly grin played on her lips.

“Flower girl? Victoria we aren’t—”

“I really liked being a junior bridesmaid for Miranda, but I really want to sprinkle the flowers for you to walk on.” She jumped forward, wrapped her arms around me, and knocked me onto my butt. “Oh, I’m so excited!”

“Easy Victoria, you don’t want to hurt each other.” Collin leaned down and helped us back to our feet.

I was still in shock. This wasn’t how I thought this would go.

“I told you she would be happy about it,” he whispered into my ear.

“I guess so.”

“You guess?” He looked at me questioningly. “She’s practically picked our wedding date, and I do believe I even heard a request for a sibling.”

I gaped at him.

“So can I have a baby sister? Huh, Daddy?” Victoria tugged at her father’s arm.

“That’s up to Sophia.” He looked into my eyes. I saw the humor in them, but there was also a hint of something else. My eyes widened.

“There is no baby,” I stated.

“Well, then can I have a puppy?”

Both Collin and I dropped our heads down. She batted her eyelashes. I couldn’t help it. I burst into a fit of hysterics. The entire situation had become comical. Victoria looked at me oddly and then gave Collin the same look when he joined in.

“Did she just ask for a puppy?” I gasped.

He nodded. “Yes, just between flower girl and baby sister.”

“What’s so funny?” Victoria whined.

Once we calmed down, I felt we should really talk to Victoria about things. I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be going back to see Grace again, but if the court social worker started asking questions about Collin’s relationship with me. I wanted her to have the answers she needed. We sat with Victoria between us on the couch in my room.

“Victoria, Sophia and I are –”

She cut him off. “Kissing?”

“Well, um, yes, but we are not getting married,” his eyes met mine briefly before he finished, “yet.”

I opened my mouth but closed it. That was a conversation for another time.

“But you were kissing,” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but—”

This time she cut me off. “Then you have to get married. If you kiss, then you should get married.”

“Listen, Sophia and I are more like boyfriend and girlfriend right now. Perhaps one day there will be a wedding. We will have to wait and see. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Good. Do you have any questions?”

She opened her mouth, but I cut her off this time.

“Besides wedding and baby questions.”

She closed her mouth. I could see the wheels turning in her head. “Is it okay for me to come to your room if I can’t sleep?” She looked up at me.

“Of course, I’ll be right where you always find me.”

Her face wrinkled as she thought hard. “You aren’t sleeping in Daddy’s room?”

Collin suddenly gave me the same look but with pleading in his eyes.

“No, sweetheart, this is my room. All of my things are here.” I couldn’t bear looking at Collin, afraid of what I would see in his eyes.

“For now,” Collin added.

Victoria and I both looked up at him.

“Grace slept in Daddy’s room.”

Now that was something I’d not been trying to think about. She was really making a great case for me to stay in my own bed. There was a small rumble from Collin’s chest.

“We will have your things moved to the master bedroom.” My eyes flashed from Victoria’s face to his hard eyes. They dared me to defy him.

“Do I have to get a new nanny?”

Her question pulled me from the argument about to unleash between Collin and me. Worry lines on her face quickly softened my demeanor.

“I, uh, no. I am still, um, I’m still your nanny.” The words were stumbling out of my mouth.

“But you kiss my daddy? Miranda didn’t kiss my daddy. Wait, did Miranda kiss my daddy too?” Her eyes widened.

I felt the heat rush into my face and shook my head.

“Can’t you be my mommy now?” Her little hands gripped my upper arm and tugged. “Please?”

“I love you very much, but I’m not your mommy, sweetheart.” I pulled her into a hug, hoping it would reassure her.

“Victoria.” Both she and I looked to her father. “She is still your Sophia. She isn’t going anywhere, and I promise not to hog all her attention.” He winked at her.

“My Sophia,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her head in my stomach. I hugged her tightly.

“Nanny Swear,” I whispered.

She shook her head in disagreement. “Sophia Swear.” Her smile brightened the dim room. My heart felt like it would burst.

We sat that way for a few more minutes before finally getting up from the couch. Dr. Bishop had some things to tend to in his office while Victoria and I went down to work on dinner together. She didn’t ask any more questions or make any more requests, but there was an obvious excitement about her.

It was beyond frustrating trying to get her settled into bed, going on and on about babies and weddings. The one good thing about her incessant talk about a baby sister was that it reminded me to make an appointment at the health clinic for birth control. While Victoria showered, I typed a reminder into my cell phone.

Once she was dried, dressed, and brushed, I got her into bed. During the middle of her second bedtime story, Dr. Bishop entered. He kissed her head and wished her a goodnight before stepping back out. Not five minutes later, her eyes fluttered and closed. For a couple of moments, I lay next to her and watched her sleep. This little girl had infiltrated my entire being from the moment I laid eyes on her. I didn’t think I could possibly love anything more than her, not ever. With a quick kiss to her cheek, I left.

Back in my own room I set about getting a shower. My thoughts were wild with the events of the day, Victoria being left alone in the middle of a park, picking her up at the police station, her finding out about Collin and me. With my palms against the tiles in front of me, I bowed my head and allowed the hot water to fall over my back.

My mind couldn’t rest.
What would‘ve happened if someone else had gotten to her first? What if no one would’ve found her at all? Anyone could‘ve swooped in on her and taken her away without much notice of her abduction.
Fire tingled at my belly, spreading to my fisting hands.

Stepping out of the shower and into the towel-wrapping embrace of Dr. Bishop, my head fell against his chest. His hands rubbed slowly up and down my back, allowing me to cry out my pent-up frustration and fear. He wiped the tears away before leading me out of the bathroom.

“I talked with my lawyers this evening.” I spun from my dresser, holding the towel to my body with one hand.

“What did they say?”

“First, they told me to press charges against Grace, which I will be doing.” He ran his hand through his hair as he sat on the edge of my bed.

Carefully, I stepped toward him. The moment I was within arm’s length, he reached out, pulling my body to him. His fingers dug into my hips before he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his face to my chest.

“I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning to file charges at the police station.” His head didn’t move from my chest. I cupped his right cheek.

“It will all be fine. She’s home and I would hope to God the judge wouldn’t dare allow Grace to see her again.” My words had transformed from soft and soothing to growling.

“My lawyers are pretty certain Grace’s case ends here. However—” I didn’t like the sound of that.

“However, what?”

He cleared his throat. “If Grace does have photographs, as she stated, well, we don’t know how the judge is going to respond.”

“Oh.” I let my hand drop from his face. Panic flooded me and every bad scenario, regardless of how irrational, passed through my head.

“Oh god, I told you this shouldn’t happen.” I tried to step back, but his hold tightened.

“Don’t.” The command stilled my retreat. “Don’t do that.” He stood from the bed and pulled my face to look up to his.

“There is nothing wrong with what is going on between us. We want to be together and we, well, I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.” My head started to shake, but before I could protest he continued.

“Sophia, because of you, I have my daughter more in my life than ever before. My daughter is the happiest and liveliest I have ever seen her. And I have never,” he paused, staring into my eyes, “loved someone as much as I love you.”

I couldn’t breathe.
He loved me? He couldn’t possibly…
Returning me into the firm embrace of his arms, his lips pressed to mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pushed up onto my tiptoes. The Egyptian cotton towel fell from my body and pooled at my feet. Warmth spread across my body where his hands touched my bare skin.

Slipping my hands under the hem of his cotton shirt I could feel the toned planes of his back. I worked my way toward his shoulders, and in one swift motion he removed his shirt, pulling me against his hard chest. The moment we were skin on skin he growled and tightened his hold.

We lay down on the bed. He pressed his body and hardness against my thigh. Then it vibrated. Either he had some amazing skills or something in his pocket was happy to get me naked. I felt the vibration again. He growled, this time in anger. Yanking his cell phone from his pocket, he looked at the screen.

“Shit.” He sat up and looked back at me. “It’s the lawyer’s office. I should probably—”

“Answer it.”

His eyes perused my body slowly with a lick of his bottom lip. He put his phone to his ear.

“Dr. Bishop.” He was stern and cool, all business.