He walked over to the huge window and started talking on the phone. She looked Blake over, him standing this way giving her a new view of him. He was dressed in an elegant suit. His upper body was muscled and tight against the fabric… his entire body was perfectly sculpted and Nicola knew he would be hard and muscular all over. His face was defined by a strong jawline and the sharp planes of his face. His hair was dark and slightly longer on top, but brushed back off of his forehead. Despite all of this, it was his eyes that took her breath away, today more than yesterday. They were a deep blue and piercing. The moment she entered the living room, something happened… It was something she didn’t feel that much the day before, in his office. Blake looked at her and Nicola felt as though he was looking into her soul. His gaze felt so familiar. Like she knew him from another life… Nicola shook her head, trying to refocus on the t
Nicola glanced around the table at everyone. This was her first lunch in a new house, with people she didn’t know but, somehow, she was feeling… at home. Like Alma, Bruce and Albert were her family... like Iris was her own daughter. They were all so nice to her. Questions about Blake raced through her mind, but she dared not ask them. Nicola knew whatever she said or did would get back to Blake and the last thing she wanted was to give him a reason not to hire her. Shoving the questions to the back of her mind, Nicola inserted a forkful of peas into her mouth and chewed slowly. Swallowing, she reached for the glass of water in front of her and took a drink. Just then, a pea suddenly shot across her field of vision.“Iris Echols!” Alma gasped. “I can’t believe you just did this!” Nicola heard the little girl giggle. Her lips twitching, she set her glass down and looked at Iris who sat on her right.“Iris, sweetheart, the food Albert so
Claire didn't stay long which pleased everyone in the house, Iris included. Having her dropping by at the mansion unannounced, made everybody feel uneasy. Once she left, Nicola called Blake and then took Iris upstairs to her bedroom. They put a puzzle together, played with play dough and colored in coloring books. Afterward, Nicola read to Iris and put her down for a short nap. While Iris slept, she straightened up the room. She was putting the crayons back in the box when Blake strolled into the room. He walked to the bed and leaned down to kiss Iris on the head.“Mr. Echols… You're home early,” Nicola whispered.“I couldn't stay in the office. After our conversation, I found it hard to concentrate,” Blake said softly. “My mind was here… On you and Iris. How is my little ray of sunshine?”“Iris is such a wonderful little girl. She’s even more resilient than you gave her credit for,” Nicola kept on whispering. “The moment her mother left the mansion, I saw Iris tra
A month had come and gone since the day he hired Nicola and Blake realized this was one of the wisest decisions he ever made. He saw a change in his house now that she lived under his roof. Iris was laughing more. Alma, Bruce, and Albert were smiling more. It was as if everyone had been in a daze before she came along and somehow, she had brought them out of it. Nicola was the sun inside his house, always ready to take care of everything and everybody, always ready to help solve all the problems. Blake was sitting in his office thinking about how fortunate Iris was to have her as a nanny when the intercom on his desk suddenly came on and Daphne started to speak.“Sir, Miss Pendergast is here to see you.” He swore under his breath, then reached out and pressed the intercom button.“I have a meeting in ten minutes. Tell her to come back later,” Blake said. “Or never, for all I care.”“Yes, sir,” Daphne replied. Blake
Right after breakfast, Nicola left Iris in Alma's care the next day, loaded the stray dog into the car, and drove to the nearest veterinarian's clinic. There was a twenty-minute wait before she could take the dog into one of the examination rooms. While she waited, Nicola stroked the animal’s white colored fur and talked to him in a low voice. He gazed up at her with warm brown eyes, his pink tongue sticking out of his mouth.“You are so cute, so well-behaved. I can't believe someone didn't want you.” The dog licked Nicola's hand.“You need a name but I'll let Iris do the honors.” Ten minutes later, the veterinarian, Dr. Parry stepped into the waiting room. Nicola scooped up the little dog and got to her feet. She followed the doctor down a short hallway and into a small room on her right.“And who is this little guy?”“I don’t know. He wandered onto my employer's property a few weeks ago. He looked so thin and I felt sorry for him, so I started
The small plane taxied down the runway and slowly rolled to a stop a short distance from a waiting car. Inside the plane, Blake unbuckled Iris's seatbelt and lifted her out of the seat. Putting her down, he took her hand and led her toward the exit. They walked down the stairs and made their way to the car. As they drew near, a man stepped out and opened the back door. Blake helped Iris in and got in after her. The chauffeur closed the door and then slid behind the wheel. He started the car, adjusted the rear-view mirror, and glanced at Blake in it.“Where to, Mr. Echols?” he asked.“What would you like to see first, sunshine?” Blake asked Iris.“A toy store,” Iris muttered.“The little one has spoken,” Blake said. “Take us to ‘FAO Schwarz’, please.”“Very well, sir.” Thirty minutes later, the chauffeur pulled up alongside the toy store. Blake and Iris got out and headed toward the entrance. The minute they entered the building, Iris's eyes grew huge and
Her head was throbbing so badly she almost felt the need to throw up. Fighting against the awful pain that was crippling every inch of her body, Nicola opened her eyes very slowly, squinting, trying to get images into focus, trying to understand what was going on, where she was… She found herself in a dimly lit room. There were no windows and the only furniture in the small space was the filthy bed she was lying on. The smell was awful... like she was in the middle of a dump field.“What is this place…?” Nicola whispered, trying to stay as calm as possible. Nicola attempted to sit up and realized she was tied to that bed. One end of the rope encircled her wrists, while the other end was tied to the headboard. Images of what happened came upon her like a landslide. At that point, fear raced through her and Nicola struggled to break free.“Oh, come on…” she said slowly, trying not to let her kidnapper know she was awake. “Come on… Please…” But the
SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER There had to be something she could do, but what? Nicola Rhymes looked at her surroundings and sighed. She jumped at the chance to leave her past behind, come to another city, and plan her future here, in Long Beach… And now…? Well, she was in over her head. She had always been the one who wanted out… Out of the family, out of the drama, out of an unhealthy relationship, out of everything. Well, no one told her ‘be careful what you wish for, sweetie!’ because now she was stuck in a tiny apartment in the worst neighborhood in Long Beach, with no clue what to do. With no light at the end of the fucking tunnel.“This situation is slowly killing my spirit,” Nicola murmured. “If only Daphne would send me a sign…” She put her head in her hands and sighed. On the computer screen in front of her, was her budget for the next three months. No matter which way she plotted and planned, she only had