The Marriage Auction: Book One(83)

“Eden, baby!” Faith called out, and I watched as she dashed to the open door and dipped her head inside, no longer caring for her own safety.

I let the girl go and she toddled over to the door where Faith scrambled into the car. She wrapped her arms around the small child and then looked up.

Her gaze registered shock, relief, and something that would shake my world for days to come.

Trust.

“You…” she breathed.

“I told you I’d take care of you and Eden. I’m a man of my word, Faith.” I smiled softly and gestured to the leather seat. She slid her body inside, Eden clutched to her chest.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she croaked, tears filling her pretty eyes. I vowed to myself that she wouldn’t be crying so often in the future. I’d make sure her days were filled with joy and happiness.

Finally, I smiled. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to thank me.” I smirked, allowing the heat and chemistry to fill the car with the sexual tension that seemed to always be simmering in the air when the two of us were in a small and enclosed space.

At my response, she tipped her head back and laughed, the tears still clinging to her long, black lashes. She continued the carefree laugh that filled me with pride for having been the one to give her reason to respond in such a way.

“Eden, baby, let me look at you,” she instructed the girl, cupping both her niece’s chubby cheeks. “Have you had medicine or eaten anything?”

The girl nodded. “I ate donuts.”

Faith’s jaw tightened. “We need to have her sugar levels checked. And I haven’t heard from the nurses yet about my father.” Her words wobbled, and her body started to shake. I imagined the release of emotions and trauma was wreaking havoc on her system.

“Let’s go inside, get Eden checked, and find out what’s happening with your father. Then we’ll have a nice long chat about how you ignored everything we discussed and refused to trust that I would handle the situation.”

She swallowed and nodded. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Promise?” I challenged, tipping my head.

Faith nodded again. “I haven’t been able to trust anyone—especially a man—in a very long time, Joel. Today you proved that I can. And I’m beyond grateful.” She petted her niece’s long hair in soothing strokes as the girl put her thumb into her mouth.

“We’re still talking about it…later.” My tone brooked no argument.

We got out of the car, and my team led us through the lobby and back to the area where her father was being treated.

“Um, Joel?” She whispered her question.

“Yes, Faith,” I answered while pressing my hand to the base of her spine, urging her along the hospital corridors.

“What happened to Aiden?” Her voice was small, and I hated that even the mention of his name somehow diminished her strength.

“I think it’s best we save that conversation for another time. Don’t you?” I gestured to Eden who still had her face tucked to her aunt’s neck, her eyes peering out wearily.

“Is he alive?” She gulped.

“Yes,” was all I offered.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment and then swallowed. “Then he can still get to me.” That was the last thing she said as she approached the nurses’ station with Eden. I hung back and let those words roll around in my brain .

He can still get to me.

I would need to employ a plan of attack on Aiden sooner than I’d originally planned. Faith was still frightened of the man and believed as long as he was alive, she’d be unsafe.

She was mine to have, to hold, and to protect.

Or she would be very soon.

Aiden Bradford needed to be taken out.





Episode 35


Easy to Please



NOAH

The governess sat upright, her back ramrod-straight, as the clock in the dining room continued to tick. It was now half past eight, and Ruby was not sitting at the dinner table.

Ms. Bancroft, the woman who raised me and my brother after our parents died, lifted her hand in a tight wave, reminiscent of something Queen Elizabeth II might have done. The dining attendants who were anxiously waiting at the room’s edge snapped into action, pouring the wine Ms. Bancroft had meticulously chosen and setting the first course onto the warming plates. One of them moved to remove the place setting for Ruby, lest it be a reminder that one guest was decidedly missing.

“It seems your little tart is incapable of keeping appropriate time,” she tutted and sipped her wine.

Nile’s lips twitched, but he was far too sophisticated and gentlemanly to respond with laughter when our beloved governess was in a snit.

“She’s not a tart, and she’s been through a lot,” I noted, feeling defensive on her behalf .

“And you expect me to give her leeway on such improper behavior as missing a dinner without any word or excuse?” she retorted.

Nile shook his head. “Not at all. What I suspect Noah means is that we’d only just arrived moments before greeting you. We came straight from Heathrow. Ms. Dawson has had a very long day and specifically expressed her discomfort and exhaustion earlier. My best estimate is that she’s sleeping, not pointedly ignoring your dinner invitation.”