Aiden (Members From Money Book 8)

by Katie Dowe

  “How much are we paying you?” he asked her softly.

  “What?”

  “How much are we paying you, Ms. Greene?” he repeated. She stared at him for a moment and then told him.

  “I thought so. We pay you to take care of my daughter and that is it, period. You have no right to speak out of turn. I will explain to my daughter.” He stressed the words deliberately, his eyes on her face. “I will explain to her why I was unavoidably late and why I could not be there to read her a story.”

  “You disappointed her and that is going to stay with her for a very long time,” she told him heatedly, her insides quailing at his words and the look on his face.

  “Speaking from experience?” He had come closer to her and she took a step back.

  “That’s none of your business,” she muttered.

  “You have just made it my business when you started throwing accusations at me.” He reached out and took her arm, bringing her closer to him. “What did your father do to you, Ms. Greene?”

  Ciara thought about struggling and fleeing, but his hand was like a steel band around her arm and his nearness was affecting her greatly. “Let go of me.”

  “You started it,” he reminded her softly.

  “And now I am ending it.” With a shove, she managed to pull away from him. They stood there staring at each other, their breathing accelerated, before she turned on her heels and ran towards the staircase.

  He stood there watching as she bounded up the stairs. Without thinking, he took up the half-finished glass of wine and downed it, grimacing at the dryness of it. He much preferred his wine with more body. He smiled grimly as he put the glass onto the counter. She had spunk, he had to hand her that, and she was certainly not afraid to speak her mind. He stood there for a moment longer and then made his way upstairs and straight to his daughter’s bedroom. She had on pink and white pajamas with little feet and her hair was in its usual ponytails. She had her elephant clutched to her chest and her long lashes fanned her plump cheeks. She looked so peaceful, he thought, reaching out to touch her on the head lightly. His daughter! He stepped back as the feelings slammed into him. She was his and he needed to show her that she was wanted and loved. He had not been there for the first four years of her life, but he was there now, and he wanted to show her how much he wanted to be her dad!

  *****

  Ciara wrapped herself in the sheets and closed her eyes as the feeling of hurt and pain assailed her. He was right, she had been projecting her feelings of rejection from her father onto him and that had not been professional. Clarence Greene had left her and her mother when she was four years old and she had never seen him or heard from him again. She had spent nights peering through the curtains to see if he was coming home to them and had gone to bed crying her eyes out. She had stopped hoping when she turned eleven and her mother had sat her down and told her to suck it up! There were worse things in life than a man walking out on them. That was not going to make her less than who she would be, and she had listened and been determined to become the best. She had studied hard in school. Now the memories came back full force!

  Chapter 3

  She overslept! Ciara sprang up out of the bed in horror and glanced at the bedside clock. It was almost eight o’clock! She knew one of the maids would give Holly her breakfast, but she took her responsibilities seriously and preferred to stick to the routine she had for the little girl! It was all his fault, she thought irrationally. He had been the one to bring those memories to the forefront of her mind and had made her unable to sleep for the better part of the night. She groaned as she dashed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. This, combined with what had happened last night, was bound to have her fired. She hurriedly dragged on faded denims and a white sweater, securing her shoulder length hair and bundling it on top of her head with no thought as to fashion. Without a stitch of makeup on, she ran from the room and hurried to Holly’s room to find it empty and the bed already made. She closed her eyes briefly and jumped a little bit as a maid by the name of Ann said to her, “She is downstairs having breakfast with her dad.”

  Ciara thought about staying upstairs and not going down to face him. Surely, he was going to have something to say about this!

  She stood there in the doorway of the large elegant dining room and watched as the tall, well-dressed man leaned over and wiped a drop of milk off the little girl’s chin. She was bathed and dressed in a red and white blouse and white loose pants with red and white slippers. She looked up and saw Ciara and her eyes brightened. “You were late, and Daddy decided that we should have breakfast together. He said you probably had a rough night. Did you?”

  Ciara looked at the silent man and their eyes met. She shifted her gaze and came towards the little girl. “I had a hard time going to sleep.” She looked at Aiden. “I am sorry I overslept.”

  “Not a problem,” he said with a cool nod. “I got a chance to spend some time with my daughter and explain to her why I was late last night.” His eyes clashed with hers and he felt as if he was saying that she should know her place.

  “I am sorry.” She looked down at the little girl. “When you are through eating, Holly, we can go up and you finish coloring the animals from yesterday.”

  “Holly, would you mind going up and letting me talk to Ciara for a moment?” Aiden said as he took his daughter’s hand and helped her from the chair.

  “Okay, Daddy.” The little girl looked up at him with eyes shining with love.

  “I will see you later, sweetie.” He bent and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him and then skipped off. His slate grey jacket to match his pants was slung over the chair, and he took it up, putting it on over his light pink shirt. “Coloring?” His thick blonde brows lifted as he looked at her. “Shouldn’t she be doing something more practical? Like trying to write the letters of the alphabet?”

  Ciara stiffened at that and her dark brown eyes flashed. “I know my job, Mr. Carter.” Her tone was frosty and she could not help it. “I have not gotten any complaints so far. Coloring is a part of the curriculum for her age group, and it helps develop the fine motor skills she needs.”

  “You seem to have an aversion to me, Ms. Greene. Why is that?”

  “I don’t.” She took a deep breath and tried to be calm. He was right. She was usually very calm and professional, but somehow he seemed to rub her the wrong way. “I was just explaining how it is supposed to work. I assure you that you are getting your money’s worth.”

  “I should hope so,” he told her sardonically, causing her hackles to rise again. “I will be home early tonight to tuck her in.” With that, he strode away from her, leaving her staring after him and watching his long strides eat up the distance from the dining room to the living room. With a sigh, she turned and went to pour herself some coffee, her stomach quivering from the battle!

  *****

  Aiden got off the bed and dragged on his pants hurriedly. It had not been a good idea coming to her apartment. She had called him and asked him to come over after he was finished at the office and he had decided to do so. Michelle Hartley was a woman he had seen on and off for the past two years. She was ten years older than him and had been divorced for the past four years. She was in her forties but looked sleek and toned with jet black hair and light green eyes. She looked pampered and well taken care of, which she was because she had gotten half of her husband’s million-dollar software company. She was highly experienced in bed and did not require the usual commitment the younger women did. It was one of the reasons why he preferred to be with her; she did not expect a ring at the end of it all. But the desire was wearing thin, and he knew he was not coming back.

  “Darling, I thought we could sit by the fire and have a glass of Cabernet,” she said silkily as she slid off the bed and padded naked to the cabinet in the corner of the room.

  “I have to get home to my daughter, I promised her I would read her a story,” Aiden told her as he pulled his sweater over his musc
led chest. She turned to look at him, her eyes amused.

  “You almost had me convinced, darling,” she said with a peal of laughter as she turned back to pour the wine.

  “I was not saying it to convince you, Michelle,” he told her coolly as he put on his boots. “I hate to break my promises to her.”

  Michelle walked over to him and handed him the glass. “I did not mean it that way,” she said soothingly as he continued getting dressed and left her with the extra glass in her hand. “I never saw you in that light.”

  “I am a father, and even though I learned of it just recently, I have every intention of being the best there is.” He took the glass from her and downed the wine in one swallow before handing it back to her. “I have to go.”

  “When will I see you again?” she asked lightly, trying to mask the pain of his rejection.

  He shrugged and reached for his coat. “I have no idea. We are not exclusive, remember?” With that, he walked out of her bedroom and out of her apartment.

  Michelle waited until she was sure he had left before flinging the glass into the far corner of the room, hearing it smash with a measure of satisfaction. She had taken him as a lover for the amusement of it and had told herself that she would never become attached, but after making love with him the first time, she had felt the pleasure he gave even though his touch and lovemaking had been cool and detached as if he held back the essential part of himself. She had tried to breach it but had never done so and no matter who she had after him it never felt the same! She had started to fall in love with a man who did not give a damn about her!

  *****

  Ciara felt the pain tear through her stomach and she bent over, closing her eyes as she took several deep breaths. It was coming back again, the awful cramps that came with her periods. They had stopped for a little bit and she had forgotten about it and about the pills that had been prescribed to alleviate the pain. She knew what had caused them to come back. The doctors had told her that stress added to it and she had been on hedge since Aiden Carter had started coming home earlier to be with his daughter. The awareness she felt when he was near her was becoming almost too much for her. She had started coming out of the room when he was inside reading her a story. They had definitely bonded and for that she was happy. The little girl was blossoming and becoming more settled. It was almost Christmas and she had begged her dad and grandmother for a huge Christmas tree and also asked if they could help her and Ciara decorate it. She had seen the quick look he had given her and had ignored it.

  She dug into her bathroom cabinet for some pain relievers but found nothing suitable. With a shaky sigh, she knew she had to venture downstairs and into the kitchen, maybe some tea would help. It was a quarter to twelve, and she made her way down silently until she reached the kitchen. She looked around the cavernous room for a moment. Everything was spic and span, and she wondered if she should leave and not bother to make the tea, but her abdomen felt sore.

  She had just put the kettle on and was going to find the cups when she felt it tearing through her abdomen again! With a sharp cry, she went on her knees, putting her head between her knees and trying to wait out the pain. That was how Aiden saw her!

  He had woken up a few minutes ago and had been unable to get back to sleep. He had thought about looking over some figures but had decided against it. Without really knowing why, he headed downstairs and it was while he was on his way down he had heard the noise.

  “Ciara?” He ran the rest of the way, and crouching down, he lifted her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

  Ciara felt the mortification climbing through her and the pain was forgotten for the moment. “Could you put me down, please?”

  He looked down at her for a moment and then placed her on one of the many stools around the marble countertop. “I heard you cry out. What is it?”

  She bit her lip and wondered what to say. “I felt a sharp pain.”

  “Maybe we should get my mother.” He started to leave, but her voice stopped him.

  “No!” she burst out, causing him to look back at her. “Please, I know what it is.”

  He came further and went to turn off the flame beneath the kettle. “Care to tell me what had you on your knees?”

  Ciara wished he would leave because it was coming back again. “Please, I am okay.” Then she gasped and bent her head onto the counter.

  “I am getting Mother,” he said grimly.

  “It’s my period,” she blurted out. He stared at her for a moment and then his expression cleared. Without a word, he went to the pantry to get out a box of herbal tea, and putting one into a cup, he poured the water into it and passed it to her. “Drink it hot,” he told her briskly. He went into another cabinet and took out a bottle of ibuprofen and shook out two in his palm, then went to get a glass of water.

  “Take these,” he told her. She refused to meet his gaze, feeling the acute embarrassment covering her. She took the pills and put them into her mouth, swallowing them down with the water before going back to sip the tea. To her consternation, he took a seat on one of the stools, his blue eyes watching her. He was wearing a loose sweat bottom and a white t-shirt that clung to his muscular frame. His blonde hair was tousled and gave him a softened look. In spite of the pain, Ciara felt her pulse jumping in awareness. “Do you want the rest of the week off?”

  Ciara looked at him startled. “No, of course not!”

  “Ms. Greene, you have not taken your usual weekends off since you have been here,” he reminded her. So, it was back to Ms. Greene again, she thought wryly.

  “I am fine. Holly needs me, so it is not a problem.”

  “I don’t want her becoming too dependent on you.” His blue eyes scanned her face, noticing the tangle of hair around her cheeks. “Don’t you have someone who misses you when you are here?” His tone was insolent as he stared at her. “Surely a woman who looks like you must have a significant other?”

  “Do you have a significant other?” she asked him tautly.

  “No.” The single word was delivered carelessly. “I have sex, Ms. Greene, not relationships. It’s cleaner that way.”

  Ciara stared at him in shock at the boldness of the statement. “How lonely for you.”

  “Not at all.” A smile tilted his lips. “What about you?”

  “None of your business,” she told him as she got up. “Thanks for the tea and the pills. I think I am feeling much better.”

  “You are welcome,” he said, inclining his head. “A warm towel on your tummy can do wonders or so I heard.”

  Ciara turned to stare at him. “I have been with a lot of women, Ms. Greene,” he told her sardonically. “I do know things.”

  She felt the awareness of him pulling at her and she turned and walked away swiftly feeling his eyes on her!

  *****

  Clara Greene sipped her hot chocolate and stared at her daughter. She had grown up very tough after the no good bastard had left them to fend on their own. She had not heard from him and had decided that she was on her own with a small daughter and she could either throw up her arms and give up or she could do the best for her daughter and she had done so by working two jobs. It had meant leaving her girl alone for most nights, but she had drummed it into her head that all men needed was to enter her open legs and after they had ‘sampled the goods’ they were on their way!

  “I was beginning to think that you had moved into those people’s mansion permanently,” her mother grumbled. It was a week before Christmas and Ciara had been given the week off. Her apartment needed a thorough cleaning anyway, and she was planning on doing that and getting some sleep.

  “I wanted to get Holly settled in sufficiently before I took a break. I am not going back until the first week of January anyway.” Ciara missed the little girl and wished she was there with her. She had been given her Christmas bonus and a lovely package with lotions and bath things along with towels and perfumes of the best kind. She had opened her envelope when she got to
her room and her eyes had widened at the amount on it. She knew the family was planning a trip for Christmas and was happy for Holly.

  “I saw pictures of her with her dad while they were at some celebrity’s party. She looks like a doll.”

  “She is a treasure,” Ciara said with a whimsical smile. Her mother was off for the week as well. She was a secretary at a law firm and the place was closed for the holidays. “She is smart for her age and learns fast. I guess it’s the Carter’s genes.”

  “You are doing it again.”

  “Doing what again?” She looked at her mother puzzled.

  “Getting personal with these kids, and when you have to move on, you go into a funk.”

  “That’s not true,” she protested, knowing it was. “I happen to love kids.”

  “Then find a nice man and get married and have some of your own.” Clara got to her feet and went to pour some more hot chocolate.

  “Marriages have a way of not lasting, Mom, and you of all people should know that,” Ciara told her grimly. “I can love these children without being too emotionally attached.”

  “Can you?” Clara’s eyebrows raised. Each time she looked at her daughter, she saw the father in the small upturned nose and large expressive dark brown eyes. The bastard had told her that he loved her and had left her with a child to take care of all on her own. She had had several affairs and was in one now with a three times divorced member of the firm she worked at but had no intention of it being more than just physical. She had no use for men; she had learned her lessons.

  “I can,” she said firmly. “Can we talk about something else? I was thinking that we could go and do some shopping this afternoon. What do you think?”

  “As long as you are spending.”