by Juniper Hart
As if seeing it for the first time, his breath was stolen by the beauty of the sight. Trevor slowly made his way through the apartment; he saw that she had redecorated the main bathroom. It was a soft mauve with white accents, and she had bought matching bathmats and towels to accessorize.
“I didn’t do Ellsbeth’s room yet because I think she should choose what she would like,” Kendra told him after realizing he was thrilled by the changes. “I know men are private about their offices, so I didn’t tough that room either.”
“This is amazing, Marika! I don’t know how you got all this done! Did anyone help you?” She shook her head and shrugged modestly.
“As I said, your sister took Ellie so I could finish today, but I did most of it myself,” she told him as they kept walking through the condo. Trevor glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but she only smiled happily as the tour continued. She paused in front of the closed master bedroom and threw the door open.
Gone was his twin bed and dilapidated mattress without a box spring. In its place was a king-sized sleigh bed. It, too, had been painted, but a deep, blood red, infused with black and silver as accents. There was something extremely sensual about the darkness of the room, and Kendra could see Trevor’s face light up with the promise which the room held. The mattress on the bed was top of the line and brand new, as were the dresser, mirror, and bedside tables.
“This is where you Skyped me from last night,” he breathed, and she nodded.
“Yes.” He seemed overwhelmed by what she’d done and exhaled in a whoosh of breath.
“You didn’t have to do this for my room,” he protested. “I understand why you would want the place to look good, but I am perfectly happy sleeping on a smaller bed. You should have done this in your room and Ellie’s, not mine.”
“You might be happy on a smaller bed, but I am not,” she told him, taking him by the hand. She watched as his face twisted into a look of disbelief.
“Are… are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Kendra laughed
“What do you think I’m saying?” she asked lightly.
“You… want to sleep in the same room as me?” he choked. She nodded, her eyes shining.
“Yes, Trevor, I want to share a bed with you.” She leaned forward and deposited a soft, gentle kiss on his agape lips. “Let me show you just how much.”
6
Kendra didn’t know how it had happened.
When she had first landed in Connecticut, she had barely formulated a plan more than escaping Europe. All she had known at the time was that the fear and disgust which had chased her overseas like an evil umbra had diminished. With each fluffy cloud passing by her window seat, she could feel herself breathing slightly easier. Then, as the plane had descended, she had been filled with a feeling of uncertainty. She was second guessing her decision, but she had been out of options.
The fox was certain that she did not want to move in with a creep whom she had met online, even though of all the men “Marika” had spoken with through the website, Trevor seemed to be the nicest. She had seen a certain kindness in his eyes, despite the unflattering picture.
Her scheme had been simply to use him for the plane ticket, certain that he would not be overly demanding to her online. Other men had demanded nude photos, Skype calls, and even sexual videos, none of which “Marika” was willing to provide. She was desperate to flee, but not so much that she would sell herself.
Once in Connecticut, she would flee to New York, where she could disappear into the crowd and hope that her past would remain a distant, haunting previous life. She would look for her sisters, although it had been years since she had touched base with any of them. She had no idea if they were still even in the States. Kendra had taken off looking for a better life. Perhaps they had, too.
Unfortunately, things hadn’t worked out the way she’d hoped, and now, she was once more running for her life. However, seeing Trevor face-to-face, she had a very strong feeling that leaving him would be detrimental to them both, not to mention the little girl whom she had grown to love unquestioningly. Ellsbeth had been through so much already. It wouldn’t be fair to uproot the toddler from the little bit of security that she and Trevor had provided for her.
Ellie’s night terrors grew less intense, and over time, she began to sleep through the night. Kendra knew this was no small feat.
Hell, I still have nightmares about our little shack from childhood. How will Ellie even overcome knowing that her parents were murdered?
Kendra wasn’t ready to give up the life she’d found with Trevor so easily. The combination of his condo and the quiet, picturesque city of Burlington had proved to be therapeutic for her. Slowly, as the days progressed, she found herself becoming more at ease with him and more at peace within herself.
His sweet disposition and easy nature made his companionship delightful. He was much like an eager puppy in some ways, vying for her approval, buying her flowers, finding Hungarian cuisine, and even attempting words in Hungarian, but he quickly forsook that task after discovering the difficulty of the language.
Still, she was incredibly touched by the effort he put forth to make her life comfortable, and inevitably, she found she was attracted to him. She tried to fight it at first before she began asking herself why. Why should she reject such a man? She was no longer the woman she had once been, and she deserved someone as doting and kind as Trevor.
He is lovely. He doesn’t pressure you. As far as he’s concerned, you’re his niece’s nanny and nothing more. His intentions are pure. Why would you not open your heart to him? There is nothing stopping you from being with this man.
The answer was simple, of course: she’d already been burned by a terrible man, one who would kill her if he had the chance.
In the end, she decided either consciously or subconsciously that she adored Trevor Holland and wanted to be with him.
She had slowly tried to make herself useful, cooking his meals and doing his laundry, but as she looked about his shabby apartment, she realized that the condo did not lack cleanliness. It required warmth to become a home. Trevor deserved better, and so did Ellie. It needed a woman’s touch, and Kendra was just the woman to provide it.
She immediately busied herself checking on furniture online and making orders as her mind worked furiously toward color schemes and artwork. It had been grueling and time consuming, battling a tight deadline, but she hoped that in the end, Trevor would recognize her endeavor as a sign of the affection she felt toward him.
The result had been spectacular. However, as she had sat back looking at her finished handiwork, she still felt like something was missing. She finally figured out what it was: intimacy. So, Kendra had hopped in the shower, done her hair, and slipped into a slinky nightgown.
She had been vaguely aware that Trevor had been sending her texts all day, but she had other things to occupy her mind.
The garment she chose had been purchased by Trevor, but he had never seen it, since he had remained respectfully outside Victoria’s Secret and waited patiently for her. It was a sheer, flowing material, white and pure, but left very little to the imagination. She stared at herself in the new mirror in the bedroom she was now to share with Trevor and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
You can do this, she told herself. You want to be with Trevor. You are not doing anything wrong.
Something in the back of her mind was filling her with leaden guilt as she picked up her computer and set it up on the dresser, preparing to make the Skype call. Trevor had given her the computer as soon as she had entered his apartment the first day. He had gone ahead, ordering it online after buying her plane ticket, and treated it like it was a welcome present.
“It’s your computer to do exactly as you please,” he had told her. “I have several of my own, so please be comfortable with this. Put on a passcode and keep in touch with your friends and family back home.”
“Oh! I will message my par
ents back home! Thank you!” she had gasped, throwing her arms around him, and he had returned her embrace gently, touched by her excitement. “I will give you the code. You can look in whenever you please,” she had added, leaving her password on a scrap of paper taped to the corner of the screen.
Of course, Trevor had never violated her privacy, though he seemed to appreciate the openness in their relationship.
Dressed in the nightie and convinced she looked ravishing, she opened the computer and steadied her trembling hands as Skype made the connection to Trevor. She tried to ignore the little whisper in her mind, the one that warned her that she was still a married woman.
Or at least Kendra Jagger was.
“Trevor! We didn’t know you were bringing the nanny!” Annabelle stood in the doorway of her home, her mouth slightly open in surprise as her younger son hurried up the stone pathway, Marika in tow.
Suddenly, Tristan’s and Johnny’s heads also appeared behind her, hearing Annabelle’s words.
Trevor cringed inwardly, watching their eyes widen with interest as they seemed to dangle like body-less faces above his mother. A slow smile met both of their mouths while Anabelle’s eyes narrowed, sizing up Marika.
“Sorry, I forgot to mention it,” Trevor said flippantly, trying to brush by the gathering. Addison came flying out of the living room, her freckled face lighting up at the sight of him.
“Uncle Trev! I missed you!” the four-year-old squealed, throwing herself into Trevor ’s arms. Trevor immediately embraced the red headed toddler and set her back to examine her. She had grown substantially in the two months since he had last seen her, and she looked more like a child than a baby now.
“Hey, Addy! How old are you now? Twenty? Twenty-one?” The toddler scowled angrily.
“No! I am not that old!” she countered, and everyone laughed. Then she turned her bright blue eyes on Marika. “Who are you?”
“Addison, that is not polite. The correct thing to say is, ‘hello, my name is Addison. And you are?’” Tristan piped up. She turned her gaze toward Marika, curiosity naked in her gold flecked brown eyes. “Hi, Marika. Come on in. Ellie is having a nap, but she’ll be up soon.”
Trevor scurried to his feet, a blush stinging his cheeks as he looked nervously toward Marika. They think she’s here as the nanny. She’s got to be uncomfortable.
“I haven’t had the pleasure,” Johnny leered, stepping in front of his wife. “Maria, is it?”
“Marika,” Trevor corrected automatically.
“It is my pleasure to meet you,” Marika told Johnny as Annabelle closed the door behind them.
“Of course, I’m sorry, Marika. Are you Russian?” Johnny asked, and Trevor felt his back arch defensively.
He’s just making conversation. No need to be jealous.
“Hungarian.” The answer was unexpectedly sharp, causing Tristan to raise a dark eyebrow. Marika smiled quickly to diminish the harshness from her words, as if she’d suddenly realized she’d overreacted. “I am sorry. My people have bad history with Russian people. We don’t like being confused,” she explained.
Johnny nodded understandingly; his face lit up with compassion while his wife continued to look surprised.
“And I thought that was ancient history. Aren’t Russia and Hungary allies now?” Tristan asked bluntly. Trevor shot her a scathing look, and she threw up her hands in mock surrender. “But what do I know about history. Math was more my thing,” she finished lamely. “Anyway, given your flawless English, I would have pegged you more for an American than anything European.”
Marika seemed extremely uncomfortable, but before she could respond, Annabelle spoke.
“Well get out of the hallway and come into the living room,” she told them, shooing the group inside. “We’re just waiting for Ellie and Sasha to wake up, and then we’ll eat.”
“I’m not opposed to waking up Sasha now,” Tristan sighed, but Johnny groaned in protest.
“No way. She never sleeps with her colic. Just enjoy the peace and quiet for once!”
“Maybe I just want everyone to share in our misery together,” Tristan replied sweetly. Johnny didn’t smile.
“We’re in no rush. Let the babies sleep. We won’t starve, right, Marika?”
“I agree. Let the girls have their beauty rest,” Marika said brightly, but Trevor could feel her anxiety mounting.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. We should have had dinner on our turf. It would have been easier for Marika. He’d done his best to forewarn her about what was coming.
“They will ask you a lot of unnecessary questions,” he said as they made the trek from Burlington to Long Island. Ellsbeth had spent the night at her grandmother’s the previous evening already. “Don’t feel like you have to answer anything you’re not comfortable answering.”
She patted his arm comfortingly.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she told him reassuringly. “I can take care of myself.”
Yet as Trevor slowly pulled up to his mother’s house just outside Fire Island, he felt anything but confident.
Tristan and Johnny are going to have a field day with this, he thought mournfully and then was embarrassed by his own worry. You are such an egomaniac. They’ll have other things on their minds, like their newborn baby. Just keep your head down and focus on your new niece.
Trevor proved to be a poor prophet.
The family moved into the front room, and Trevor sat with Marika on the loveseat, but Addison soon climbed to sit between them. She turned her bright green eyes on the new person amongst them.
“Wow! You’re as pretty as my mommy!” the child declared, staring at her with star-like wonder. “Are you a princess?”
Marika smiled sweetly at her and pressed her index finger to her lips before affectionately stroking Addison’s curly mop of unruly hair.
“Shh… I am, but no one is supposed to know,” she whispered. Addison’s eyes widened, and she nodded solemnly.
“I won’t tell anybody!” she promised earnestly. Tristan grinned and shot Trevor an approving look. Anyone who won over her daughter was okay in Tristan’s books.
She doesn’t get a chance to see how wonderful Marika is with Ellsbeth, but I know she’s amazing. Now the entire family will get a chance to see it. A pang of wistfulness surged through him as he realized he wished his brother was there to meet Marika. Even Chris would have liked her.
Johnny leaned forward, also captivated by Marika’s beauty.
“So, how did you two kids meet?” he asked, and Trevor thought he heard a sly note in his voice. “I mean, a nanny from Hungary… is that like an internet thing or something?”
Heat exploded through Trevor’s body, perspiration dampening his underarms. He was partially gleeful that Johnny was finally looking at his woman the way he looked at all of Chris’ wives. Another part of him, however, flew into a panic at the question.
“Yes. It is a site for nannies and caretakers from overseas,” Marika agreed. “That is how Trevor found me.”
“Well, how about that,” Johnny said. “You can find hot women on the internet after all!”
Tristan smacked him on the back of the head, ignoring his gasp, and turned back to the redhead.
“How are you liking America so far?” Tristan asked politely. “I’m sure it’s a real culture shock.”
“Not as much as you might think,” Marika answered enigmatically.
“So, are you two together?” Johnny asked bluntly, and Trevor blushed furiously, casting Marika a long look. She nodded almost imperceivably.
“We are,” he replied. Tristan and Annabelle gasped, as if someone had released a stream of swearwords.
“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Annabelle demanded.
“I didn’t want to jinx it,” Trevor told her, shifting his stare to Addison. The child smiled up toothily. “Anyway, I don’t have to share every bit of information with you, Mother.”
“Yeah, Grandma
. Uncle Trevor has secrets, too. Like his friend is a princess!” Immediately, she slapped a small palm over her mouth and looked up horrified at Marika. She grinned and winked back at the small dragon girl.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You can always share secrets with your family.”
“Well, I am happy for you both,” Tristan jumped in, a smile lighting up her pixie-like face. “Welcome, Marika!”
At that moment, Ellsbeth sauntered down the stairs, her eyes bleary. The moment she laid eyes on Marika, her face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Marika!” she cried, running to throw herself into her nanny’s arms.
“Hello, darling. How was your nap?”
“It was good until the baby started screaming.”
“Dammit,” Tristan cursed. “I’ll go.” She rose and hurried to deal with her infant as Johnny turned back to the scene with a bemused expression on his face.
Trevor could sense that he was about to say something else, but the doorbell rang again.
“Oh!” Annabelle squealed. “Your cousins have arrived!”
Trevor balked.
“Which cousins?” he demanded, but his question was answered when Harley and his partner, Will, appeared.
What fresh hell is this? If Chris had been cruel to him, Harley had been a true nightmare to Trevor.
“I’m so sorry about this,” he heard himself mutter to Marika, but she was too engrossed in conversation with Ellie to hear him.
