Claiming the Captain's Baby

by Rochelle Alers

  “Lily and I will not eat with you whenever you leave on business.”

  “Not if you travel with me. I’d like you to apply for a passport for Lily, so when we fly down to the Bahamas, she can come with us.”

  Mya stared at him, momentarily shocked with his offer of wanting her to accompany him on a business trip. However, a silent voice nagged at her that he’d offered because he didn’t want to be away from Lily. If not, then he could’ve suggested they leave the baby with his parents until their return.

  “How long do you normally stay?” she asked when she recovered her voice.

  “It can be two days to more than a week. Meanwhile, you and Lily can have the run of the resort.”

  “Does it belong to WDG?”

  Giles rubbed their noses together. “Yes. You’re now unofficially a Wainwright because you just called Wainwright Developers Group WDG.”

  She smiled. “That’s because I’ve heard you refer to the company as WDG, and it’s also stamped on the sides of the jet.”

  “You don’t miss much, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  Giles glanced at his watch. “I’m going to my place to get dressed, and when I come back, we’ll leave to go shopping”

  “Do you live far from here?”

  “No. I’m about twenty blocks away and closer to the river. I’ll take you there before we come back tonight.”

  “When is your sister coming in?”

  “Her flight is scheduled to touch down around one this afternoon. Dad has already arranged for a car to pick her up. She’ll be jet-lagged for a few days, then watch out. If you think Lily’s a squealer, then you have to hear Skye. It’s ear-shattering.”

  Mya extended her arms. “Give me the little squealer. I’ll be dressed and ready by the time you come back.”

  * * *

  Mya stood in the private elevator with Giles as the car rose swiftly to where WDG occupied the entire top floor in the Third Avenue office building. Giles had informed her that although WDG owned the building, the company leased office space to other businesses on the other twenty-six floors, and space on every floor of the high-rise structure was filled to capacity.

  His attire harked back to the time when she’d first encountered him in Preston McAvoy’s conference room. The dark gray suit, white dress shirt, royal blue silk tie and black wingtips reminded her he was a businessman who bought and sold multimillion-dollar properties with the stroke of a pen. She eschewed entertaining negative thoughts, yet she couldn’t rid her head of the fact that Giles would become disenchanted living in Wickham Falls, that if they married he would somehow concoct a scheme where they would have to live in New York.

  “You look very nice.”

  Mya inclined her head. “Thank you.”

  She had packed several outfits she had deemed business attire. When many instructors and professors favored jeans and running shoes, she had opted for pantsuits and conservative dresses. Today, she had selected a black lightweight wool sheath dress with a matching hip-length jacket. Sheer black nylons and a pair of leather-and-suede booties were in keeping with the favored ubiquitous New York City black. The elevator opened to doors with the company’s name etched in silver across the glass.

  * * *

  Resting his hand at the small of Mya’s back, Giles swiped a key card and when the light changed from red to green, he pushed it open. The receptionist sitting behind a mahogany counter smiled at him. The screen on the wall behind her displayed the time, temperatures and headlines of countries from around the world.

  “Welcome back, Giles.”

  He returned her smile. “Thank you, Linda.” Giles escorted Mya up three stairs to an expansive space covered in pale gray carpeting spanning rows of glassed-in offices with the names and titles of the occupants.

  “Nice views.”

  He nodded. “I agree, but occupying a space enclosed by glass has its advantages and disadvantages. There’re times when I find myself staring out the window daydreaming.” Giles nodded and greeted employees he rarely saw because he didn’t spend much time in his office. His fingers tightened on Mya’s waist. “My office is at the end of the hall.”

  “Where are your father’s and brother’s offices?”

  “They’re in what everyone refers to as the West Wing. Legal, accounting and cyber security are thought of as the heart of the company, while all of the other departments are its lifeblood.”

  “How many people do you employ?” Mya asked.

  “The last count was thirty-eight. We have a number of real estate agents based in upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and as far south as D.C. They come into the office the second Friday in the month for a general meeting, while the board meets the first Monday of each month.”

  “Do they expect you to attend those meetings?”

  “I just got special dispensation from my uncle Edward to participate using videoconferencing because of Lily. It’s a perk all Wainwrights are afforded whenever there’s a new baby.”

  “I suppose it pays to be a Wainwright around here.”

  Giles pulled her closer to his side. “You’ve got that right.” He wanted to tell Mya that doors would open and Lily given full discretionary privilege if she was Lily Wainwright rather than Lily Lawson.

  He opened the door and was met with a bright smile from Jocelyn sitting in an alcove outside his private office. “Hello, boss. Thanks for holding it down,” Giles said teasingly.”

  Jocelyn’s smile got even wider. “I had the world’s best teacher.”

  Giles turned to Mya. “Mya, I’d like you to meet Jocelyn Lewis, the third woman in my with life whom I cannot live without. Jocelyn, Mya Lawson.”

  Jocelyn extended her hand and Mya took it. “It’s a pleasure. Giles told me about you and your precious daughter.” She pointed to the ruby on Mya’s left hand. “Your ring is beautiful.”

  The skin around Mya’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “Thank you.” She patted Giles’s shoulder. “And thank you for keeping my man sane. He says you’re invaluable.” Jocelyn lowered her eyes with the compliment.

  Giles could’ve kissed Mya at that moment. He liked the comment about him being her man. “Are there any updates since our last email?”

  “No. But I’m expecting a call from Kurt this afternoon about the Pederson deal. As soon as I hear anything, I’ll update you.”

  “Thanks, Jocelyn. I’m going to see my father before we leave. You know how to reach me.”

  “She is very pretty,” Mya said once they were far enough away so Jocelyn couldn’t overhear them. Jocelyn’s demeanor indicated she was older than Mya, but she felt envious of the woman’s flawless complexion. Her chemically straightened hair, parted off-center, ended at her jawline, and there was a subtle hint of color on her full mouth while the only allowance she made for eye makeup was mascara.

  “Jealous, sweets?” Giles teased.

  “Should I be?”

  “Never. Remember, I’m committed to you until Lily graduates college.”

  “What happens after that?”

  Giles stopped, nearly causing Mya to lose her balance. He pulled her over into an area with a low table cradling a large fern growing in a painted glazed pot. “What do you mean by what happens after that?”

  “Will we still be together?”

  His brows lowered in a scowl. “What do you think?”

  Mya stomped her foot. “Why are you answering my question with a question?”

  “Because you’re not making sense, Mya. What do I have to do or say to convince you that I’m just not in this for Lily? Even if you decide not to marry me I’ll buy a house in Wickham Falls and come to see Lily everyday so she can grow up knowing that I’m her father.”

  Mya felt a fleeting panic grip her until she found it hard to breathe. She didn’t want to lose
Giles, because she needed him, needed him for more than a physical craving that grew stronger with each passing day. She needed him to love her and to restore her faith in men; after dating Malcolm, she still harbored a fear that she would become involved with another Jekyll and Hyde.

  She found Giles even-tempered and soft-spoken, yet she sensed he could be unrelenting and uncompromising.

  His expression changed, softening when he saw indecision in her eyes. “You’ve reminded me that you’re not your sister, and I have to remind you again that I’m not your ex-boyfriend. What you see is what you get.”

  A trembling smile flitted across her lips. “You just read my mind.”

  “Let’s hope you can’t read mine because it would be rated triple X right about now.” His eyes made love to her face before they moved lower over her chest. “Damn, woman. Do you know that you’re sexy as hell?” he whispered in her ear.

  Mya swatted at him. “Shame on you,” she chastised, “talking dirty in the middle of a hallway where anyone can come by and hear you.”

  “There’s a company policy about gossiping. One infraction and you’re canned.”

  “That’s a little severe.”

  “Spreading gossip is not only malicious but a form of bullying, and around here, that’s grounds for an immediate dismissal. Come with me, baby. I want to introduce you to my brother.”

  Mya felt more in control when she followed Giles into an office next to his father’s. The blond head popped up when the occupant realized he wasn’t alone.

  Patrick Wainwright stood up and winked at her. “So you’re the woman who has my brother stuttering every time he mentions your name.” He rounded the desk. “Come and give me a hug.”

  The resemblance between Giles and Patrick was remarkable enough for them to be twins. The only difference was the color of their hair. Patrick was fair and gorgeous and Giles dark and dangerous. Mya found herself in Patrick’s arms as he lowered his head and kissed her cheek.

  “It’s nice meeting you, Patrick.”

  He pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “I must admit my little brother has exquisite taste in women.”

  “Stop flirting with my woman or I’ll tell your wife.”

  Patrick cut his eyes at Giles. “Nice try. You know my wife wouldn’t believe anything negative you’d say about me.” He lifted Mya’s left hand. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Mya smiled. “Yes. It’s your mother’s ring.”

  “Does this mean you and my brother are engaged? She shook her head. “No.” Even though she was vacillating about whether she wanted to marry Giles, deep down inside it was something she wanted more than any else thing in the world. She had always grown up believing she would fall in love, marry and have children. She wanted a family of her own and to share all of the wonderful things her parents had given her.

  The few times she and Sammie argued it was when Mya accused her of being selfish and ungrateful because their adoptive parents had given them what their biological parents hadn’t been able to. She tried to make her sister see the flip side of their lives where they could’ve grown up living in squalor where hunger was commonplace instead of a rarity. They’d known kids they’d gone to school with who, if it hadn’t been for free lunch or food stamps, they would have been malnourished.

  Patrick kissed her on both cheeks. “Dad told me about Lily and I can’t wait to meet her. I know my boys will happy to know there’s another cousin they can play with. It’s going to be a while before Jordan’s little boy will be underfoot.”

  “You know Lily is the only princess among these young princes,” Giles bragged.

  “No shit,” Patrick drawled. “We’ll have to wait and see what Brandt and Ciara have.”

  “Ciara’s pregnant?” Giles asked his brother.

  “I don’t know, but the last time I spoke to Brandt, he said they were going to get a jump on starting a family because he wants a football team.”

  Giles grunted. “There’s no way Ciara’s going to agree to having eleven kids.”

  “By the way, how many kids do you guys plan to have? I mean if you do decide to marry,” Patrick blurted out.

  Mya shared a look with Giles. They’d talked about marriage but not about whether they would have children together. Suddenly she felt as if she’d been put on the spot because she was wearing Amanda’s ring. Patrick had assumed she and Giles would eventually marry, and wondered how many more Wainwrights would come to the same conclusion. “We’ll probably have another two,” she said after a noticeable pause.

  “Why stop at three?” Patrick questioned. “Why not round it out and have four?”

  Giles dropped an arm over Mya’s shoulders. “Mya and I would like to wait until Lily’s walking and talking before we go back to changing diapers.”

  “I hear you, my brother.” The phone on Patrick’s desk rang. “I’m going to have to take that call. It’s nice meeting you, Mya. If the family doesn’t get to meet you and Lily before you guys go back to West Virginia, then it’s Thanksgiving for certain.”

  Mya noticed Pat’s office was empty when they retraced their steps to the elevator. “I hope folks don’t assume we’re engaged because I’m wearing your mother’s ring,” she said once they stepped into the car.

  Giles crossed his arms over his chest. “People will always draw their own conclusions. Once we’re officially engaged I’ll buy you a ring.”

  She held out her hand. “What’s wrong with this ring?”

  “Nothing. I just believe a woman should have her own ring.”

  “If my birthstone was a ruby rather than a pearl, I would definitely consider a ruby.”

  “When’s your birthday?”

  “June 12.”

  “The month for weddings and graduations.” He reached for her hand when the doors opened. If they married on her birthday, then he would have no excuse for forgetting their wedding anniversary. “Are you ready to go shopping now?”

  Mya smiled. “Of course.”

  “Do you know where you want to shop?”

  “Yes. I researched online and discovered a few shops on Madison Avenue that carry the labels I like.”

  “I hope I don’t come to regret this,” Giles mumbled under his breath.

  “I heard that, sport.”

  “I wanted you to, sweets. Are you the type of woman that has to try on a dozen dresses and then decides to buy the first one she tried on?”

  Mya rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.”

  Giles waved his hand and whistled sharply between his teeth to flag down a taxi. The driver came to a screeching stop at the curb. Giles opened the rear door and allowed Mya to enter, then slid onto the seat next to her. He gave the driver their destination and the driver took off as if he was racing in the Indy 500.

  Mya huddled closer to Giles. “I hope we’ll get there in one piece.”

  He buried his face in her hair. “New York City taxi drivers are notorious for weaving in and out of traffic.”

  She closed her eyes. “Let me know when we’re there.”

  * * *

  Mya found a boutique that carried the designs she favored. Several salesladies fussed over Giles as he sat in a comfortable chair in the seating area and was given green tea and sliced fruit while he watched a wall-mounted flat screen television.

  It was too early for cruise wear, but the salesperson said they still had some items in stock from the beginning of the year. She wanted a few outfits for when she went to the Bahamas with Giles. Mya preferred shopping in specialty shops because of the individual service and there weren’t endless racks of the same mass-produced dresses and blouses.

  It took more than an hour for her to try on dresses, jackets, slacks, blouses, shorts and several swimsuits. When the assistant helping asked if she wanted her boyfriend
to see her in anything, Mya told her no, because she wanted to surprise him. She wasn’t certain whether Thanksgiving and Christmas were semiformal events for the Wainwrights so she chose several dresses that she deemed appropriate. Mya thought about asking to see formal wear for the New Year’s Eve fund-raiser, and then changed her mind. She decided to wait until they came back for Thanksgiving to shop for a dress. It would signal the beginning of holiday shopping and she knew she would be able to select something appropriate for the event.

  “I suppose that’s it,” she said to the assistant who’d help her into and out of garments.

  The woman smiled. “I’ll take these up front while you get dressed.”

  When Mya emerged from the dressing room, she found Giles at the register as the cashier rang up her purchases. He pushed her hand away when she handed him her credit card. “Put that away,” he ordered between clenched teeth. He took it from her fingers and slipped it into his shirt pocket when she hesitated. “I’ll give it back later.”

  He turned back to the cashier, offering her a friendly smile. “Could you please have someone deliver these to my apartment?”

  The clerk glanced at the card he’d given her. “Of course, Mr. Wainwright. Is it all right if we deliver it tomorrow because deliveries for today are already out on the van?”

  “Of course.” He plucked a business card off the counter and jotted his name and address on the back.

  The woman glanced at the address. “It should arrive before noon.”

  “No problem. Let the driver know he can leave it with concierge.” He signed the receipt and returned the card to a case in his jacket’s breast pocket. “Let’s go, sweets. I don’t know about you but I’m hungry enough to eat half a cow.” He whistled for a taxi that sped by without stopping. “I’m going to order something and have it delivered to the apartment. What do you feel like eating?”