Tempting the Heiress

by Martha Kennerson

  Griffin pulled his hand free and used the knuckle of his index finger to raise Felicia’s chin. “No, my mother was planning on me proposing to Jia. That’s over.”

  “Since when?” She quirked an eyebrow.

  “Since you informed me that we share a child. I’m not in love with Jia. She’s not the woman I want,” Griffin explained.

  Felicia shook her head. “No, I didn’t want that.”

  “This is no longer about what either of us wants. It’s about what’s best for Alyia—and that’s to have both of her parents in her life full-time. Will you at least think about it?”

  No, she thought but said, “Sure, but I make no promises.”

  Griffin smiled. “I don’t need promises, only compliance,” he whispered before plying her with a tamer kiss.

  Chapter 18

  Felicia was sitting with her back against the headboard, holding one of the hotel’s designer pillows to her chest as her mind replayed all the events from the previous night, when her phone began dancing across the nightstand. She double-checked the time on her alarm clock, knowing it was early as the sun was barely breaking through the darkness of the sky. For a moment she was consumed by fear, because the last time she’d received a call this early in the morning from this very number, she was told about her father’s heart attack, an attack that had forced his early semiretirement.

  “Mom, is everything okay?” she asked, springing forward and tossing the pillow to the side.

  Victoria Blake was the girls’ mother and go-to person for all things emotional.

  “Yes, darling. I just thought we could have a nice chat before both our days get too crazy.”

  “At seven in the morning?” she asked.

  “You’re up and so am I,” she responded nonchalantly.

  “Yes, but how did you know that I would be up?” Felicia asked, sitting back against the headboard.

  “A mother knows these things. Do you need a moment to get some coffee or, better yet, tea?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine. Where’s Dad, Mom? If you’re up, I know he is, too.”

  Victoria laughed. “He’s out for his morning walk. How’s our beautiful grandbaby doing?”

  “She’s wonderful, such a happy child.”

  “That’s all any mother can ask for. Now, how are you? I know you’re still trying to get used to all of this...becoming an instant mother and all.”

  “I really don’t know how you did it with three of us at once.” Felicia adjusted the pillow behind her. “I know how really fortunate we are to have all these resources at our disposal but that doesn’t...”

  “But it doesn’t help with the uncertainty about your decisions, the fear that you’re screwing up and that you could permanently damage your child. A child you love more than your own life. Am I close?” Victoria prompted.

  “Close? You nailed it. How did you know? You couldn’t have felt that way. You were absolutely the perfect mom,” Felicia insisted, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

  Victoria laughed and sighed. “Oh, sweetheart...you really are a dear one, but I was far from perfect. And, yes, we have it financially easier than most, but that doesn’t help with the emotional aspect of being a mom, especially a new mom, instantly and unexpectedly, at that.”

  “Ms. Ellen is great, but I’m afraid Alyia has been, and may have to continue to, spend more time with her than me. My job requires so much time, not to mention all the required travel.”

  “Remember money brings options. They can go with you wherever you travel. Now, I won’t lie...no one can replace the time that a child spends with its mother—”

  “That’s another thing I’m worried about. Valerie is—was—her mother and I’m just someone she sort of picked to raise her.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Victoria’s voice rose slightly. “Blood gives us the physical connection. Love gives us the relationship. When you first returned home with that beautiful angel in your arms, I could see it, the connection...the love. I’ve seen you interact with Alyia, and your love for each other just shines through. As far as how much time you devote to motherhood? Well, you know how I feel about that. You just have to figure out what works best for you.”

  “Great, you think I should devote my life to raising her, too? What about the career I’ve worked so hard for?”

  The line went silent for several moments before Victoria said, “Um, I’ve been here before.”

  “Excuse me,” Felicia said.

  “I’m having a déjà vu moment. Look, sweetheart, a lot of women have fulfilling careers and have wonderfully happy home lives, too. You can have both, with or without a partner.”

  “I was waiting to see how long it would take before you asked about Griffin,” Felicia responded, laughing.

  “I figured you’ll tell us when there’s something to tell.”

  Felicia knew there wasn’t much her mother was willing to keep from their father. “Nothing’s been settled yet, but Griffin wants for us to raise Alyia together.” That’s enough information for now. Anything more would send them both over the edge.

  “Well, that’s a great start. Children need both parents in their life. Speaking of which, your father is back. Hold on for a second.”

  “How was your walk?” Felicia heard her mother ask. After nearly a minute she finally heard her mother say, “Wow, that good?”

  Felicia knew that meant her father had just treated her mother to one of his breathtaking, heart-stopping kisses, as her mother described them, that they often shared regardless of who was around.

  “Still there, darling?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “Stop worrying. Whatever you decide to do will be what’s best for both you and Alyia. Now, your father wants to speak to you,” she said.

  Victoria tried to muffle the phone for a little privacy by covering the receiver, but Felicia still heard her mother say, “If we’re going to try to make it to the early morning church service, make this call quick, so you don’t have to be too quick,” she said, giggling. “Otherwise you’ll just have to wait until we get back home.”

  “Eww...”

  “How’s my baby girl?” Frank Blake, chairman of the board of Blake and Montgomery, asked.

  “I was doing fine until Mom’s little overshare. She really has to learn how to use the mute button on that expensive phone system we bought you guys for Christmas last year.”

  “I won’t keep you long,” he said, his excitement clear.

  “I bet,” she murmured, shivering.

  “What’s up with Boy Wonder?”

  “We’re still working on it. Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.”

  “I have no doubt that you will, and if you need me to help him figure things out for you, just let me know.”

  Felicia laughed. “Yes, sir.”

  “Now, for a little business.” He transitioned.

  “Business?” Felicia sat forward with her elbow resting on her leg and her face in her left hand.

  “Yes. You haven’t attended a board meeting in I don’t know how long.”

  “Yes, but Francine—”

  “Francine is not you. She may have your proxy, but you need to make an appearance from time to time. This is your company, too, remember.”

  Her father’s words struck a chord. Felicia’s work meant the world to her, but so did her family. She felt bad about taking the easy way out and giving Francine her proxy. Everyone had made every effort to accommodate her schedule so she could attend the meetings and play a more active role in her family’s company. While the majority of the dates were just impossible, there were times that she could have made adjustments.

  “Yes, sir.” Felicia reached over to cut off the alarm that had just started going off. “I understand a
nd I’ll try to do better.”

  “Good.”

  “On that note, I’m going to go get in a workout before Alyia wakes up.”

  “Me, too...” Frank said.

  “Gross...”

  “Bye, baby girl. Love you.”

  “Bye, Dad.”

  Felicia shook her head as she dropped the call. As crazy as she thought her parents were for their tendency to overshare their love life, Felicia had to admit that she was both proud and a little envious of what they had. She could actually envision that type of relationship with Griffin. Felicia smiled at the idea of providing a few uncomfortable moments for their daughter.

  She quickly changed into her workout gear, grabbed a bottle of water and headed down to the gym.

  Chapter 19

  A few hours later Felicia sat cross-legged on the floor with Alyia and watched as she tried to master the art of crawling. When Alyia couldn’t make her hands and knees work the way she wanted, she settled for rolling toward her target. In this instance, it was Felicia.

  “Almost, baby girl,” she cheered.

  Felicia’s iPad chimed as she reached and brought Alyia up into her arms. “Let’s see who’s calling us.”

  Felicia placed her iPad on the coffee table and accepted the incoming video call. She tickled and kissed Alyia as she waited for it to connect.

  “There’s my beautiful niece,” Francine said.

  “Well, hello to you, too,” Felicia teased the green-eyed reflection of herself.

  “Sorry. Hello, sister dear.”

  “Hi, Felicia. Bye, Felicia,” a familiar but out of sight voice said from somewhere behind Francine; he didn’t come within the camera’s range.

  “Hi, Meeks. Where is he?” Felicia asked her sister, trying to see past her through the small screen.

  “He’s leaving,” Francine informed her.

  “Let me guess. He’s going on a food run,” she stated between laughs.

  “Alyia, tell your mother to leave your auntie alone.”

  Both sisters laughed at Alyia’s puzzled expression as her gaze darted between her mother and Francine on the screen. “Do you think we confuse her too much when we get together like this?”

  “Of course,” Felicia said, rubbing her nose against Alyia’s cheek. “She’ll pick up on the differences soon enough.”

  “If you say so.” Francine sighed and winced as she rubbed her stomach with the palm of her hand.

  “How are you doing?” Felicia frowned at the squint in her sister’s eyes that signaled the two babies she carried were giving her a hard time.

  “I’m doing all right. I just hate having to be on partial bed rest. My babies are fighting for space and I’m ready to evict them with the quickness.”

  Instant motherhood, though not in the traditional sense, had been an unexpected joy for Felicia. She was thankful every day for the loving relationship she’d developed with Alyia. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder what it might have been like to have Griffin’s child growing in her belly with him at her side.

  Felicia laughed as she rocked from side to side, mimicking Alyia’s actions. “You only have a couple more months to go and the longer they stay put, the better.”

  “I know, Doctor, I know,” Francine groaned, bringing a glass of juice to her mouth.

  “So what do I owe this call to, or do I need to even ask?”

  “No, you don’t,” Francine said before bringing the glass back to her lips for another sip.

  “Okay...”

  “So, how did things go last night?” Francine asked before putting a piece of fruit in her mouth. “Did you get Griffin to agree to some type of custody arrangement?”

  Felicia knew she’d be hearing from one of her sisters this morning, but she had expected it to be Farrah. “Things went about how you’d expect and, no, we didn’t come to any agreement on custody. However, Griffin did propose marriage.”

  Francine held the glass midway to her lips. “What?” She blinked several times then placed the glass on the table next to her chair. “He proposed to you?”

  “No, I said he proposed that we get married...for Alyia’s sake. He wants to give her a proper environment to grow up in with both parents playing active and full-time roles.” Felicia placed a fidgeting Alyia back on her toy-filled blanket.

  “A marriage of convenience. Why would he want such a thing?” Felicia’s gaze left the screen for a moment. “What aren’t you saying?”

  Felicia knew she wouldn’t be able to keep this from her sister. “There wouldn’t be anything convenient about that marriage at all.”

  “Wait, are you saying he wants a real marriage? With sex and everything?” Francine stopped rocking in her chair. A mixture of curiosity and excitement was coming through loud and clear.

  Griffin’s kiss popped into Felicia’s mind. The way he’d held her in his arms, caressed her face, ran his tongue across her lips... She released a deep sigh.

  “Felicia. Felicia!” Francine yelled.

  “What?”

  “Yes, ‘what’?” Francine’s eyes narrowed. “Did you—?”

  “Of course not,” she replied, and couldn’t help the color that flamed her face. “We just kissed.”

  Francine laughed. “Must’ve been some kiss.”

  “Knock, knock...excuse me,” Ms. Ellen said as she entered the room holding a small cup and spoon. “It’s time for this little one’s midmorning snack. Is it all right if I take her?”

  Alyia squealed in delight at the sight of what Ms. Ellen held in her hand. “Looks like it,” Felicia said, laughing.

  “Hello, Ms. Francine,” Ms. Ellen said, smiling and waving at the screen. “How you feeling?”

  “Big. Huge, actually,” she replied, rubbing her stomach to illustrate her point. “Thanks for asking.”

  Ms. Ellen laughed. “Well, you look lovely.” She reached down and scooped up a bouncing Alyia. “Ready for some applesauce?”

  “See you later, sweetie.” Felicia kissed Alyia on the cheek before whispering in her ear, “Mommy loves you.”

  “Bye, Auntie’s baby,” Francine called after them. “You couldn’t be a better mother if you’d given birth to her.”

  “Thanks, sis,” she whispered, warmed by the compliment.

  “Now, what’s really going on with you?” Francine asked.

  “Nothing’s going on,” she said in a low tone, reflecting on the last exchange. “It was just a kiss and I have no intention of marrying Griffin or anyone else unless I’m in love.”

  “Looks to me like you’re halfway there now,” Francine teased.

  “I. Am. Not...sure what I am.” Felicia felt the heat rise from her neck and continue upward, but she refused to drop her eyes. That would certainly give away more than she intended.

  “You’re definitely in like or something. Your face lights up just talking about him. That kiss you were ‘thinking’ about got me excited.” She used her right hand to fan herself, then playfully looked over her shoulder. “Where is my husband when I need him?”

  Felicia ignored her sister’s amusement at her expense. “Okay, I’ll own up that I might have more than just friendly feelings for Griffin, but I’m still not marrying him.”

  “Good,” she said, brushing a wayward curl from her face. “So what are you going to do now that you’ll be accepting that promotion?”

  “How do you know?” she said, paused and added, “Never mind. I still haven’t completely made up my mind.”

  Francine adjusted the pillow behind her back. “You will. Your career, your research, is a big part of who you are. This promotion is just too good not to accept.”

  “You’re right. Medical biochemistry addresses the causes of cancer and a host of other genetic diseases, not to men
tion the thousands of biochemical weapons that get created every day.” Felicia had had a single focus ever since she’d accepted the position at the CIA, and that had been to protect her country at all costs.

  Felicia’s smile widened. “Just think, I’ll be heading a group of brilliant-minded people in this newly developed...what?” Felicia asked, watching Francine’s mouth curve into a big smile. “What is it? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just so very proud of you. You’re so passionate about your work and I rarely get to see that side of you, is all.”

  “I am passionate about my work, but I’m more passionate about being a good mother to Alyia. I just have to figure out a way to balance it all.”

  “You will, sweetie.” Francine leaned back in her chair, laughing. “Now that you’ve skillfully distracted me, back to my question. What are you going to do about Griffin?”

  Felicia brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I have an idea, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  Chapter 20

  Felicia pulled her new red Mercedes-AMG CLA, another welcome-home gift from her sisters, into the hospital parking lot; she was meeting Griffin for lunch.

  Felicia came alive walking the halls of Grady Memorial Hospital, the largest in the state of Georgia. Felicia might not be on staff, wearing her scrubs and stethoscope or working in a subpar facility on the other side of the world, but the white walls and sparkling floors made her feel right at home. The hustle and bustle of doctors and nurses trying to care for their patients, especially on a Monday morning, was a welcome and familiar sight.

  “Dr. Blake?”

  Felicia looked back in the direction from which her name had been called. “Yes?”

  “Dr. Blake, I’m Dr. Trent Green, chief of staff,” said a tall man with ivory skin and muscles everywhere. “Welcome to Grady Memorial.”

  Felicia quickly racked her brain, trying to place where she might have met this man, built like a bodybuilder in training. Before she could fill in the blanks, the mystery was solved.