“What about your family? Will they hate me for it?”
“Definitely not nearly as much as your father hates me. My sister already adores you, and I’m sure my mother will love you once things settle down with her. As for my dad, Lord Greyson, he’s a pompous ass. I don’t think he even likes himself. He has no interest in my happiness or anyone else’s. He’s just riding the coattails of my grandfather’s past, like he could be someone.”
“So…Viscount, do you live in a castle and play an organ, counting to twenty?”
“Twenty?”
“Well, maybe not the counting and organ playing, but you live in a castle, though, don’t you, or at least grew up in one?”
“No, just a regular house, it was bigger than this place, but I think everywhere is bigger than this place,” I teased.
“So no creepy castle like Count von Count?”
I didn’t know who this count was, but he sounded weird if he had a fascination with counting to twenty. “Who is this count you speak of?”
“You know, Count von Count. Everyone knows him. He’s famous for his counting. He lives in a castle. Are you sure you don’t have a castle somewhere? Maybe your family doesn’t live there because it’s drafty. It seems like a count should have one.”
“I’m a viscount, my father is an earl, and my mother is a countess. There are no castles anywhere in our family. I grew up in a house. I live in a regular flat in London. I’ve never heard of this Count von Count. I think someone has been lying to you and should be reported.”
She waved me off. “No, he’s a count, just not your kind.”
“Not my kind, like Scandinavian?”
“Sesame Street,” she stated plainly, like she made sense. “He has a castle and lives on Sesame Street,” she tried to clarify and failed.
“Here in the states?”
“He’s part of a kid’s show.”
She grabbed her laptop and pulled up a video of a puppet singing about numbers while playing an organ. “Is he a vampire?”
“Yes, are you a vampire? Is that part of being a count?” she teased. I realized she’d been messing with me this whole time.
“I’m a viscount, it’s a lesser title, and no, you don’t need to be a vampire.” I leaned over, sucking on her neck. “I could be a vampire if you want me to be.” Her hand gripped my thigh, much like she had in the past. I knew I couldn’t push her for more, but it felt like she wanted more at times.
“We need to see about getting Penelope’s passport,” I said, trying to distract myself from the hand on my thigh.
“I’m sure there won’t be a problem getting it. Mine’s still good for a few more years.”
“Wonderful, I’m not leaving until she’s cleared to travel with us. Maybe we could put a rush on things. I know it’s possible. We’ll have to look it up.”
She grabbed her laptop and started pulling up the information. From the looks of things, I had to establish parentage before we could apply for her. That sent us on to another site and another list of information we had to gather, so we could have me added to the birth certificate. It was going to take longer than I’d thought it would.
I’d be in New York for another two weeks, working with Jackson Enterprises, and then I’d have to use my holiday leave to cover the time to wait for Penelope’s passport to come through.
I had a feeling it was going to be maddening.
Chapter 12 - Interference
WILLIAM
"So, are you ready to officially become Penelope's father?" Hannah asked me.
"Yes, that's something I'm very much looking forward to," I answered sincerely. I would’ve thought it’d make me nervous to step into the shoes of a father, but Penelope made it easy.
"So, when they ask you your name, are you going to tell them Lord William?" she teased.
I put my hands over my face, resenting that title. "I don't think they have a place to write lord, or viscount. If they did, I’d be inclined not to use it."
To officially become Penelope's father, and have my name listed on her birth certificate, we needed to take a paternity test. Once that was done, we could get her passport. As her parents, we both had to physically show up with our child. We had to have the papers filled out, a picture of her for her passport, and photo ID's for Hannah and I, proving we were the people listed on her birth certificate. It was so complicated and simple at the same time. We’d made appointments for Penelope and me at a clinic that afternoon. We’d printed out the forms we needed and completed them. It looked like my mother was going to get her wish.
I had no doubt in my mind that Penelope was my daughter, but it’d be nice to have an official paper confirming she was. I wouldn’t put it past my father to try and tamper with things, if he found out we were having a test done.
We were discussing what to eat for lunch, when Hannah slid into my lap and straddled me. She started to kiss me without warning and rubbing against me. Her shirt was whipped off, and I thought for a moment I was dreaming. The only thing that proved I wasn't was her phone ringing and interrupting us. "I have to check that to make sure it's not the school." She looked at the screen and frowned.
"What is it?"
"It's Brody."
My hackles raised, I didn't like that another man was calling her. "Is he gay?" I hoped.
"No," she said it like it was preposterous.
"Are you going to answer it?"
She shrugged and put the phone on speaker. "Hey, Brody." She kissed my cheek and pulled her shirt back on. I realized she knew I was feeling insecure. It was strange how we had a way of reading each other.
"Can you tell me why your dad is freaking out? He called me to tell me to feed the neighbor's cat!"
"The neighbor's cat?" I wondered. It sounded like her father really was mad. I was relieved to hear Brody lived out of the state.
"Mrs. Meleski has arthritis, she can't open the cans anymore," Hannah explained.
"Who's that?" Brody asked.
"It's William, I have you on speaker phone," she half introduced me.
"I thought your friend's name was Carter?"
"I do have a friend named Carter, but this is William Greyson, my boyfriend," she answered him more thoroughly. I wanted to be more than just a boyfriend, though. I wanted to be her husband or a fiancé at least. We'd get there sooner rather than later, if I had anything to say about it.
"A boyfriend, should I come rough him up, so he knows to treat you right?"
"He treats me wonderfully, there's no reason to rough him up."
"Alright, but let me know if there is. You know I’d hop the next plane for you. Speaking of which, what the hell is going on with your dad?"
"He's freaking out about William."
"Why, is William a convict or something?"
"No..." Hannah started to answer, but I cut in.
"I'm Penelope's father."
"No shit? Where the hell have you been? I should kick your ass for leaving her like you did. I'm with Scott on this one, he needs his ass…"
"Brody Hawkins, stop it right now! It's not what you think! For heaven's sake, I can only guess you never heard of or met William Greyson."
"No, or I would've tracked him down years ago. You took off with him the same day you met him. We were never introduced."
"And you never met him when I was missing?"
"Your dad had me manning the house phone and organizing search parties."
"William met my father. My dad knew who he was this whole time! He didn't want me to be with him. My father lied to me and said he didn't know who William was, and William thought I was dead for the past seven years, because no one ever let him know I’d been found."
I hated that fact. Just remembering the way it’d felt when I’d believed I’d lost her for good tore me apart.
"Why didn't he keep looking?"
"My dad wouldn't let him. He drove him out of the country and wouldn't let him come back to look."
"What changed
, then? This all sounds kind of fishy, Hannah, are you sure this joker isn't taking you for a ride?"
"No, he isn't. There's a paternity test planned for this afternoon, so we can get him listed on the birth certificate."
I really didn't want that information getting out. "Could you please not mention the DNA test to anyone? I don't want to risk interference," I requested.
"You think she's lying?" he accused me.
"No, far from it. I'm sure Penelope is mine, but Hannah's father isn't the only one who can cause problems. My father isn't too keen on me settling down in the states."
"He's not?"
"No, but I'm not leaving Hannah again, for anything."
He hemmed and hawed for a moment and finally spoke again. "I want to meet this guy, Hannah. I want to be sure things are really fine, and he's not some joker trying to…"
"He's not, Brody, and you know you're always welcome to my couch."
"Let me see if I can get Lisa to feed the cat, and I'll come out to check on you and hopefully keep Scott out of trouble. The man was going nuts, getting all religious, crying out 'Lord' this and that. I didn't realize he was so into Jesus."
I looked over at Hannah nervously. I think we both knew Scott wasn't praising God.
"I'm sure we can use another person on our side right now, and honestly, I want my house full, so I don't have to put my father up." I knew a storm was brewing, if her father was on his way here. I hoped my parents didn't decide to do the same thing and show up on her doorstep, too.
HANNAH
I pulled William to bed, needing to cuddle. I hated that our parents were making such a big deal out of us being together. We were adults, full grown in our late twenties…heck, William was almost thirty. We weren't silly young kids anymore. What we had between us was none of their business. Even though I knew all of that, it still hurt to be so resented by others.
I curled up next to him, and he held me close. His hands were in safe places like always. If it wasn't for his eyes roaming my body now and again, I wouldn't think he was attracted to me. I knew William was a gentleman, though. He always had been, and that hadn’t changed. He hadn’t made a move before, and I knew he wouldn't until I let him know I was ready. I had to be the one to initiate the shift in our relationship. I wanted more, I needed more.
I climbed over his body, straddling him and leaning over, kissing him softly. I took off my shirt and my bra. He shifted under me. I was sure it was to keep me from feeling how hard he was. I purposefully reached down and grabbed him. He was rock hard. His hands were squeezing my thighs, as he groaned and squirmed.
"I think it's time for us to explore the rest of the relationship we used to have," I told him, as I leaned in for another kiss.
He flipped us and was hovering over me, attacking every inch of my body, begging me for more. That I remembered, his frantic need for me, was a very clear memory. He could never get enough of me.
He had me completely stripped, his mouth everywhere, leading down to my favorite place. I had to slow him down. We needed to run to the store for condoms. I was about to speak, when he bit my thigh, making me cry out, and then I was full of him. No hesitation, no words, just buried deep, with his eyes rolled back, like he’d just found home. His arms came up around me, holding me to him. We kissed and panted, he whispered that he loved me. My body was screaming for him to move the moment he entered me. It knew him. It recognized that he belonged inside of me. I was his, and that was why I’d never wanted anyone else. That was why I knew no one could ever satisfy me like he could.
Brody arrived the next morning and let us know my dad was due in that evening. We were lucky he’d somehow been able to get a flight out before him. Brody had taken a cab to my little store. When William saw me hurry out and hug Brody, he slipped by us and paid the driver.
"You didn't have to do that," Brody said with a smile.
"Hannah said she considers you her family. I would've picked you up, but I don't feel comfortable driving on these roads." William glared at a passing car.
"You're going to have to get used to driving on the right side of the road eventually. I'm not going to be your chauffeur the rest of your life," I taunted.
"You and your stating the obvious," William fussed and kissed my cheek. "Come on, then. Brody, do you have any more luggage?"
"Nah, this is it. I'm a guy, I travel light."
William held the door open for us, and I led the way up to the apartment. "You can put your bag in Penelope's room. I was just getting ready to start lunch. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah," he scoffed at me, like I was silly. I slipped into the kitchen to make something to eat, but did my best to stay quiet, so I could listen to their exchange.
"William, it's nice to meet you."
"You're not gay, but Hannah said you're married, so I guess it's nice to meet you, too." That caused Brody to laugh, and I knew things would be alright after that.
Over lunch, we explained the mess my dad had caused and how he’d kept William away. I was also surprised to learn that William had not given up on finding me. He apparently had employed a team of private investigators to look for me. His father had had him scale it back little by little over the years, so he was down to one man, but he’d still been looking for me the whole time.
"So, if she wasn't really dead or kidnapped, then why didn't your guys find her?" Brody asked.
It looked like something clicked in William's head, and his brow furrowed. He suddenly looked furious. He stormed out of the room, and we didn't have to strain to hear what happened after that. It was obvious he’d called his father. The way he was shouting at him at the top of his lungs over the phone led me to believe he’d trusted his father with helping him look for me.
"That bastard, that bloody rotten bastard!" It sounded like William was off the phone. I decided to go check on him. "He knew! He knew this whole damn time where you were. They'd found you, and he didn't say a damn thing to me! He's been having the reports forged. Can you believe it? You'd think the bloody bastard would've gotten a damn clue after seven years of me not wanting anyone but you!" He threw his phone, but luckily it landed on the couch, instead of smashing on the floor. "I was so stupid. I can't believe he'd…no, I can. I was so dense to believe he'd care, that he'd see how much I was suffering when I lost you and actually give a damn!"
I touched his arm, hoping to settle him down. He scooped me up into his arms and hugged me hard. I could feel his tears on my neck. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I could've found you sooner."
"This is some messed up Romeo and Juliet stuff on crack." We both looked over at Brody, and I was so glad he'd broken the tense mood. "So, your dad never told you William's name once you woke up, and his dad never told him he'd found you. What the heck is wrong with your dads? Why wouldn't they want you to be happy?"
"My dad’s a stupid jackass who thinks foreigners are out to kill Americans, and William's a viscount."
"A…huh?"
"He's a viscount. His father wants him to be with a Lady."
"You got boobs. That qualifies you as a lady in my book," Brody said crassly.
William yanked me back against him, glaring at Brody. Both of William's hands covered my breasts, like he was trying to hide them from Brody's view. "I liked you better when you were gay."
Brody and I busted up laughing. I pushed William back to the couch and climbed into his lap. I kissed the silly scowl off his face.
"So, when your dad comes, I'm just gonna tell him he's nuts and to leave. It's obvious you're happy, and the way William's eyes are stuck on you, it's pretty clear how he feels about you," Brody grinned.
"I don't think it's going to be that simple, but thank you for your support." I hoped Brody could keep things civil. I had a feeling William was going to lose it worse than me when my dad showed up.
Chapter 13 – Visitors
HANNAH
I could only guess my father had gotten in later than expected and knew better than to come to m
y apartment looking for a place to sleep. Penelope was thrilled her Uncle Brody had come to visit and wondered where her Aunt Lisa was. We let her talk to Lisa on the phone after dinner. Brody also took the time to inform Lisa that William was not a serial killer or a fraud. He also made sure my dad had left his firearms at home.
Brody helped me in the kitchen with the dinner dishes. He was quiet, and I realized it was because he was listening to William read Penelope a book.
"She has him brush out her hair, and then he reads a book 'to help her feel better' afterwards," I explained.
"He's really good with her."
"They just clicked when they met. She knew who he was right away. He's an amazing father, Brody. It hurts to think of how much time she's missed out on with him. It's not fair." I broke down crying.
"Hannah," William appeared, sounding worried. I quickly moved from Brody’s arms to his, crying softly into his chest. "What happened?" he asked Brody.
"She was just wishing you’d been there from the beginning for Penelope," he answered sadly.
"Oh, beautiful, so do I. I don't ever want to miss another day with her, or you." He tipped my chin up and kissed me lightly. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere. Do you maybe have some pictures of Penelope when she was a baby?"
I perked up, thrilled that I could give him that much. We sat on the couch and flipped through the pictures I had on my laptop. All the beginning ones were at Ophelia's apartment. I looked so young and scared. If it hadn’t been for Ophelia, I would've been completely lost when it came to caring for Penny. She was the one who’d started calling her Penny, and it stuck for the most part. I noticed William's eyes watered a little, when we made it to the toddling pictures. I explained that they were of her first steps. I played a short video of me coaxing her to let go of the coffee table. His arms tightened around me. I hated that my father had taken that memory from him. He'd never get to experience it with her.
When Brody started yawning, we knew it was time to vacate the couch and let him get some rest. William led me to our room, kissing me softly. I started to undress him, and he tried to slow me down. "Hannah, we have company."
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