Protecting the Heiress

by Nana Malone

  "Jax, it's fine. You don't have to, you know, manny me or whatever."

  I laughed. "What does that even mean?"

  "I see you do it with Mayzie. Where you give that stern, authoritative look. And then you do the one thing she doesn’t want you to do, and somehow she's all happy about it." She crossed her arms. "Can't make me feel that way."

  I grinned. "How about we make a bet?"

  "Why do I get the impression I'm about to make a Faustian bargain here?"

  I shrugged. That was because she was. "I'll help you with whatever pain you have, and you tell me something about you. Growing up."

  She frowned. "What will I get , you know, when you're not able to fix me?"

  Good thing we never had to get to that point. “I know how to fix everything."

  I gently turned her back around so she was looking out over the grounds and into the distance at the water.

  "Why are you so… sure of yourself?"

  I had to laugh. "Part of me thinks that maybe you were going to say something other than sure of myself."

  "Okay, yeah, I was going to say cocky."

  I leaned forward. My lips almost against the shell of her ear. "You haven't seen me cocky, yet."

  Fuck, I was turning myself on. Or maybe it was her scent. I thought of a dozen ways I could plant her hands on the railing, kick her legs apart, lift up her skirt and sink deep. There was no one here now. I could have her begging for me in less than a minute.

  Oh, God, even better. Legs spread, me kneeling behind her, licking.

  Yes. Much better.

  "Jax?"

  I shook my head and blinked. "Yeah?"

  "Where'd you go, I thought you were the one who insisted on this massage, you know, my neck and my back."

  I couldn't help it, I finished the line for her. "Your pussy and your crack?"

  She choked out a laugh. "God, that song's the worst. Every now and again Bex will start humming it in the office and it's like the worst ear worm. You can't ever get it out of your head."

  "Back in London they made a drum and bass version of that song. It's actually really good. But when you hear it, you’ll find you’re singing it to yourself for days on end."

  "I don't need to hear any other version of that song. It's bad enough when Bex does it."

  "Come here.” I reached for her. Sliding my hands over her shoulders. God, I wanted to touch so much more.

  "No, it's fine, honestly. You don't have to." Her shoulders were stiff, and she clearly was uncomfortable with me touching her.

  "If you don't want me to touch you, I won't. I'll only do what you want me to do."

  Stop talking like you're having sex with her.

  It wasn't my fault. That was just my voice. It also happened to be the same voice I used when I was having sex, but that was hardly the point.

  She cleared her throat. "No, I just...” She turned slightly and gasped. "Oh my God, okay, yeah, please help me. I'll behave."

  "Was that so hard?"

  She shuddered and winced at the same time.

  Then I worked, sliding my thumb along her neck, all the way to the top of her shoulder and bent down until I hit that little knot next to her shoulder blade. My touch was light. I didn't apply much pressure at first.

  I wanted her to relax. To get used to me touching her. To feel good with me touching her.

  Dick: Mate, can we move this along? Because I'm about to turn blue if you don't do something.

  I wasn't listening to him. This was about a massage. Making her feel good.

  Dick: I have lots of ways of making her feel good.

  Again, ignore. Nothing to see here, folks.

  Dick: Except a really big me.

  I almost choked on my own joke. Instead, I gently massaged. Only applying more pressure once she was more insistent.

  "Oh my God. You are magic with your hands. What the hell are you doing to me?"

  "Just loosening those knots. You're going have to change the posture of how you work."

  "I know. I don't normally work on my couch. That’s not usually how I roll, but with this stupid ledger, I'm not able to work on it during the day, so at night I come and sit on the couch and try to figure it out. Clearly, that's not working well.”

  "Still don't know what it is?"

  "No. I'm starting to feel like I'm not as smart as I thought."

  "Something tells me you're smarter.”

  I was leaning over her now, and I was sure my breath was on the column of her throat. If I wasn't careful she was going to notice the hard ridge of my erection.

  "Come on, tell me about growing up. It'll help relax you."

  "I hardly think so."

  "Come on. You're already feeling better, which means I'm already winning this bet."

  "You know what, there would have been a time that you wouldn't have even known the level of my petty until it smacked you in the face."

  I chuckled. "Come on, just tell me."

  "Let's see, my dad. He used to make these puzzles all the time for me to figure out, and he’d leave them places for me to find, a little hidden treasure chest. I didn't recognize he was trying to make me smarter at the time. I guess but it was for the best. I always felt cherished and loved and had this great sense of satisfaction when I finally was able to solve the puzzle. Even though he knew things were hard for me with my mom gone, he always wanted me to have something that was just us, regardless of what was going on. But then he was gone too. He died when I was eight."

  Fuck. "Sorry.”

  She shrugged. "I turned out ok. I might not have had a lot of time with him, but it was quality time.”

  “You said things weren’t easy for you growing up? Before he died.”

  “Oh, he was always working on these high-profile projects. International spy stuff, you know. Took him traveling a lot. When he could, he’d take me, but there was always an armed guard around.” She shook her head. “As an adult I see they were there for his security, but they terrified me as a child. I might do what my father did, but he always wanted a simpler life. I wanted that for me too. Simple. I guess things have gotten a little complicated now, but I don’t want Mayzie to grow up like I did… afraid all the time.”

  You are an asshole. I swallowed hard. “She won’t.” The lie burned as I swallowed it.

  She changed the subject. “What about you? Who was Jax Reynolds as a little kid?"

  I frowned at that. "I don't know, I was a handful. Driven. I wanted to do well. But I had the tendency sometimes to get into trouble."

  "What, you, trouble? I doubt it."

  I hit another knot. And this time I did press hard, I applied more pressure with both my thumbs. She gasped. But the way she was standing, she was bracketed by my hips. "Relax. It will only hurt at first. Then it'll feel good. Just feel how I'm pushing in a way to dissipate."

  "That is, magic."

  "No not magic. Physical therapy. You should probably be getting more massages. And if that pain is a stress response, you have to find out how to reduce that."

  "I think you just reduced it for me."

  "Well, while I am perfectly happy to be your de-stressor at all times, I do have a baby to watch. So you're gonna have to figure out how to not let this happen again."

  Because if I ever put my hands on her again, I was stripping her naked. That was just the end of that.

  She rolled her shoulder. "Thank you. I don't even know what to say."

  "You don't have to say anything. When I told you I was here for you, I didn't just mean Mayzie. I really am here for the both of you."

  "You know, you're bossy, but you have your good points."

  I grinned at her. "Sweetheart, you haven't even seen bossy yet." Better I ease her into that idea. "If there is something you need, but you can't find a way, the whole point is you're supposed to call me. I'll take care of everything."

  She turned around slowly in my arms, licking her lips, her gaze falling on mine. It looked like she wanted to a
sk me something, and chances were it was inappropriate. So it was best we didn't go down that path.

  Because if she makes another innuendo joke, you're not gonna be able to let her go. And you'll show her just how bossy you are.

  "Well, thank you, you have made my life so much easier. And thank you for the massage too."

  I nodded slowly. "Go on and get some rest."

  "Is that you telling me what to do again?"

  I grinned. "Absolutely not. It's merely a strong suggestion."

  Neela…

  I was burning both ends against the middle. My company was on steadier ground now that I’d moved us to the guesthouse and cut expenses. It was alarming the things Richard had been spending money on.

  The last couple of weeks I’d started to get a handle on things again, which was surprising given everything that was going on.

  Adam and Bex were more than pulling their weight, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel. But I wasn’t out of the woods yet. I still had a lot of work to do.

  And I had that journal to crack, but I couldn’t afford to get preoccupied with anything right now.

  The problem was all the other areas of my life were winding down a shit spiral.

  The gallery was one thing. I’d have to hire someone to catalog all the pieces then get someone to put together a show. It was all well and good to have expensive pieces in a private collection, but they couldn’t just sit. Could they? Willa had obviously left plenty of money for Mayzie, so maybe they just could.

  But there had to be artists waiting to have their pieces shown. I wouldn’t know until I had someone catalog everything. The inventory records were complete, but someone needed to make sure everything was accounted for.

  I’d already spent the previous day trying to chase down a missing vase. And another client had called about a missing painting that was also supposed to have been delivered that Friday when Willa died.

  I had to call Dan Bipps to see if he had a lawyer that could handle these matters. Since I'd been named to take over as trustee of her estate in a year’s time, I felt like it was my responsibility. But I hadn't made promises I couldn't keep. I didn't know what happened to their art. All I knew was that I didn't have it.

  And last night, Mayzie hadn't slept. At all. Every two hours she'd woken up screeching the house down. But when I ran in to check on her, Jax was already there.

  This morning, he looked as haggard as I felt. Eyes red, but also happy to hold the baby. Once during the night, I’d walked in to find him completely shirtless, which was... good grief. That man was dangerous. Super dangerous. He shouldn't be walking around shirtless or someone could spy that intricate shoulder tattoo, or you know, lick his abs. He'd turned around confused, as if surprised to find me there. He held her sweetly, calming her down. "Is she teething?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, the stuff I rubbed on her teeth wears off after a couple of hours, and she wakes up pretty pissed off about it. Don't you, Mayzie? You don't like your gums hurting, huh?"

  The way he crooned to the baby was as if he was meant to do that. Absolutely meant to be a father. Or in this case, a manny.

  He's not your manny to keep.

  That morning we were both silent, exhausted, and Mayzie was still cranky.

  And after that, I'd had the day from hell. There was another missing painting, a client that wanted a complete change in scope, and I walked in the house to find Mayzie screeching her head off, again.

  I went straight to her, but when I got within a step of her, she threw her block at me.

  I stared down at it, my own tears welling from frustration and exhaustion.

  Jax knelt by her immediately. His voice was low, gentle, but admonishing. "Mayzie, love. That's unacceptable behavior. We do not throw things at Mommy."

  Mayzie blinked her teary eyes several times, wailing even more. She hadn't expected that he would scold her. Not that he was even yelling. But he never used a stern voice with her.

  He picked her up, carried her to the corner of the kitchen, and sat her on the little stool. "Everyone needs a time out."

  Cue the ‘I’m dying’ wailing. It was as if he'd spanked her.

  All I could do was stare at the little green block on the floor. Jax walked over to me. Gently he rubbed my lower back. "Are you okay?"

  "Of course, I'm okay. She's a baby. I just—it’s been a day."

  Much like my new daughter, I felt like wailing too. That thing in my upper nasal cavity prickled and warned me that tears were imminent if I couldn't get myself together. "I just don't know what to do. I am failing at everything right now, and Mayzie throwing blocks at me just seems like extra icing on this shit cake."

  His voice was firmer as he continued to ignore her crying. "She's a baby. She's going to throw things. You can't take it personally. Just like you don't take the poop personally, except for that time after Mommy and Me. It was like she reached for me deliberately so she could poop in my arms. But I digress."

  My lips twitched. What was it about him that could put me at ease and immediately take my mind off of everything?

  "I just—I can't fail at this too, you know? My whole life, I have liked order and things that are nice and neat. Obviously, having a baby is very different. It's not even like I never wanted babies, I just haven't really had the time or my ideal partner. And now that I do have a baby, all she does is screech at me."

  "That's all you're seeing right now because she's upset and her teeth hurt. She doesn’t know how to channel pain, so she's going to scream.

  Go on. upstairs, with you. Take a shower, and I'll bring you a glass of wine."

  "Bossy.”

  His smile was wry. “I know.”

  I tried to fight his commands. “No, I need to figure out dinner."

  He leveled his gaze on me calmly. “No. You’re having a bath. I fed Mayzie and gave her a bath already. I just had her down here so she could see you before she went to bed. Is this the time you want to argue with me?"

  I was too tired to fight. "Fine. But only because I’m exhausted.”

  The tears were dangerously close, so I walked over to the corner and kissed Mayzie on the forehead. And then I bolted. I was going to the shower to cry in peace, and then I'd feel much better.

  Famous last words.

  Jax…

  I laid the baby down. She was still fussing, but she found her thumb and was sucking on it. Poor little thing. "I know the gums hurt, love. I've put medicine on it, so you can get some sleep, okay? How about you let your mummy get some rest, yeah? And me too? It would be bloody brilliant."

  I was knackered. I needed the little angel to sleep. First so I could catch some sleep, but also because I needed to finish up the research into Neela’s ex. I hadn’t had much time during the day because the little angel was in a right mood.

  We were short staffed. Ariel was jumping in where she could, and we had two new team members being recruited, but having no time off from the little one was difficult.

  Are you sure no time off from your boss isn't the problem?

  Not that I particularly wanted time off from her, but being this close all the time was making me just a little obsessed with her. Her no nonsense stride, her complete business-like efficiency with her body. Nothing wasted. Nothing stiff. Somehow fluid like a dancer.

  I could smell her through the house. The honey and lime scent was unique to her. The little one mostly smelled like baby and nappies. But Neela… her scent might as well lure me to the rocks like a siren's call.

  When she'd been about to lose it and start crying, I could tell all she needed was a moment. And honestly, Mayzie was having a moment of her own. Her teeth hurt. She hadn't been sleeping. She really wanted a biscotti. And while it might feel good on her teeth, it wasn't particularly healthy.

  I’d given up and given it to her. But when I did, she threw it at me. She’d had enough, but at least she was finally resting.

  I could hear the shower going as I charged up the s
tairs with the wine. I already knew the layout of all the rooms upstairs, and with the shower going the door would be closed, and I could just shuffle into the bedroom and leave the wine on the bedside table. Easy peasy. I knocked softly, just in case she was in the bedroom. But there was no sound, so I walked in and deposited the wine as promised.

  She'd feel better after a drink. And maybe I could get her to tell me what was going on. From the sounds of it, there were problems with the gallery. From what I'd seen of Willa MacKenzie's financials, there was no way she was raking in that kind of money with art alone. I’d never met the woman, but I hated her already for pulling her unsuspecting friend and the beautiful baby that deserved better into some kind of shady dealings.

  I strained to hear if maybe Neela was one of those people who sang in the shower, but she wasn't. It was silent, and I quietly exited the room, turning around softly so as to not alarm her. When I whipped back around to walk back down the hall, my body slammed into something soft. Warm. Slippery and wet.

  And my dick was all about it.

  "Oh my God." She scrambled for the towel as she fell backward. I scrambled for her. I caught her easily, rolling us both as she landed on top of me. But that meant my hands were on her naked, well, arse. I put the towel onto her back. "Sorry." I averted my gaze and deliberately looked anywhere but at her.

  "What are you doing in my bedroom?"

  "I was leaving you a glass of wine."

  "Oh. There were no towels. I guess the cleaning crew came and they moved everything to the pantry, even though I left a stack in my bathroom. There were no towels in there, so I ran to get one, and I didn't think you'd come upstairs..."

  I could do this. I could gently roll her over, grab one of the towels, and cover her body. Easy. I could do that. The problem was now I knew what she felt like, and as quick as the glance had been, I knew exactly what she looked like naked. In that split second, I had cataloged every mole, every freckle, the muscles of her abdomen, how high her breasts were, and the curve of her hip. I'd memorized it all.

  I cleared my throat. "Ahem, we're going to—I’m going to roll you over now. And then I'll get the towel and cover you."