The Doctor's Secret Bride (1) by Ana E. Ross Read Free Book Online

managed to straighten her dress just as Precious bolted into the room.  She wondered how Erik was doing.  She couldn’t even look at him.
    “You look beautiful, Precious,” Erik said to his daughter, desperately needing any sound to break the steamy silence in the room.  His voice shook so hard, he was afraid she would realize that something was wrong.  She was too intuitive for her own good, and his.  He dropped to the floor on one knee, placing his arms across his thighs in an effort to hide his arousal.
    Precious had changed into a floral printed dress, but the two strips of cotton that would later become a bow in the back, hung down at her sides.  She wore pink suede sandals, no socks.
    “Daddy, your eyes are all red.  Is something wrong?  Were you crying?”
    “No darling.  Daddy’s just excited about our date tonight.”
    Satisfied, she ran over to the window.  “Can you please tie my bow, Michelle?”
    Michelle took a deep breath before turning around.  Her fingers trembled as she pushed the long braids aside and tried to make a perfect bow from the two strips of cotton.  “There,” she said, spinning Precious around.  “Your daddy is right.  You’re as beautiful as a princess.”
    She gave her a bright smile.  “Are you coming with us?”
    “No.  Not tonight.  This is a father and daughter night out.  I’ll come next time.  Okay?”
    “Okay. Come on, Daddy, let’s go.”
    Somewhat recovered, Erik stood up.  “Go wait for me in the Mercedes.”
    “Bye, Michelle,” Precious called as she ran out of the room.
    “I'm sorry,” they said in unison, then looked away from each other.
    “Look,” Erik said, “I was wrong to come on to you like that.  I wouldn't blame you if you walked out the door right now.  I hope you don’t think I expect you to… well, I promise, it will not happen again.”
    “It was nothing.”  Michelle’s lips trembled as she brought her gaze back to his.  The passion still burned affluently within his eyes, as she was sure it did in hers.
    “On the contrary, it was something.”  He watched her for a long, hard minute then said in a composed voice, “I should be home around ten.  I’m taking Precious to see a production of The Wind in the Willows .  I’ve had these tickets for a week, but lately, every time I suggested we do something together, she turned me down.  Thanks to you, that has changed.”  He paused.  “You sure you don't want to come along?  I could get another ticket at the door.”
    “No,” Michelle replied, thinking about what Precious had told her that afternoon about the day her mother died.  She needed her father’s undivided attention more than anything else right now.
    “I have to clean up since Mrs. Hayes has left for the day.  I also have to finish unpacking and make some phone calls.  I need to let my brother know where I am before he puts out an Amber alert on me.”
    “Oh, yes, Mrs. Hayes mentioned you have a brother who’s an orthodontist.”
    Michelle nodded, pride welling up inside her.  Her big brother had made it.  “We’re really close.”
    “As family should be.”
    “Well, goodbye.  Have a nice time.”  Michelle needed him gone so she could kick herself in the ass.
    He lingered, looking around warily.  “Are you going to be okay in this big house alone on your first night?”
    What, was he afraid she was going to call her hoodlum friends to clean the place out the minute his car disappeared around the corner?  Michelle smiled at the wicked thought.  “I’ll be fine, Erik.”
    “Okay, bye.”  He finally left.
    “Stupid.  Stupid.  Stupid.”  Michelle slapped her palms against the sides of her head.  How could she let this happen? She was hired to take care of the child, not seduce the father.
    Her impulsive behavior could cause complications for all of them, she realized as she began collecting the leftovers from the sideboard.  She took the serving dishes to the kitchen that