Chapter 3

Abbie snapped her laptop closed. That was one of the most productive days she spent in years. She put the machine away in her room and came back to the kitchen. She hunted around and started making dinner.

At five o'clock, Trina got herself off the couch and took herself off to her room. Abbie didn't see her again for the rest of the evening. Abbie busied herself frying ground beef and sautéing vegetables and gave Trina no further thought. She wouldn't let a depressed teenager drag her down and spoil the enjoyment of cooking a hearty meal.

She was just starting to enjoy herself when she heard the elevator wheesht open. Someone tossed keys into the foyer dish, and footsteps tripped down the stairs. Malcolm gave her a brilliant smile when he walked into the kitchen. “Something smells good. You don't know how good it is to come home to a home-cooked meal after ten years of take-out.”

Abbie couldn't stop herself from smiling back at him. “How was your day? Did you get the mess cleaned up?”

He rolled his eyes and laughed. “I'll never get it cleaned up. It's a perpetual mess. That's the nature of the business.”

“What business are you in, anyway?”

“I'm a foreign exchange trader. I run my own trading house with about fifty traders under me. We have clients all over the world and process billions in trades every day.”

“Wow. Sounds messy.”

He laughed again. His cheeks shone with vitality. He whipped off his jacket and slung it over the bar stool before leaning his hip against it. His muscles bulged under his shirt sleeves. His broad back tapered down to a firm waist with not a scrap of flab in sight. Abbie forced herself to lower her eyes to her frying pan. She couldn't start gawking at him now.

“How was your day? Pretty quiet, I guess.”

“Very quiet. I did what you said and left Trina alone. I worked on my own project and got a lot done.”

“I guess that's why you're so chipper. You wouldn't be if you tried to talk to her. So what's the project?”

“I'm writing a book.”

His eyebrows went up. “Really? What about?”

“It's a fictionalized account of my seven years in Guatemala during the war.”

He stared at her. “What were you doing in Guatemala during the war?”

She waved her hand at him. She couldn't stop her eyes sparkling. “Silly. I was too young to be involved in the war. My parents were doctors with the Red Cross, and I went there with them.”

He shook his head. “That's amazing. I'd love to read the book.”

“It's about half done, but if working here is anything like today, I should get it done in no time.”

“I hope you get a lot done here. It sounds like a very interesting book.”

“I hope the book is interesting. I hope it's a lot more interesting than my time there. That's why I'm fictionalizing it.”

“Wasn't the time interesting? Maybe you should write an autobiography.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn't be as interesting. When you're in a situation like that, everything seems normal. Maybe it seemed that way because I was a child. I played with other kids and went to school. I don't think any of us really understood what was happening around us. I sure didn't. You just adjust and deal with the new reality.”

“And is your book not like that? Do the characters understand what's happening all around them?”

“Definitely more than I did. The book is about young adults, not children. It has action and danger and romance. It's not about kids during wartime.”

“Is this your first book?”

“My first, and it could be my last. I don't know if I'm a very good writer.”

“Why would you doubt yourself? I'm sure you're a great writer.”

Abbie blushed. “Don't say that until you read the book.”

“Anytime you're ready.”

“You just have to promise not to criticize it. I don't think I could handle that. It's my baby.”

“Whatever you want. I'm just interested whenever you want to show it to me.”

“What about you? Do you have any hobbies?”

“My business is my hobby. It takes all my time and energy.”

“That doesn't leave much room for a family.”

“I wasn't running my business when I had a family. I started it after I split up with Trina's mom. That was ten years ago. I guess I started it to take my mind off losing my family.”

Abbie looked around. “You certainly have done well for yourself. This place is incredible.”

He shrugged. “I got this place for Trina, so she would have a nice place to stay when she came to visit. She doesn't seem to appreciate it as much as you do.”

“Maybe she'll come around to liking it again.”

“Maybe.”

The conversation trailed off while Abbie put the food on plates. There was no table, so she set Malcolm's plate in front of him at the counter. “Do you ever think about getting a dining table? Maybe you could share meals with Trina. That might help to break down the barriers.”

“I used to have one, but we never used it. I mean, we used it before when she would talk to me. After a while, though, it just took up space, so I got rid of it. Maybe now that you're here, we could try again.”

“I'd like that. I always say family meals bring people together.”

“If you say so, I'll try it. I don't think it will make much difference, since she won't come to the table to eat, but I'll try it.”

“So when does she eat?”

“Just leave the plate out on the counter. She'll wait until we're gone. Then she'll come and eat.”

Abbie shook her head. “This is really bad. It's terrible.”

Malcolm shrugged. “If she wants to be miserable, I won't try to stop her.”

“Don't say that. Don't say that about your own daughter. You want her to be happy, don't you?”

“Sure, I do. I love her more than anything, but I've tried too many times and gotten kicked in the teeth. She wants it this way, so that's what she's gonna get.”

“I don't believe that. I don't believe she does want it this way. She wants help. She just doesn't know how to get it.”

“I've tried to help her. I've tried to talk to her. I've tried tough love. I've tried it all. So has her mother. Nothing works.”

“I'll try, too. Maybe I can get through to her.”

“You won't. You'll only make yourself as frustrated as I am. You're a stranger. She'll never even talk to you.”

“Sometimes a stranger can do things a parent can't. I'll try anyway. I've got nothing to lose.”

“Good luck.” Malcolm got up, snatched his jacket off the stool, and headed for the hall. “I'm going upstairs. You can find me in my office if you need me.”

Abbie fetched her computer and opened it on the counter again, but she couldn't concentrate on her book. The sun went down and the lights came out in windows across the city. White and red lines of lights inched along the highways.

Abbie put the computer away and enjoyed settling into her new digs. She never worked anywhere as nice as this before. Despite Trina's silent hostility and Malcolm burying his head in his work all the time, this was the closest she ever came to being included in a family. She usually took care of the kids in some back nursery before retreating to a dismal servant's room when they spent time with their parents or went to bed.

She might as well be a guest in this condo. She would spend her days in the sunny living room and kitchen, and her room adjoined the living area. Malcolm told her she could move to any other room in the place that suited her better. No one ever said that to her before. Most employers barely spoke to her at all, much less asked her enough about herself to find out about her book.

Malcolm did all that on her very first night in his house. She couldn't help remembering the look on his face when he walked in on her making dinner. She might as well be his wife instead of his daughter's nanny. The only thing missing was a kiss on the cheek.

Abbie blushed and turned her head away from the windows. What was she thinking about that for? She didn't want to be married to anybody, especially not a man so much older than herself. She had no time even for a boyfriend, what with zipping all over the world to take care of wealthy people's children.

Still, she couldn't stop imagining. What would it be like to meet a man coming home from work with a kiss and a hot meal? What would it be like being the comfort a man came home to at the end of a long day? What would it be like to call a condo like this home?

She went back to her room, but when she got there, she found her suitcase still open on the bed. She put the last few things away and stood the empty suitcase in a corner when a strange thought nagged at her consciousness. She shouldn't presume, but curiosity devoured her until she couldn't resist. She parked the suitcase in the foyer, stole along the hall to the stairs, and tiptoed up them to the upper mezzanine above the kitchen.

She found herself in another carpeted hall. A voice murmured down there somewhere. She followed the sound to a closed door. Malcolm's voice rose and fell beyond that door. She waited until it stopped before she knocked.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door open and peeked around the corner. Malcolm sat behind a big white table piled with papers and computers. He set his phone down. “Miss Townsend! Sorry, Abbie. What can I do for you?”

“Sorry to bother you up here, Malcolm. I was just wondering if you could show me that storage area where you said I could put my suitcase....just so it's not cluttering up my room, you know.”

He jumped out of his chair. “Of course! Sure. Let me just....” He trailed off shuffling papers around.

Abbie looked around the office while she waited for him to do whatever he was doing. Filing cabinets and shelves of binders lined the walls. Computer screens surrounded his chair in a glowing arch. From what she could see, he didn't do anything more than move one stack of files from one side of his desk to the other before he came around the desk to join her. He gave her a big smile and guided her toward the door.

“So this is where it all happens. Now you know I'm just a pencil-pusher like everyone else.”

Abbie beamed back at him. “Master of the universe is more like it, I would say.”

He blushed and led the way downstairs. “Hardly. I'm just a guy trying to make a living.”

“You're doing a lot more than that. You're moving billions of dollars, aren't you? I'd say you're doing more than making a living.”

“You're right. I want to do a lot more than that. The more you do, the more you want to do.”

He reemerged into the entrance foyer and pushed the elevator button. He got his keys out of the dish, and when the elevator opened, he put his key in the same hole the doorman used. He pressed a button, and the car hummed away.

While they rode downward, Abbie glanced over at him and found him glancing over at her at the same moment. They both immediately returned their eyes to the front, but Abbie's stomach turned a somersault. What was he looking at? What was she looking at? He was her boss. She had to keep her shorts on and not get flustered and stupid.

The elevator opened on what looked at first like a garage. One giant open floor spread out before them. Large windows rose from floor to ceiling at the far end and offered the same view Abbie saw from the condo living room. Nothing else filled the place—no walls, no kitchen, nothing.

Boxes and containers stacked on top of each other to fill one corner near the elevator. Malcolm stopped in front of the pile. “Anywhere in here is fine. As you can see, there's plenty of space. Help yourself.”

Abbie set down her suitcase near the stack. “What is all this stuff?”

He kicked a box of loose paper. “It's mostly junk, old school projects of Trina's, odds and ends from when I lived with her mother—all that sort of thing. I should get rid of it. It's not doing anything but taking up space down here.”

Abbie flipped a box lid back. Reams of colorful drawings filled the box. She lifted out the first sheet and studied it. “Did Trina do this? It's very good.”

He opened another box. “Yeah, she used to be really into art. She could sit and do nothing but draw all day long. Take a look.” He picked up a spiral bound notebook and held it out. “She hasn't done it in years. She gave that up along with everything else.”

Abbie flipped the notebook pages. Beautiful, elaborate pictures and designs filled every page. Page upon page of complicated artwork left not one visible centimeter of white space on both sides of every page. “This is amazing.”

Malcolm took the notebook out of her hands and pitched it back in the box. “I think you mean it was amazing. She doesn't do it anymore. The wonderful little girl who drew these doesn't exist anymore. Now all I've got left is that monster upstairs.”

Abbie studied him. She could spend hours looking at those masterful drawings. Her hands itched to get hold of them again. For a fraction of an instant, she could look into the mind of the person who drew them. That person, that artist, remained imprisoned inside Trina's tortured soul. If only Abbie could find a way to free Trina from her torment, that artist could come to life again.

Underneath Malcolm's frustrated bluster, Abbie sensed another tortured soul dying to breathe free. He called his daughter a monster and refused even to look at her old artwork. He grieved the loss of the little girl he loved. He wanted her back. He didn't want to face the cruel reality that Trina was in trouble.

Malcolm turned away. “There you go. You can come and get your suitcase whenever you want, or you can bring more stuff down here.”

“I'll need to borrow your key, though.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, that's no problem.”

Abbie looked around the empty space. “What is this place, anyway?”

“It's supposed to be another condo, but I haven't taken the time to develop it yet.”

“You?”

“I own it. I bought both floors. I thought I'd fix 'em both up and sell this one, but I haven't done it yet.”

“What's stopping you? You seem like you can do pretty much whatever you want when you set your mind to it.”

His face brightened. “You're right. I can. I would have to get rid of all that stuff first. I suppose that's what's stopping me.”

There it was again. He couldn't move forward. He had to cling to the last vestige of his daughter's past. He couldn't get rid of her artwork. Abbie’s heart softened toward him, but she stopped herself from putting out her hand to touch him.

His head whipped around and he caught her looking at him. “What?”

She shook herself out of her reverie. “Nothing. Just listening.”

He strode over to the big windows. “It could be a great condo.”

“I guess it would be just as great as yours if you ever build it.”

He cocked his head to look at her. “Do you think I should?”

“Sure. Why not? If you want to, you should do it. I'm sure there are lots of places you could store Trina's stuff if you didn't want to get rid of it.”

He frowned. “You're right. I never thought of that.”

Abbie looked right and left. “So....do you want to go back upstairs? I know you're busy.”

He scrutinized her closer. “I'm not too busy to....I mean, I'm enjoying talking to you. I don't get to talk to people much...I mean, I don't get to talk to people much about things besides business. I guess I don't get out much...I mean, I don't get out much to talk to people outside my work.....I mean, I....”

Abbie laughed at him. “That's okay. I'm enjoying talking to you, too.”

His eyes widened. “You are?”

“Sure. You're a good conversationalist.”

His face fell. “Oh.”

“Okay. Remind me not to compliment you again.”

“I didn't mean that. I just thought...well, I don't know what I thought.”

“I'm getting a better idea of you and Trina's situation, but it's nice to talk about something besides her.”

“You're right. I spend entirely too much time and energy thinking and worrying about her. That's why it's so interesting to talk about your book and your experiences. I haven't met anyone as interesting as you for a long time.”

Now Abbie blushed. “Stop it. I'm nowhere near as interesting as you. You're a captain of capitalism. I'm just a nanny.”

His cheeks turned red. “Don't call me that. I'll start to think you're flirting with me.”

Abbie turned away. “I wouldn't want to do that.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He pulled her back so hard she took a stumbling step and wound up closer to him than she should have been. “Don't leave yet, Abbie. I don't want to go back upstairs yet.”

She found herself looking at the fine grain of his clean-shaven face. His breath filled her head with dizzy butterflies. “Malcolm, I....”

His mouth hovered close to hers. “You're a beautiful, interesting, captivating woman, Abbie. Don't say you're just a nanny. You're so much more than that.”

She tried to draw back. “What are you doing, Malcolm?”

The color flashed across his face, but his deep brown eyes burned into her soul. “I don't know what I'm doing. I only know I have to do it. I have to.”

He leaned closer, but Abbie backed away against the hand gripping her arm. “Don't, Malcolm. You're my boss.”

His voice murmured into her brain. “I have to. I need to. I need you. I don't know how I've lived my life all these years without this, but I won't do live like that anymore.”

Before she could answer, his mouth closed over hers. Heady delirium swept her off her feet. She ought to struggle to get away from him. She just started working for him this morning. She was his nanny, his servant. She couldn't kiss him now.

She couldn't tear herself away, though. She melted into his grasp. The quivery excitement burning through her guts thrilled her to her bones. Her knees wobbled, and delicious desire twinged her between the legs. His warm lips infused her with sweet arousal. His breath lit her on fire to respond to his attentions.

He dragged her toward him with his great paw clutching her arm, and he pressed his other hand against her back. He crushed her breasts against his chest and awoke her latent dreams to intoxicating reality.

His lips nudged her mouth open, and his tongue slithered inside. He licked moist kisses from her. His muscles hardened against her voluptuous breasts. His breath tensed in his nostrils, and he panted for air.

Abbie stared up into his smoldering eyes. He glowered down at her, even as his mouth explored her in a sea of delicious saliva. He gave her back another determined press, and the bulge between his legs dug into her crotch. He squeezed a drizzle of juice from her snatch, and a quiet mew from her lips.

All of a sudden, he dropped his hands and stepped back. “You're right. We shouldn't.”

His absence left her cold and alone. She tasted his kiss on her lips and his prick hard and determined against her flesh. The fire he ignited inside her didn't die when he backed off. If anything, it blazed brighter than ever. It hungered for him against her better judgment.

He nodded down at the floor. “I didn't mean any disrespect. It's just.....well, it's been a long time since any woman turned my head like you do. I guess I got a little carried away.”

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. What could she say? She couldn't say that's okay, I wanted it, too. She couldn't say that's okay, anytime is fine with me. She couldn't say anything.

She followed him back to the elevator with her heart in her shoes. What was her life coming to, that she had to go kissing her boss in some deserted storage locker? She didn't even know this guy.

The elevator carried them both back upstairs to the condo, but neither smiled or glanced at the other. They stared straight ahead, and when the doors opened in the foyer, Malcolm raced out and down the hall to the living room.