CHAPTER SEVEN
SPENCER
I hated having to get out of bed while Avery was still in it, but I didn’t want the girls to come in and get the wrong idea. Plus, it was almost dinner time and I wanted us all to sit and eat together.
I kissed her gently before getting up and putting my clothes back on.
“I'll take care of the girls' bedtime tonight, you can have the night off,” I said.
She rolled over on her stomach and looked up at me, her blue eyes vibrant, her smile flirty.
“Are you rewarding for good behavior, Mr. Sullivan?” she teased
“Something like that,” I laughed.
I pulled up my pants and threw on a different shirt – one that hadn't had the buttons ripped off. I held up the ruined shirt and laughed.
“Well, I guess we're even now?”
She shrugged playfully. “Tit for tat, it only seemed fair.”
I couldn't stop staring at her, lying naked on my bed. She was a goddess, her curves reminding me of a Greek sculpture, of an ancient deity who had been worshipped by many. There she was, in my bed, smiling at me with the most genuine, sweet smile a man could ask for.
I knew in that moment that I was in trouble. What I felt for her was more than just casual lust. Of that much, I was sure. The look in her eyes, the way she stared up at me, said she felt much the same way.
“I'm going to cancel with Charles, obviously,” she said rather bluntly, her smile faltering as her eyes grew a bit more serious. “I didn't really want to get dinner with him anyway. He didn't really give me a choice.”
“That sounds like Charles,” I said.
Hearing those words, however, filled me with relief. I'd known he was trouble. He was a playboy, used to getting everything and anyone he wanted. He'd have his fun with Avery and then throw her away, just like that. Besides, I was glad she was canceling on him because I also felt something for her. The thought of her with another man made me see red.
That was a conversation for another time, however. I kissed her one last time, leaving a lingering kiss on her lips to let her know that whatever happened between us, it was just the beginning.
***
I turned over in bed, staring at the alarm clock. It was just after two in the morning. My alarm wasn't set to go off for almost another few hours yet, so why was I awake? Something had woken me up, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Then I heard it again.
Whimpering.
I climbed out of my bed. Opening the door, I saw Lola at the end of the hallway, standing at Avery's door.
“What is it, Lola-Bear?” I asked quietly, making my way down to greet her.
Lola turned to me, her eyes filled with tears. “Avery isn't here,” she said.
“You sure she's not just in the bathroom? Or downstairs?” I asked. The last I'd seen of Avery, she said she was going to talk to Charles and tell him they couldn't be a thing. I'd assumed she'd just do it over the phone, but I hadn't seen her again since then. I'd assumed she'd went to bed and left her well enough alone.
Avery shook her head and pointed at the bed.
It was still made up, no one had been in that bed tonight. My heart raced, even though I knew there were a million logical explanations for it. Still, I feared the worst without even knowing what the worst might be. All I knew was that Avery was gone.
I couldn't upset Lola, however, so I walked with her back to her bedroom.
“I'm sure Maisie will let you sleep in her bed,” I said.
“I want Avery,” she whined.
“Daddy will find Avery,” I said. “I'm sure she's around here somewhere.”
I mean, she had to be, right?
Where else could she have gone? I quickly realized finding that answer wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I went to the kitchen, searched the downstairs and even checked all the bathrooms. No sign of Avery. The house was empty. I walked out to the back patio, hoping maybe she'd be taking a late-night walk in the gardens. I called her name, only to get silence in return.
I went back inside, back upstairs, and searched every room. At that point, Emilia had shown up and had started helping me.
There was no sign of Avery. She was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Like a puff of smoke on the breeze.
I grabbed my phone and called the police, not knowing what else to do. I couldn't focus enough to speak in French, and eventually, someone who spoke English came on the line.
“I want to report a missing person, please.”
He asked me the general questions, and I told him everything I knew.
“Sir, she hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours yet, are you sure she's not with a friend?”
“She doesn't know anyone locally yet –”
Then I stopped myself as the thought rocketed through my mind. The only other person she knew in all of France was Charles.
“We can't file it as a missing persons report unless there is reason to believe she's in immediate danger,” the cop explained to me. “Or after twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I'm sorry, sir, but it sounds like your nanny just stepped out for the night.”
The line went dead shortly after that. I almost called back, told him who I was and demanded that they help me. But, I knew it was no use. Mainly because they were right. I had no proof of foul play. Nothing that would look suspicious. Just a bad feeling, and bad feelings didn't lead to police investigations.
Besides, Avery was a grown woman and there could be any number of reasons for her absence. It wasn't like her though. She'd never just gone off without letting me know before.
“Emilia, would you mind watching the kids for me, please?”
There was only one thing I could do – go over to Charles' place and see for myself.