My body surged with pleasure as Franklin kissed me. I never thought I would enjoy kissing this man. But now that I had tasted him, I knew I would never want another.

Every second I spent locked against his body felt like time spent in heaven. My fingers weaved into his hair, tugging on it. He pulled me even closer, leaving no space between our hips. A surge of excitement crept through my spine.

All too soon, however, he pulled away. As he looked at me, I could tell there was a sense of hesitation. He was holding back.

“Sorry…” he mumbled before opening the door for me.

I shook my head. “Don’t apologize…” I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t get my mind to work. His kiss had turned it into mush.

As he started to drive, he remained quiet.

The silence unnerved me. I feared that I had done something wrong. After all, why would he want a relationship with me? I was just some freeloader who had knocked on his door in the middle of the night, begging for help. I was probably nothing more than a pity case.

Yet, I knew there was something there. I could feel it.

* * *

When we pulled into his driveway, I had reached a height of nervousness. What if he asked me to leave? What if he no longer wanted anything to do with me now that the baby was born? These questions terrified me so much that I could not move an inch of my body. I remained inside the car like a frozen statue.

Gina was the one to open my door. She smiled and held out her hand.

I looked at the little girl. Her bright, happy demeanor quelled some of my fears. I took her hand and eased out of the car. She continued to hold my hand, guiding me inside. Behind us, Franklin cradled his son in one arm while carrying my bag in the other.

“I want to show you something,” he said, stepping in front of us. Together, we walked down the hallway to the guest bedroom where I had stayed for the last month.

As soon as he opened the door, I was overwhelmed by the transformation. I gasped, my hands covering my mouth in disbelief. “How did you manage to do all this…?”

“A lot of sleepless nights put to good use. I also called a few of my friends to help. I hope you like it.”

“It’s beautiful…” I whispered, still in a state of utter awe.

The room had been repurposed into a nursery. The walls were painted in a soft baby blue, decorated with gray elephants. There was a large crib placed against the far wall. Above it was a mobile where tiny elephants danced in midair. The hardwood had been covered up by a soft, plush carpet that would allow the baby to crawl around when it got a little older. There was even a chest filled with toys.

I slumped into a nearby chair, trying to wrap my mind around the Herculean effort Franklin had made for me and the baby.

“Can I hold the baby now?” Gina asked, interrupting the silence that had settled in the room.

Franklin nodded, directing her to a big blue chair tucked away in the corner.

She climbed onto it and quickly settled herself.

“Now, you’ve got to be careful, okay? This is your brother and you have to treat him nicely.”

Gina nodded. “I would never hurt my baby brother!”

Franklin laughed, kissing the top of her head. “I know you wouldn’t. You’re going to be an amazing sister.”

“You think so?” She beamed up at her father.

“I know so.” He assured, gently easing our son into her arms. “Now remember, the most important thing is to keep his head supported.”

Gina nodded. She did exactly as she was told, holding the baby with utmost care. There was a bright smile on her face as she looked at her brother. “He’s so cute!” she squealed. She started to talk to him, ranting on and on about all the fun things they would do together.

As I watched her, I was filled with a flare of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this would all work out.

Soon, Frankie fell asleep. I got up, scooped him up, and placed him in the crib. I leaned over it, watching his sleeping face. He looked like a tiny angel.

“Do you mind giving us a minute, sweetie?”

Gina frowned. She didn’t want to leave her baby brother.

“Please?”

“Okay,” she relented, walking out of the room.

Franklin closed the door. “I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For what happened. That man… he came after you because he was trying to get to me.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion. With all the excitement surrounding the baby, I had barely thought about my kidnapper. I had dismissed it as some freak occurrence, but now, as I thought about it, there were a million questions I wanted to ask. I started with the most important one. “Why?”

He sighed and sat down. “A long time ago, he tried to hack into the Pentagon. He was getting dangerously close to overriding the safety codes that keep our missiles from blowing up half the world. No one was a match for his skill. Somehow, however, I managed to break his code and figure out where he was hiding. He was arrested and put in jail. But… a few weeks ago… he escaped. I knew he would be coming after me. I was careless. I should’ve been more vigilant. I should’ve told you, but I was scared you’d run away and then I’d never get to see the baby… It was selfish of me, I know…”

I took in his words, trying to process them. Most of it made little sense to me. But I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I knew he truly regretted putting me in danger, which meant he cared about me. Gently, I laid a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t blame you.”

“You don’t?”

“No.” I shook my head. “You saved me – and the baby. That’s all that matters to me…” I sat down beside him. “But where is he now? Is he going to try to hurt us again?”

“I don’t know… he’s a dangerous man. He could be up to anything.”

“If something happens… will you save me again?”

He took my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes. “I would go to the ends of the Earth if it meant keeping you safe.”