Chapter 11
Bridget
“I don’t think I’ve ever met a celebrity who runs so many of her own errands,” Thomas said.
“Yeah, well, I don’t always have my nose in the clouds,” I said. “I like a bit of normalcy.”
“Don’t you get tired? I mean, you have that massive house. If I owned that house, I’d never leave it.”
“You saying I’m spoiled, Thomas?” I asked.
“If anything, I’m saying you’re not taking enough advantage of the perks of being you.”
We were riding around today, finishing up some errands I had to do, and the conversation flowed easily between us. I kept watching the clock, thinking about his daughter and how she would need to be picked up soon. The clock was nearing three, and I could see Thomas’s eyes darting nervously from the clock to the street and back again.
“Would you be all right with me meeting Lacey?” I asked.
He whipped his head around at my question, and it didn’t take him as long as I thought it would to answer.
“Of course. I think she’d really like you. Why?”
“Well, I don’t think we’re gonna make it back to your car for you to get her on time. We could just take this car to go get her, if you’d like?”
“That’s kind of you, but if anything, I can just call my parents and tell them to get her,” he said.
I didn’t blame him for not wanting me to meet his daughter. After all, he was guarding me for reasons I wasn’t comfortable telling him. The secret I held could really put his daughter in trouble if things went sour, but I really enjoyed Thomas and his company, and I knew he could keep us safe if something happened. Plus, the way he lit up whenever he talked about Lacey only increased my curiosity about her.
She was a very important extension of my employee, and since he was entangled with my life, I wanted to be entangled with his.
“I promise it’s no trouble,” I said.
“I’ll just have my parents pick her up, but you could come by tonight, if you’d like. Lacey’s a bit interesting until she eats dinner.
“Aren’t we all,” I said.
He called his parents and told them to get her while we sat in traffic, waiting to get back to my house. When we finally pulled up, he helped me out, and I told him I could get the bags of stuff.
“Go home and feed that hungry kid,” I said. “Once I put all this stuff up, I’ll be on my way.”
“See you around five?” he asked.
“I’ll be there.”
I dragged everything inside and put it all away, and when I was done, it was a little past five. I ran upstairs and showered quickly to get the sweat off my body, and then I put on some comfortable jeans and silky little top before I headed back down to the car. Bernie was sitting downstairs waiting for me, sipping on a cup of tea he made himself. I was so thankful to have him around sometimes, carting me around wherever I went.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Whenever you’re done with your tea,” I said.
He took a long pull from his tea before he placed it in the sink, and then, off we went. I gave him Thomas’s address from his job application, and before I knew it, we were pulling up into his driveway. I recognized his car instantly before I saw the “Jeffries” sign on his mailbox, and I couldn’t get over how cute his home was. It had a dark blue exterior with white shutters, and a small, wrap around porch housed rocking chairs that looked weather worn and absolutely adorable.
It was the perfect house to raise a little daughter in, and it made my heart melt.
I knew I was technically late, but I was sure that didn’t matter at this point. I got out of the car and told Bernie I’d call him when I needed him. I watched him back out before I made my way to the porch. Movement behind the frosted glass of the door caught my eye, and before I knew it, the door swung open, and Thomas was standing there.
In form-fitting jeans and a white shirt.
“Creepy,” he said, grinning. “You didn’t even call to ask for my address.”
“Ever heard of a job application?” I asked.
He chuckled a bit, rumbling my rib cage with the smooth sound of his voice, and just as I stepped into the home, a little girl with beautiful blonde hair came running around the corner and ran smack dab into my legs.
“Are you Bridget?” she asked.
“And you must be Lacey.” I crouched down so I could be eye level with her.
Thomas shut the door behind me, and she showed me a painting she was holding between her fingers.
“I’m making this for you,” she said.
“And it is absolutely beautiful,” I said. “Can I help?”
She took my hand and led me through the house. I caught a glimpse of Thomas just before we disappeared around the corner. I couldn’t really read the look on his face, but his eyes were watching us closely while we played. I helped Lacey paint her picture before we hung it up to dry. Then, she wanted to show me how she could build a tower with her blocks.
“I bet I can build a tower bigger than yours,” she said.
“You’re on,” I said, smirking.
We raced to build a tower, and Lacey stuck her little foot out to make mine fall. I feigned shock and tried to scramble to get my tower up, but when she crowned her tower with the last block, she ran around in triumph. I couldn’t help but laugh at her, and when she ran at me, I opened my arms for her, and we tumbled to the floor.
“Miss Bridget, you should come over more often,” she said.
I held the little girl close to me just as Thomas popped around the corner, and he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets while I ran my fingers through the little girl’s hair.
“That feels good,” she said.
“I’m glad. It always makes me feel good when someone does it.”
“Who runs their fingers through your hair?” she asked.
“All right, Lacey,” Thomas said. “Time for bed.”
“Dad, no,” she whined.
“Yes, young lady. You’ve already played through your bath time. We’ll take one in the morning before school. Now, off to your room. Get into your pajamas and brush your teeth, and I’ll be in there in a second to read you a bedtime story.”
“Could Bridget read it to me?” she asked.
I looked up at Thomas whose eyes were boring into mine. I had no idea what he was thinking, but in that very moment, I didn't care. If this little girl wanted me to read her a bedtime story, then that was what I would do.
“Of course, I will,” I said. “Go get ready and pick out a book.”
She got ready for bed, and I read her a story. All the while, Thomas stood and watched. I read it to her twice before she finally fell asleep on my shoulder, and I tucked her in before I kissed her forehead.
“Sleep tight, little Lacey,” I said lightly. “And know that you are loved.”
I walked out past Thomas, who shut her door behind me. All at once, I felt this urge to kiss him. He had been staring at me the entire time I was there, watching me interact with his daughter, but the vulnerability behind his eyes was shaking my knees. I was a grown, independent woman. If I wanted something, all I had to do was take it.
And I wanted to kiss Thomas, so I did.
I tugged on his white shirt, and his lips crashed down onto mine. His hand flew to the back of my head before we stumbled into the wall, and I could feel my lips swelling underneath the pressure of his touch. His hand blanketed me from the harshness of the wall, while his arms slipped tightly around my waist. Our tongues danced like licks of fire growing on a pile of embers.
My body was heating up just for him, giving way with every swipe his tongue made against the roof of my mouth. But when I collapsed into his body, he didn’t push me away like I thought he would.
Instead, he picked me up and took me to his room.