“Mommy?” Maisie walked into the kitchen, yawning.
“There you are.” Natalie slapped a smile on and faced her daughter, holding her arms out for her to climb onto her lap. “Good morning.”
Maisie replied in kind as she peered up at me from her mother’s lap, looking precious and adorable. I didn’t know her. I hadn’t realized she’d even existed, but being the recipient of that trusting stare hit me hard in the chest.
I was already protective of Natalie, and that instinct was only deepening for this young child. The ramifications of getting in too far didn’t bother me, though.
“Good morning, Mister,” she said in a quiet voice.
“You can call me Sergei,” I told her as I gave them my back and began to start breakfast for them, needing something to do so I wouldn’t watch them and wonder what we were starting here.
Friendship was fine. Yet each time I warred with this need to hold Natalie close and kiss away the lingering hint of fear and confusion in her eyes, I knew something much more than mere friendship would be ideal.
14
NATALIE
Friends, huh?
I didn’t have enough friends to know if this was normal. Fitz had been my main friend for so long and I never developed much of a circle beyond him. The doubt in my mind hinted that what Sergei was doing wasn’t normal. Friends didn’t practically kidnap each other just to keep them safe.
Friends didn’t kiss and pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, either.
The rational side of my brain won out. If Sergei wanted to call himself my friend and the simple concept of friendship was his motive to let me and my daughter be a guest in his luxurious penthouse, then I would be a fool not to take him up on that offer.
I did feel like a fool despite knowing I was safe here. The guards in the building seemed like criminals, but I was safe. Ever since my husband died, I struggled to find and build on my independence in this big, bad world we inhabited. However, relying on Sergei would be a step backward in that effort.Depending on a man didn’t seem so smart. Especially when I didn’t have many details about who he was and where he came from.
It didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t use his last name with Maisie. She was young, but she had formal habits of polite salutations. She knew to call someone Mr. and Mrs., but he hadn’t supplied his surname.
I lacked the chance to ask now, though. Any explanations would have to wait. Because as he started to make us breakfast of pancakes and eggs, I was impressed with how comfortable and at ease a strong and wealthy man like him could be in the kitchen. I couldn’t help but live in the moment, watching this shirtless man move without any clumsiness. His muscles stretching and bunching, all his taut skin flexing while showing off tattoos and scars. I was helpless to admire this mystery man, my new “friend.” My stubborn hero who yanked me out of the lonely situation I had been in for too long.
A man like him who could afford a place like this wouldn’t have to lift a finger for anything. Yet, he was the one in the kitchen, making pancakes and eggs with me and Maisie watching over him.
Guilty to be a guest and not help, I got up and joined him in preparing the food. Before I could get too hung up on how natural it was to move around each other and how domestic this felt—because Fitz had never done anything in the kitchen—Maisie spoke up. She asked questions about what happened last night, and I answered her the best that I could. I told her in the simplest form that we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and those men were bad guys who wanted to cause trouble. As I spoke, though, I couldn’t shake off the loose memory that the men seemed to recognize Sergei.
That can’t be right. He didn’t know them.
Everything happened in such a blur.
But maybe they knew of each other. If he’s in the security business, maybe.
I was clear to tell my daughter that those men wouldn’t bother us again. I cringed at the idea of her seeing them die. I had tried to block her face, and she had tucked against me as if she hadn’t wanted to watch any of it.
“How long will we be here?” she asked.
Sergei answered, “However long you want.” He gave me a sober look that confused me. As if he was passively and indirectly asking me if I wanted to be here for more than just a temporary trial.
After we ate, Maisie stood at the wide windows with the whole city below us. I started on the dishes while Sergei stood with her. He was patient, pointing out the landmarks and buildings that she asked about. Watching him be so gentle toward her, even though he was clearly unused to speaking to a child, I warred with the question of why he wanted us here.
He hadn’t known about her, and I supposed he was merely going along with the surprise that I came as a package. But he didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate to make us comfortable. For the rest of the day, he went above and beyond to make us feel like guests at a fancy hotel.
He had clothing brought to us, and Maisie had a blast trying on new things. Before I could feel intimidated about how Sergei could’ve guessed my size or my daughter’s, Claire returned. In the light of the day, she seemed less like a hired doctor andmore like a family member. I supposed that was natural, though, because she was engaged to Sergei’s uncle.
Maisie was all smiles for the charismatic doctor with a British accent. A young woman came with Claire and served as a further distraction. Anya was Claire’s stepdaughter-to-be, and also one of Sergei’s cousins. Inquiring any more about the family dynamics would’ve been smart, but watching the teenager encourage my daughter to play dress up with her was too much of a gift to pass up on. With Claire and me supervising, they goofed off with the clothing that was way too big to wear, layering them on like they were on stage and had costumes.
Anya warmed up to Maisie quickly, and it was clear that Claire had asked her to help with a child on the premises. They had toys, coloring books, and other gadgets to keep Maisie busy.
I felt spoiled. Each time I thought about how much Sergie was doing for me and Maisie, I detested thatIwasn’t doing this for her. It was my job to feed, clothe, and provide for her. Sergei had left to give us “girl time” while he handled business, but he was still on my mind as the sole source of how Maisie and I were experiencing this vacation-like day from reality.
