Chloe (Cheaters) Read online

  “What’s your name?”

  “Lana Avery.”

  “I’m Chloe Williams. What happened?” I pointed to her face.

  “An accident at work.” I knew that fear in her eyes; in fact, I recognized it as the one I’d had just before I left home. And it definitely wasn’t from an accident.

  “Who hurt you?” I whispered.

  “It was an accident.”

  “You can talk to me. Where do you work?” I asked.

  “Really, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She started to get up.

  “I almost committed suicide two months ago,” I blurted. Sometimes allowing my mouth to run on its own seemed to be a gift, but it caught her attention.

  “Why?”

  “Because someone hurt me. Actually, it was more than one person. And now I’m carrying a baby, and I don’t know who the father is.”

  She sat back down. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I haven’t told anyone else and getting it off my chest felt really good.”

  She thought about what I’d said for a moment before asking, “Are you okay?”

  “I am now. Someone extended a helping hand, and now I’m alive and so is my baby.” I rubbed my stomach.

  “I’m a nanny for Mr. Fitzpatrick,” she sighed.

  “Did he do that to you?”

  “It was an accident.”

  I wondered how many times she’d have to repeat that before she believed it, but from my experience, no matter how much you lied to yourself, the truth would always haunt you.

  “Did you report him?”

  “I can’t. He’s my boss. And I have no choice but to work there.”

  “I’m sure you can find another job as a nanny.”

  She looked up at me with her gorgeous brown eyes. “Not without his references.”

  “And he won’t give them to you?”

  She shook her head. Of course he wouldn’t. It seemed like Mr. Fitzpatrick thought he had a good thing going for him with Lana, and he was abusing his powers.

  “Would you leave him if you had another job as a nanny?”

  Was I really considering this? Maybe? I mean, I’d need help once my baby was born… and maybe with Lana’s help, I could better manage being a mother and an interior designer. With the salary Axel was paying me, I could definitely afford it. I’d have to do a background check and get more information on her, of course, but I had a feeling that she was a trustworthy person.

  “In a heartbeat,” she said. Oh, boy. She was definitely not happy where she worked.

  “I won’t have my baby until spring, but if you can hang on until then, I’d love to hire you.”

  While I wished I could have hired her now, I knew that I needed to save as much money as possible until the birth of my baby to even afford a nanny and be able to support myself.

  “Just like that?”

  “Yes, just like that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because someone gave me a chance as well, and it changed my life.”

  “Mrs. Williams—”

  “Oh, I’m not married. You can call me Chloe.”

  “Chloe, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Can you take a few days off work?”

  “No, that’s impossible.”

  “Because if you could, I’d do my best to find you a temporary position somewhere else, so you wouldn’t have to be there. Until I have my baby, that is.”

  “Really?”

  “I don’t want you in that house if it’s dangerous.”

  “But I can’t go to the police. I won’t.”

  “I’m not asking you to. Believe me, I understand.” Which was true. I understood the shame you felt when someone abused you. I knew the amount of blame a victim of abuse would put on herself. I had experienced the shame I saw in her eyes. But I couldn’t let her go back to her current employer.

  I took a napkin and scribbled my new cell phone number for her, and passed her an extra tissue to do the same for me. “I will call you in two days to let you know where we’re at. You don’t go back to him. Call in sick if you have to. Do you understand?”

  “I do. Thank you, Chloe. No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

  “Which means it’s long overdue. And I’m just paying it forward. Hopefully I can find you a different job as soon as possible.”

  Her smile was enough to confirm the value of my offer. For the first time since Axel had saved me, I felt like I’d found my purpose. I already knew I could never pay Axel back, but I could help someone else, the way he had helped me. And it felt so good to do so that I couldn’t stop smiling.

  After I left, I went to the apartment to check on the final touches. As expected, everything was perfect. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting its deep orange glow through the windows. Axel was meeting me there at seven, and I couldn’t wait until he saw the final two units. When he walked through the door, I was beaming.

  “I made a friend today,” I almost spat my tea out.

  “A female friend or a male friend?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Of course it does. If it’s male, I have to meet him.”

  “You’re not my father.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m not going to have you hanging around some men.”

  Axel removed his jacket and hung it on the bar stool by the kitchen. “The place looks amazing. Just like I thought it would.”

  I ignored him. “Are you jealous of a friend?”

  “Should I be?”

  Of course not. We weren’t together. Even if we were, I could have male and female friends.

  “It’s a female friend, if you must know.”

  He breathed out in relief as if I’d just told him that the world wouldn’t end.

  “Hey, don’t be upset.” He tapped my nose. “I just care about you and wouldn’t want anyone to hurt you.”

  “Females can be as threatening as males.”

  “I believe you. I don’t want you to kill me with that look.”

  “I’m sorry, I’ve just been a bit uptight lately.”

  “Any way I can help with that tension?”

  I wish! “Don’t get any ideas, Mister. I’m going to find Lana a job.”

  “Are you stressing yourself out with a new assignment? And I’m assuming Lana is the new friend you met.”

  “Definitely not. Lana’s a nanny, and I’ll be hiring her to help me with the baby, but I need to find her something else before my little one is here.”

  “Have you done a background check?”

  “No, but I will. And I’m sure it will come clean. I can read people.”

  I only wished I could have been such a good judge of character in my past life.

  “So, you’re planning to work after the baby’s born? I was thinking you’d need time off.”

  “I’ll take time off, but I was hoping to continue working. Small projects at first. I mean, I’m a single mother, and I have to support the little one somehow. And when I have a nanny, I could do both.” I’d never had a child before, and wasn’t sure what to expect, but if I had a nanny to help, I was sure that I could be a great mother and continue developing my career. “And you said you’d have other jobs, right?”

  “Oh, believe me. There won’t be a shortage of those any time soon.”

  We were still standing in the main hall, and I couldn’t wait to show Axel the finished product. I finally opened the door and let him in. We did the final walk through, and Axel was just as impressed with this last one as he had been with all of them.

  “You’ve outdone yourself, beautiful. I can’t believe it’s all done, Chloe. It’s so gorgeous I could kiss you.”

  I froze. My mind immediately went to that place where I imagined Axel’s lips on mine and my body and hormones went much further. My heart raced as I heated from the bottom up. My limbs tingled, my mouth dried, and the sudden change in consistency in my panties was making the ache unbearabl
e.

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

  Was I feeling okay? The mere suggestion of his kiss was enough for me to combust. What was wrong with me?

  “Yeah, it’s just that this pregnancy gets me all hot.”

  Did I just say hot? Because I meant hot and bothered, but not in the way I’d explained to Axel. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had any sexual relief, and my body was starved for a touch — any touch. I actually purchased a vibrator online a couple of weeks ago, but I hadn’t found time to try it out just yet.

  Oh, my God! Did he know what I was thinking? From that look on his face, he must have.

  “Come, let’s sit by the window for a moment.”

  Axel cranked the window open. It did help, but I couldn’t stop wondering whether he knew how far my thoughts about him had gone. I mean, he was a walking dream guy, my only male friend, one with a body that was created to sin with, and yet I couldn’t jeopardize our professional relationship or our friendship. He couldn’t know just how often I’d dreamt about him or that I’d planned on using that new vibrator with his image in my mind.

  “I think I’m better.”

  “You’re sure?”

  I had to get his nakedness out of my head. And once I was alone, I made a note to get rid of this hormonal build up that seemed to concentrate in my lower half.

  “Yes. Thank you. So, this project is officially over, I guess.”

  “Are you trying to ask me something?”

  “Well, will I be moving to a different apartment soon?”

  “Only if you like it. Come, it’s all ready.”

  I jumped off the chaise and took his extended hand. He led us to the sixth floor. My excitement spiked with each step forward. Once we reached the door to my new home, I was shifting my weight from left to right as if I had to pee — which reminded me that I actually did have to use the washroom, but there was no way I’d interrupt Axel.

  “Want me to blindfold you?” he asked. There was a slight growl to his tone. I wasn’t sure whether it was my hormones or not, but I liked it.

  “Not tonight,” I replied. Why was my tone suggesting more than I should have? And why in the world would I encourage his blatant teasing?

  Stop it, Chloe!

  He opened the door with pride. As soon as I entered, the smell of fruit filled the room, a blend of apples and pears. Instead of the cool colors I’d used in most of the building, Axel had opted to decorate my apartment with warmer tones, contrasting the space with cool-toned accessories. It was the exact opposite of what I’d done, but absolutely perfect.

  “Axel, this is amazing.”

  I pulled my hand over the white quartz counter, putting my nose closer to the bouquet of mini roses beside the sink. “I can’t believe you did this. It’s perfect. You have a hidden talent, Mister.”

  “I have many talents, Chloe.” He winked.

  Was he flirting?

  “Well, after seeing this, maybe I’ll let you show me more.”

  “Be careful what you ask for.”

  He was indeed flirting. I felt my cheeks heat, but given that I wanted to see the rest of the apartment without having to go to the washroom to change my soaked panties, I pushed the sexy thoughts about Axel aside.

  Next up was my bedroom. When I walked in, I felt overwhelmed. A mural of hand-painted mountains covered one of the walls, and I wanted to cry. It reminded me of home more than anything, and it was exactly what I needed. This space would remind me of what was important and of the fact that there was a day in the future when I would be reunited with my loved ones and could put the pain from my past behind me.

  “How did you know?”

  “I figured with the way you’ve tried to bring nature indoors in your designs – the mountain landscapes, beaches, and forests – that you came from a smaller town either near the mountains or by the ocean, and since there aren’t too many small towns on the east coast, my odds for the mountains were greater. Was I right?”

  “Yes.” By the time I reached the door to the ensuite, I was sobbing.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to make you to cry.”

  “You didn’t make me. I can’t help it. It’s all the hormones.”

  And you, I wanted to add. Where was he when I graduated from college? I could have used a friend like him before I ran away from home. Maybe I should have been honest with my sister before I left. After all, she was my best friend; but I’d been so distraught, I didn’t think.

  I shook my head, looking at the man beside me. Lately, I was either overly aroused or crying around him. On the wall, there was a picture with a quote: “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”

  I couldn’t believe that he remembered the Hemingway quote. He pointed to the dresser, saying, “You have a year’s supply of postcards. I hope you won’t need to use them all before you get a chance to see your family again.”

  Was he trying to drain me of all my tears? I was bawling my eyes out. He passed me a tissue, and I blew my nose before following him out of the room.

  “Come, I saved the best for last.”

  When he opened the door to the baby nursery, I thought I would faint. The green themed jungle with tiny baby dinosaurs above the floor trim was perfect. They were the cutest things in the world.

  “It’s a little selfish because I always wanted my child to know all about dinosaurs.”

  Well, he could be as selfish as he wanted to if his work turned out this beautiful. I was crying so hard, I couldn’t even say a word. He took me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. I held onto him, more grateful for his friendship than I had ever been.

  “I gather you like it?” he asked.

  “I love it, Axel. I really do. When did you get a chance to do this?”

  “Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you like it. I want this to be a place where you’re comfortable.”

  I slid my hand to my belly, rubbing it gently. This was it. The first root of many for my new life, and once I had the baby and completely settled on Long Island, I’d go back home and make things right.

  Chapter 13

  Axel insisted that I take a week off, paid, to move. I of course wasn’t the one doing all the moving because Axel said he’d carry the boxes himself. I didn’t actually have that much to pack, but I did take the time to make a list of all the baby items I’d soon be purchasing. I’d also researched website options, got Axel to order me a set of business cards, and took some time for myself to read a couple of business books.

  The day after I showed Axel all the furnished suites, I organized most of my new belongings into five boxes, but a phone call from Lana interrupted me before I was done. I was meeting with her that evening to discuss potential work, which I hadn’t asked Axel about just yet.

  “Is that everything?” he asked.

  “Just the dresser, but I have to pee first.”

  “Okay.”

  I hurried to the washroom as Axel said, “I’m gonna get going on the dresser for you.”

  “Sounds good.”

  And that’s when it hit me.

  No, no, no!

  My dresser not only had bras, panties, and all that sexy lingerie that Axel bought for me just after we met, but also my new, completely unused toy.

  Shit!

  By the time I got back to the bedroom, Axel was leaning against the furniture, dangling the dildo in his hand.

  “I didn’t know pregnant women could, you know, still do it.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Yup.”

  My cheeks heated as I focused on the dildo.

  “Have you used it?”

  “What kind of a question is that?”

  “It’s a simple one, with a yes or no answer.”

  “It’s private.”

  “Which means you haven’t… but it could also mean that you have.” He pretended to ponder with the blue dildo, next to his face.

  “You know, any
other guy would have dropped that.”

  “I’m not just any other guy.”

  Don’t I know it!

  “Give me that.” I reached for the toy, but he moved his hand away, forcing my body closer to his.

  “Come on, Axel. What if I came to your house and played with your blow-up dolls?”

  “First of all, I don’t have any blow-up dolls. And second of all, there’s a good reason why you haven’t been to my house.”

  I jumped up again, lightly bumping against his chest, but I managed to grasp the dildo. He used his advantage to pull me closer to him. We were chest against chest – or more like his chest against my nose – looking at each other. The world stopped spinning as I stared into his eyes. They were beautiful, dark with hunger at that moment, and absolutely captivating. I moved in closer and felt Axel grow against my stomach. The hardness felt so good, I had the urge to feel its strength. I bet it was so much better than that flimsy dildo, but honestly I thought I’d forgotten what a real man’s dick felt like. Not that I wanted one any time soon. My memories of the last time one was inside me were enough to make me not want to touch a man again. But Axel, man, he had that perfection thing going for him so well that he made me believe in honest men again.

  What were we talking about?

  House. His house.

  As his lips neared closer to mine and his eyes closed, I used the opportunity to grab my toy from him and step away.

  “Tease.”

  “Dildo thief.”

  “That’s a new one for me.”

  “So, you remember when I mentioned Lana, right?”

  “Yes?”

  “I need a favor.”

  “Anything.”

  That wasn’t the first time Axel offered me ‘anything,’ and I was willing to bet that he’d fulfill any promise he made.

  “I need help finding her a job, ASAP.”

  “Can she start Monday?”

  “I think so. Are you being serious?”

  “I never joke about work. I have a ton of paperwork to be organized and filed away before it’s transferred off site. It would take her at least a month, and I’m sure by then we could find her something permanent. And I pay well.”