Page 80 of Beautiful Desire

“Here she is,” I say when we walk into the room.

Melinda turns around, and her face lights up. Walking closer, she peeks at Lily, who turns her head to look straight at her new nanny.

“Hi, sweet girl. Aren’t you precious?” Not bothering to look up at me, she keeps her attention trained on Lily’s face as she continues to talk. “She’s beautiful, Elle, and these bright blue eyes of hers are going to break hearts one day.” Lifting her head, she looks hesitant. “Can I hold her?”

“Of course,” I reply.

When she holds her arms out, I gently place my angel baby in her arms, keeping my arms outstretched until I know she has a good hold on her.

Stepping back, I watch as Melinda starts talking to my daughter. She sways as she talks, and Lily seems to be completely enamored with her.

Feeling like I’m imposing, I clear my throat. “I’ll just make her a bottle, feed her, and change her, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Before I can take a step toward the kitchen, Melinda stops me. “Elle, honey, that’s what I’m here for, remember?”

Right. Yes. Thatiswhat she’s here for.

“Sorry, this is still new to me. I’ve only ever left her with my best friend and her nanny. They’ve been more like family to me since she was born.”

“Don’t be sorry. I understand. Take as much time as you need. But I will say the longer you wait to leave, the harder it will be.”

She’s right. I need to get this over with. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can be back.

“You’re right. I’m going to go. Bottles and formula are on the counter, ready to go. Diapers, wipes, rash cream, and clothes are all in her room in the basket underneath the changing table.”

“I know, you already told me. I haven’t forgotten,” she says, giving me a wink.

Walking over to Lily, I bend down and pepper her head with kisses.

“Bye, my sweet girl. Mommy will be back soon. I love you,” I say, giving her one last kiss. Turning around, I walk over to the kitchen counter and grab my phone and iPad and stuff them into my purse while mumbling, “I knew I should have bought a stuffed teddy bear suit.”

“What’s that, dear?” Melinda asks, startling me.

“Oh, uh nothing. I was just doing my mental checklist. I didn’t realize I said that out loud. Sorry,” I tell her as I clear my throat.

“Okay. Sounded like you said a stuffed teddy bear,” she replies.

“Haha, no. I said, ‘Stuff you in there’ while putting it into my bag.” I try not to turn beet-red.

Composing myself, I grab my bag and spin on my heel, saying one last goodbye to Lily. Walking toward the door, I open it, stepping out into the hall and quietly closing it behind me without looking back. My heart feels like it’s breaking in half in my chest with every step I take away from her. It doesn’t take long before the tears build in the back of my eyes.

Unable to take it much longer, I reach into my purse and pull out my phone. Unlocking the screen, I tap on the nanny cam app and breathe a sigh of relief when I see Melinda sitting on the couch, feeding Lily her bottle.

I can do this.

Taking the elevator downstairs, I exit the building and walk to the nearest coffee shop, where I sit watching Melinda and Lily on the iPad the entire time. Seeing how caring she is with my daughter and how they get along together confirms that pulling her from Maria’s care was for the best. Maria was incredible with Lily, but I needed to prove to myself that I could do this on my own.

Everything’s going to be just fine.

CHAPTER24

DOM

It’s beentwo weeks since Nero showed up in my office, and he’s still in the city with no plans of leaving anytime soon. To say my nerves are shot would be an understatement. Enrico has been keeping tabs on him around the clock, giving me constant updates.

I’m not sleeping, and I’m barely eating. My nightmares are back in full swing, and every time I close my eyes, all I see ishim. My brother. The person who has been haunting my dreams for the past twenty years.

If I could do one thing differently in my life, it would be him. I would go back and change how the course of that day went. Making sure he was okay and not just assuming until it was too late. That’s part of the reason why I’ve been so on edge lately.

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