Alejandro
Mia runs her little fingers over my beard and giggles when I make a face at her.
She was already awake when I went down to her room, so I decided to take her for a walk by the lake. I swim and run every morning to work out. I could have easily lain in bed and waited for the red-haired mermaid to wake. I just chose not to because I knew doing so would have led to a repeat of last night. That is something I can’t afford during the day.
Not right now.
Last night, Lucia scrambled my brain and left me with that mind-fucked sensation that comes with being wasted or high. She intoxicated me, working some kind of magic to break through the ironclad control I normally exert on myself.
It’s best I see her later, or maybe skip a day or something. Not just that, there’s something up with her. Something more than what she’s told me.
I feel it, but I don’t know if I should cross that line. We haven’t known each other long enough for me to push more boundaries than the physical attraction.
It’s just that something grips me when I look into her eyes and see her pain.
Mia giggles and touches my beard, drawing my attention back to her, and I set her down so she can walk to the edge of the lake.
She’s normally asleep until eight. It’s still extremely early, so I probably should have left her to settle back to sleep. I guess I couldn’t resist spending time with her.
My daughter.
My little girl, who will grow up to know me as her uncle if I don’t do something to change that. There’s so much in my life I don’t need. Too much.
The sound of footsteps crunching on leaves has me turning. When I meet Estelle’s pensive stare, I know she’s gearing up to talk to me about something I don’t want to talk about—Lucia.
“Morning, Estelle,” I greet her.
“Morning.” She takes a seat next to me on the little stone bench.
“Let’s hear it. I’m heading out soon, and I might not be back for dinner.”
She narrows her dark eyes on me. “I just wish you could have gotten a more suitable nanny for Mia.” There’s a sourness laced in her tone; it’s heavy with the disapproval I preempted.
“What is wrong with Lucia?”
“Alejandro, I was not born yesterday. She might have the skills, and she might have all the credentials God gave man, but she’s not right for Mia or the situation here. If you want a girlfriend, get one, or better yet, get a wife, then you won’t have to worry so much about a fulltime nanny.”
She’s the only person I allow to speak to me like that. No one else would dare to. Not even Cristiano.
“I don’t want either.” I smirk, irritating her. It’s not that I don’t see her point. I do. I’m just not going down that road.
“Why on earth not?”
“Estelle, I’m not talking about this again.”
“Okay, then we’ll talk about the matter of the nanny. Lucia is a young girl you’ve brought into this home. She’s clearly besotted with you, and you are the same.”
Besotted.I haven’t heard that word in a long time.
“What made you think that?” I feign innocence, but she can see through my shit.
“Don’t take me for a fool. You don’t mix business with pleasure. Not for something like this. Lucia is just a pretty face, and she’s not going to stay.”
That hits me hard because she’s right.
“I thought you were going to get a mature woman, someone like me who would stay for as long as you need,” she continues. “Mia needs stability, Alejandro. The danger that exists outside this home is bad enough, but don’t let her get so attached to a woman who’s not going to stick around.”
I’m listening, and I know everything is going to blow up in my face eventually and affect my child in one way or another. My little girl shouldn’t have so much darkness and complications to look forward to.