His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs) (6 page)

Melody sighed turning around. He’d come into her room and
that was a big no no. Sternly she pointed to the door and he grumbled, walking
back out to stand at the threshold.

“You are my wife—”

“In name only,” she cut him off. “And the next time you come
into my room and near my daughter I’ll forget you’re holding something over my
head and sell you out!”

He smirked. “I am permitted to see my own daughter.”

Whenever he said that, Melody’s skin literally crawled. She
couldn’t believe that was a possibility just as she couldn’t believe she’d
actually had sex with him. She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol since that
night.

“She’s not your daughter!” she ground out.

“How do you know?” he snickered then shrugged. “It doesn’t
matter if she is mine biologically or not. But legally she is mine.”

That’s what you think.
Antonio hadn’t bothered to go to the hospital for the birth so he had no idea
whose name was listed under father on the birth certificate. Did he actually
think his threats had made her that subservient as to list his name as Esme’s
father? Yes, she may not be a hundred percent sure who the father was, but
every time she looked into Esme’s eyes she was convinced she belonged to Ruiz.
Her eyes were brown and Antonio’s eyes were blue—a cold and menacing blue.

“What do you want Antonio?”

“If he won’t let me have my job back, I want my suite and to
be left to do as I please. He can run the place for all I care. It’s running
out of money anyway.”

Melody felt her heart break at the flippant way he spoke
about her hotel. God, what would Allan think of her if he found out she let the
place go to the dogs as she watched? To think of all the hurt he and Riana had
gone through just to get Melody the Red Roses chain of hotels. She felt like a
traitor, like an ungrateful little brat. Maybe she should just find a way to
let Allan know what was going on.

“Ah, here is the nanny. Go, my little butterfly, and make
sure your old lover does not come in the way of my plans, otherwise, he’ll stop
being a nuisance permanently.”

Melody felt her body go cold at his words. The look in his
eyes told her he wasn’t joking. Was he always going to threaten those she loved
to get her to do what he wanted? He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door
as Esme’s nanny walked into Melody’s room and the click of the lock sounded
right after. Melody trusted Jackie to care for Esme. She was an old woman with
the kindest heart. She was a retired nurse who took pity on Melody at the
hospital and offered to work for her as a nanny. Melody appreciated it. She not
only took care of the baby but her as well.

“Convince him whichever way you can to let me be or you’ll
be the one to pay for his interference.” He then slammed the door shut in her
face and Melody had no other choice, but to do as she was told.

She got to the family suite and stood at the door like a
nervous school girl. She fussed to straighten her shirt, patted the braid that
held her hair together and pinched her cheeks to get some pink in them. She
hadn’t bothered with makeup for the longest time. She laughed at herself,
shaking her head. Why she was even going through all this was a mystery to her.
She was still annoyed at him for lying to her, for being the first domino to
place her in her current predicament. And yet, her belly fluttered with
excitement at the prospects of seeing him again.

She raised her hand to ring the doorbell, but stopped, remembering
Antonio’s words. He’d left Cheri in here alone with Ruiz. Oh God, were they…did
he…he wouldn’t…

She didn’t know exactly how but her finger pressed down on
the doorbell and almost immediately after, the door swung open and her breath
caught in her chest. He looked gorgeous! She was sure nothing much had changed
about him, but…she was close to weeping at the sight of him. And the best part
was he was fully dressed! Ruiz wasn’t a two-minute wonder, so that meant Cheri
left right after Antonio did. His damp hair was brushed back and she noticed it
was longer than how he liked to keep it. The other thing that was different was
the frown—on his forehead and his lips. She never liked that look on him. She
fisted her hands, fighting the urge to iron them out with her thumb. When they
were together, there were moments when he would lapse into silence, deep in
thought and the frowns would appear. It had taken a long time before he trusted
her with those thoughts, but he always smiled a big beautiful grin that made
her weak in the knees whenever he saw her.

There was no smile this time, just a raised brow.

“First your new husband, now you? Are you also here to
demand I leave?”

His cold tone was like ice water down her back. She stilled
herself, pulling the mask of indifference over her face as she’d learned to do
for a year now.

“Are you going to let me in, or are we going to have this
discussion out here?”

He snorted, stepping to the side and letting her pass.
Melody curled her fingers into tighter fists to keep from touching him as she
passed by. She’d grown a habit of stroking his abs and pecs as she passed by
him while they were in the Bahamas. He would call her a tease for it and she
would blush seven shades of red. She hadn’t meant to be a tease she just liked
the strength laying under his clothes and tanned skin.

She heard the door close behind her and her heart began
beating a mile a minute.

“So, what should I call you?”

“What?”

“You’re not an Albury or a Sinclair anymore so who are you?”

No, she wasn’t anymore and he must be wondering how the hell
that happened. She wasn’t sure herself, but it had.

“It’s Oriton.”

He scoffed, “That’s an Italian name?”

She turned to face him, but kept her eyes averted from his.
“No. He’s not Italian, he’s Cuban.”

“With an Italian accent?”

His tone suggested he didn’t believe her and as she thought
about it, Ruiz did have a point. But Antonio’s heritage was the last thing she
wanted to talk about.

“What does it matter where he came from or what his accent
is?”

He shrugged his large shoulders, pocketing his hands in his
trousers. “Okay then
Mrs. Oriton
,
what can I do for you?”

Damn the way he said it, it was like an insult, which was
true in more ways than one. Taking a discreet deep breath she looked into his
eyes and her heart leaped. There it was, proof that Esme was his. Antonio’s
ploy to constantly put doubts in her mind fell by the way side as she stared at
those familiar eyes, even though at the moment they glared at her. The relief
that washed over her made her feel faint.

 
Esme is Ruiz’s daughter!

Suddenly, the glare turned to concern and he rushed to her,
his hands clamping around her arms. The contact shot a volt of desire right
down her body and she gasped, falling against his chest. He walked her to the
couch and sat her down slowly. Then he reached for the pitcher of water on the
table, poured water into a glass and handed it to her. He helped her drink a
few sips before taking the glass out of her trembling hands and placing it on
the table. She stared at him, at his eyes, with so much joy until her own eyes
began to blur.

“Mel, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

The concern in his voice touched her and she giggled.

“Melody, are you going nuts?”

She chortled. “That ship sailed long ago!”

He shook his head as he dried her cheeks with his thumbs. “I
figured that would be the only explanation for marrying that guy. Seriously,
what were you thinking?”

The anger in his voice sobered her. It was time for her to
do what she had to otherwise there was no telling what would have next—what she
would initiate to happen next because by god she hungered for his touch, for
his lips, for him to make love to her again. She wanted to say she was sorry
for all the things she said, for not asking for an explanation, for jumping
into bed with another man even though she couldn’t remember it. She wanted to
beg him to take her back and save her and their daughter from the demon she was
forced to marry.

She wanted a lot, but she knew very well she wasn’t going to
get it. Antonio would make sure of it and that deflated her.

With a defeated sigh she said, “You need to leave him alone.
You can have the run of the place but you need to leave Antonio to his own
devices.”

He shot up, out of his crouch position and glared down at
her with such venom in his eyes, it made her flinch.

“How could you say that? Have you not taken a tour of your
gift
? The same gift that almost cost my
sister and your brother, their lives? Are you so selfish that you conveniently
forgot what getting this place did to them?”

How could she forget? She lived that horror with them and he…How
dare he say that to her! Fueled by her own anger she stood, her fists clenched
at her sides.

“What would you know? You weren’t there. You know nothing
about how I felt when they were hurting! Only Reno can bring me to task about
how
selfish
I am. You are such a damn
hypocrite, or do you think I’ve forgotten your real reason for ‘reuniting’ with
your siblings and for dating me?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I dated you because I
fell in love with you and as for my siblings, I love them and I’m glad we were
reunited!”

She placed her hands on his chest and shoved him, but he
only moved back half a foot. “You are like everyone else! You just wanted me to
get close to my brother, to the Sinclair billions. You never loved me so don’t
ever say that again!”

Ruiz huffed throwing his hands up. “That doesn’t fucking
matter anymore, now does it? You are married to someone else and I don’t want
your billions! I never have!”

“Maybe not, but you wanted what Reno had. I overheard you on
the phone that day speaking to that woman about how the resort slipped through
your fingers!”

Ruiz’s expression shuttered, his shoulders hunching with it.
“That’s it? That’s why you left me?” He shook his head. “No demand for an
explanation, no questions…you just picked up a john at the bar and told me to
take a hike all because of a phone conversation you overheard?”

The way he stared at her, with hurt and defeat, it made her
feel like she was missing something, like she had overreacted and therefore
thrown both their lives off balance. He rubbed his hand over his chest and
Melody had to quell the urge to go to him and apologize because she sincerely
had no idea what she had to apologize for.

“I heard what you said about your husband. I’ll think about
it, but right now, I have to meet someone before the staff meeting.” He walked
to the door and opened it wide. Melody took the hint, but right before she
stepped out he caught her hand in a tender hold. She fought not to look
directly at him. She didn’t want to see the hurt in his eyes. “Melody, call
your brother, tell him where you are or go visit him. He misses you.”

 
She gave him a
curt nod, slipped her hand out of his and rushed for the elevator. She held
herself together until she got to her room in the manager’s house. Jackie was
seated in the rocking chair knitting. The second she saw her, she stopped and
gave her a concerned look. Melody blinked back her tears and went to the crib.
She scooped up her sleeping daughter’s tiny body and held her close to her
chest.

“I saw your daddy today, and I’m sure it’s him.” She stroked
her long eye lashes wishing Esme had her eyes open so that she could look into
them again. “You have his beautiful eyes, little Miss Albury. And I just know,
he’s going to fall madly in love with you when he meets you and he’ll keep
loving you forever.”

“Are you going to tell him the truth?” Jackie asked coming
up behind her.

Melody nodded, rubbing her nose against Esme’s tiny one.
“Yes, I just don’t know how or when.”

Jackie stroked her head. “Don’t worry child. When the time
is right, you’ll know and the words will come freely.”

Melody rubbed her lips against Esme’s forehead. Her skin was
so soft and her scent was so good, it chased the chill of her confrontation
with Ruiz away. “I hope you’re right nanny.”

* * * *

Melody watched as the room filled up with the hotel
employees. She kept her head down, sinking a little lower in her seat right at
the far back corner of the staff hall. She couldn’t bring herself to meet the
eyes of her employees or see what she had turned them into. She’d let them down
and the once polished and well mannered staff she and Ruiz had put in place
over a year ago were now…God she wasn’t even sure they’d invented a word for
it. Most of the good ones had left, seeking employment elsewhere, including the
general manager at Antonio’s urging. Those who were left were rude, lazy and
insubordinate and all that was also thanks to Antonio. She winced at the memory
of one of the bellboys who’d winked at her a few months ago making suggestive
and stomach turning gestures. When she’d gone to reprimand him he told Melody
her husband had declared her fair game until she lost the baby weight. And
apparently he’d had his eye on her since the days she and Ruiz were a couple.
Red faced and ashamed, she ran to the manager’s house and remained cowered in
there ever since. She never ventured out unless it was absolutely necessary,
which had been when Antonio threw a hissy fit about being fired and thrown out
of the Family suite by Ruiz. Another shameful moment for her. That suite was
only for her family and she’d let that enemy desecrate it.

She blinked back tears and swallowed back the chocking
emotions. She’d avoided calls from her family and somehow it all hadn’t
registered until Reno called leaving a message. Though delivered in such a
brotherly tone, he’d made it clear he was going to come get her and take her
home kicking and screaming if necessary if she didn’t call the ladies and
Allan. She was seven months pregnant then and couldn’t afford for him
discovering her secret. So she called and Skyped appeasing him, but she knew it
wasn’t enough so she dropped off again.